Today is an interesting day. While most of the country is mourning the loss of those lost in the September 11^th attacks, I choose to celebrate this day. Not for the terrible things that have occurred to our country, but for the fact that seven years ago today I married my best friend. I didn’t know it at the time that I would grow in the way that I have over the last seven years but I knew I loved Eric with all my heart. In the last seven years I’ve learned more about compromise, going with the flow, and knowing that not everything has to go my way. Eric has been patient with me, tolerated my crazy temperamental outbursts, shown me compassion when I’ve lost a family member, supported me when I wasn’t sure I knew what I was doing, and loved me ALWAYS. I am so fortunate to find my best friend in life and to still be together despite all my faults. I am so proud to be married to Eric. He is so loving, kind, generous, patient, and strong.

Eric,

I know you don’t like it when I post personal things about it us but I want you and everyone in the inter web to know how much I love you, how much you give me strength, and how much you mean to me. I know the last seven years haven’t been the easiest but we’ve made it through. There were time neither of us thought we would but we have. I truly believe there is nothing we, together, can’t over come or conquer. All my love to you!

Jona

Wow! What an AMAZING weekend. It’s not often that I have a weekend FULL of activities. I knew that Natalie and I were going to go to the Sock Summit on Friday. So before the summit I decided to sew up a  couple bags for us. I wanted to make something that was HUGE, could hold a lot, looked cute, and used fun patterns. I made a cool green striped bag for myself and a nice retro blue/green/brown bag for Natalie. I love making bags, sewing!

The Marketplace.. just one of the MANY vendors

My weekend really started on Friday. I took the day off to go to the Sock Summit with my best friend Natalie. She and I have known each other for many years. We met when we both worked at Intel in the training department for IT. Natalie is one of my very best friends. She’s an instructional designer too and a VERY avid knitter. She’s into technology too. She’s actually got a great podcast that she’s doing, Cloudy with a chance of fibers. If you haven’t listened to it, you should. She and I went to the Sock Summit on Friday. Who would have known that there were SO many people interested in socks. It was so crazy to see all the booths with yarn!

Results of my shopping binge!

I loved looking at all the beautiful hand dyed yarns and the combinations of bamboo, wool, alpaca, etc. There were so many booths, many more than I think I’ve ever seen for the scrapbook convention. The vendors came from all over the place too! I found so many yarns that I fell in love with. I did a little bit of damage while Natalie and I were there. It was sort of funny when we went because we’d start out walking the marketplace together, one of us would stop, the other would keep going and before you knew it we would loose each other. I don’t know how many times that happened. Ordinarily I would have just texted Natalie on my computer but we were both having a heck of a time with getting our phones working there. I guess most people were having issues. It did make things frustrating. Natalie organized a yarn crawl for those that listen to her podcast, or know her on twitter for the afternoon. We all met at the bell and then took the yellow line Max and headed to The Naked Sheep in North Portland (NoPo). I love that place. They’ve got great seating for people to just hang out and knit. They’ve also got a great collection of yarns and other knitting paraphernalia. So we hung out there for a while and then got pizza and Ruby Jewel ice cream at Atomic Pizza just two doors down. After that it was a walking trip back to the Max and then to Mississippi Avenue to walk the street and have some great dinner. It was such a long day but so AMAZING! I had a great time.

Saturday started out as a lazy day for me. Eric planned to go to the Beer Fest. I’m not a beer drinker so I really had no interest in going. I did want to go downtown though and enjoy the beautiful day. Eric and I hopped on the Max and headed downtown. After eating at the food carts we headed down to the waterfront. Eric headed to the Beer Fest and I headed to Pioneer Mall to get a new shirt because it was so hot.. I needed a new shirt. After hitting the mall I walked down to the waterfront and walked the esplanade. It was so nice to be out in the sunshine and just enjoy being warm. After walking around for a while I decided to head back up toward the Pearl District. I went to Cool Moon Ice Cream. It’s on 11th and Johnson, a bit of a walk but on a nice day, nothing big. I love Cool Moon. They make some of the most amazing custom ice creams. I ended up having the very best Salty Carmel ice cream I’ve ever had.

After grabbing my ice cream I headed across the street to the park to people watch, sit on a park bench in the shade, and knit my sock. It was so nice and cool, I loved it. I could do that every day. Maybe not the ice cream but just being outside on a nice day… that’s amazing. Once I’d been there for a while, and finished my ice cream I decided to head to Powell’s Books. I love that place and it seems that every time. So I went and checked out some books, but nothing spoke to me so I headed off to Stumptown coffee and the Ace Hotel lobby to hang out for a while until Eric, his cousin Brian, and Brian’s wife Diana finished at the Beer Fest. I ended up meeting them down in Old Town at Ground Kontrol. I hadn’t seen Brian in ages and I’d never met his wife until Saturday. Diana is so awesome. She and I chatted for a long time while the guys relived their childhood and played video games. It’s so funny to see Eric get excited about old video games he used to play. At one point I found Eric and Brian playing Joust. After everyone ran out of quarter we headed to dinner at Kin in the Pearl. It’s one of Eric favorite places to go. We sat there and chatted about everything from law, to politics, to family, to wine, and I can’t remember what else. I couldn’t help thinking the whole time that it was nice to see Brian again and nice to meet Diana. She and I would often break off in our own conversation and talk about socks, knitting, sewing, or our jobs. We were there for hours just chatting about everything. Once we were done eating we were off to Clyde Common for a drink. Diana has worked as a bartender so we wanted to take her there to give her the experience of unique drinks. We got there only to find out that junior had just clocked out so we headed to Tear Drop for great drinks. We sat and hung out together enjoying good drinks and just chatting. Junior ended up coming over for a while too which made it just that much more fun. It was such a great night. I loved meeting Diana and seeing Brian again.

Hey there,

Just loked at my blog today and realized it’s been almost a month since I posted last. I bet you thought I dropped off the face of the earth. Well, no dice. I’ve been super busy… having fun. I spent the first week of April in Florida with Israel, Penny, Erica, and all their kids (Alex, Cade, Drake, Garbriella, and DJ).  In any case, Eric and I had a blast. We went to several of the Disney World parks. Rather than tell you about it here are just a few of the pictures.

Disney World Animal Kingdom Eric and I riding the rapids with the rest of the family in Animal Kingdom. Let me just say we rode twice and the second time I got SOAKED! Tons of fun! We took a safari ride and came across this rhino. Such beautiful animals out there. I love that they have tons of room to roam. This photo is a bit blurry but I have to say it was SO COOL to see a giraffe up close.

Medieval Times Eric and I posing by a Knight before the show started. Here's most of the group sitting in the green knight area ready to cheer him on in hopes that he wins. FYI, he was the evil knight. The green knight sitting tall and waiting to strike.

Disney World Magic Kingdom What a great start to the day. This is the entrance to Disney World Magic Kingdom. Riding the tea cups is one of my favorite things to do. This is a shot of Israel, Penny, and Alex. I'm in another cup with Gabriella. We were lucky enough to catch the parade and see Cinderella, Prince Charming, and the Fairy Godmother.

Sea World Erica, Israel, and Eric off to ride the Kracken roller coaster. I decided to pass and just watch them. I have to say this was one of my favorite things to do at Sea World. I could have stood there and fed the dolphins all day. I loved the Shamu show. Watching the whales was amazing. Interesting too that the trainers don't get in the water with the whales anymore either.

Pirates Much like Medieval Times but way WAY better. The pirates dinner was a blast. Eric sporting his pirate hat for the show. Israel got sucked in again, he's in the white shirt. He had to go on the pirate ship and walk the plank. Poor guy!

Disney World Hollywood Studios What could be better than a picture with "the man" Mickey mouse. Eric and I standing outside the Rockin' Roller Coaster. He was dying to go on this ride and got to go with Erica and Israel. Did I tell you I HATE roller coasters. Loved this. They had a whole section that was a faux New York city with a skyline and everything.

The trip was a TOTAL blast and one I’ll remember for a long time. I had such a good time with the whole family. Can’t wait for the next adventure.

Well, today I did it. I ran the Portland Shamrock run. I chose the 8K race to run, that’s 5 miles for us US folks.  I honestly wasn’t sure I wanted to really run the race since I haven’t been training for it. I also didn’t want to embarrass myself either by being the last person to cross the finish line. But I’m not one to quit something once I’ve committed to it so I had no choice but to do it.

Eric and I dragged ourselves out of bed this morning at something like 6:15am (really 5:15 w/o daylight savings) to go. Eric is such a trooper, he didn’t even have to go but being the best husband ever he went to support me. We got down to the race and I think that’s when it finally hit me.. as I was standing there ready for the 8K in the 10 minute mile or more group. I was honestly excited and terrified at the same time. I had my doubts if I could do this but I figured if I didn’t try, I’d never know.

So off I went at a nice little jog and feeling pretty good. It seemed like it took forever for the 1 mile sign to come up but I made it that far and kept going. I found a group of girls that were walking and jogging and decided then that I wouldn’t let them finish in front of me. I mean there had to be someone that finished behind me, I couldn’t be the last person. As I rounded Burnside and headed up Broadway that’s when it hit me. I really wondered if I would make it to the finish. Broadway is a slow incline for a LONG ways. Oh, FYI, it was about this time that the lead guy running the 15K that left the start link after us blew by all of use running the 8K. Oh, to have only a bit of that guys energy. I was battling with myself at that time too, super concerned about being last. I had to just keep reminding myself that my goals were to finish and to do so under two hours.

I did a lot of jogging and walking fast and jogging and walking fast. It was difficult with the drizzle of rain, the cold air, and my asthma but I was determined to do it. I finally got to the end of Broadway and headed down Hall back toward Naito, where the race started. I was feeling good, got some water and was thinking, “We’re headed down the hill, we’re almost done.” That’s when the 3 mile sign came up and I realized I was just a bit over half way. I think at that time I was like OMG! I’m going to dye right here… and yet at the same time my head was just telling me, “keep moving, don’t quit now, you’re not a quitter.” So I kept running hit 4th and kept running/walking all the way out to Barber Blvd and Naito Parkway. I can’t tell you how good it felt to turn that corner and know that it was downhill, and a straight shot to the finish line. I got a little more energy about that time. I don’t know if it was because I knew I was coming to the end, or what but I decided I was going to finish strong. I was going to jog until I couldn’t anymore… so I did. I jogged and walked and jogged and walked right past the finish line. While I was exhausted I also felt great because I did something I wasn’t sure I could do. As I was giving the guy my racing chip I asked him the time, “9:30am” he said. I just stood there amazed. My race started at about 8:05, there were a lot of people ahead of me that crossed the start line before me so I’m guessing I didn’t start until 8:15 or so.. and then to finish at 9:30.. WOW! Imagine what I can do with some training. I’m motivated now. I think I like this running stuff.

I want to say a BIG thanks to everyone that texted me, called me, sent me Facebook comments, etc. offering their support. It’s great to know and feel the support of family and friends.

Update: My official time is 01:07:44

Many people feel the need to come up with resolutions for the new year. I was reading a blog the other day and the writer used the word “intentions” rather than resolutions. I liked the term “intentions” because, to me, intention implies that I’m trying…. and that’s what change and improvement is all about… TRYING. No one is 100% perfect but everyone can try to give their best effort. So here are my intentions for the new year.

• BE KIND
• Journal every day
• Exercise 60 minutes a day at the gym, if not the gym.. take the dogs for a long walk (It’s all about moving.)
• Track the food I eat
• Eat no white food and keep the sugar low
• Limit TV to 8-10 pm
• In bed by 10pm and lights out by 11pm
• Continue to strengthen my relationship with Eric

That’s a long list,but I have to say I’m feeling really good about them. It seems every year that I have a list of things I want to change but I don’t really give it a 100% effort. This year is different. I’m not doing the same ‘ol same ‘ol thing to make the changes. I’m more committed than I have been in the past. I want to really get these things under my belt.

I’ve got a good way to implement them. Eric and I have been talking a lot over the holiday about how to REALLY change the things we want to change, both individually and as a couple. So here’s the plan, I’ve made separate calendar for each of us listing the “to do’s” for each of us. For each of us, each day we do all the things we’ve got on our list (3 each) we put a sticker on it and get a reward. When we have stickers for the whole week, another reward. These calendars are posted in the bathroom for us to see every day. In addition, we’ve also got our list on the frig and the mirror.

Wish us luck. I’m hoping to post more than before to let people know how I’m doing on my goals, share what I’ve learned, and keep myself accountable.