In Moscow...

Pictures to follow soon, but for now - sleepies...

Morning Quicky (not that kind!)

Okay, I'm about to run out the door for my last minute errands before my flight, but I figured I owed this thing a post. I just found my camera cable last night while I was packing so it gives me that much more incentive! :)

But since I'm short on time, here's the last couple of months in pictures:

Napa Valley, CA - I like pretending I'm rich for a day!

San Francisco, CA - Sun, Warmth, and the Stupid. What more could I want?

Pumpkin Carving for Halloween - Mine is the scary house, Mike's is the spider.

Happy Halloween - Scariest thing Mike or I could think of...

Hurricane Ike 2008

I know I haven't been as diligent about posting my status throughout this whole ordeal, but here is the quicky catch-up:

Last Thursday morning it was announced that I was in the mandatory evacuation zone. So I spent a few hours, packed up the house, boarded the windows and headed out by ~11:30 in the morning. I headed for Dallas where there were several pet-friendly (for evacuees) hotels that still had rooms available... It took about 8 hours to get there, but we made it in one piece and hunkered down there until Monday morning.


On Sunday I got several reports from friends about the status of my house (no damage but there were branches down), but nobody had any real details and they all figured the power was out at my house even though they couldn't really tell based on what they could see.

On Monday we decided to head back to check on things and start whatever clean-up we could - especially refrigerator clean-up after the power outages. When I got home, the power was still not on, but lo-and-behold, not 5 minutes after we walked in the front door there were cheers from the neighbors and our power was back! Along with power came internet and TV, so needless to say - I was extremely lucky on that front... especially since half of my street still doesn't have power today.

Comparatively, the damage was minimal. I was missing 2 boards from the back of my fence and one was loose. The holes are currently covered by plywood so the mutts can run around... My trees took some pretty major hits, though. To say "a few branches were down" was the understatement of the century... My backyard was filled with branches and after clean-up, I have a new 3-foot fence surrounding my front yard!


The large cottonwood lost ~60% of its canopy which ended up taking out the ash tree that was beneath it in the process. The other trees lost a few high branches and my neighbor lost half of a large tree that was between our houses. All of the major tree falls went away from the houses, though it looks like I did take a hit on my roof... There is some cracked decking on one small patch of my roof which will need to be replaced and I want to get the tree damage looked at by experts to ensure that my trees are still healthy and don't need removed, but otherwise I came out really well off - thank goodness!

Best Compliment EVER!

So for the record, guys - if you want to make a girls' day, it's simple. The compliment is not "Have you lost weight?" It's not "Did you get your haircut?" (though that one wins bonus points)... I got this compliment for (in my memory) the first time ever and I'm stoked:

"Have you been working out?"

AWESOME! A girl flat out cannot read anything negative into that one and it means that either I've a) lost some weight and it's noticable, b) I've been working out and you can see the results or c) I've been working on my posture and it's paying off... Or maybe some crazy girl can find something wrong with it - though I don't see how.

But either way I took it to mean "you're looking pretty good!" Whether that's what was meant or not, I'm taking it dang it!

One Baby Step Closer...

One thing that got lost in the super-lame Edouard was the fact that I have now officially started my training as an ADCO - our front room flight control position. This means that I am on the final stretch to becoming fully certified and able to fly the vehicle on a day-to-day basis all by myself. I feel kinda childish saying "all by myself" but it's a big deal!

Needless to say, as I mentioned in the previous post, JSC was shutdown at noon on Monday, so that meant my first sim was cut a few hours short, but all told it went okay. There weren't too many failures that we needed to work for our system (which was nice for a first sim) and most of the comments were helpful and not too harsh. :)

I'm excited, though... I probably won't be done by Christmas (whew ... one more holiday on my own), but I'm pretty much counting on kissing my next round of holidays goodbye. :)

Much Needed Break ... ?

Well, thanks to Tropical Storm Edouard, all employees at Johnson Space Center (well, nearly all of them... MCC is still operating) are now on forced vacation time until Tuesday at 5pm at a minimum. Now that I've pretty much finished my hurricane preparation (meaning all of my loose patio and outdoors items have been carefully stored in my garage), I'm not sure what to do with myself!


Though, it is gorgeous outside right now. Maybe I'll take advantage of some of the sun and enjoy a little bit of leisure swimming this afternoon before the storm gets much closer. Until then, happy day off folks!

Sidebar - why do people insist on spelling names in every way but normal? What's wrong with Edward? Why is Piper now Pyper or Pypre or some craziness? It seems like parents these days want an original name for their kid so they just re-spell another name to make it "different"... I just don't get it. But then again, I'm not a parent so who am I to talk...

Training Tracker

If there is one thing that all training plans, magazines, websites and "gurus" agree on it's this: Keep a training log!

So in my efforts to become a better (or at least more consistent) runner, I've started my own fitness blog - Motivated? Maybe... I've already put up a couple of posts, but I'm hoping that this will help me track my training, keep me accountable, and help me better understand what contributes to my good and bad days when running. Right now it doesn't have a whole lot, but as I start training for the Houston Marathon around September (no, I'm not signed up yet. I'm on the waiting list, but I'm going to train just the same - just in case I get a spot!) I'm hoping it will help keep me on track and get more out of my day-to-day workouts.

Feel free to hop on over - it's not very exciting... For the most part it's my planned workout, how I did, and eventually I'll probably start tracking my eating habits a little better to see what food when makes for a happy run... But, for now, if you feel like haggling me because I didn't do my scheduled run or better yet - you see a workout that you think you'd like to tag along for... Bug me, poke me, volunteer to be my "just in case pick-up" ... but whatever you do, please don't call me slow. I already know I am. :)

Neighbors Do the Darnedest Things...

I kid you not... I couldn't believe it myself... But this happened. I still don't quite know what to say or do.

When I was looking at buying my house, I ran into the previous homeowners on multiple occasions and they were very nice people. To say I had a pleasant buying experience would be an understatement... The wife asked me over before the closing to run through the house, show me the tricky items (did you know that a GFCI switch in the bathroom could turn off the garage outlets? Who knew!), decide which curtains would stay or go, whether I wanted them to leave hooks in place or have them removed... It was craziness, I tell you. Not that I minded - it would've taken me quite a while to find the little hidden door that turns on my fireplace and never would have known that by flipping my light switches off and on I could end up with motion sensor lights instead of normal on/off floods.

Anyway - I digress. Throughout this introduction process, the previous homeowners were also very kind in introducing me to the neighbors and making sure I had everyone's information, contact info, and general descriptions so I could "feel right at home right away." Every time I saw them, they regaled me with "the neighbors here are so nice" ... "this really has an 'old neighborhood type of feel" ... and "I hope you like to get to know your neighbors!"

I walked into it expecting, sure... We'll wave when we see each other outside, stop and chat when I'm walking the dogs and they're mowing the lawn, and maybe have a neighborhood barbecue or two to just keep tabs.

Boy was I wrong... These neighbors hang out in their driveways on Sundays, stop by every time they see you outside just to see what's going on, offer up power tools/hand tools/frosty beverages/company anytime they see me (or more often Andrew, my resident lawn-boy) working outside, and take pride in making sure you feel right at home stopping by unannounced or asking for help when it is needed.

But this one took the cake: I will admit, my lawn got a little out of hand when Andrew went home for vacation. He was gone for a little under two weeks and we got a lot of rain. I almost mowed the grass, but then I thought ... nah ... he'll be home in two days. Little did I realize that this decision would take a normal afternoon task and turn it into a four day long recovery process to try and get the grass back within the confines of the surrounding concrete.

On Monday while Andrew was struggling with the lawn edger (yes, for those from CO - edger, not trimmer/weed whacker/what have you - this sucker is a lawnmower turn sideways and used to hack the horizontally growing weed-grass that they call lawns down here into submission), one of my neighbors came by and said he had a larger, likely more powerful, gas powered edger that he would be happy to lend us. We gratefully thanked him and he said he'd bring it by if he could get it back up and running. We continued to work until dusk fell and decided sharp blades and dark didn't mix and called it a night. The neighbor hadn't come back so I just assumed he hadn't been able to get it running and we'd gone in before he could come by and let us know.

Yesterday I came home to prep for the next round of lawn attacking... I gathered up my materials and was about to head outside to cut down a dead bush when Andrew walked in and said, "when was Kevin [friendly neighbor with the gas powered edger] here?"

Here? I'm sorry, I just walked in and he definitely hasn't been here... Whatever are you talking about?

"You mean you didn't notice? Dude - go look outside again."

No joke - my neighbor had come by, apparently while I was at work, and edged my ENTIRE FRONT YARD for me! Most would look at that and say, "but Erin ... how much can that be?" I live on a corner lot... And after spending over an hour going along and cleaning up the trimmings from his generous edging job - that is a LOT of edge to go around. He did my entry walkway, my driveway, both sides of the sidewalk along the front and side of the house, and along the street as well! I have no idea how long it must've taken, but I owe that man some cookies or something.

Seriously... these neighbors make owning a house easy. :)

PSA

If you happen to hear about a crazy girl who drowns in Lake Houston after trying to swim 300 yards in the Ironbabe Triathlon next month, don't you worry your pretty little heads... It's just me!

My swimming practice is getting better, my running is getting along, and I think I'll be able to survive the bike without too much effort. Overall, I'm pretty excited!

On other fronts... Work is going well, life is getting along, and I think I'll be able to survive this house thing after all. But besides that, there isn't much to blog about.

Oh wait! My bowling league. I decided that I'd like to strut my awesomely bad bowling in front of 30+ co-workers and friends once a week at the local bowling alley. I'm in the top 5 as far as women's averages/high game scores are concerned, but ... yeah. There are 7 women in the league. :) It's been a welcome diversion while softball has been postponed, but softball starts this week. WOOHOO!

First Shift!

Hooray! With the successful launch this afternoon at 4:00, I am officially on duty for my first flight. I start work in a few hours at 1:00am and I'll be working nights for the next week and a half. I'm excited!


For detailed information, keep your eyes posted to www.spaceflightnow.com. They seem to have the most accurate information as the flight continues...

*Hugs*

To be honest, I don't want to talk about my last post. I'm still hurting, but I'll be okay. I just want to say a quick thanks to all of my blog readers who have expressed your concern, love and friendship for me since it was posted. Deep down I knew that I was surrounded by people who care, but your e-mails and messages have meant a lot... And also prompted my removal of anonymous comments. ;-)

In other news - I was inspired by Lisa's post about her garden so I decided to take pictures of my florishing tomato plant. Instead - I got pictures of BUGS! These HUGE (okay, not huge, like quarter of an inch big = HUGE) ant-like beasties have infested my tomato plant!! I have real pictures from my own camera, but after some internet sleuthing I found this specimen online:

Coreid Nymphs - Leptoglossus

My pictures are trapped in the abyss that is my camera, but LOOK! Most of mine are the medium sized dark orange ones, but I discovered one monstrous grey one this afternoon. HUGE! I think my heart stopped a little the first time I saw them. Seriously. Not only are they the creepiest looking things I've seen since I moved into my house, but they are on my TOMATO PLANT!!!

I am unbelievably excited about the fact that I now have 7 (yes - SEVEN!) tomato babies growing on the plant and I've already enjoyed the fruits of the first fantastic ... well ... fruit of the year! It was as tasty as I'd imagined and I would be sad as could be if I couldn't enjoy the rest of them...

The only other house news I have (with, yes, pictures! Okay... old pictures. It's not nice enough to take with my stuff yet.) is that I've finished painting the guest bedroom and I'm slowly making progress on my master.

Lillie and Pad(ua) (the new girl) are getting along and Pad will be officially mine in a couple of weeks (I hope)! I'm getting the impression that the adoption agency forgot about her, so I might just take her to the vet and claim her as mine... Just kidding. I'm calling them on Saturday if I haven't heard anything. Here are her adoption pictures... She's so squirrely I have no idea how they got them. I think she was drugged, but it's safe to say none of mine have come out like this!

When?

When is it time to just say, "when."? To step out of the ring and realize you're only doing more damage than it's worth? What defines that line?

Is it when you hurt worse than you've ever hurt before? Some say that's how you know you've finally made progress...

Is it when someone else asks why you thought about fighting in the first place? Are you being courageous at that point - or just plain stupid?

What do you listen to? Your heart saying make it stop? Your mind saying you owe it to yourself to try? Or do you listen to your conscience saying you know this will never work...

I've been told that to crash and burn is the only way to learn to fly... But I'm bruised, scarred, bloody, and I'm losing hope that someone is going to be there to pick me up the next time around.

I got sucker punched this time... I'm trying to tell myself it was a one time deal. I'm trying to convince myself that they slipped when trying to pat me on the back. I'm trying... But man - I'm failing miserably.

--- Update ---
I lied. I know when. When is now.

--- Update #2 ---
The big reveal? You're looking at it.

Certified!

Super sweet. I can now (almost) officially work the 1J mission at the end of May! Woohoo!

KU vs. Memphis!

I'm terrible at March Madness. TERRIBLE. I'm usually lucky to get into the 90s on points, but this season - MONEY! With tonight's games - I rocked this year!

Not only did I lock up a win for the running war between me and Andrew (2-2 for the last four years baby!), but I guaranteed a win in our March Madness pool ($100 for first place), AND I won dinner! Sweet...

The Winning Bracket

Quiet Time...

... not just for the blog. But for me in general. I'm needing it more and more, I've noticed - even at a point in my life where I seem to get it less and less.

As for the house - the pictures will be forthcoming. My camera is being held hostage for a 3rd grader's Flat Stanley project that has yet to be completed. Though to be honest, my house has yet to reach a state of cleanliness that I'd be willing to post a picture of.

As for the job - I'm still working. I consider that an accomplishment these days. Just when I feel like I've reached my peak of frustration, another wave rears its ugly head. I'm wading through the ocean and I'm being told I'll reach the other side alive... Damn if I don't hate open water, though.

As for life - it's time for quiet time. I'm apparently long over due for some hard introspection. I'm not one to open up easily (and no offense to those out there, it probably won't happen anymore than it already has on this blog), but a girl can only take so many acquaintances before she starts missing friends.

If you don't hear from me soon - don't take it personally. It's time for some me time.

The Big Reveal

What happens when you finally tell a big secret you've been keeping?

Sometimes, it works out better than you ever imagined... Sometimes, it blows a bigger crater in your life than you thought possible. Sometimes, you find out it really wasn't as big a secret as you had originally thought. And sometimes, you realize that what you thought was obvious was a secret all along.

No matter the situation... No matter the results... It never seems to turn out the way it had played out in your mind.

So far, all I know is that the cat's out of the bag... Here's hoping it turns out better than the movie reel of my mind!

Disclaimer: I have never, and probably will never, seen the show referenced above... But the story was just too applicable not to link. I swear. :-D

Tagged Again

This time it was by Melissa!

Five Places I'd Like to See (this list is much longer than anything you see here):
1. New Zealand
2. Antarctica
3. Moscow
4. a Virgin Island
5. London

Five Places I'd Like to See Again (this list is much lamer than I ever thought possible):
1. Colorado (like there was a question...)
2. New York
3. Kennedy Space Center (and actually see a launch this time...)
4. Northern California
5. Maine

I won't be re-tagging anyone, but I'd love to hear your future vacation plans!

Woo! Did it again...

Hooray! I'm done. Finished. 13.1 felt a LOT worse this time... But I finished in basically the exact same time as before. The website is marking my time at 2:23 - if you want to check out the results (and likely pictures at some point) the website is www.attaustinmarathon.com. Have fun, I'm going to go shower and enjoy a relaxing afternoon.

Oh yeah! And I'm definitely getting the house! February 27th I'll join the ranks of property owners in Texas. I'm not sure how I feel about that one...

At a Loss

This one left me too shocked for words.

Deep Breaths

I'm sorry I snapped at you again. I'm sorry I always seem to snap at you. I honestly don't know why it falls on you. Part of it is that you take it. Part of it is because I feel like you can handle it. And most of it is because I know you see my weaknesses and it kills me to let them out. Which just makes the situation worse.

I'm working on taking deep breaths... Please, please bear with me. Until then, I can only apologize - no matter how hollow it probably sounds by this point.

Counter Offer...

...was acceptable! As of this afternoon, I've accepted the seller's counter offer and we're in business! I'm on a very expedited schedule because of my lease ending, but the closing is currently scheduled for February 27th barring any severe set backs with the inspections or appraisals.

I'm excited. Very freaking excited. But I'm trying to be practical at the same time... I have a lot of cleaning and packing to get done in the meantime and not a lot of time to do it in. And there is always the chance that the inspector finds something horrible out about this house that makes me want to cry my way out of the offer.

Until then, I'm going to celebrate by cleaning out a couple of boxes from my closet, dusting off my packing skills and setting to work on my non-oft used goods... But the song in my heart sounds something like:

WOOHOO!!!!

It's Out on the Table...

Cross your fingers everyone... The offer's on the table and I'm waiting to hear back from the sellers! After two months of hunting, about 30 houses, three houses selling right under my nose, and a few nights of tears - the offer is out there. I really, really, really hope this deal goes through so wish me luck!

Full Time Jobs

My apologies for not writing sooner... It seems like my life has been torn in many different directions - each one demanding my time like a full time job.

One...
Well - my full time job. I love my job... most days. Everyone has frustrating days, but things are going well. My tasks are picking back up again - I think my big problem was almost not having enough to do. I work best when I'm swamped. Give me time to think about what I have to do and nothing will get done!

Another reason why things are good at work? I just finished my interim! Woohoo! Now, I know - everyone at works says "wooo... it's a interim... you get to train more... woo. wo. wh. pfft." But so? At this stage, every landmark - even the lame ones - are nice to pass! Next up, my knowledge board. (Yep - the same one that was targeted for October... Shh... See the first paragraph.)

Two...
Houses. Oish. (Which, by the way, sounds something like "moist" but with a "sh" instead of a "st" and no mmm... Apparently people have been wondering.) I'm beyond excited to have a house. To have a place that is mine. Not mine like no-one-else-lives-there mine... But mine like I-can-put-a-hole-in-the-wall-without-angering-anyone-but-me mine. I absolutely cannot wait. I'm excited for power tools, laying floors, fixing tile, and yes - I'm even secretly a little excited to fix my first plumbing mishap.

Why? Because it's mine. It's my own little (and boy will it be little!) piece of the planet to call my own. To do with what I please, over-renovate galore, and likely out-pace the neighborhood to a point that is almost dangerous. Why? Because I like it. Okay... so none of it will be happening right away while I work on mortgages and saving back up a couple bucks, but a girl can dream - right?

Three...
A life. Really... there hasn't been much of one lately. What was my life has been consumed with hour upon hour upon hour comparing houses, house prices, neighborhoods, floor plans, flooring options, kitchen cabinets, and lighting. Why? Because just about everywhere I'm looking needs something done with it. Maybe not right away... maybe not even for a few months... But the nature of my price range is that something will need to be done.

So I've been spending more time than I've been sleeping searching for prices, options, finishes, styles, cheaper options, tile, doors, windows, and even shingles. I am spent. Last week when my last post hit the pages, I'd hit my limit. My brain was mush, my eyes were tired, and my laptop was smoking from all of the internet use. I'm back though... I've chilled out a bit. Gotten a touch of perspective (and a few fallback options) and I'm feeling better.

Four...
The half. Yeah... I just finished one, right? Well silly me decided I'd go ahead and sign up for another one before I'd even finished the first. I'd like to lie a little and say that training has been taking up a big part of my time, but my feet haven't hit the inside of my running shoes since the race.

Until tonight! The run sucked, it was humid, and my pace runner was well beyond my conditioning level (through no fault of his own)... But I ran. Period. I call that a success. (And any time I run on a full bladder and still make it the majority of the way actually running - that's a big success!)

The big five-oh...
Friends and family. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the great. I love them all dearly, but man have I been a bit overwhelmed lately. Mom came out to look at houses while Dad got stuck at the airport... LJB came out for the weekend just to hang out and eat tons of Houston yumminess (and no, we definitely did NOT go to Freebirds)... G&G came out to look at more houses and help me figure out what's feasible on home repairs... And each visit was a breath of fresh air, a bit of sanity, and the dose of insanity I needed to get me through the week.

Unfortunately the home front hasn't been quite as rosy. I've apparently burned bridges I never knew I crossed and it seems a friendship has left our happy place, never to return again. I don't know what will fix it - trying seems to just stir the pot while ignoring seems to make it boil over. I'm lost.

Sixers...
I'm out of cool full time job analogies... aaaaand - scene.

Hindsight

Right now, I'm struggling to see the forest through the trees...

I have several posts I've written in the last couple of days, but to be honest - none of them will likely see the light of day. They belong in my non-existant journal that I am going to start writing.

Suffice it to say, I'm waiting for the day when I can look back on these last few weeks and months and say, "Man, it was rough, but I am glad it led me to this place. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Right now, hindsight is only leaving me with a question: "What the hell happened?"

The Longest Distance I've Ever Run...

This is the longest distance I've ever run... This is the longest distance I've ever run... This is the longest distance I've ever run...

That was my mantra after I passed the 10-mile mark during the half marathon on Sunday. Thankfully, that mantra lasted me all the way to the finish - and I can now officially say that 13.1 miles is the longest distance I've ever run!!

The official chip time was 2:21:47 (my start line to finish line time) and the gun time was 2:24:15 (the extra time was what it took to get to the start line). You can see me finish in the video here - I cross the finish line about 22 seconds into the video (the clock over the finish line says 2:34:14). I didn't cheer... I was tired. What can I say. :) I'll post more pictures shortly - apparently my camera has gone temporarily MIA.

I'm also hoping to have a House Hunt '08 update for you soon... No news yet, but I haven't given up hope!

Mmmm...

Today was the dessert competition at work - which I must say is quite possibly the best idea EVER! Reasons, you ask?

1. Really? Dozens of people bringing dessert for prizes? Brilliant.
2. Have I mentioned that dessert is my favorite meal of the day? If only a body could live on chocolate alone.
3. Like I really need a better excuse to try and show people up with my culinary prowess.
   

Needless to say, my submission was a Raspberry Sorbet in Dark Chocolate Cups.


The final results? My prowess rocks. 1st Place and People's Choice! Bring on next year's competition... :-D

Houston Half Marathon

I'll be honest... I don't know whether to be excited or scared. I think I'm ready, but I suppose I'll never know until I try.

For those of you in Houston, I'd love to see you out on the race course this Sunday! The course starts at the George R. Brown Convention Center and circles around Houston. You can find a map of the course here and a list of all of the road closures downtown here. If you do come out looking for me, I'll be running around a 10:30 mile (they call out paces at all of the mile markers so you'll know if I've passed yet) and wearing lime green shorts, a white shirt, and a blue and white hat. Any cheerleaders are appreciated and it's actually a lot of fun to watch! The race start is at 7:00 a.m., but given the slow race starts and length of the race I know you can roll out of bed to see me - even if it's right at the end! I'm hoping to finish by around 10:00 in the morning and the finish line is right by the convention center which means you'll be home in plenty of time for the playoff games. :)

For those of you not in Houston, your support is still appreciated! You can sign up here for Athlete Alerts which will e-mail or text message you as I pass particular markers along the route. It's pretty accurate and will give you a little bit of an idea as to my progress... I don't think there are very many markers (last year it was every 6 miles I believe) but it will at least let you know when I reached half way and when I finished.

I think that's most of the information... If you'd like any other information about the marathon, the website is http://www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/. Wish me luck!

Hooray!

After not-so-great news after not-so-great news, I finally had a break in the clouds: I found my free airline ticket voucher I thought I'd lost in July! Yippee!!! Colorado... here I come!