Monday, July 30, 2007

Faster off foot than on...

Guess I'm on a once a week posting schedule... Hey! I have hardly any news for y'all. I'm still waiting to find out if the kiddos' caseworker will consider a single mom for them. When the presumed caseworker returned from vacation and caught up on his email and voicemail, found out he's no longer the caseworker. My adoption specialist is now trying to contact the new caseworker, whose voicemail has been full and whose email she doesn't have. My a.s. is also in the midst of an office move and so didn't respond to my emails today. But as far as I know, my paperwork has been submitted to the courts and I should be certified to adopt within a month.

It's currently thundering here and my big, bad Kobi is laying as close to underneath me as he can get. He hates the booms and roars. Poor sweetums.

I jogged 8 miles Sunday morning as part of my marathon training. It was grueling, I was slowwwww and really stiff, and I'm sore today. It's the furthest I've ever run (or "walked with a bounce"). Felt good to do it, but I was prompted to buy new shoes afterwards. I've been leaning in that direction, but my feet and legs were SO tired...

This weekend I also did a clean-up at a really great riparian area northeast of town that is being restored after 100 years of dam operation that left the stream corridor nearly dry most of the year. Conservation groups got the dam "removed" and now the place is just thriving. But it's also being loved to death by thousands more recreationists. We picked up a ton of crap: litter, car parts, and quite literally CRAP! It was really hard work, but very productive. Now if we could just figure out how to get the idiots to cart their shit out of the forest... "LEAVE NO TRACE" Live by it (when it comes to public lands--not your life).

The diet is going well enough. I do feel hungry a lot of times, but it's more because I'm not eating as much as I should. I've lost 5-6 lbs. so far. Also, because I'm feeling more fit, I get really surprised when I take my shirt off and see my belly rolls... I "feel" like I should be thinner than that! I know it takes time, but I wish it would hurry the hell up. And I'm looking forward to training in new shoes in the morning. Hope I'm faster than I was this weekend!!!

Monday, July 23, 2007

Me and My Arrow

Can't believe I've been so absent lately! With so much going on! Maybe that's why...

I still don't know whether "the boys" caseworker will consider me, a single parent, for their adoption. I'm hoping to know by midweek.

I graduated from the PS-MAPP training for adoption/foster care last week. And I have all of my paperwork in for adoption certification. I should be certified sometime between Sept 1 and Oct 1.

I'm still marathon training and did 6 miles on Saturday. Weekends are my long runs, gradually easing up to two 20-mile runs in October. Next weekend will be 8 miles. Eek! I don't think I've ever done more than a 10K (6.2 miles) in my life!

I saw Sicko last weekend, finally. I'm about to go into an anti-war rant, which was not what the film was about... so anywho, if you'd like to sign a petition that asks senators and representatives to vote for free health care for uninsured children, click here.

Finally, I've started *N*u*t*r*i*S*y*s*t*e*m*s*... a couple days into it. Found I was just having a hell of a time getting back into the swing of portion control and healthy eating. I wouldn't say that this is exactly healthy eating with everything being pre-packaged, except for the fruit, vegetables and dairy/protein that you have to supplement. But it is a great guide for portion control and balanced nutrition. And so far I've only hated the reconstituted scrambled eggs. Everything else has at least been decent, and I really liked the pasta primavera I had for dinner last night. SO - only 44 pounds to lose... Currently 219, goal 175.

Alrighty - I'd better get back to work! ...right after I check out what my blogger pals have been up to... :)

P.S. in last week's final PS-MAPP class, we were introduced to two kiddos that were in need of adoptive families. One of the two boys, aged 11, was named Arrow. I immediately broke into Harry Nilsson... Not sure my classmates were familiar with the reference. Oh, well....

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Moving right along

Only one more week of class!! Tuesday is graduation. I have nearly everything turned in... waiting for a copy of my 1991 divorce decree to arrive from Columbia County, Oregon, and Kobi's dog license to arrive from Maricopa County, Arizona. We're rather spread out...

The little boys who have captured my heart and imagination are still available, but I found out Friday that their file says a preferred home would be two parent. My adoption specialist will talk to their case worker and see if she'll consider me despite the preference. Hopefully I'll know early next week. And HOPEFULLY she'll say yes!

The adoption agency recently told me that they want me to get my foster license as well, which they will put on hold, just in case the "right kids" come along that are not completely legally free but nearly so. If I am not licensed, I won't be considered. I think there are plenty of children that are legally free needing homes, so if I won't be considered for "my boys" (new pixies by the way), I'm sure other little ones will be right. I did start getting all the foster paperwork done as well, so if I change my mind in the next couple months, all I'll need to do is get the home inspection.

I had my homestudy visit last Tuesday. I was surprisingly nervous for it, and didn't even know it until it was over. I was grumpy as hell for two days, but as soon as it was over--and it was a breeze--I was happy, happy, happy!

The marathon training is going really well. Despite the fact that my doctor told me not to run a marathon. He said a half was okay, but not the full. No, nothing wrong with me... he just thinks that everyone who runs a marathon has bad knees and ankles and joints and problems and it's not worth it. He can't understand why anyone would want to run a marathon in the first place. I told him thanks for the advice, but I might not follow it. This is something I've always wanted to do (well, for at least the last 20 years), and it's going to happen.

Back to adoption/foster class homework... one last assignment. Total. That's it. Woohoo!!!

Friday, July 06, 2007

(Don't) Walk Away

Did I mention that I blew off my 25th high school reunion and went to a John Doe concert instead? It was fabulous. And considering I had a dream the night before the reunion that the organizer wanted to kill me (and indeed tried in my dream)... I figured out that I really didn't want to go to the reunion. And I REALLY wanted to go see John. (I'm in love with him, btw.)

So in honor of a great vacation - a terrific concert! - L.A. - and missed high school reunions, I bring you John... Off his new album, A Year in the Wilderness (and yes, I have the t-shirt!): Golden State, w/ Cindy Wasserman of Dead Rock West

Monday, July 02, 2007

...I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance...

I'm back!! Actually was back almost a week ago, but SO FAR BEHIND with work and all. Then drove to L.A. with a friend to see Cyndi Lauper, Deborah Harry, Margaret Cho, Rosie O'Donnell, Dresden Dolls, and many, many happy people Saturday night. It was a great time. And then yesterday afternoon we hooked up with a friend of my friend's who is a comic and then some, and SHE found out she was having BBQ with Cyndi last night! Asked her to please verify Cyndi's haircolor for me... I'm guessing a light lilac.

Took Kobi on both my vacation and the L.A. roadtrip. He was such a good boy. Except now I know for sure, under no uncertain terms, if that dog wants in, he'll find a way in. While I was at the concert, the friends we stayed with went out to a BBQ (apparently a lot of that BBQ thing happenin' in L.A.). I got back before they did and went looking for my boy. Not in the yard. What? Maybe they decided to leave him in the house? Not in the house. I called and called, beginning that internal panic. But I thought I heard somethin' around the corner of the house. Looked, called again... Heard something. Looked AT the house and noticed a broken blind hanging out under a screen and a partially open window. The dog broke into the house. He was in a little storage room off the bedroom. The glass french doors were held closed by a wooden spoon, so he was confined. And he was fine. Luckily the blinds were old, the screens were already partly trashed, and he didn't pee on the guy's cigar humidor or anything...

I have many tales from my adventures, but I'll maybe parse them out. One big cool thing is that my sister and I decided to run (cuz you can't say "jog") the Seattle marathon later this year! I'm officially in training. Have had to do a couple of 5 mile jog/walk/jogs, and Saturday is my first 6-miler. Pretty exciting. And a great way to get in shape. No excuses. I've got a goal and a training schedule and that's all there is to it.

Tomorrow is class number eight of ten of my foster/adopt required coursework. ALREADY!! I can't believe how fast it's going. In two to four months I'll be certified to adopt a child (or two). Did just find out last week that they've decided I have to also get licensed for foster care in case a child(ren) becomes available that is a great fit for me but whose parents' rights have not yet been completely severed. I'm still hoping for "my boys," but am open to whatever makes the most sense.

I guess I'll leave it there for now. I have to get up early to beat the freakin' heat and jog 3 miles tomorrow. I've missed everyone!!