Rain boots and Car Washes

I am so blessed to have a nice little weekend on Tuesdays right after my work week starts. It's the perfect day to sleep in (or not as the case usually is), sip on a mug of tea, ride my bike, and as today went - dance in the rain! Our society is built on milestones of reaching adult hood. You go to college, get married, have kids, buy a house..and that's what it means to be a grown up. However, there are some pretty exciting moments that get overlooked if that's what defines a person's identity and life course. For example, today I'm pretty excited about the tax return I got back as a result of filing all on my own! Feeling pretty spiffy :) I'm also enjoying the process of keeping up the maintenance of a car. Today is new tire day, man I love the smell of mass amounts of rubber, and also car wash day. I have always been guilty of driving through the car wash and getting on with my life, but why? Turns out washing a car with a bucket and suds is extra fun in a pair of rainboots. The sun was shining and it looked like I just might be done before that changed. Instead, just as I was getting ready to do the final rinse, it started pouring. I hardly had to use the hose and my favorite yellow rainboots kind of completed the experience for me. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if my sister was home to dance with me in the warm drops. :) Happy moment number three is my herb garden. It's really starting to smell like a good recipe waiting to happen. I love watering it because my whole room smells like a good Italian marinara. Mmm.

Altogether, I'd say that's a pretty great series of reasons to be happy it's Tuesday and I'm an adult.

Happened Upon Truths in Portsmouth

A bunch of Little Things

This last week flew by in a blur. I sometimes feel like I work for some secret intelligence agency because it is one of these things where "what I do at work, stays at work." I would be dancing with HIPPA to try and share my day from 8-5. I may not be able to post the cute things the kid said, or the amazing case I learned from, or my excitement in a correct nursing diagnosis. However, my experience with those things, or how it made me feel, or what I learned from my day, that is mine and that's what I want to take home with me anyways. In a vague way, this was my week. I felt that I helped lighten the burden of an overwhelmed mother just slightly, I felt that those calls I would have held my breath during a couple months ago were just detective cases that we worked through, and the occasional conversation that left a bitter taste in my mouth was just a brief moment. I found times to tell parents they were doing a great job, moments to reiterate their concern and present a potential solution, and times where a touch on the shoulder made a big difference. On Thursday I opened a dove chocolate as a reward for an especially difficult conversation and found this perfect quote, "You are exactly where you are supposed to be." I realize you shouldn't read into a quote on your tea bag or chocolate wrapper any more than a fortune cookies predictions, but timely words are still appreciated. Other little things in my week that made it all worth it were the following:

* I took my bike out for it's first ride, 7 miles of "I love my bike, I love my bike!"

* I paid off my third loan and received the Sallie Mae email "It's been nice working with you." I couldn't agree more.

* I wandered through Fred Meyer's with my dad looking at pots for my herb garden and found the perfect one. I now love staring at the top of my dresser, and it even smells good :)

* My dog still greets me at the door with a wink and then sticks out her tongue. I love her. I also love taking her for walks with the leash I bought in Rhode Island. She is the best furry roommate.

* I felt like an adult and figured out how to file my taxes. Happy Dance!

* I had just the slightest sunburn from a gorgeous weekend. 

It was...a week full of little pleasures. Here's to a refreshing weekend before the next one!

 

 

Herb Garden-ing

This was by far my best lunch break so far. Reason number 17 or so of why I'm happy to work so close to home. Melissa had to head back to school so as a last hoorah we decided to plant my herb garden. I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to gardening, but I do know that I like cooking with herbs and I enjoy the feeling of dirt under my fingernails. Also, herbs are supposedly easy to keep alive. I found these cute little seed pellets that come in their own portable green house and since it was too early to find anything leafy to just put in my window box, I decided starting from the beginning sounded like an adventure. Here's to growing something edible and keeping it alive!

Tulips on Easter

The tulip festival has become a yearly must see for me. This was the first year that I noticed the sweet smell though. Each row I walked by I decided "now this is my favorite color, no this one." I never did decide, but I took pictures from every angle of every color so if I ever do decide, I'll have the perfect shot. Mostly though, it was just a beautiful way to enjoy the sunshine-y weather of Easter.

Salt, Sand, Sea

This is one of my favorite quotes. The beach is one of those places that I can't visit without feeling revived by the time I leave. This evening I came home smelling like the campfire, my hair thoroughly salty and windblown, and leftover sand still stuck between my toes from our short beach jog. And somehow, all of those things together represent a day full of happiness spent with a bunch of my most loved people. As I wrote in the sand, and was reminded throughout the day, Life is Good!

My "Giant" Excitement

Pay day and Spring weather couldn't have coordinated better with the arrival of my beautiful new bike. I knew that I wanted a new way to enjoy my work commute...all 6 minutes of it. :) With this in mind I wandered over to my local bike shop and eyed what they had in stock. I left with a catalog in hand and just moments later I had found the perfect one. After test riding others they already had in the store, and waiting... not so patiently, for the dream bike I had ordered, it came! I gave it a thorough test of gears, speed bumps, balance, and fit...but really, my heart was set from the beginning. Conveniently it was just as great in person as I had hoped! Meet my new favorite possession, transportation, and waiting to be named...bicycle.

P.S. When I arrived to pick it up, they were happy to present me my new bike, rose and all. This girl's day has been made!