House-warming or heart-warming?

So, as E and I were discussing my new place (before it was officially offical), she mentioned that she and L were discussing what they should get me as a house warming gift. Not sure what was discussed, but the story that was shared was the suggested gift was to be a "pack n' play". E laughed, and I shared in her laughter, but I also had some tears come to my eyes. They were, of course,  tears of joy.
A pack n' play means regular time with my munchkins and more precious time with my favorite cousin/friend and her lou-lou.
I was with them for the weekend and just had such a lovely time. It warms my heart to know they will be so close and will be part of my regular life. Each time I think about it, I have a happy feeling in my heart. As we've been together, I realized just how awesome it is going to be to be part of this special family's regular lives.
I'm excited to have them come to my house for naps during DC adventures and excited to see their new addition on the very day that she arrives. I'm excited to host sleepovers with the little ones when the grown-ups just need a night out and super pleased to be able to attend a soccer game or recital (when that time comes). I am happy to have them integrated into my life here in DC.
Though there's much I am excited about this new place, having them here is a big huge incredible bonus.
I was stoked to call Seattle home. It felt right almost instantly. But I think this new chapter is going to be one of the best yet!

officially official

Well, it's officially official. Though not proper English that is the statement that confirms I am 100% in to Washington, DC. Today I signed a lease.
E and I spent a super fun (and kind of random) day together on Saturday house-hunting for me. Part of the hunt was to figure out a neighborhood and a house within it that I'd like to call my home.
The place I landed on was the 2nd place we looked at. When we got there, I really liked. We were a little early, so we investigated the hood. One mile away, we found a farmer's market, a Target, and really anything I could ever actually need. There was even a flower booth. (I was a little in love). And a Metro stop! The place is new, I'll be the first tenant. The property manager was someone I could be friend's with. She lives down the block and touted all the good things about the neighborhood---a Capitol City bike place (you rent a bike and drop it anywhere in the city you see a location....amazing!), a coffee shop, an amazing bar, and a pizza place. And apparently, it's the friendliest neighborhood in the district. Neighbors know neighbors! And people hang out on porches. It sounded really perfect, but it was only the 2nd place we looked at and I had a list of 8. I was a little in love with a different neighborhood, but the place there didn't work out. To be honest, I was heartbroken. I hesitated a little on the application because I didn't want to commit and then be disappointed.
After church (yes, I went to church with E and C), brunch, and some mattress shopping I borrowed the car and went to check out a few more places. The first one on Sunday was in a fancy neighborhood and I was sure that I was going to find a place. Then I walked into the place--- no thank you! I didn't even walk trhough the front door. Then I went to another neighborhood and didn't even want to get out of the car. It squashed all of concerns about committing to place #2. (Oh, and the very first place was in total sketchville, so it was a no before we even walked into the door!). By the end of the day, I was already moved into the new place! (in my head.)
So, I will be moving into a 1BD plus Den in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in early July. I will be 2.9 miles from the Obamas (and all the monuments!); 1.2 miles from a pal, 1.3 miles from the National Zoo. I am thrilled to discover this new place and am excited to call it home.
(Oh and I will have room for guests!)

Phase One: Complete!

Phase One is complete.
I am officially moved out of Fremont and moving into my month of being a nomad.
Yesterday the movers came and put all the boxes into the cubes.
The final total: 59 boxes. plus all my furniture! Half way through the guy in charge talked to me about what I might be willing to not take with me. I have to say, I got a little nervous but immediately found homes for the stuff and decided a trip to Ikea (with my fav buddy, of course) would be in order once I found my new home on the other side. (Likely that is in order anyway!). But there was no need to leave anything behind. In the end, everything fit.
Today they picked up the pods to place into storage until my destination is determined.
As I was driving away from my little cottage, my heart got a tiny bit heavy. And I got a little nostlgic. I have had an incredible two years in my little place. I have loved my time in Seattle. As I have said in previous posts, I love the vibe of the Pacific Northwest. It will remain a part of me for the years to come. Since I will be back in a few weeks and have a few more nights, I am not yet willing to officially say goodbye. I know it is coming and am ready but I am not ready. Not today.
Today is a day to be excited that the first step of this process has gone so smoothly. Today is a day to celebrate with my favorite West Seattle friends. I woke up this morning to a cutie 3-year-old and a large yellow lab. The little lady calling me - "Dress- ica" and asking when we could have the fancy cupcakes for breakfast. It was a delightful way to start the day. (the dog breath, not withstanding...yuck!).
Today, I will think good thoughts for the rest of the phases in this adventure.
Tomorrow, I fly to DC to find a new home. (I have found one and fallen in love, I just need to make sure the landlord finds me to be the best fit. I do come with incredible references!). Then I will spend a week learning the city and the ins and outs of the events I will plan there.
June 4, I return to my temporary place in West Seattle for a few more nights. Spend time with pals, finish my class, and tie up any loose ends. I will pick up my adventure buddy on June 6 and June 7 we will depart for the east coast.
While Phase One is completed, I am unsure how many phases there will be in this process. I am happy and relieved to have completed the first one of many and I look forward to what lies ahead.
Fingers crossed for a successful next set of phases (however many there may be!).

Day One.

the pods have arrived.
I sound like some sci-fi chica. Sadly, that is not the case. I am referring to the moving pods.
In my opinion, the best way ever to move!
They arrived today in Miss Piggy style (3-Day reference for those who get it). Delivered in a gigantic semi trailer and removed by a small forklift. The driver was sweet man, He reminded me a little bit of my dad. The space the pods are placed is slightly uneven, so Warren (my ABF buddy), placed rocks underneath to make it as safe as possible for me to load them. (I hired movers, but they need to be safe too!).
So, two huge ABF cubes are redy and waiting for all my stuff.
The boxes are packed. My things are ready to go. My stuff is staged for it's final destinations.
I packed for this week.
I packed for next week.
I packed for the next month and fancy meetings.
I will sleep over with my two favorite Seattle pals this week and then head to DC for some house-hunting and some event learning between Friday and June 4.
I'll come back to Seattle (hopefully with a new place to call home) and get ready to roll east!
I am not as overwhelemed today. It's like a Friday of an event. There's still three more days of an event, but the first day is complete, so you can breathe a little easier. There might be a storm in the forecast, but you know you've done everything you can to make it all work.
That's how I feel.
I have done everything I can to make sure things go smoothly. I have handled anything I can that is within my control. Now it's up to the Universe. And mostly out of my control.
And I can breathe a little more easily.

It's here. The big move week.
The movers come on Wednesday.
As I mentioned the other day...I am both excited and nervous.
What I didn't mention is that I might be a bit of a hot mess.
I had intended to play over this weekend (or at least part of the weekend) with a friend on the San Juan Islands for her birthday. It's been planned since January. So, I made sure I could work from the island and went out on Thursday. To get there, you need to take a ferry. I heart ferries. For real.
In fact I have always hearted ferries. There is a large car ferry in Ludington, where I always vacationed as a kid and where my parents have their cottage. But the car ferry in MI is large and black and looks a little scary. There is something very charming about the WSDOT ferries. They are white and green (MSU anyone?!). They remind me of a cartoon...I just love them!
Anyway, we took the ferry and got to the island in mid-afternoon. We couldn't check in to the resort until 3pm, so I took my computer and worked from Eastsound, WA. Eastsound is a delightfully quaint little town right on the south side of Orcas Island. It was a beautoful day and I enjoyed a few hours of work outside on a rather enjoyable patio. I finished my work and got to the resort just in time for cocktails and apps. Perfect timing. ;) The group was freidnly and super fun!
We settled in and relaxed. It was a perfect way to remove myself from the nuttiness that my immeidate world has become lately. We BBQ'ed for dinner and went to the cafe for a little show. All were in bed by 12am. (I was definately a happy camper about that!)
Friday morning, we awoke and enjoyed coffee and pre-breakfast. The breakfast crew made an amazing brunch and folks eased into the day. I needed to head back to town to work some more. Once in town, I found a new spot and settled in. As I started to work on my to-do's, I started to feel pressure in my chest. My breath quickened. Tears pricked at the backs of my eyes. And I FREAKED out! Seriously, I had a full-on panic attack. I have NEVER had that happen before but here I was in a coffee place, literally starting to hyperventilate. I had to get the eff out of dodge!
I checked the ferry times and scurried back to the lodge to say my goodbyes and get back to the ferry before 4pm.
I got to Orcas Village in time to catch the ferry back on Friday night. I needed to get home and get packing! While rushing into the deck to get some work done, I fell up the stairs. I am now the proud owner of a gnarly bruise on my skin and one to match on my elbow. GRRR.
At that point, I dropped the computer bag back in the car and went to just veg out during the hour long ferry ride. As I slowly attempted to walk back up the stairs, I sniffed the scent of fresh popcorn. My inner Ferd Schulte lept a little bit! I snagged a bag and hightailed it to the front of the boat to enjoy some corn and some views. While enjoying the time-out and the fresh air, I spotted something in the water. It was a pod of orcas!!! Poeple pay BIG money to go out on whale-watching tours and here was on a regular boat ride checking out a huge pod! Amazing. And one more reason for me to love the WSDOT ferry system.
What an incredible way to end my adventure. And a great way to kickstart my week of wildness.
I just need to remember to breathe. And find my groove.



It was a great way to close out the adventure. And I think a good way to kickstart this week of adventures and wildness...
I just need to keep breathing. Find my groove. And just do it.

One week

Today is Wednesday.
It's a beautiful spring day here in Seattle. It's the nth (I don't know exactly, so I am reverting to math to help me...N) day in a row of sunshine and warm temps. This is unusual. But as anyone who has lived here knows, we very quickly forget the yucky days as soon as the skies are blue and the sun is shining. It has been beautiful. Such a vast imrprvement over last spring. Last spring was so rough that it may have scarred me for life, but that is another story.
As I was saying, today is Wednesday.
You're probably saying, "So, what?".
Well for me, Wednesday means that one week from right now....
One week from this exact minute.
The movers will have been here and gone.
All my stuff will be packed.
And it is very likely the house will be cleaned.
And I will be handing over my keys.
That means my time in my little cottage will come to an end.
And means saying goodbye to Fremont.
Sigh.
As you may (or may not) know, I have lived in this space for just a little over two years. Almost as soon as I got to Seattle, I found this amazing cottage. I talked with my landlord before I got here and had a 'feeling'. I met her and saw the space and knew before I even walked in the door that this was going to be my home. I didn't have to look anywhere else. It can be tricky to find. (It's taken a bit to train delivery people!). But once you find it it feels like you're approaching a cottage in a storybook or secret garden (especially in the spring and summer when everything's in bloom). It sounds weird, but there is something a little magical about it.
No seriously major life events happened here. (I mean, like no babies or weddings or anything super serious like that. No changes to taxes stuff.) Just life.
And it's been good.
Really good.
I have been so happy here. In my magical little cottage.
But I have one week.
I am excited. And I am nervous.
I am ready. But feel like it is coming so qucikly.

As of one week out, I have 17 boxes packed. The kitchen and bathroom still need to be packed up.
And I need to figure out EXACTLY what to pack during my "homeless" period while floating between a few  things. I will be on an event, house hunting, attending serious business meetings, playing on the beach, and officially moving. Um, seriously, what does one pack??
I currently have 12 pairs of shoes, 9 skirts (dressy and casual), a few sweatshirts (do I need to remind anyone that a) it is summer and b)I am moving a very warm place?), 2 dress pants, 2 bathing suits, a plethora of t-shirts, event pants and event raincoat, and whole bunch of other random things. I know that once i put something in a box, it is completely unaccessible until July. For some reason that makes me want to pack everything under the sun! The thing I need to keep in mind is that most days I wear the exact same thing....jeans and t-shirt/sweatshirt. I change the underpinnings (yeah, I went old school to be classier) daily, but the external wear is the same. I am sure my neighbors think I own two things- jeans & a green sweatshirt. Oh and a coat.
Realistically, I could pack the event stuff (I really do a few things because you get dirty on an event), one nice outfit for meetings, one pair of jeans/capris and a handful of shirts. Done. But what is going to happen will be the list above and I will fill 3 suitcases of things, plus a toiletry bag, and my work bag(s). The car will definately be full full. Papa keeps teasing me about making sure I have space for him(he's going to be my driving buddy) and his small bag. The reminder might be more than just a joke.
So, one week....
Here. We. Go!
Whoa.

My little victory!

Today I was out running some quick errands (to grab food since I cleaned out everything in my fridge already) and parked in a street- parking space. There was a sign that stated “no parking within 30 feet” on the stop sign in front of me. I assessed and decided I would be just fine for the 5 minutes it would take for me to run in and grab lunch. Well, as I was walking out of the restaurant there was a parking enforcement guy writing me a ticket. I approached and asked why he was writing me a ticket. (I was nice because let’s face it, they get beat up a lot I am sure!)

 He answered, rather rudely, “read the sign! No parking within 30 feet”.

I replied- "right, I saw that. This car is more than 30 feet from the sign."

He argued that it was not and handed me my $50 ticket. I told him that the car was most certainly parked more than 30 feet away (channeling my inner Buzz Buzz). He replied—"well, there’s no way to prove it and based on my experience this car is less than 30 feet away."

I then asked him (as nicely as I could without sounding sarcastic)- "if I can prove it will you revoke my ticket?" 

He agreed.

And I pulled out my measuring wheel. J

I was parked 34 feet from that stop sign.

I got a rousing round of cheer from the construction dudes nearby.
And saved myself $47.

Thanks, Komen, for my measuring wheel!

Free beer? Now I know the answer!

Do you ever have one of those moments where for no reason at all you've just had the best time? I have these moments often. And the reasons they are so amazing very so much it's hard to pinpoint the specifics.
Well, last night was one of those amazing moments. Some pals and I discovered an incredible trivia place a few weeks ago (by accident). We were starving and the menu sounded okay. Well it turned into discovering the best burger I have ever had (seriously. I have since dreamed about it.) and Monday night trivia with the greatest (wackiest) host ever! We had a blast! Our team came in last, but we did get some points for creativity (good ones, too!). As we were leaving that place, we committed to bringing more friends the next time and hatched a plan for a birthday celebration.
And that brings us back to last night. It was S's birthday, so we coordinated a night out in her honor. It was the Seattle regulars and their spouses. 6 of us in total. Even before the games and food started, we were having a GREAT time. Laughing, catching up, hearing about Dude Ranch adventures, RV plans and so much more. It was fantastic.
And then the trivia started.
At first no one was entirely enthusiastic, but we got into it  and started winning points. K started to kick some serious ass and C started to get a little competitive (in a good way!). And we started to know answers. K and Suz had to leave (they have sweet old dogs to feed), but 4 of us remained. One thing to note about this specific trivia game is that in between the other rounds there are free drink rounds. You write on scraps of paper and run to the front table with your answers. It's silly (but awesome!). Well between C and Em, we won 5 of 6 "free drink" rounds! While perhaps not that awesome sounding, it was because we were dead last in the regular trivia. And I mean, dead last.
Throughout this silly trivia, we laughed so hard our abs hurt. Thankfully no one's pants split. (those in the know will appreciate that...). There were one-liners flying all over the place. Being a sober fly on the wall was amazing. We laughed the whole night.
We all walked away grinning from ear-to-ear and continuing to laugh. In fact, Em and I decided that a "bar trivia laughter" ab workout may be the next big thing.
In all, it was another great night out with my Seattle pals. I am loving all the fun plans and super fun, but it's just making it harder to leave. I fully expect that this rag-tag free beer trivia team will inform me of their future outings. I don't want to be left out. And I look forward to learnin what other "crap from the house" ends up in the next garage sale.

I will miss these moments more than I can express. And this was just a super silly trivia night.
Thanks for continuing to make memories with me, Seattle pals.

One more thing.

Today is 65 degrees. Sunny and not a cloud in the sky. Ferd would call this "abundant sunshine". In short, it is gogeous outside in Seattle today. All the mountains are out in spectacular force. Literally you could not ask for a better day.
I enjoyed an impromptu picnic lunch with some pals. And then decided to take my work on a traveling roadshow. The outdoor coffee shop.
I will be honest, I do not come here nearly enough. It has an incedible view of the canal located just at the base of my hill and offers plenty of sunny, outdoor seating along with the much coveted power outlets. Nothing short of a perfect secondary work location. But, like so many other things, I have not done this nearly enough.
As I sit here and check things off my to-do list, I am less distracted than in my home office. I can enjoy the spectacular sunshine. Periodically people watch. And hear the sounds of boats constantly in motion (and see them if I look up).
So, today on this gorgeous day, less than 2 weeks before I say goodbye, I am taking it all in. Absorbing the people and the place.
And I am sad. For the first time since I made the decision to move, I just got really sad.

I am sitting at this outdoor cafe, listening to chatter from a passing boater. Listening to the breeze through the leaves of the trees. Smelling the lilacs. Surrounded by mountains.
And my heart is heavy.
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. My nose is getting runny.
I know this is truly such a positive decision. I know it deep in my heart of hearts.
But  today I am a little sad to leave this place I love.

to the universe.

I feel like all I talk about these days is the move to Washington, DC. It's a big deal. But I am tired of talking about it, to be honest. And yet, here I am writing about it in my own blog because it is cosuming my thoughts. Rightfully so, it's a big deal. But there are other things in life, I should be posting about. I am here to tell you this will be one more post that has to do with the move, more or less.

When I was moving from Phoenix to Seattle, I made an off-hand joke that I was going to meet and be friends with Dave Matthews. It is no secret that e lives in Seattle, actually in a neighborhood near mine. Friends of mine who live here have interacted with him on rare occassions, so I knew it was possible. From what I understand, he and his family are super cool, regular-type people. He just so happens to be a rock-star. Whatevs, no big deal.
Almost immediately after moving here, I went for a walk with a pal and she took me to a coffee joint nearby. As we walked by, she told me that she and a friend would sometimes work there with the hope that Dave might walk in. It was a local, known Dave hangout. (And yes, we are on a first name basis.) She told me the story and I laughed. Loving the idea that they went there mosty because he might walk in. Well, that was back in the days when I had mucho to do and needed to get out of the house to get items done (I am well on my way to being that way again....). Anyway, I was new to the hood and knew where that place was, so decided to haul my computer up there and do a few hours of work one evening.
As you know, I work from home. That means, I may be clean but not ever fashionable. This day was no exeption and maybe worse than normal. I had my glasses on, my hair pulled into pigtails (cause I had gotten a rather traumatic short haircut, but that's a whole different story), and was wearing my favorite sweatshirt at the time (a neon floral number). In short, I was attractive. (sense the sarcasm). There I was in the coffee shop, drinking my coffee, hammering out the contracts that needed to be done and I noticed an attractive guy walk past the window. It happens.
Well said man walked into the coffee place, his voice was familiar. He hugged the barista and kept on talking. In a matter of seconds, I had the following series of thoughts---
- wow, his voice is sexy.
- omg- I think it's dave matthews!!
- omg, it IS dave matthews!!!
- okay, be stealth. Don't stare.
- how can I NOT stare. It's frickin' Dave Matthews!!!
- is this really happening right now?!
- holy shit! I am staring and they're noticing.
- Look down! Look down.
Though I cannot be sure, I am fairly certain my mouth was hanging open during the seconds all those thoughts raced through my head.
At the point I realized they notice me staring, I did look down and pretend to work.
They continued their brief chat and said their goodbyes. (While I pretended to work.)
As they said goodbye, I did look up and made eye contact with Dave. (dying.)
He walked over and graciously said "hi, I'm Dave" and shook my hand.
I smiled like an idiot and said nothing. Yep, no words. (awesome.)
Dave walked out and I stared.
Then I realized what I looked like right at that moment. Damn. Not that I would have gone home with him or something, but at least I could have looked more like a cool girl rather than the mess I was at that moment.
The barista (who was actually the owner), happened to be BFF with Dave. He looked at me, laughed, and said I actually handled myself better than most people. Um, what? Poor Dave.
So, that was moment when I became "friends"with Dave Matthews. Okay, not really. He doesn't even know my name. BUT, I did shake his hand. I am going to say that counts. Mostly, because who is going to argue?! ;)
So, I put it out to the universe and it happened.
I am putting the same mojo out to the universe for my move to DC. While I don't have a home yet, I do know that I'll live in the district, so technically the Obamas (like Dave Matthews in Seattle) will be my neighbors. After some thought, I am putting it out there that I am going to be friends with the Obamas. Yep, that's right. I am going to rub elbows with the President and First Lady. I am hopeful it'll be a friendship to include fancy balls and international guests. Fingers crossed. ;)

The Passage of time.

I have this random vision of time being an ancient old man. I think it comes from Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. It's this really old man with a long beard and carrying some sort of staff and a clock. I also remember his twinkling eyes and rosy cheekc. Perhaps, it is a mix of Santa and Father Time, who knows?
Anyway, as a kid I always used to find it weird when grown-ups would say how fast time flies by and that I shoudn't wish away my youth. I never wished I was someplace else, but rather really looked forward to the next milestone (like every kid). To turn 10 and get a 10-speed bicycle. To finally turn 16 and get a driver's liscense. To turn 18 and get to vote (I was genuinely thrilled to vote!). To turn 21 and be able to legally drink at a bar! To turn 25 and be able to rent a car(why I was excited by this, I am not sure).
From there, everyone said it will all start to go downhill. I would not say things are headed downhill, but they are definately speeding up! I remember thinking the time between spring break and the end of the school year took FOREVER, now it's the blink of an eye.
Like things with this move seemed to be in slow motion as the decision was being made. Now I feel a bit like the exorcist when the heads spins around....things are flashing before my eyes. I have my life planned almost to the day between now and the 4th of July. It'll be here in the blink of an eye.
So much to do, so little time to get it done.
I had every intention to write in this blog 2-3 times per week. And I have NO idea what happened to last week.  I was BUSY. I was working with this work transition. I was traveling. I was playing with old friends.
Looking back over the last week, I have no idea what happened to time.
Looking past the last month, it gets even tirckier to find out where time has gone.
Maybe that twinkle in Father Time's eye was a knowing one. He knows things will fly by and it's our job to absorb and catch the memories.