The Accidental Olympian

DRAMA IN THE ONE CAR HOUSEHOLD

When we got word that Adam received the promotion that would move us to Alaska we had to instantly jump into DECISION mode. 

What to do with the house? My car? The dogs? Where to live? What to sell? What to take? How to get there? Do these jeans make me look fat? 

Yes. Donate them immediately. 

 

One of the things that we seemed unable to stick to a decision on was what the hell to do with my car. 

For the past couple years I'd been the proud owners of a lovely blue Ford Focus. Cute, gas efficient, had a plug in for my iPod/iPhone to rock out to my dorky tunes, and I could throw the dogs in the back. But my girl was getting up in age, and wasn't four-wheel drive, and so we wavered back and forth about what to do with the broad. 

Sell? Keep? Sell? Keep? 

The problem with our quandary was each side had pros and cons. Selling the car meant I'd have cash, we wouldn't have to drag it all the way to Alaska which would save another two thousand (towing cars, turns out is pricey!), and it had begun to act up with all sorts of issues and freak outs, so why not get rid of it before it burst into flames? The fact it didn't have four-wheel drive also terrified me seeing as I've never driven in the snow before. 

But, it was paid off. It was gas efficient. And once we arrived in Alaska Adam and I wouldn't need to worry about sharing a car, or me having to try to find a new car that fit in my price range. Which coincidentally, was in the ballpark of one penny to five pennies. High roller I tell you! 

In the end we sold the girl. Surprisingly to a couple who had just moved from Anchorage to Olympia. When I heard that I knew it was right. 

He left my house with my car, and I walked away with a check, a free pair of snowshoes, and a book on hiking in Anchorage. 

Score! 

We've been in Alaska now for about three months and the whole one car thing still confounds us. 

Some days I want to steal my neighbors car just so I can go to the grocery store without having to schedule, and plan, fiddle and over think it all to death. Times when Adam works 12 hour days for weeks at a time and I finish work and sit in the house, unable to go to the grocery store, run an errand, fucking drive around the block can send me into panic. 

But of course it's not as simple and just getting another car. Another car means a car loan, car insurance, gas, repairs. All things I've been free of for three glorious months. With the weight of car ownership off my shoulders I'm making progress on my credit card dept and on track to eliminate it entirely by December of this year. That alone, something I couldn't have done without applying the sale of my car to my debt inspires me to keep going car free. I've gotten so close.

There are mornings that erupt in anger as we try to solve how we pick up prescriptions, make it to appointments, get groceries, get to work appointments. Mornings where I surf the internet looking for a car, any car, this is fucking hell and I refuse to start another morning fighting about transportation. 

But then we breathe, refocus, and realize it's temporary pain for lasting benefit. 

Yet it's not easy, this life in a one car home, and sometimes I wonder if it should be. 

 

 

So I ask you, is anyone else out there living in a one car home in a city without an abundance of public transportation? 

Do you have a set schedule? 

Make a rule to plan out car usage changes the night before, never the night of? Trade off? Are we the only spoiled kids on the block pulling out our hair over sharing a car? Is this my cue to buck up and shut up? 

Maybe I just need a vespa. It would be red. I'd name it Velma. 

Ok, show of hands, who else is giggling at the thought of me bundled up like an Eskimo, ridding a vespa in the middle of winter, iceicles clinging to my faux fur parka?

The blog fodder alone might be worth the Vespa hell...

STELLA'S NEW BED

Also known as my CLEAN clothes. The entire contents of a dresser are sitting on piles on the floor all because I am too good at this moving thing and sold my dresser on Craigslist three weeks before we moved. 

At least I'm good at what I do, right? 

RELAX, REBOOT, REFRESH

This is my view out the living room window of Adam's parent's home in Bend, OR. I've talked at length about how much I love this mountain town, and this weekend is no exception. 

The boys are off riding dirt bikes on unpaved mountain roads, the dogs went for a walk this morning along the Deschutes River and are currently snoring loudly next to the potbelly stove. I've read one book already, and am working on my second. 

The weather hit 70 yesterday and we lounged on the porch drinking beer and soaking up the much missed vitamin D. Later we wandered downtown for "First Friday," ducking in and out of galleries, listened to live music, and even found ourselves at the Tour Du Chocolate. Also known as my idea of heaven. 

Oh, and we also saw this. 

 

Yes, that is a bar, on wheels, that you just run and hop on. Once you're on you're expected to contribute to the forward momentum of the bar by pedaling. 

I want one. 

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We were in such need for a vacation, this one in particular. The timing truly couldn't have come at a better time. We needed to escape to a place unlike home where we could relax, let our minds wander, and forget for just a long weekend the impending to-do list and the crazy that waits before us.

We don't leave till Monday, and I wish we weren't leaving till the Monday three weeks from now. 

I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again.

Please, don't make me leave.  

FIRST DAY BACK

In my upstairs office that is. 

Since we brought home the Stellanater I had to move from my kick ass upstairs office (where I work from home) to the downstairs kitchen table to accommodate things like hourly potty breaks. BUT, we survived the last month of so of kitchen working, even if it did make me feel like I had cabin fever and I didn't get dressed for work and instead wore pj's for the first three weeks Stella lived with us. Even though when I started working from home I said I'd never wear pajamas. 

Doesn't matter. Rules are made to be broken. Especially when you imposed them on yourself. 

 

 

Today is a good day because today life became a little more normal.

I think my coworkers like the new digs too. 

Happy Monday loves. Here's to hoping your work life improved drastically as well.

Or at least you enjoyed a really good cup of coffee. 

LIFE, ACCORDING TO THE iPHONE

And lastly, after working hard at it for two years Adam has finally earned himself a plaque at the local Irish pub. He is an honorable member of the elite Guinness Club. What does one need to do to get a plaque on the wall in the Guinness Club you ask?

Consume 100 Guinness.

As you can tell, I am very proud of Adam for his dedication to the noble cause. 

Now all he has to do is hurry up and finish his tally for the Bomb Squad. 

It's not like it's hard or anything. 

He just has to drink something like 75 more Irish Car Bombs to make it on the wall. 

I have faith in him.