Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Good Lil' Helper

Apparently Burton was helping Wyatt unpack today....maybe this was a much needed after nap after all the epic unpacking?!

Ryan as a strawberry....or wearing my strawberry hat. Whatever.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Sofa!!

Click To Enlarge
That's right, we now own a new sofa, chair AND ottoman (like the foot stool, not the empire). That's the general look of the sofa above, but in COMPLETELY different colors. We just didn't think an off white sofa was a smart idea in our house. So we went with a brown (specifically mahogany) with some fun pills. You know, spice the place up a little. Bad news is, by snubbing the off white sofa we had to special order what we wanted. It could take 3-10wks for it to get here.....grrrr! So for the foreseeable future we have no, and I really do mean no, furniture. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing as the house it OVERRUN with boxes still. Seriously we could build some pretty bad a$$ forts if we rearranged the boxes....hmmm, something to think about.

So we're suppose to move the last of my stuff into the house tonight. But seeing as it is looking like death storms again to day I am guessing I will be bumped from the docket. Who really wants to move stuff, especially a mattress, in the rain?! Btu really, the longer I live with my stuff in boxes and split between 2 locations the CRAZIER I am getting. Really, seriously, losing my mind! Oh, and in case you are wondering, someone else moves in to my apartment on the 1st this week. That'd be Thursday, and I'm still not out, nor is the place clean.

Oh, and there is the floor finishing project that is apparently going to get done this week. And putting a much needed vanity in the bathroom.

Wyatt moved in, check. Sofa picked out, check. New washer purchased, check. Direct TV being installed, check. Going to a 3 day bachelor party*, check CHECK!

Katie moved in....not checked.

At least our priorities are in order.

I do love the furniture we picked out tho...

*The 5 day bachelor party has been reduced to only 3 days. Geez, what a rip off. But don't worry, that still allows for 2 nights of strips clubs and unhealthy levels of intoxication, with a little football and MORE alcohol sandwiched in the middle. I still say F* That!!

Friday, September 25, 2009

No Rest for the Weary

Yep, that pretty much sums up my week.

I am exhausted. Working all day, and moving at night, has added up to a looooong week. It may only be a studio apartment, but good lord do I have a lot of stuff there. Apparently 28yrs, almost 2 of which have been at the most recent abode, adds up to way too much stuff. And no place to put it.

But wait Katie, aren't you moving into a house? Why yes, observant reader, I am.

I went to try to unpack and clean stuff at the new house last night. I figured getting a start on that would make moving the last of my stuff a little easier. Right? Only what I found in every cabinet, drawer and closet I opened is that it was already full. So where exactly am I suppose to go?

This is bringing back horrific memories of freshman year of college. Or even my sophomore year apartment with the roommate from, well, Waukesha. Right, Waukesha. You remember the college days where all of your belongings had to stay in your room/side of the room, designated closet, kitchen cabinet, shelf in the fridge... It's like I'm going from a luxurious, spacious 2 room efficiency, to 1 room. In a house. I feel like I am going to have to stash my Ramen noodles and microwave popcorn in my closet to keep the roomie from eating it at bartime. And I am thinking of bringing back the shower caddy so I have a place to put my shampoo, face wash and toothbrush. I'll keep it right next to my shower flip flops and towel hanging on the back of my bedroom door.

If any one out there knows how I can loft my double bed, or has a mini fridge I could borrow, let me know. Apparently I'm going to need them.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Thursday 13

Woah, it's Thursday already and I haven't even finished my post from Monday yet about the Fat Tire Festival.... It will be finished. There are pictures and everything.

But to stay on task...

Thursday 13: The Moving Addition

1. After tonight's trip I'll be prolly 75% out of my apartment! Woot Woot! Now there's just my closet, kitchen essentials, bathroom essentials, bed and tv....ok that still sounds like a lot. Grrr.

2. We went to empty my storage unit in the basement last night to find out a bottle of bleach had spilled on stuff. FML! I don't think it ruined anything important...

3. The "we" I am refering to here is my bestfriend Ryan and I. My deadbeat boyfriend (from this point forward known as the DBB) is in Vegas this week. Yes he is in Vegas the same week I need to move. Granted it's sort of work related, but still, f*ck that!

4. Moving has been further complicated by the fact that the above mentioned DBB moved his stuff in and left boxes everywhere. So to be able to move my stuff I have to rearrange and deal with his stuff. WTF?

5. The DBB did however manage to quasi finish the wood floors before he left for Sin City. All the staples are out, the tack strips are up, and they are clean (to a boy's standard clean). All that's left to do is to add 1/4 round trim around the room to cover up the damage from the tack strips. Oh, and to somehow match the 1/4 round to the floor/trim color...

6. So Monday night, as we were hurriedly moving in the DBB's stuff (yes I helped him) he tried to put stuff in the refrigerator WITHOUT CLEANING IT FIRST!!! ICK ICK ICK!!! What was he thinking?!? So I took on said task, and what did I find in the fridge? Cat hair. Like enough gross black cat hair to think that they were storing cats IN the fridge. I just threw up in my mouth a little thinking about it.

7. Tonight's mission is to move all of the nonperishable foods, misc kitchen odds and ends, and the bathroom non essentials. All in all that's probably 1 trip. THEN it's time to clean the bathroom and kitchen so that I can put that stuff away. It could be a looooooong night.

8. So the house was "move in ready" which basically means it wasn't a complete hovel. It's actually pretty nice. But there are so many things that need to be done to make it "ours." Like the pedestal sink in the bathroom HAS TO GO! Say it with me people, vanity. And painting. Everything is off white. I don't do off white. Give me color!! And seeing as we had to move everything in kind of quick, we didn't get to paint first. Which now means we have to move stuff around, and cover stuff, and basically do things the most difficult way possibly. And the kitchen needs updating....and the gross asbestos linoleum removed. And the cabinets, something about the cabinets. I have some ideas...

9. Oh the basement. Ick. Their definition of 1/2 finished, well, is that they painted the cement block walls. And the 1/4 bath. Yeah, that's going to be walled in and turned into a real 1/2 bath ASAP! Next to that will likely be the bike area. Scary creeper "bar"? GONE!! Cement block walls in the "finished room"? Framed out and actually (gasp!) walls built. The carpet that was pulled upstairs? Laid in the basement. Futon, aka the DBB's former "bed," and his leather chair will make lovely furniture down there. Trainers, yoga balls, tv, stero, check! Hello space to workout. Oh there is so so many things to do....

10. Don't tell my PT, but I have been going sans boot for the moving process. Yes, probably not the brightest idea, but it's just so hard to manuver and accomplish things in that thing. It's no real shock my foot is extra super hurty. That goes hand in hand with not listening to the PT and Dr.

11. I really am crossing my fingers and hoping that this is the last time I move for a really long time.

12. The best part about moving? Definitely the usage of the DBB's Element. Hello XM radio and bumpin' system. I've been so spoiled cruising around town, you know the 4m round trip between the old and new place, rocking out to good tunes. I'm not sure how I will go back to my regular ol' FM radio and stock stereo system. But in the mean time, damn it feels good to be a gansta'...

13. The worst part about moving? Pretty much all of it. This post deserves every CAPITAL LETTER, profanity and exclamation point it has, and then some!!!

Pictures, oh so many pictures, to come!! Stay tuned my friends. If I can't run or bike, I am going to be a lean mean house improving MACHINE!!!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Finished...and glad to be done!

Fat Tire Festival start

Good luck Wyatt!


Thursday, September 17, 2009

Even Ryan came to help!

Usually the "before" pictures show an in tact room....well I forgot and started pulling the carpet!

Papers are signed, the house is ours, let the remodeling begin!

Thursday 13

1. The official close on the house is tonight! Pro: This gives me more than 3 days to move from the apartment to the house. Con: I get to move everything MYSELF while Wyatt is in Vegas.

2. Wyatt leaves for Vegas next week, and I think Pharmie said it best in reference to the Ironman wetsuit strippers "...those are the the ONLY strippers that I ever want you around!" Yeah, I am less than thrilled about this little "business" trip...

3. I don't understand Bachelor/Bachelorette parties. I would goes as far as to say I don't like them. At all. I mean really, it's not like once you get married you can no longer go out and drink and party and whoop it up with your friends. Married, dating, engaged, whatever, if you are in a committed relationship trying to use the Bachelor's "last night of freedom" as an excuse to do inappropriate things IS NOT OK. And a 5day Bachelor Party? That's just re-f'ing-diculous. Seriously.

4. We're headed up to the Fat Tire Festival this weekend in Cable WI, where Wyatt will take on the 40m race while I sit in a tent at the expo and do his job. How's that fair? Well I guess he did help me out pretty major down in KS earlier this summer....

5. I love fall! I love the sunny mild days, and the chilly nights. I love the colors. I love pumpkin patches and hayrides, corn mazes and the farmers market. I love fall camping and camp fires. Sigh...I love this time of year!

6. I cleaned out my bathroom in an attempt to start packing the non-essentials. What did I find? Like 15 tubes/vats/pumps of lotion all half full to empty. Some self tanning lotion (that smells awful), some straight up self tanner, some after sun lotion, various brands of hand lotion....I threw out A LOT!

7. I am going to miss my mini clothes line in my shower. It's just so convenient and perfect. Need to dry your wetsuit or swim suit? Use the clothes line in my shower! Hand washing your delicates? Hang them up on the clothes line in my shower! Come back soaking wet from an epic ride or run and don't want to throw the wet clothes directly into the hamper (because if you're like me, there's a good chance the clothes in the hamper will be there 2-3wks before washing). Dry 'em on the handy clothes line in my shower!!

I can't say that any more.... :(

8. I also packed an entire box (like 16"x16" box) full of training/racing supplements. Powders, gels, blocks, bars, pills......during and recovery. Wide variety of flavors and consistencies...holy cows. There are 101 ways to fuel yourself and I easily have at least 87 of them packed in that box.

9. I'm hoping to go visit one of my bff's over Thanksgiving weekend in NYC. I'm really hoping that it call comes together because I could use some quality girl time AND a vacation. Jamie? Did you read that? I WANT TO COME SEE YOU!!!!!

10. I need some sort of change. I'm not sure what it is, or what it will be, but I need one. I know that the move is a BIG change, and maybe that will appease the ants in my pants. Or maybe a new haircut....

11. I'm still struggling with, and feeling like a huge failure for, not making it to race day. I wonder constantly what I could've done differently. I whine alot (even more in my head that out loud) "whyyyy meeeeee?!" I'm just not over all this yet.

12. My ADD is out of control these days! I cannot seem to hold a train of thought or focus on anything. I'm thinking it's just stress and the overwhelming nature of life these days but this is getting obnoxious. For reals! Focus. Must focus.

13. I am stressed! Stressed out over my injury, stressed out by not being able to do anything because of said injury, stressed out over this whole move, stressed about Wyatt going to Vegas...stressed, stressed, STRESSED!!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Ironman Wisconsin

I wish I could say that Sunday's spectating experience was invigorating, inspiring, rejuvenating or whatever, but generally I just spent the day being pissed off. As much as I love ALL things Ironman, I thought about just not getting out of bed.

That's right, I am fully admitting that I was a bad sport.

Let me back up a tick here and congratulate all of the AMAZING athletes. There were over 2000 hardworking, determined, rockstars out there working their tails off. And I hated each and every one of them just a little bit for being out there while I couldn't be.

My day started at 5am at Law Park to help coordinate the swim volunteers. (PS-huge props to Jason, the overall swim volunteer captain, for coordinating a safe swim AND snagging himself Captain of the Year honors.) It probably doesn't surprise anyone who knows me that I was on the verge of tears from the moment I woke up, or that I didn't sleep at all the night before, but I kept it together enough to help get the volunteers in place on time. About 6:45 we headed over to the swim start/finish to watch from there, and ran into a couple of friends. Mike, who later finished his first ever Ironman in a smidge over 11hrs, looked annoying calm and collected. Then there was Robert. Robert, who was frustratingly relaxed before the KS 70.3 was looking a little, shall we say, nervous. Can't say I blame him really...

Then there was the National Anthem and the start. And the tears. Yeah, I cried. A lot. Shocking, I know. Luckily after that it was time to wetsuit up and get in the water for my official athlete pulling duties which kept me occupied for the next 2 or so hours. As the clock ticked closer to the 2hr 20min cut off I got all choked up again. Who really wants to be the one to tell an athlete that they didn't make the cut off and their day is done? Not me.

After the swim was wrapped up, we headed back so I could shower and get the lake off me before heading out to the bike course. I was hoping to be able to cheer on the athletes I knew as they came through Verona after their first lap of the course. Of course, due to traffic and all the roads shut down for the race that was much easier said than done. We missed everyone we knew, but did hang out to see the lead pro's head through Verona before they finished up the ride. Seriously, the pro athletes make it look easy!! Like woah.

We spend probably an hour or so checking out the bike course. I then conceded to let Wyatt (and secretly myself) take a much needed power nap before heading back downtown to watch the run. Getting up at 5am and trucking around on a broken foot takes a lot out of you. Ok, not like actually participating, but I was pooped. Anywho.

Yet again, our timing was lousy! We missed the lead male pro's finish by like 10 mins. We heard that the lead females still had 8-10m left in the run so we attempted to grab some food and hustle back to watch them finish. Again, huge fail!! We didn't manage to catch anyone on the run. Boo! As we were deciding to call it a day, we ran into Mike's fiance who said she expected him to finish within the hour, so we opted to stick it out and cheer him on. (Side note, she was so fun. She didn't want him to be in pain per se, but she certainly didn't want him to enjoy it enough top want to do another....) Sure enough, we saw him finish just over 11hrs, nothing but smiles!

We hung out just a bit after Mike's finish and then decided to call it a day. As much as I wanted to see some of my other iron-friends finish I could barely stand. Seeing as I had to face the DR and 2 PT tribunal the next day I figured ti was time to put my foot up.

Sunday, not being able to participate, was devastating. It was an emotional rollercoaster to say the least. I have to give credit to Wyatt for getting up at 5am to watch the swim with me, hauling my cranky butt all over Madison trying to see it all, humoring my tears, and at the end of the day feeding me vodka and putting me to bed.

Is there an IM in my future? Not next year, 2010 is for rehab and getting back in the saddle. I don't think I can handle another DNS sort of season. 2011? Maybe....


Thursday, September 10, 2009

"We always tell people you WILL be an Ironman. The truth is some people can't be an Ironman."
Quote from today's meeting. Ouch.

Thursday 13

1. It's Thursday already! Short weeks, while I LOVE them, confuse all week. I think it's worse, as in more confusing, when it's Monday off versus Friday off...

2. Ironman Wisconsin is officially upon us. The first day of expo is today, the practice swims started this morning, there are tri bikes everywhere....and I am not participating in any of it. I'm trying really hard to keep a good (read good as functional and not terrifying) attitude as IM gets closer, but I am starting to fall apart. I wanted to race this year so bad. SO BAD, It's not fair. There I said. I want to cry and stomp my feet and revel in the misery of being injured and unable to race.

3. I have a IM volunteer meeting to night after work. That's right, a volunteer meeting. There is a part of me that wants desperately to just say forget it, I'm not volunteering and spend Sunday in bed.

4. The close date on th house has been moved up to the 17th! Which means I will have more than 3 days to move out and clean my apartment.... What a relief!

5. One of the less appealing parts of the new house is what is official none as a 1/4 bath. In everyday terms, it's a toilet in the basement with no walls. I am not ok with this. Oh, and there's a random shower nozzle protruding from the wall near the floor drain. Also not ok. I am determined to remove all evidence of the shower, put up some walls and get a sink. Home Depot tells me "You can do. We can help."

6. I am tired. Just run down, drained of all energy, tired.

7. Last week Thursday I planned to go to my first Bikram yoga class. That was until my physical therapist told me that yoga was too high impact. For reals. So again, it is Thursday and I REALLY want to go to yoga but am trying to be a good patient and listen to their advice...

8. I love that the signs of fall are here. Cool evenings, foggy mornings, sweaters, the smell of fires... Fall is a great time of year!!

9. I should really clean out my refrigerator. Like the milk in there expired sometime in August. Ick. But the grosser it gets, the less I want to do it. It's a vicious cycle.

10. Next week I am headed up to Cable for the Fat Tire Festival. I'm debating riding the Short and Fat course which is a measly 16m. But my common sense says I should just stick to being Wyatt's groupie and let him do all the riding. We shall see...

11. I have become obsessed with furniture shopping. If I could wake up and roll out of a Pottery Barn catalog that would be lovely...ooooo, and then walk into my William and Sonoma styled kitchen....sigh. Someday.

12. I am actually really excited for the home repairs and painting and DIY projects that are in the works at the new house. I swear, every time Wyatt leaves for work he will come home to something new and different....

13. Moving and packing is no fun. I swore that this apartment (that I am moving out of now) would b my last apartment until bought a house of my own. Well, it's not quite mine, but I am hoping this counts. :)




Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Something to think about

So you know how a year or so ago there was the big panic over plastic water bottles and BPA? And the solution was a boom of metal bottles (Sigg, Klean Kanteen, etc)? Well turns out, not all of them are so BPA free, http://mysigg.com/bulletin/august2008.html.

The skinny on the link is that the Sigg bottles manufactured before August 08 have a BPA liner to them. This is a fact they chose not to disclose until they started to tout that their new bottles were BPA free and more eco-friendly.....hmmm. Obviously this didn't go over so well. So what's the answer? You, the owner of a pre-August 08 Sigg bottle, can pay to send them your old bottle which they will replace with a different BPA free bottle. So basically, the concumer can pay for Sigg's dishonesty...or omission...or whatever you want to call it.

Read the lastest letter, http://mysigg.com/bulletin/, and the details of the "Voluntary Exchange," http://mysigg.com/bulletin/exchange_program.html, and let me know what you think.


Sunday, September 6, 2009

Just another irresponsible Sunday......


Friday, September 4, 2009

So our first day at yoga was cancelled by my physical therapist because it was deemed "too high impact." Seriously. Yoga, too high impact? WTF?

BUT I do get to start aqua-walking next week with supervision. Yeah. Bring on the gawdy swim cap and skirted swimsuit, I'm walking in the warm pool with the elderly. Awesome.

And they are anticipating multiple months of slow going therapy and rehab before I will be able to get back to normal training. This is incredibly frustrating and my bad attitude is a DIRECT result...

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Tonight is my first attempt at Bikram Yoga....and I'm kinda nervous. What if I am bad? Or worse yet, I pass out from the heat?

Luckily Wyatt has agreed to come along. Actually he was quite excited until he learned it was "hot yoga." He says if it smells he's never going back....

I think we are both in need of some serious de-stressing!