new houses!

Several posts ago, I mentioned that I have been living with my folks for about 6 months while trying to sell my condo. About 3 weeks ago, I realized it was time to get out on my own again, and instead of agonizing over the miserable offers that were coming in under my asking price, I would move back in for a year and see what the market is like then.

I moved OUT so fast that everything was just thrown into boxes and then into storage. I threw some paint on one wall to have it ready for buyers to look at it, and left it at that. I really wasn't very excited about the prospects of the work it would require to move back in that quickly. So I've decided to take it slow moving back IN, and really make this a fun project so that I would ENJOY living there again.

One of my colleagues took a feng shui class when she was moving into her condo, so I've borrowed her books to read through and learn more about that decorating philosophy. I'm pleasantly surprised at how many of those philosophies match the things I've been planning to do this time.

Before: Dark red wall in the dining room. GREAT for dramatic effect-- high on Energy. At the time I needed that high energy color in the front room. Now I'm ready for something more calm. I also had a large dining room table that practically filled the space.

After: Dolphin Fin Gray wall and small pub type table and chairs that will be more calming and provide more space for things like bike storage (gotta get a screen or something to hide that)

Before: Stark white walls in the living room-- the cheap paint the builders put on the wall. Dull khaki couch with poofie pillows, computer desk with a hutch-- revealing all sorts of clutter. Heavy (physically and color) entertainment center that, again, took up a lot of space in the room.

After: Sold the couch (its EXTREMELY comfy) to my sister, entertainment center to a neighbor. painted the walls "journal white". Bought a modern looking chaise lounge in Ivory. Will find a new home for the hutch. T.V. will go on the coffee table rather than on a new entertainment cupboard.

I'm contemplating what to do with the bedroom-- perhaps some beadboard painted a pale lavendar, or light shade of blue. I'm going to slip cover the head and baseboards of my bed and leave the mirror off of my dresser.

Hurray! it will be a completely new house. Which helps me understand a little bit more about why it was important for me to be home for a while. I needed some time and space to make these ideas gel in my brain. It's hard to do that when you are living in the middle of the other things you love that tell who you were at one point in your life. I also needed to be home to get my knee taken care of. S

It's sweet to see the way things work in life and how everything works for your good when you live the way you know you should. :)

Why do you count the days?

From my youngest memories, we counted the days 'til school started, the days until we went on vacation, the days we were traveling on vacation, the days 'til Christmas, and the days 'til the grass would grow green again.

I guess that's why it's such a strong motivator. I counted the days to my first bike ride following my knee surgery-- an boy, did that pay off! It not only gave me a reward for staying on track with my physical therapy, but it got me back on track with daily visits to the gym. I've found a little more vim and vigor in my life as a result of those days.

The bike ride was splendid. My friend Nate came with me, a great treat, as other relationships have taken up much of his time of late. I loaded a couple of bikes on the back of my little red jetta and we went to the Jordan River Parkway-- a charming little running/walking/biking path that follows the length of the Jordan River, nearly connecting the Great Salt Lake with Utah Lake in the neighboring county.

The weather was beautiful, not too hot, not too cool. We started at the parking lot at 9800 south and rode to a part at approximately 11400 south-- i'm guessing a distance of about 2 miles one way. There's a spectacular new fitness center in this park area so, wise friend that he is, Nate suggested that I should rest my knee and we took a brief tour of the new facilities. The cute membership rep was pretty peppy until she learned that we were just curious and wanted to see the biggest fitness center in the state of Utah. Then her energy level dropped to almost non existent. :)

I had no pain or discomfort the whole day. It was wonderful to be physical again and enjoy it. :) I'm looking forward to many more days of bike riding after work or on the weekends. If anyone is interested, you are more than welcome to join me!

mud football anyone?

A good game of mud football can resolve all sorts of problems.-- I've been missing out for SOOO long! pbthththt!

To the astonishment of my date, I requested to see the movie "Invincible" tonight. We were missing the BYU season opener, so this was a good trade off, right?

I was actually quite interested in this one. I don't know if it is a masterpiece of the silverscreen, but it was the sports feel good movie of the summer.

Summary: Vince Papale started down the road to play football for the Phillidelphia Giants. He makes the team, but it's tougher than he thought it would be. To regain his focus, he plays a game of raw mud football with his neighborhood friends, and remembers why he wanted to play for the Giants in the first place.

Analysis: As humans, we only use a percentage of our potential. When we are stuck, we need to remember what it feels like to experience our greater potential so that we can apply it in other areas in our lives.

I visited with some friends from my previous job last night. Fantastic people. So intelligent and talented. Things are really frustrating for them right now. I know they are growing and will excell in whatever life presents to them. That's the continuation of the magic we all found together. It wasn't the place, it was the mix of personalities, and envirionment for growth that made it magic.