Hello from Portland! I'm hanging out with Ms. Molly en route to Lincoln City for a few days at the beach starting tomorrow. My youngest sister, B-Note, and I are meeting me aunt on the coast for relaxing girl time. I'm ready for just that during this last little burst of summer. TBF is also on an end of summer motorcycle trip with the guys. We're soaking up every last bit of summer while we can! I'll be wrapping up my job a few days after I get back, and school starts in a couple of weeks. It's hard to believe that it's all winding down so fast, and the craziness will begin again soon.

I'm a runner now, folks. "Runner" is probably too generous of a word. Determined Jogger is more like it. Have I told you about that? As part of my Get in Shape and eat healthier second half of summer plans, I started going for runs on a regular basis. My level isn't anything to brag about, but it's very good for me since I've never identified as a "runner." I've tried in the past and developed bad news shin splints, and, lets face it, I don't love the exercise. This time around I started to develop pain in my lower legs that now seems resolved with better stretching and a new pair of Sketchers Shape-up training shoes. And no, I didn't buy the shape-up trainers (a slightly less bulkier version than the running shoes) for their arse sculpting technology, although that would be a bonus. They were by far the most comfortable pair I tried on, and they are not bright white, so I was sold. At this point, I can usually go for about 2-2.5 miles, but I don't seem to be progressing past that yet. It's a plateau. I would like to improve but I can be slow to do that. I feel like it's a lot easier to run and go a greater distance on a treadmill than road, but I'm really liking the outdoor running for the most part. Kinda. It's a new challenge.

I've also started walking all the way home from work some days, which is about a 5 mile hike. I like it, but it's time consuming. For winter, I'd like to get one of those foldable mini-trampolines because I like to bounce and I hear it's good exercise, but I'm thinking carefully about that purchase. Even if I can fold it up and tuck it under the bed, I'm concerned about accumulating more stuff unless I'm really going to use it. One of my big projects this summer has been going through all my current stuff and purging a ton of it. TBF and I took a big pile to Goodwill last weekend, and it felt great to let it go. I've sold a couple of things on craigslist which is fun. And, I no longer have any of the exercise equipment I once owned. I want to be very careful about acquiring more things, especially since it's looking like the room I'm clearing out will be going to TBF's stuff in the near future. Letting go, growing, moving forward, trying to figure out how TBF and I can peacefully coexist in my smallish apartment. It's not the ideal set up for us, but it's doable, and we're feeling ready.

My latest project is DIY household cleaners. I'm practically an earth mother now. One of my sister's friends asked, "Is your sister a big hippie or what?" I wish I could say that I was going greener just for the sake of the environment, but I'm also thinking about the financial benefits here. The rent just went up! So far, the dishwasher detergent works, and we'll see about the batch of laundry detergent (thanks to a video on the Urban Farming Guys site) that's brewing right now. These little projects are interesting and fun so far. My baby toe is off the grid!

The past couple of weeks have been the annual stretch of birthday madness, in all its glory:

Happy Birthday, Shannon! (Your birthday present will arrive before November this year. Really.)
Happy Birthday, Finley!
Happy Birthday, TBF!
Happy Birthday, Jen!
Happy Birthday, Lindsay!
Happy Birthday, Steph!
Happy Birthday, Travis! (I'll actually see Trav on his birthday when I swing through Portland on my way home from the ocean. I get to be a surprise guest at dinner. Yay!)

We had a great time at TBF's impromptu birthday dinner at Brouwer's. Lots of friends were able to show up, and it was a night of laughter, good food, and fun chats. Lindsay, Em, and I went to the always delicious La Carta de Oaxaca for a birthday dinner and then enjoyed after-dinner coffee and convo at Verite. It's a little overwhelming, but I love all this birthday celebrating for my favorite people!