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Sarah and Stewart

The Next Chapter

The time has come to bid farewell My So-Called Life... and to say hello to my new blog: Life As Always. I hope that you will continue to follow along as our lives embark upon some major changes and adventures throughout the next few years. We can't wait to see what happens... Catch you on the flip side!

Love Always,

SarahBeth

Crossroads

My oh my, so much has happened during the past year! It would be far too hard to recap everything that I've experienced in the past 12 months, so I think I will just share a short summary of the main event...

WE'RE ENGAGED!

In October of 2010 Stewart and I embarked upon an absolutely amazing adventure... We spent three and a half weeks winding our way across Europe, with stops including: London and Bournemouth in England – Dingle and Dublin in Ireland – Rome, Cinque Terre and Pisa in Italy – and Paris, France. Many people predicted that Stewart would propose on the trip. I adamantly disagreed, knowing that he was "not ready." However, this did not deter me from tossing ten pence into the fountain at Buckingham Palace with a brief, "I wish he would propose!" thrown to the heavens.

I had to wait almost three weeks for my wish to be granted.

The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of the coast on the Italian Riviera in the Liguria region of Italy and is composed of the coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillside. Stewart has often said that it's one of his favorite places in the whole world, so I was really looking forward to finally seeing it with my own eyes. It was absolutely the most breathtaking place I have ever seen. Over centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea, and part of its charm is the lack of visible “modern” development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach it from the outside. A walking trail, known as Sentiero Azzurro or “Light Blue Trail” connects the five villages.

I was really looking forward to the hike and at this point had put getting engaged completely out of my mind. I was enjoying the sunny day and absolutely fantastic views when Stewart suddenly dropped to one knee and pulled out a gorgeous diamond ring... he had been carrying it around Europe during our entire trip! I could barely answer, "YES!" through my shock, tears, and laughter. It was one of the best moments of my life.

So here we are... happy, in love, and planning our wedding, which we have set for Saint Patrick's Day next year (exactly five years to the day from when we first met).

And here I come to a crossroads. I feel as though this blog is a reflection of me as I once was...

It's been an amazing five years and I've documented almost everything: the good, the bad and the ugly. But I'm not sure if this blog is necessarily a reflection of who I am today and where my life is headed. So I've started a new blog to go along with this new chapter of my life with Stewart. From now on it won't just be about ME, it will be about WE, and all the exciting places that life will take us together. I hope you will continue to follow along with me on this crazy journey.

Stay tuned for a link!

How do you measure a decade?

Instead of rehashing the past year and it's broken resolutions, I decided to take the lead from a college friend and look back over how the first ten years of the twenty-first century have treated me. As the arrival of an invitation to my high school reunion recently reminded me, I’ve changed a LOT.

2000 – I graduated from high school and broke up with my boyfriend of three and a half years. I moved out of an extremely over-protected home in a small town and began college at Western Washington University, where I immediately became overwhelmed by being on my own for the first time. I drank too much, stayed out too late, and dated the wrong guys. After being put on academic probation for failing grades (I had an almost perfect high school GPA), I spent Christmas break nursing a severe case of mono.

2001 – I was feeling uninspired by my pre-declared major in psychology, so I decided to pursue a career in the medical field. I enrolled in a local community college with plans to complete my prerequisites and transfer to a nursing school in Seattle. I became involved in relationship where I was manipulated and emotionally abused constantly, but I couldn’t seem to get out. I began taking anti-depressants and struggled to get average grades in my classes.

2002 – I quit my part time job at a restaurant to work in a medical office, but this situation combined with my school courses quickly made me realize I would not be happy in the medical field. People just kind of gross me out. Uninspired, I began working in retail at the local mall and taking generic classes with no specific goal other than completing my associates degree. I continued to let the same bad guy jerk me around, convinced we were meant to be.

2003 – I continued taking community college courses and working at the mall until I eventually became so discouraged and depressed about where my life was headed that I dropped out of school and moved to Waikiki with one of my girlfriends. We lived near the beach and I worked at an ice cream shop and a clothing store to make ends meet. My parents were less than thrilled. I eventually started to feel claustrophobic and lost on the island, so I reapplied to WWU and was accepted to begin classes in the fall. I decided on a journalism focus and for the first time in a long time I started to feel confident about school and the direction it was taking me.

2004 – I took huge credit loads every quarter to make up for lost time, and was getting almost straight A's in all my classes! I felt confident and motivated, and all my professors loved me. But I basically lived on campus and my personal life began to suffer. I gained weight (which my boyfriend at the time never failed to point out), and felt left out by my roommates, who were enjoying senior year slack off partying. I went to school full time and worked a part time job on campus while simultaneously completing an internship at the local newspaper. Even though I felt amazing about what I was accomplishing academically, I felt miserable about my personal life and relationships. I graduated in December and was relieved to put this part of my life behind me.

2005 – My boyfriend and I had been together for about two years at this point, and planned on moving in together wherever he got a job. In the meantime, I moved home to Olympia and lived with my parents while working as the city government and health reporter for the Centralia Chronicle. My boyfriend got a job in Seattle and subsequently broke up with me over the phone. So I did what any single, lonely girl would do in this situation... I got a job and moved to the city by myself. I re-kindled some friendships with girls I had known in college, lost about 40 pounds, and started to feel good about myself again.

2006 – In between partying it up almost every night with my friends, I dated one bad guy after another. I quit my job at the newspaper, where I had worked in real estate advertising, and took a job as an account coordinator for a real estate marketing company. It didn't take long for me to realize I was completely miserable working for a crazy husband and wife duo, but I didn't know what to do about it so I stayed. I continued to drink too much almost every night with my friends, and when my rent went up I moved into an apartment with a girlfriend to save money.

2007 – Following another particularly painful breakup, my roommate introduced me to Stewart. We became good friends and soon enough, more than friends. We started spending excessive amounts of time together, which took a toll on my friendship with my roommate. I became miserable enough at work that I quit my job and spent the first part of the summer unemployed. Eventually I began working as an administrative assistant for a real estate development company and for the first time in a long time I was happy with my job. Things with Stewart and I continued to progress even though I was dealing with some major insecurity issues.

2008 – I became totally infatuated by my new relationship and loved spending every single second with Stewart. He inspired me to start doing all kinds of things like snowboarding, wakesurfing, and camping. We spent a lot of time integrating our friend groups together and had so much fun taking trips and hanging out in the city. In October we bought a condo in Ballard and moved in together. Neither of us had ever lived with a boyfriend/girlfriend before so it took a bit of an adjustment period, but eventually we settled in and loved cohabiting!

2009 – I was starting to feel like all my dreams had come true. I had amazing relationships with my boyfriend, family and friends and was filling my time with tons of fun activities (other than drinking to excess in the Seattle bars every night). Stewart and I were experiencing many adventures together and we were both very happy in our careers. I started doing boot camps and exercising more than I ever had in my life and was really feeling good about myself mentally, physically and emotionally. I celebrated my 28th birthday in Whistler with some of my best friends and felt so lucky and in love.

2010 – Stew and I celebrated our third anniversary in San Francisco, one of my all-time favorite cities. We continued our adventures and even went skydiving. We spent a ton of time with our family and friends, and I attended my North Thurston High School ten year class reunion. That summer we also started planning a trip to Europe, which Stew had been promising me since we met. We flew out in October to spent almost a month in England, Ireland, Italy and France, and it was hands down the most amazing experience of my life. We were hiking in Cinque Terre, Italy when Stewart dropped to one knee and proposed. Of course I said yes!!

It's truly amazing how much your life can change in the course of a decade. When I read this summary, it seems like I was incredibly sad and lonely for a really long time, although while I was living through it, it didn't seem that way. Hindsight is always 20/20. Maybe things don't seem that bad until you reach a point where you learn what being truly happy is. But I think that's what being in your 20s is for... figuring out who you are and what makes you happy. What your goals are and how you want to achieve them. What I do know is that I'm happier now than I've ever been, and I can't wait to see what the next decade of my life will bring.

It's never too late

Growing up, we were not campers. One time in elementary school I went to a week of summer camp, but was homesick the whole time. It was generally a horrible experience. The closest my family got to camping was spending summers at our cabin on the Hood Canal. Not very rustic, with a fully plumbed kitchen and bathroom.

But for the past few years I've done a ton of camping with various groups of friends, and I've learned to love it. So last weekend, I rallied the troops and we embarked upon our first family camping trip. So what if me, my brother and my sister are all in our 20’s at this point – it’s never too late to start a tradition, right!?

I booked a campsite at Lake Wenatchee State Park and we arrived on Friday evening to swarms… clouds… armies of mosquitoes. I guess that’s what you get for choosing to camp in a wooded area beside a lake. But we made the best of it and had a great time making and grilling the shish kabob dinner I had brought. My brother and dad behaved like typical manly-men by making a fire and sitting around it drinking beer and poking the smoking logs with sticks. It’s amazing how long prodding at a campfire can occupy a guy’s attention.

The next morning I made a delicious breakfast of eggs and sausage before we headed down to the lake to spend the day at the beach. It’s truly amazing how fast you can get used to doing absolutely nothing. We spent hours on the beach with our prime entertainment being periodically dropping the dog into the lake to see if she could swim. (She could, but not well…)

Back at the campsite I spent a couple hours sitting around drinking beer and chatting with my dad. I don’t think I have ever spent this much time with him without a television being present in my entire life. And I also don’t think I’ve seen him so relaxed in a long time. I thought my parents would hate camping (they’re really more hotel people) but I was surprised and impressed how well they took everything in stride.

My sister had made a delicious lunch of grilled panini sandwhiches, and after a typical dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs, we finished things off with a camping favorite: S’mores. I felt stuffed to the gills and incredibly happy. For the rest of the night it was just me and the fam, hanging out by the campfire, listening to music, talking and laughing. I found it ironically bizarre that we had finally found a time and place where we could just be together, without any distractions, itineraries, or modern conveniences. Good times.

And the craziest part? My dad was actually so stoked about the whole camping thing that he’s looking into purchasing an RV! Wow. I could definitely get used to this…

RIP Simba

You really know you’re getting old when your childhood pets start to die.

My mom called me last night to report that one of the cats we’ve had since I was in elementary school finally decided to go to kitty heaven. Her name was Simba, but we mostly called her Orange Kitty. She was part of my cat Tigger’s second litter, which means she was probably about 15 or 16 years old. So no big surprise that she finally just went to sleep and never woke up. Poor kitty.

She had a foul personality – skittish and unfriendly from the start. To be honest I never paid much attention to her, but she was always around, a constant sidekick to her sister, Kitsa. I have never once went back to my parent’s house since moving out almost 10 years ago without saying, “Hi kitties!” and giving them a quick pat. I don’t have a single memory that doesn’t include those lazy cats, asleep by the fireplace.

Simba and Kitsa have been two peas in a pod since they were born, and now I’m really worried that poor Kitsa will be the next to go. It’s kind of dumb, but I feel like with the death of my longtime pet, I really have to start letting go of my childhood… and it makes me sad.

I’ll miss you, Orange Kitty! Nasty temperament and all.

Sunland = Funland: A Look Back

Do you ever look back and wonder, “What was I thinking?!”

I recently had an epiphany. For the past few years I’ve spent the majority of my holiday weekends at various campgrounds and cabins at the Columbia River Gorge. And if it weren’t for a very extensive photo collection, I doubt I would remember many of those glorious days spent in the sun. Because most of the time, I was pretty out of it.

I was “single and fabulous,” which apparently meant that my unattached girlfriends and I spent our vacations drinking as much as possible. Oh the stories I could tell. But my embarrassment makes me hesitate to even add links to previous blog posts about said weekends. Let’s just say I was often “that girl.” The one who everyone thinks is super fun and exciting. The one who drinks until dawn. The one at the center of the dance party. The one who takes her top off. The one who falls off the boat. The one who makes friends with absolute strangers. The one who makes everyone laugh.

The one who is alone.

That’s what I realized this past weekend. Once again, I headed to Eastern Washington for a sunny vacation with friends. Since I’ve been with my boyfriend for the past few years, my prior holiday weekend behaviors have seriously calmed down. However, we still have loads of fun eating, drinking, boating and sunbathing in Eastern Washington – would it be possible not to?

Because of Stewart’s firefighting schedule, he wasn’t able to head over with me on Friday afternoon, so I went solo with some friends. Stew was planning on joining us Sunday morning. So for two days, I kicked back with my friends for some Sunland = Funland. But I quickly realized… I was lonely. All of the sudden I felt like “that girl” again. The one everyone loves hanging out with... but secretly feels sorry for when they head to bed with their significant other at the end of the night.

I started to wonder… Did I behave the way I did because I was lonely? Did I drink myself into oblivion so the reality of being single didn’t seem so harsh? Maybe. I did have some amazing times with some fantastic friends, and the memories are priceless. But now that my circumstances have changed and I have a chance to look back, I see a silly, superficial, insecure, very lonely girl who needed to be the center of attention because that was the only attention she got. And it makes me sad for her.

And thankful for my life… now. I have wonderful friends and an amazing boyfriend that I still get to spend my holiday weekends with. I still love to party, but now I don’t do it because it fills a void in my life. I don't feel lost and alone, instead I feel fulfilled and grateful. I adore all the incredible people in my life, and am thankful that I once again enjoyed a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend at the Gorge. Here’s to many more to come!!

My How The Times Have Changed...

For Mother’s Day, my sister and I decided to take my parents on a weekend getaway. We chose Port Townsend, an adorable little tourist town on the Olympic Peninsula. Founded in 1851, Port Townsend has less than 9,000 residents and prides itself on its historical charm, maritime heritage, and beautiful natural setting.

My family has spent countless vacations in this tiny little city, mostly because we own a fair amount of property on the north shore, just a block from the beach (my grandpa was actually born on the land). In addition, we feel connected to this adorable little haven because my grandma spent several years here during World War II, when Port Townsend was home to Fort Worden, a U.S. Army installation located on a high bluff overlooking the Puget Sound (to prevent any invasion attempt by sea). My great-grandfather was an officer stationed at Fort Worden, and my grandma and her family lived on base in the early 1940s.

Now, Fort Worden State Park has become a tourist destination filled with artillery museums and an extensive system of large, abandoned bunkers available for exploration. As a little kid, it was like we had died and gone to heaven. Almost every summer my parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins would book at least one long weekend in Port Townsend.

We would spend an entire day shopping in historic downtown, another day exploring museums and historical spots, evenings swimming in the hotel pool, and countless afternoons at the beach. But the most fun was packing up flashlights, headlamps and glow sticks to explore the depths of the abandoned bunkers. Some of my favorite childhood memories include running through cold, dark, cement tunnels screaming at the top of my lungs, trying not to get hit by a water balloon or grabbed from behind in a thrilling moment of terror. God, kids are easy to entertain.

Before this past weekend, I hadn’t been back to Port Townsend in years. College and life just got in the way, I guess. So Mother’s Day seemed like a great opportunity to reclaim some family time in a place filled to the brim with memories. My, how the times have changed. Although Port Townsend is still the same adorable tourist town I remember, it seems to have… shrunk. The sprawling downtown that took a day to explore each and every shop is, in reality, only about three blocks long. It took us about an hour to wander through and take in the mountains of arts, crafts and other bits of hippie junk that are fun to look at, but that you would never actually purchase.

Since we had decided to stay in the historic Waterstreet Hotel downtown, there was no pool or hot tub to lounge in, so instead we spent the evening having dinner and drinks in the tavern below.

The next day, we went hiking along the coastal bluffs. The abandoned stone bunkers were still very cool and interesting, but I no longer had the urge to run through them screeching to see how long it would echo. The inside was dark, dank and scary, and it all smelled just a little bit like urine. I preferred to stay up top and check out the breathtaking views.
I did have a wonderful time spending a few hours on the beach doing… nothing. We sat around, walked the edge of the surf looking for shells and sea glass, and skipped rocks on the waves. Life seemed very… simple and slow. Which was definitely appealing for a weekend away with my family. But by Sunday I was definitely ready to get back to the hustle and bustle of the Big City. So Happy Mother’s Day, Mom… and thanks for all the great memories.

The Home Stretch

I just started my final quarter of the Paralegal Certification Program at the UW, and I finally feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Last quarter I lived and breathed Litigation, but this quarter I get to enjoy a plethora of classes/topics, including: Complex Litigation, Criminal Law, Family Law and Business Law. I’m super excited!

I feel like this is really going to help give me a taste of what law school might be like, and help me decide whether or not to apply. So far, I’m pretty certain that’s the route I want to take. Not only am I a nerd who loves school, but I am fascinated by the legal system and how it affects society. (Don’t worry, I won’t write my entire entrance essay here.)

I also went to a seminar this week for what is supposedly the “best” LSAT prep course in Seattle, and I was pretty impressed by what they offer. I’m tentatively planning on beginning that course in July so I can take the LSAT in September. We’ll see how it goes!

Supposedly, this quarter is supposed to be much less time consuming than the last, so I’m hoping I might only have to spend one day per weekend on schoolwork, instead of both. This way I can spend some more time with all my wonderful peeps!

Call me. *wink*

V is for Vegetarian

Okay, I realize that not eating meat for a mere six weeks doesn’t really qualify me as a vegetarian. However, giving up meat has been surprisingly easy! I’ve slipped up twice with a turkey sandwich and chicken curry, but other than that I’ve stayed on the wagon. However, I recently learned that I would technically be classified as a pescetarian – a person who does not eat meat from land-based animals, but still consumes seafood.

Apparently, the Vegetarian Society does not consider pescetarianism a valid vegetarian diet, but since I’m not doing this for anyone other than myself that’s quite all right with me. In addition to proving my mother wrong (obviously the main concern here) and not appearing to be a hypocrite, I’ve chosen this new diet for various other health, environmental and ethical reasons.

So far, I still feel really good about my decision. I’m also having fun realizing that you can always find a vegetarian option. I’ve have yet to come across a restaurant that has stumped me. I know the true test will come after a night of drinking when I end up at Dick’s… think I can live without the cheeseburger then? Only time will tell…

Veggie Tales

Over the break I got into a pretty heated discussion with my mom. My sister and I both made the statement that we don't believe in hunting. My mom then stated that this is hypocritical because we both eat meat.

OK. Fine.

So starting in January I quit eating meat. So far, it hasn't been all that bad. I really don't eat a whole lot of meat anyway, so the transition has been pretty easy. I have had a few slip-ups (ate a turkey sandwich a co-worker brought me without thinking) but overall I've been able to eliminate meat from my diet with little difficulty.

I've still been eating dairy, eggs and seafood, which is probably up for debate. However, I've been reading lots of articles that say vegetarianism should be approached in stages. For example, first give up red meat, then pork, then chicken and poultry, etc. So maybe this month will end up being my "giving up red meat month."

There are lots of meat substitutes that I already love, so I think this might not be too hard. I love Morning Star sun-dried tomato and basil pizza burgers, and there are some meatless chicken nuggets at Trader Joe's that taste just like the real thing. I also made vegetarian lasagna last night for dinner, and not only was it tasty, but it was FAR healthier than the meaty kind.

We'll see how it goes!

New Year's Resolutions - 2009

Once again, I am going to try to set some realistic goals for myself. So here they are, in black and white – my resolutions for 2009:

Exercise more & drink more water
This will continue to be a challenge for me, especially considering I am working full time and attend school three nights per week. However, a healthy lifestyle is majorly important, so I need to try and find time for exercise in my life. Still not sure on a specific plan of action, but step one will be joining the gym in my building and attempting to hit the treadmill on my lunch break at least a couple times a week.

Pay off debts
I am accumulating some major debt due to UW tuition, but my plan is to have it all paid off by the end of the year (hopefully sooner, since my credit card only has 0% interest until August). In addition, I plan on paying off my car a month or two early and then I will finally own it free and clear! In addition, I don’t plan on acquiring any more major debts – a mortgage is enough!

Make a career decision
After I graduate from my Paralegal Program in June, I will have some major decisions to make. Choosing whether to stay at a job that I love or pursue a career in the field of law will definitely be a struggle. In addition, I will need to consider whether law school is in my future. This will all require some thinking, but I hope to have made a decision and a plan by the end of the year.

Cultivate my friendships
I tend to always let life get in the way. I’ve neglected to make phone calls, send emails, and follow through with plans as much as I should. This year I resolve to talk to my out-of-town friends on the phone more frequently. I promise to send emails, cards and flowers, remember birthdays, and plan trips. I am just as busy as the next person, but my friendships are important to me and I need to make sure I give them the time they deserve.

LET IT GO
Even though I have gotten over the resentment I harbored last year, I still feel like there are some things in my life that need working on. My sister and I have frequently discussed some troubles within our family that we just can’t seem to get over. I am going to try very hard this year to just accept certain situations for what they are, instead of allowing them to upset me and the rest of my family.

So there you have it. Last year’s resolutions didn’t turn out to be an overall failure… this year I am hoping for a perfect score, wish me luck!

Looking Back On 2008

As the year draws to a close and I look back on how I spent the last 365 days, I thought this would be an appropriate time to re-examine my 2008 New Years Resolutions and do a brief status update.

Resolution #1: Exercise at least two or more times per week.Status: Failed.Explanation: Pure laziness. It would be ridiculous to put excuses here. I did great for the first few months, but then I got progressively lazier. The yellow circles on my calendar marking the days I worked out end in May, and I finally canceled my gym membership all together in November.

Resolution #2: Stop gossiping so much (especially at work).Status: Completed.Explanation: I worked very hard on this during the first six months of the year, but I think the real turning point was when I started a new job in July. A much more healthy environment, combined with a positive attitude and fresh start, has done wonders.

Resolution #3: Put $150 per paycheck into savings account.
Status: Failed.Explanation: I was actually doing very well in this department for the first half of the year and had quite the little cushion saved up. Thank God, because when I quit my job in June without another one lined up I was really thankful for the safety net. Unfortunately, living off my savings for six weeks really dented the ol’ bank account, and I was back to square one. However, the second half of the year presented a new financial opportunity: I made the biggest investment of my life by purchasing a condominium with my boyfriend. So I figure that even though I haven’t been putting money into my savings account, putting a substantial amount toward a mortgage each month evens things out.

Resolution #4: Seriously pursue going back to school.Status: Completed!Explanation: Not only did I seriously pursue going back to school, I applied and was accepted to the Paralegal Certification Program at the University of Washington. I attended night classes for one quarter and successfully completed them. In addition, I am all signed up for next quarter and plan to graduate from the program in June. This is the accomplishment I feel most proud of. Ironically, it is the one I thought I was least likely to accomplish.

Resolution #5: LET IT GO.Status: Completed.Explanation: This is something that was really important to me, and I worked very hard on this one. I really needed to realize that harboring negative feelings toward people was hurting no one but me. I was able to get past those feelings and see the bigger picture, which eliminated negativity in my own life and thus made me a happier person to be around!

In summary, I’d say three out of five ain’t too shabby. And although I failed on #3 I completed a goal I had previously set for myself – to purchase a home before age 30 – so I think that one wasn’t totally failed. So let’s call it 3.5 out of five.

Here are some other important highlights from 2008 that I’d like to take a moment to remember:

• I significantly improved my snowboarding skills and I can’t wait for this season.
• I learned how to wakesurf and wakeboard.
• I met the boyfriend’s family and have since spent a significant amount of time with them.
• My hair is cut short for the first time in my life and have been a blonde for the majority of the year.
• Some of my best friends got married: Congrats Tara and Winst, Shannon and Jenny!
• I experienced jury duty for the first (and hopefully only) time in my life.
• I became a Planning Committee Member and Team Captain for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Green Lake, and my team raised $6,633 to benefit cancer research.
• My little brother graduated from high school and began attending Central Washington University.
• My boyfriend became a firefighter!
• I went to Las Vegas where I experienced indoor sky diving and came back $18 up.
• I went back to school.
• Stewart and I moved to Ballard and own a beautiful condo.
• We have reached the ILY stage.
• I turned 27, effectively moving into the "late 20s" category.

Overall, I feel very, very happy with how 2008 turned out. Of course there were ups and downs, but I was able to achieve some major things, whether they were planned or unplanned. I'm definitely happy with my life and where it is headed. 2009 - BRING IT ON!

Home Sweet Home

For all you out-of-towners, and for those of you who haven't made it over yet, here are a few pics of our new home!

New Digs!

I have no idea how we did it, but somehow, somehow, we made it through the past week. My to-do list filled an entire 8.5x11 sheet of paper. Single spaced, 10 point font. And I’ve finally got everything crossed off! Oh, except that pesky little “Homework for next week” line item. Oops.

I tried to have everything all packed up the weekend prior, since I currently have class from 6pm to 9pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. That means those days were officially out. But leaving the house at 7am, working all day, riding a bus for an hour to the U. District, sitting in class for three hours, getting home to Queen Anne and then proceeding to eat dinner and do homework until midnight has already started to take a toll on me (as one can imagine).

But I made it through the week and we headed down to IKEA on Friday night to pick up our new bed. Thus, we encountered our first problem. Although I had hoped for the best, there was no way in hell the boxes we had already paid for were going to fit in my car. Oh, and the store was closing in five minutes. Luckily, we managed to get the store to hold the bed overnight and have a friend pick it up with a truck in the morning. Phew. Tragedy averted.

Saturday morning started at 7am with a final run to Fred Meyer to pick up last-minute items including, of course, an ample supply of beer for the volunteer movers. U-Haul pickup was at 9am. Friends arrived promptly at 10am to first load up my apartment and then Stewart’s. We also managed to fill to bursting two cars with my clothes and miscellaneous items.

We had another little disaster in the parking garage, where Stewart’s friend managed to back Stew’s car out almost perfectly… leaving behind one mirror, shaved off by a cement pole. Oops. But finally, we were on our way to our new Ballard home, where everyone took a break for pizza, beer and tequila shots before unloading the truck. I think everything was in by about 6pm – not too shabby!

The evening then consisted of taking extra furniture items over to my sister’s house in Eastlake for storage, and returning the truck. Then we celebrated with more drinks and the boys made it down to The Old Peculiar. I couldn’t drag myself away from unpacking, but I did go pick them up later and we made our first stop at the neighborhood Dick’s Drive In.

So we are finally home! A little worse for wear I suppose (a couple co-workers have already commented on how tired I look), but it feels so great to be done! I’m a little anxious about how behind I now am in my schoolwork, but I am going to spend this evening at the UW Law Library catching up.

Many thanks to everyone who helped / stopped by / brought gifts to us this weekend, it really meant a lot to us! We can’t wait to have everyone over to show off our new home!

I heart Ballard.

Goodbye Queen Anne, Hello Ballard!

That’s right, you heard it here first… Stewart and I are moving in together! Considering the fact that neither one of us has ever lived with a boyfriend or girlfriend before, we figured, “What the hell?” and chose to take a serious plunge… we bought a condo!!

And after four amazing years, I am finally going to be leaving the mother ship of Queen Anne and moving to… Ballard! Yep that’s right. We bought a beautiful condo at a building called the Metropole, just off Ballard Avenue and Market Street. A perfect location, if my limited knowledge of Ballard counts for anything.

The building is less than two years old and our unit has barely been lived in, so to us it feels brand new. It’s a large home with hardwood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, our own private patio along with a rooftop deck, and a gas fireplace that goes through the wall from our living room into our bedroom. And my favorite feature? That’s right, I will finally have a washer and dryer in my own home!

Such big changes going on in our lives! Let me take a moment to try and recap everything…

• Stewart was finally hired as a firefighter! He will be working for Valley Regional Fire Authority in Auburn, and we are both thrilled that all his hard work finally paid off. He began Fire Academy this month. Unfortunately, just a couple weeks into the Academy Stewart injured his knee, badly. It will require surgery and this means he is out of the Academy for now, and unable to return until January when (we hope) he will be fully recovered. So poor Stew will have to spend some time on the couch followed by light duty at the fire station until January.


• My new job as an Executive Assistant to the Senior Vice President for a downtown Seattle residential real estate development company (wow, there’s a mouthful) is going really great! I’ve been here for a little more than two months now and finally feel like I am getting the hang of things. I love my team and my boss and changing jobs has drastically improved my quality of life. Quitting my previous job was one of the best decisions I have ever made, as far as my mental health is concerned.


• I’m finally going back to school! Tonight will be my first class at the University of Washington, in the Paralegal Certificate Program. I am taking two classes this quarter: Fundamentals of Legal Practice and Legal Research and Writing. If all goes as planned, I should be a Certified Paralegal by this spring! However, I will have class from 6pm to 9pm on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday for the next nine months or so, and a huge amount of homework and reading, so if you don’t see me out and about don’t be surprised. I’ll see you all next summer!


• Stewart and I are moving in together! Did I already mention that? I’m just so excited I can barely stand it. Considering we have basically been living together for the past six months in his tiny studio apartment, our new 725 square foot condo seems like a dream come true! We move in on October 4th.

So in summary, lots of changes going on in our lives right now. I am super sad about leaving Queen Anne, and not living with Jeanna anymore, but I suppose change is good, especially when it consists of a major financial investment!

We’d love to have all of you over once we’re settled!

Hasta La Vista!

Let's face it. Anyone who knows me at all is aware that I have been extremely unhappy with my professional life for a long time now. Lately, it's been so bad that I don't even want to go to bed at night... because I know that in the morning I have to wake up and go into work. I feel like I am constantly having full blown anxiety attacks. I end up in tears at my desk at least once a week. I’m not eating much and I’ve started smoking again. I've begun to wonder if all the glowing recommendations I received from previous employers throughout my life were false. Am I a completely incompetent employee?

Think about it. Things have to be pretty bad if I’ve been reduced to such a horrible mental state. There is nothing worse than waking up five mornings a week filled with dread over how you have to spend your day. And then spending your weekend filled with terror about what you will walk into Monday morning. Knowing that no matter what you do, it will always be wrong.

I’ve been trying for months and months (let’s face it, for over a year now) to do my job correctly. And somehow to matter what I do, it’s not right. One day I could choose decision A and be reprimanded for selecting incorrectly. So the next day I choose decision B. Nope, also incorrect. It’s a constant lose/lose situation, and try as I might to identify what I am doing wrong or how I might improve, it seems that my boss is perpetually telling me that I should have done things differently.

It’s taken me a long time to realize that the problem is not me. I receive glowing recommendations and praise from both my co-workers and my clients. However, I think there is an un-resolvable personality conflict between me and my boss. The two of use could sit in front of a red wall for hours, and as much as I could insist to her that the wall is red, she would continue to explain to me that I’m wrong: the wall is black Sarah, don’t you see? And finally I would have to admit that the red wall is, in fact, black. I was wrong – the only obvious conclusion in my supervisor's eyes.

So a couple weeks ago I made a decision. I decided that my mental health and quality of life is far more important than a job (especially one that I am not in the least bit passionate about). So I gave my two weeks notice. With no other employment opportunities lined up, yesterday I walked out of a company that has made my life a living hell for the past two years. And I’ve never felt better.

So see you later… I will miss all my fabulous co-workers and clients terribly, but am interested to see what will happen with this poorly-managed company. Karma’s a bitch.

It's About That Time...

With a trip to Vegas, Memorial Day weekend and summer looming on the horizon, I’ve really been trying to lead a healthier lifestyle. I’ve had some great workouts this week and have planned out my meals to be extra healthy (I actually made some amazing tortilla-less fajitas). Last night I read (cover to cover) my April Fitness Magazine, and one of the articles once again reiterated the obvious: breakfast is one of the most essential meals of the day. I know, I know. But I’ve never been a breakfast person, and eating my first meal of the day at 1 p.m. has always worked out fine for me. But I guess if this really is going to boost my metabolism and help whip me into shape, I can start forcing breakfast down my throat every morning. The article recommended three easy breakfasts to rotate during the week, one being yogurt with a ½ cup of fruit and sliced almonds. I didn’t have time to go to the store last night to prepare for this breakfast, so when I stopped at Starbucks this morning with some co-workers, I threw one of their yogurt parfaits down next to my grande skinny sugar free vanilla latte. Feeling very pleased with myself for beginning my new routine so quickly, I might add. Until I looked at the nutrition facts. WTF?!? One little yogurt parfait contained 37 grams of sugar! I might as well have gotten myself a stack of Krispy Kremes. Of course I ate it anyway, and it was scrumptious. But next time I really need to plan ahead.

In other health news, I recently went to the doctor for my annual exam. Even though I knew it probably wasn’t necessary, I went ahead and told him to do the full range of STD testing. (Just for good measure… Stewart and I have been together for almost a year, so…) Anyway, I got my results in the mail yesterday. “Your HIV, Hepatitis B and C, gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and herpes tests all came back negative.” And I really did expect nothing to the contrary. But for some reason I found myself breathing a ridiculously huge sigh of relief. Why are those tests always so mind numbingly scary? In any event, I’m glad it’s over with. Oh, but the doc did note that I am suffering from a vitamin D deficiency and need to start taking a supplement. Good thing in less than I month I will be soaking up rays in Vegas! (And hopefully, due to a healthy lifestyle between now and then, lookin’ damn good doing it!)

A New Look!

Last night I got some help from a miracle worker and today I am sporting a brand new look - I now have shoulder-length, super-layered, tons-of-blond-highlights hair!! I figured it was about time that I moved away from the long, straight look I have been rocking since about the fourth grade. So I visited my friend Crystal at her salon, Michael's of Bellevue, and a few hours later I came out 11-inches of hair lighter and looking like a completely different person - and I love it!

Let me know what you think!

New Year's Resolutions - 2008

I never bother to make New Year’s resolutions, mainly because I know I will never be able to keep them and am therefore just setting myself up for failure. However, this year I am trying to set realistic goals that I just might be able to accomplish. For the record, here they are:

Exercise at least two or more times per week
Even to me, this doesn’t seem like very much effort, but I know myself well enough to realize that if I set a lower goal I am much more likely exceed it. However, if I set a higher goal, such as exercise at least four times per week, or every other day, that won’t happen and then I will get discouraged and quit all together. Hence my totally wasted gym membership at Pure Fitness. I would also like to incorporate eating healthy into this goal.

Stop gossiping so much (especially at work)
I’ve really been doing this far too much. My work environment is not the most healthy, and it seems the way most people have dealt with this is by shit talking. Eventually this is going to get me in trouble. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of my job and then perpetually complaining about them to my co-workers, I instead need to focus that energy on either having a positive attitude and doing the best that I can at my current job, or find a new one.

Put $150 per paycheck into savings account
It is completely unacceptable for a 26-year-old woman to not have a saving account, in my opinion. I am embarrassed to admit that for the past year my savings account has had less than $10 in it. However, now that my credit card is paid off (yay! – a huge goal I was determined to accomplish by the end of 2007!) I am going to try and put the $300 I used to put toward my credit card payment every month into my savings account. This combined with my Roth IRA contributions and I think I might really be moving into a more stable financial situation.

Seriously pursue going back to school
I have really felt the itch to go back to school lately. After doing a lot of research I think I might look into the Executive MBA Program at the University of Washington. I am going to an informational meeting next month to get more details, but the program is really flexible and I would be able to complete it while working at the same time. So now I really need to focus on how to pass the GMAT. My current score would read “Verbal: 1 billion, Math: negative 2” so I need to look into a study course or something.

LET IT GO
I have been harboring some serious resentment and borderline hatred for some people who have affected my life during the past couple years. Unfortunately, I will most likely have to interact with a couple of these people in the future. I am really trying to convince myself that hating these people does nothing to them, it only amplifies my own negativity, which does not make me a better person. I need to take a deep breath, rise above, and continue to remind myself that taking the most mature approach possible is probably the best answer.

I hope that the goals I’ve set for myself this year are realistic and that I don’t look back on this entry a year from now feeling like an embarrassed failure. Time will tell, wish me luck!