November 2, 2008
A Weekend to Remember
On Friday afternoon, we were "Boo-ed." Someone left a Halloween treat on our doorstep along with a sign for our door and a little poem. We had to anonymously leave a treat for someone else in the neighborhood. I knew this was a fun community but I had no idea just how much fun it would be.
On Friday night, for the very first time in their lives, my girls were able to trick-or-treat in a neighborhood crawling with Halloween spirit and kids. Parents set up lawn chairs and campfires with coolers of drinks nearby in their driveways as kids went door to door, always with a parent in view. Big I Sleeping Beauty and Lil C Belle, had a great time. So did the adults. It was a nice introduction to our neighborhood, but it was only the warm-up.
Flash back to January of 2008. After we had been working with our realtor for a little while, he asked us if we would be o.k. with telling people that we were working exclusively with him: the "will you go with me?" of real estate. I told him that we had no problem telling people we were working with him. However, I had a question for him first.
I told him about how our realtor many years ago, when we bought our first house, bought us a garage door opener as a house warming gift. I then told him how our second realtor bought us an orange coaster as a house warming gift. I asked him which realtor he more closely associated with, given that information.
He thought for a few seconds and then told us that he wasn't going to buy us a gift. He said that instead, he would rent a moon bounce for our open house party that would bring all the kids in the neighborhood out, so that we would get to know everyone. I told him I would hold him to that. I had no idea how incredibly he would deliver.
Yesterday, my realtor hosted a hot air balloon "welcome to the neighborhood" event in the park behind my house. The Remax hot air balloon was there, offering tethered rides to anyone who wanted one, for hours. There was also a moon bounce for the kids. My mortgage guy paid for popcorn and cotton candy machines so the entire neighborhood could have some free snacks. We estimate that there were a couple hundred people that came and went throughout the afternoon.
I met many people from our neighborhood, and Big I was thrilled to discover that one of her friends from school lives just four houses down from us while another lives directly across the park
By far though, the coolest part of the day was helping to set up and take down the hot air balloon. I have never taken a ride in one before and I was able to do that too. It was truly a day to remember.
My realtor and I helped the balloon people blow up the balloon, first with a fan that blew cold air into it, then with the propane heaters that blasted flames into the balloon and made my realtor and I happy that we had gloves on.
At one point during the day, the pilot said he needed people to hang on the side of the balloon to keep it down so I jumped onto the side of the balloon, which got me some brave reviews from some of my new neighbors.
During the day, some local 6th graders set up and sold bottles of water to help raise money to build water pumps in less fortunate countries. All around, it was an amazing introduction to our new community, a day that will not soon be forgotten.
A huge thanks goes out to my awesome realtor and mortgage guy! Let's do it again. . . next week perhaps?
October 28, 2008
Intrusion
When I was about five years old, I was rudely awakened after falling asleep on the sofa. My Mom was screaming, running in place, and grabbing me before I knew what was going on. The next thing I knew, I was being thrown on top of the dining room table as my Mom quickly grabbed one of the ice hockey sticks my dad had chosen not to take to his game that night and joined me on the table.
We had an intruder. It was a mouse.
I remember my Dad coming home very late at night to find me sleeping on the table and my Mom occasionally whacking at the floor frantically as the mouse would go charging across the room. My parents had moved into a new construction area and mouse traps in the house were just a way of life for quite some time.
Tonight I grabbed a couple bottles for recycling and headed out to the garage. I flipped the light on and could have sworn I saw something go darting from under my car to under Lil C's bike. I stood completely still and waited on the step. A couple seconds later, the darting intruder made itself known as it scampered across the garage floor to the pile of broken down boxes and disappeared.
I screamed a scream I wasn't aware I had in me, slammed the garage door behind me, and did the Flashdance running in place moves my Mom had done so many years ago. "There's a MOUSE in the GARAGE!" I screamed. "Ahh" and there it was again, my Mom's scream coming out of me.
Mr. BBM got up from the dinner table and with testosterone overflowing, he proclaimed he was going to the garage to do what needed to be done.
There was much slamming and noise in the garage, and when all was said and done, he entered the house empty-handed. He couldn't find it. He didn't even see it.
I won't sleep tonight. I'm terrified to go out to my car. Yes, the 1st kyu brown belt is afraid of a little mouse. And just for good measure. . .
(Insert flashdance running in place action here and just one more "EEEKKKKKKK!!!!!"
I'm going to the store now to buy some traps. I'll have Mr. BBM carry me to the car. How he wishes I was kidding.
October 27, 2008
Enter Pain
I had a personal training session today at my new gym. I expected to be tortured, and I was tortured sufficiently. My legs have felt like rubber for much of the day, and I can pretty much guarantee that tomorrow morning is going to suck, even though my Mom hates that word. There's just no better word for how it's going to feel to try to make these legs work tomorrow.
My trainer had ACL reconstruction surgery himself, so he has been in my shoes. We spent 30 minutes talking about my goals: to not be in pain anymore, to feel normal again, to be able to return to karate and return strong, etc. etc. After our talk, we got right to work.
My trainer had me do some interesting things that I think are really going to help me. I held weights and used a step to do toe touches. I balanced on some impossibly wiggly ball thing on one leg. I sat in mid-air while leaning my back against a wall long enough to make my legs burn. I did squats with my back pressed against one of those giant exercise balls that was up against a wall. I did some crazy calf exercises while balancing on some round wobbly thing. I also did some leg extensions on a machine that allowed me to use different weights for each leg. After working on extensions, he had me flutter kick on the machine slowly. That was killer, but everything he had me do made complete sense. My leg muscles burned; but my knee only protested a bit.
During the wall sit/squat thing, my legs started to shake so badly that I told him I didn't know if I'd be able to get back up, so he offered me an arm and helped me each time. Otherwise I think I would have been stuck! I asked him if he'd provide the same service for me tomorrow morning when I'm struggling to get out of bed. He laughed. I think personal trainers enjoy torturing people sometimes.
After working my legs like crazy, we moved on to abs. Yes, I'd like to get my knee back to normal, but I'd also like to get back my pre-kid abs. I really wish I hadn't told him that though. He had me work my abs like never before. I felt like a total slacker and told him I was embarrased. It freaking hurt and tomorrow I'll probably have to roll out of bed.
After a good hour of working out, we sat down to talk. I felt pretty good and my knee had only protested a little bit. It was nice to have his help because he let me know exactly how I should be doing each exercise so as not to aggravate my knee.
He tried to talk me into a training contract with him. It is insanely expensive and I just don't think I can afford it right now. I whined about buying a new house and still paying off my surgery almost a year later, so he threw in another free session for later this week.
During the inbetween days, I'm going to hit the pool, strap on some leg weights and do some underwater walking and running. I have to get this leg back in shape. I have too much I want to do in my life to have this knee issue hinder me anymore.
October 25, 2008
Roller coaster week
We pretty much finished our move today, before the torrential rain that is washing away our newly seeded yard arrived. This week has been exhausting. Tonight I will sleep in my own bed in my own room for the very first time in my new house. I can't wait.
During the middle of the week, I got some exciting news from my best friend that turned into miserable news only days later. In the absense of me having anything worth telling you, go and read her story and give her some love and support.
October 21, 2008
Exhausted but Loving Life
We slept in the new house for the first time last night. I didn’t sleep well at all. Getting used to a new house and its sounds and the sounds of the neighborhood takes some getting used to. Plus, I was just too excited to sleep. It was an all around great day.
The walk-through took two hours. We put sticky notes anywhere there was a problem and as we were leaving for settlement, a couple guys came in to take care of the issues. By the time we got back from settlement, the painter was finishing up his last touch-ups. The electrician comes tomorrow morning to take care of some minor issues, like the fact that they forgot to put all the light bulbs in the chandelier that’s about 20 feet above our heads.
The girls feel like it’s Christmas as they rediscover each new toy. Lil C is currently passed out on the family room floor which has yet to get any furniture; and Big I is on her third or fourth play date since we’ve moved. Our neighbor is over hanging out with her. This is exactly why we moved here. The kids are ecstatic.
Mr. BBM and I both feel like we have broken backs. We spent the entire day moving boxes, unpacking and trying to figure out how we could get a sofa in here before the weekend. Mr. BBM and my dad are working on that issue right now.
I had to teach this morning at 8 a.m. and was dragging. But returning home. . . home fills me with more energy. I am enjoying every second of unpacking and setting up in our new place.
Thanks for all of your well wishes. I promise pictures once we’re set up here.
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