An End of Summer First

Benny, Lila and I took our final summer trip to the library this morning. We've enjoyed a nice routine of heading to the library on our bikes after we get home from grocery shopping on Fridays. It never occurred to me to get Benny his very own library card until I saw this picture. And I'm not sure why: I can still remember the thrill and the awesome sense of responsibility of getting my very own library card.

Lila and I will miss Benny on Fridays when he starts school next week.

For the record, Benny picked the pink card out of choices of blue, green and pink. Makes me proud :).

And, somewhat related, Benny picked out a book called Chocolate Me, a story about a black little boy who is trying to understand why his friends make comments about his skin and hair. Benny just came out of the bathroom and said he was going to call himself Vanilla Me because people come in all different flavors. I never know what's going to sink into that little brain and take hold.

Reason No. 501

Have I mentioned how much I love my neighborhood and city and state lately? No, well, allow me to expound here. Admittedly, I was pretty upset with the weather in June. It was so hot and so frustrating to be inside (no A/C) and outside (hot hot hot and sunny sunny sunny). July was a little better - for at least the nights cooled off a bit. I tend to forget that everything turns around in August - always. Since August, the temps have hovered around 90 degrees during the day (totally manageable) and 60 degrees at night (perfect sleeping weather).

So, clearly the weather affects my mood. But I always forget how many COOL things happen in my neighborhood in August. It's almost as if people are trying to squeeze all the fun left in summer out into different events around the neighborhood. I recently wrote about Viva Streets - an entire day on bikes!

I'm part of what is becoming a wonderful book club. We're celebrating our first anniversary next month! Almost all of the ladies live within a three-mile radius, which is the perfect bike riding distance. On Thursday, a friend of mine hosted. She lives about three miles away. The brisk evening weather practically BEGGED me to ride my bike and wear jeans. So I did both and it was lovely.

Last night we attended Spinelli's Market's 18th annual neighborhood picnic at the local park. Spinelli's is a little gem of a neighborhood grocery store and deli. Every summer the owners close their shop and move over to the park across the street. They provide the meat, which is amazing, and utensils. The rest of the community provides the sides. Essentially it's a big potluck. Last night was our third trip to the community picnic.

Following the picnic, we rode our bikes over to the elementary school where Benny will start kindergarten in a little over a week. The parent organization there was holding a meet and greet. We met some of the kids who will be in Benny's class and met his teacher (remember Ms. Glick?). It was such an exciting, welcoming atmosphere. As we were leaving, Benny declared, "I LOVE this place!" He said, "I hope we don't have to do a lot of paperwork. Paperwork is so boring." But that's neither here nor there.

All this is to say that I absolutely love where I live. I feel so lucky daily. Although we live in a relatively big city, I often feel like we live in a small town.

Eating broccoli from the garden!

In a Local State of Mind

Happy belated Bike to Work Day! Did anyone bike to work yesterday? Yeah, I didn't either. Then again, I didn't really go to work yesterday. I did feel a tinge of guilt when I didn't bike with Benny to school. To be fair, the heat here is nearly unbearable in the afternoon, so I didn't want to be stuck riding to get Benny in 100 degree weather. Lila and I did walk to pick Benny up, however, since a storm moved in and cooled the temperature down. We even had to use a sheet last night to cover up! Brrrr.

So, I this afternoon I pretended that today was yesterday and I could bike to my heart's content (it's only 90 degrees today!). Lila, Benny and I rode to school. I had some errands to run this afternoon. Lo and behold, they were all to businesses in the neighborhood. I rode to the bike store for a bike lock and helmet. I only walked out with a bike lock, but it's a start (now Benny and I won't have to share). I rode to the new outdoor store to find a messenger bag. I walked out empty handed (not too much selection at the neighborhood outdoor store - go figure). And then I rode to the bank to deposit a check.

It occurred to me (again) that Nate and I were very smart when we chose where to buy a house. Not only are we in a good school district, but we are close to so many fun and cool things in addition to many businesses that we need day-to-day, like the bank, the dry cleaner, the grocery store, etc. Many of these businesses are walkable and all of them are bikeable. It makes me love my neighborhood more and more every day.

Oh, and I left my bike and the trailer out in the backyard today. The clouds are looking ominous and I'm hoping that, by leaving the bike and trailer out, the weather gods will unleash some much needed rain in this area. Not only is the temperature too hot to handle, but these wildfires are scary!

Run on, Slacker!

This morning I woke up at 6:30 to run my final LONG run (11 miles!) for my training for the Slacker Half-Marathon in two weeks. Next week I'll be tapering and run a manageable six miles. I'd like to say that I'm ready, but judging from today's run, it's going to be a challenge. Although I finished the 11 miles, it wasn't easy. Sometimes I can run longer distances and lose myself in the sights and sounds of a run. I don't run with music because I prefer to take everything in. However, music would have been a nice distraction today.

I did run around two beautiful city parks, through uptown, and through several gorgeous neighborhoods. It helped that the air was chilly and traffic was light. It didn't help that I was up until 12:30 a.m. because the church next to our house was holding a late night sing-along (long story).

The Slacker race is perfect because it's all downhill, it starts at 9 a.m. and we're going camping following the run. Post-race recap in two weeks!

Ms. Glick, Room 120

One day Benny and his classmates will reminisce about Ms. Glick, their kindergarten teacher. I have very fond memories of my own kindergarten teacher, Mrs. George. Several of Benny's classmates from pre-school/daycare will also be at Benny's elementary school. There are three kindergarten classes and Benny is in one with a good friend of his. We lucked out! He'll be able to see his other buddies at recess.

For now, we will anticipate the first day of kindergarten in August. I can't believe it's almost here!

Parents' Night Out

As noted previously, I've been keeping busy this month. Life is busy enough with work and family and friends and exercising. But, I decided to help out with Benny's school's annual fundraiser. Although it was a lot of work and time, it was worth it now that it's over!

We had a great time! Nearly 200 people attended. The event was held at Maggiano's downtown in a gorgeous banquet room. I mostly worked on the silent auction, but also added a sponsorship component to this year's event. We raised over $1,000 in sponsorships, which isn't great, but it's a start. It was also fun to work with some of other parents I didn't know very well.

The event grossed nearly $20,000 (and netted about $16,000)! Not too shabby for an event organized by three volunteers in about two months (with the help of countless others and many donations by parents and local businesses). And everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. Nate's band even made an appearance - a great way to end the night!

One of the fearless leaders, Megan, at the Card Game table.

Sherri, the executive director at the Children's Center, on the right.

Two of Benny's teachers, Lacey and Staci.

Fearless Leaders.

SWEET CORN! Can you spot Nate's bass face?

Peter, Benny's teacher, in the middle.

Like a Prayer, performed by Kara.

Giving Up Cars

"I live," Eustace said, "in nature, where everything is connected, circular. The seasons are circular. The planet is circular, and so is its passage around the sun. The course of water over the earth is circular, coming down from the sky and circulating through the world to spread life and then evaporating up again. I live in a circular teepee and I build my fire in a circle, and when my loved ones visit me, we sit in a circle and talk. The life cycles of plants and animals are circular. I live outside where I can see this. The ancient people understood that our world is a circle, but we modern people have lost sight of that. I don't live inside buildings, because buildings are dead places where nothing grows, where water doesn't flow, and where life stops. I don't want to live in a dead place. People say that I don't live in the real world, but it's modern Americans who live in a fake world, because they've stepped outside the natural circle of life...

"Do people live in circles today? No. They live in boxes. They wake up every morning in the box of their bedroom because a box next to them started making beeping noises to tell them it was time to get up. They eat their breakfast out of a box and then they throw that box away into another box. Then they leave the box where they live and get into a box with wheels and drive to work, which is just another big box broken up into lots of little cubicle boxes where a bunch of people spend their days sitting and staring at the computer boxes in front of them. When the day is over, everyone gets into the box with wheels again and goes home to their house boxes and spends the evening staring at the television boxes for entertainment. They get their music from a box, they get their food from a box, they keep their clothing in a box, they live their lives in a box! Does that sound like anybody you know?"

 From The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert.
 
This passage has always spoken to me.

Unfortunately, giving up cars (one box) is not even remotely a possibility for me. I work five miles from home and have to drop kids off at two separate daycares - all a bunch of boxes. Even if I was willing to ride my bike to work, I would have to leave the house at an ungodly hour to get into work at a decent time. And I already push it. So, I have to settle with hoping that someday SOMEDAY I'll be able to find a job closer to the house and only have one drop off point. It's not entirely out of the ordinary.

Nate and I did survive with one car when we lived in Austin. He drove to work and I walked or rode the bus or biked to campus. It was a perfect arrangement. We never lived more than two miles from campus, so I just found jobs on campus or near campus to supplement my income. When I lived in Des Moines I usually biked about three miles to work, so I know I can do it again...

Until then, I try to walk as much as possible or to incorporate errands into my run. Nate and I were very adamant about finding a house in a walkable neighborhood. Luckily we have several eating establishments nearby (Cake Crumbs, Tables, Oblios and The Cherry Tomato, to name a few). There's a small Italian deli/grocery store across the street from a park, which is a block away from a library, and a yoga studio next to a coffee shop and a gymnastic school next to a great liquor store. Benny's daycare is a 10-minute walk away and the elementary school is less than 15 minutes away. Really, if I didn't have to drive to work, I wouldn't leave my bubble.

We can (but rarely do) walk or bike to the Nature and Science Museum and City Park Jazz and the Denver Zoo.

Someday I will bike to work, but today I will start being more conscious about biking or walking to all the great restaurants, stores and venues in my neighborhood.

What do you do to cut down your time in your box with wheels?

'Fall'ing in Love Again

The award for the cheesiest blog post title ever: "Fall"ing in Love Again. I couldn't help myself. As the days get shorter and just a bit cooler around the edges, I find myself getting excited for the end of summer and the beginning of fall. It happened quickly this year. We had several weeks of unbearable days in the 90s (I know, I know, it's not THAT bad). And then, pop, the temps dipped into the low 80s and the nights are now cool enough that we have to close the windows.

I love everything about fall. Unlike other seasons, I never want fall to end. I never hope that the temperature changes, unlike winter, spring, and summer (when I'm always looking forward to the next season). Here are some of my favorite things about fall:

1. Layers and layers and layers of clothes and rediscovering my cold season wardrobe.
2. Watching the leaves on the trees prepare to change color. Park Hill is an amazing neighborhood for fall leaves.
3. Halloween!
4. Baking in the kitchen without roasting.
5. Soup! Including Smashing Tomato Soup.
6. Long runs in cool air.
7. Long-forgotten blue jeans.
8. Squeezing in as many dinners, bbqs, and other time outside as possible.
9. Watching Benny play in the leaves.
10. Eating loads of fresh produce from the garden before the first freeze comes along and robs us of our lettuce, green tomatoes, herbs.

Voyeurism

Thanksgiving weekend was perfect at the Struckman-Brown house. We made a 14 lb. turkey and all of the fixings on Thursday. We are still eating leftovers. My family came into town for a quick visit on Friday. And we generally relaxed and caught up on sleep the rest of the weekend. On Sunday I sat down on the couch to feed Lila. The curtains were open and I was daydreaming. It was a gorgeous sunny day. I noticed a pick up parked outside of our house with someone sitting in it. I didn't think much of the situation. But the guy was just sitting. So, I kept an eye on the pickup.

Then...

I saw something moving in the passenger seat. At first I thought it was a dog jumping up and down. Then I realized what was happening: I yelled to Nate, "I think someone is getting a blow job outside of our house!" Nate ran into the living room to take a look. When the girl came up for air, I was sure what was happening.

I provided commentary to Nate since I was stuck on the couch. I said things like, "Who gets a blow job on a sunny Sunday afternoon in a neighborhood?" and "She just came up for air" and "She's still going!" and "Did she just swallow?" Nate thought it was fascinating.

So, that's right, faithful reader: I watched some random guy get a blow job while breastfeeding my daughter. Keep it classy Park Hill!

$23,830.43...

That's the amount of the down payment I'll bring to the closing today. I now have a check in my possession for that amount. It feels so surreal. Benny and I are meeting our realtor to walk through the house before the closing at noon. And then. And then the house is ours. Big day. Big HUGE day!

As far as The Bear goes, I'm chilling a little about the whole situation. I'm still a little worried about him, but I've decided to hold off on an evaluation until after the holidays. We don't really have a lot of time before then anyway. Plus, then he'll be nearly 18 months and he may grow out of some of these tendencies. A lotta smoke. No fire. Hopefully.

2567 Hudson Street

As promised, here are some pics of the house (finally, sorry Mom). It's a bit dated - as you shall soon see. Of course, the window treatments and light fixtures will be replaced. Well, maybe we'll keep those rad light fixtures. The kitchen and backyard also need some work. I'm sure I'll write about those projects in the future.

I present 2567 Hudson Street!

A House? A House!

The inspection went well. Really well. As long as our financing goes through (and it shouldn't be a problem), we'll be moving soon. Really soon. October 31 soon.

So, here's the story with 2567 Hudson Street: We saw it a few weeks ago and it peaked our interest. But it was overpriced ($300,000). So, we decided to wait on it. And wait on it we did. Until our real estate agent called and told us that the owners were dropping their price 50K. We just about died. Seriously? Seriously. (Just in case any red flags pop up by this story - and they should - I will clarify: The house is part of an estate, which means that the previous owner passed away and her family is selling it. They have nothing but cash to gain by the sale and they wanted to get rid of it.)

There are few major issues with the house (the kitchen needs a complete overhaul, the backyard does as well), but for the most part the house seems solid. New bathrooms, refinished wood floors, copper pipes, finished basement.

It feels good to feel good about a house!

Fouth Time's a Charm

I have been hesitant to post anything about our home-buying adventures as of late. Obviously we've been unlucky in this realm of our lives. Well, our luck may have changed.

We found a fantastic place in Park Hill (where we want to live) and in a good school district (we can't afford houses in the Denver's great school districts, so we're settling for good). I won't divulge much more about the house until we know for sure that the deal is secure. We're under contract and we're having an inspection on Friday. If all goes well, we'll close on October 31. Yay Halloween!

This house makes us feel much better than the previous house. We aren't losing sleep due to anxiety. We aren't juggling all of our finances so we can afford it. We are legitimately excited about this house. And we'll be getting a mega deal - even better!

Keep your fingers crossed. If all goes well on Friday, I'll post pictures!