the runniversary.

today is my official 2 year runniversary! i can't believe 2 years has gone by so fast. as soon as you tell people that you run one of their 1st questions is why and the 2nd is usually how did you even get started?? let's begin with the 2nd one...

growing up i was a very athletic kid. i started playing soccer in the 2nd grade and never looked back. it helped me figure out who I was at a very young age. i played club soccer in california and when we moved to las vegas when I was in 6th grade it was a great way to make friends and find a place to fit it. i was never the star, but i was consistent. when i was 12 the many practices, games, and tournaments began to catch up with me and my knees started having a lot of pain. after a few doctor visits i found out i had osgood-schlatter disease in both knees. very common in young athletes, it means you body is growing faster than your muscles, and the tendons are now pressing on your knee caps. with this experience i began learned how important it is to take care of your body. i went back to playing pretty quickly and backed off when i needed too.

once starting high school i had a while new world open up to me in the way of sports, and i dove right in started immediately playing hs tennis while still playing club soccer.

yep, im the one with the awkward (and uneven) shinguard tan.

i had also started referring young kids soccer on the weekends when i didn't have games and i was one of the weird kids that actually did things in pe because i was so active everywhere else. then hs soccer only during the winter. but when spring rolled around i stared track, while still playing club ball, referring, and pe 5 days a week. it didnt last long. i began having really awful pain in my left knees and finally convinced my parents it was way more than last time. finally the doctor diagnosed me with patellar tendinitis, fallen arches, and my knee cap was falling to the outside of my knee. this meant no more sports, cold turkey, and physical therapy 2 times a week.

thinking back now, im not really sure i ever really got back into things after that. it took the wind out of my sails a little bit and i wasnt really sure what do after that. i started playing indoor soccer with a fantastic all womens team in which i was the youngest by far. i showed up on monday nights every week and played for an hour and went home. i didnt have to worry about practices or politics or whos friends with who this week. i met some amazing women there. i left during my sophmore year of high school to move to arizona and didnt really ever find a fitness groove.  i put on weight and didnt know how to motivate myself.

fast forward to may 2009, right about 2 years later. my best friend tiffany and i went out on a whim and traveled to nashville, tenessee to visit a very good friend, jp. he and tiffany met in a bar randomly about a year before. i had met him also in a bar when he came to visit las vegas for a bachelor party and kept saying we should come visit.

 

that trip changed my life. it had always been a secret dream to complete a 1/2 marathon. talking with jp and understanding why he runs, he helped me see that life doesnt have to be perfect for me to start something like that. i came home the very next day and started running. it was one of the hardest things to start. i was really sore for quite a few days. and then it started to just fall into place.

i completed my 1st race on august 15th. police and fire 10k

i finished in 1:03:39!! it was my warmup for the real races. it totally started a new a chapter in my life. and so began my 1/2 marathon craziness.

#1 long beach internation marathon and half marathon

long beach, california

october 11th, 2009



having a fantastic support team is extremely important:)

 finished in 2:17:20!  i was totally addicted after this!!  this race changed everything, i realized that this was something i could do. and not just once, but over and over until i was done.

#2  disney princess half marathon

orlando, florida

march 7th, 2010






 finish in 2:14:35!! with this race i learned not to take training for granted. i slacked big time in this race, and i paid for it equally as big. this was however one of the funnest races i have ever seen. it taught me you can have a blast and race at the same time. if you ever get the chance to do a disney race you must do it! and dont forget to take a camera, you will regret it if you dont.

#3 disneyland half marathon 

anaheim, california

september 5th, 2010



 finished in 2:20:33!! this extra 6 minutes for pictures with all the disney princesses, mary poppins, jesse, and running through angel stadium was totally worth it. i got back to focusing on myself and even gaining the weight i did with the protein shake, i learned to listen to my body.

#4  country music nashville marathon and half

nashville, tenessee

april 30th, 2011



only runners think this is funny:)



finished in 2:13:22!! this race was a huge win for me. i returned to where it all started, i set a new pr (personal record), and really figured out how to balance my life. i didnt let training take over my life like it had in the past. i lost the weight i gained last time plus a little extra, thanks to the help of calorie counting. this was the toughest and best spectated race i have ever run.

running has absolutely changed my life. i have become so much more confident in myself and centered in my life. i am willing to take new risks. i have become so much healthier. i have met fantastic people. i have entered a whole new world of running. and now people are actually asking for my opinion on their training plans. it can take you to see places you never thought it would.

with the answer to the 2nd question... i run to be a better me. i run to be whole.

the photo shoot.

awhile back a friend of ours, jesi lee, asked if we would be models in helping to expand her portfolio.  i was instantly excited, i have always wanted to have professional photos outside of a studio.  but wasnt sure if richard would be equally excited.  so you can imagine my happy surprise when he instantly said yes!  we quickly worked out the details with jesi and reserved our date for 3 weeks out.  this of course meant that we got to go shopping:)  we had decided to go with black tees and jeans with pink as an accent color.  richard actually chose pink.

we had agreed on lake las vegas, one of my favorite places, on a sunny saturday afternoon.  the weather was fantastic with just the right amount of breeze.  we stopped by jesi's house to grab her on the way.  she dove into shooting as soon as we got there.  in the beginning it was a little awkward, i wont lie.  neither one of us had ever had a professional photo shoot and wasnt sure how to look like we were acting normally. 

all photos from:  jesi lee photography

after the first few shots and moving to a few different locations we both lightened up fairly easily.  it was a really fun day.  jesi laughed and joked with us the whole time, making it super easy to go with the flow.

 love, love.

 

the way she photoshopped these pics makes them even better!  i love the soft light she added and all the touch up she did.  and it was all so fast!  we had photos on facebook (of course) the next evening.  

richards favorite.

 one of my favorites!

 this was actually the place of our first "real" date.  also the night that richard asked me to be his girlfriend.

everyone that has seen these pictures has absolutely gushed!  they came out amazing.  anytime you need more models jesi, you just let us know!  thank you so much for the opportunity.  now we have perfect practice for the future:)


dont forget...jesi lee photography.  check out all her fantastic shoots!  or become a fan on facebook. 

the birthday bash.

birthdays are one of my favorite times of the year.  mostly because you get to focus on one person and make sure that their day is the most special of all.  i had plans this year of doing nothing less than the best for richards birthday.  this would be my 2nd year planning his birthday festivities and i was ready for the challenge. 

boys are often not much help in birthday party planning for themselves.  they seem to have no opinion other than to have fun and be the ones to just show up.  i learned this the previous year, thank goodness i had great help.  this year seemed to be a little tougher though.  richard was definitely starting to struggle with the idea of turning 29 and i was completely unsure of how to party plan around that.  do we go big because this is the last of the 20's?  do we go small and save all the really big stuff for next year when he hits the new age group?  quite the dilemma.

earlier in the year he had told me that he would love to do something revolving around an outing for his birthday.  a concert, vacation, or a sporting event for example.  soon after we found out that flogging molly would be coming to las vegas the day after his birthday and it was a friday night.  we knew that we wanted to do something interactive during the day with the guys on saturday and then go out that night.  he had already decided to take that friday off for whatever was planned, so it was working out perfect.  after much debate and research, theres really not much to do in las vegas for locals, richard decided on paintball saturday, dinner at buca di beppo, and then heading to fremont street.  we made a reservation for dinner and were excited because with a larger group we could do family style.  and found a paintball place that was decently priced for rental, paint, and play deals. 
 
i had decided what i was going to buy richard for his birthday months ago when i was looking for valentines presents.  it was too big for the day of love and honestly not mushy enough, there i said it.  when we moved into our apartment one of the 1st things richard started lusting after was an old fashioned popcorn machine.  he wanted the red one that looked like the ones you find in a movie theater.  so i started doing my research, found a great one on amazon that i ordered 3 weeks before his birthday arrived, and had it delivered to my office so i could store it there till his birthday was here.  he had been begging me for weeks to tell him what it was, but i am an excellent secret keeper. 

richards birthday actually falls on st patricks day...its a built in party for your birthday every year!  he didnt want to go out that night, wanted to save his strength for the next night of drinking and debauchery.  i came home from body pump and gave him a small present to open in the morning.  a transformer bag full of a new workout outfit.  he had been saying for months that he wanted new workout clothes and i found the coolest pair of reversible shorts i just couldnt resist.  i told him his big present was going to be there when he gets home that night, he was just going to have to wait.  later when i got home from work i went straight into set up mode.  i had found some really cool popcorn bowls and had read the directions multiple times for set up so there would be hot popcorn when he got home.  i have to say, i was pretty proud of myself...

i also found butch.  he is a running joke after we saw an 8 year-old running around the orange county swap meet with a balloon dog.  richard thought it was the greatest thing on the planet and still brings him up at least once a week.  about 2 weeks before his birthday we found a very similar one at albertsons and richard had not stopped talking about him since. 

when he got home that night i realized i could have just bought the dog and that would have been the best present ever.  he was literally more excited about the dog than the popcorn machine. 

while all of this was going on the weekend event plans were falling apart.  some friends were weary about money, some didnt understand why were doing a whole separate day on saturday to celebrate, some thought they would be too hung over to participate, some were going out of town (for a very good reason though), and some were attending other dinners planned after this invite was sent.  it even got to a point that richard considered canceling the whole day because it seemed like more of an inconvenience to everyone rather than a fun day that was planned.

once friday arrived concert plans were coming together.  vanessa had rented a hotel room at hooters so we would have somewhere to convene, crash, and use as a home base.  a few came over to our apartment in the afternoon so we could all drive down to the strip together.  we hung out at the hotel for a few hours and the guys chomped down on wings, we were at hooters after all.  somehow, as usual, there was also beer pong involved.

finally it was time to go to mandalay bay for the concert and meet up with the rest of the concert goers.  now wrangling everyone together was quite the task and it seemed to take forever.  we made it inside where we needed wristbands for the floor and most of the group already needed more alcohol. 

ready to make our way to the floor you could feel the excitement building.  we made it for the 2nd opening band and the floor was surprisingly still a bit empty.  i was really glad!  richard had decided earlier in the week he was going to do the mosh pit.  this was his 1st big venue concert and he was really excited.  

well he made it through the 1st round and came back so exhilarated that he was instantly ready for round 2.  that one didnt go quite as well.  he came back so out of breath and just kept laying on me while trying to collect himself.  after awhile he still couldnt catch his breath and was trying to sit on the ground.  at this point we went up to the top where the snack bars were and took a break for awhile.  he still couldnt catch his breath and seemed to somehow be falling asleep at the same time.  we decided we would go back to the hotel, take a nap, catch him up, and then meet everyone back out when the concert was over.  after finally walking toward the exit he started to feel better and we ended up hanging out around the event center and had a really good talk instead.  we made it back right at the end of the concert for the last song and the encore. 

after the concert the group was all pretty drunk and it was a lot later then we had thought it was going to be so we decided to just head back to the hotel.  plus we were starving and there was a late night restaurant at the the hotel!  we started on the worlds LONGEST walk back to hooters stopping every 5 feet it seemed like and most of the group just getting really frustrated with each other.  finally making it we headed to the restaurant only to be greeted with a 30 minute wait at 1230am.  once getting a table the group was really quiet and honestly everyone just seemed mad at each other.  i dont know what happened in that last 1/2 hour, but it was a super awkward dinner.  about that time it was 2 am and it was definitely time to go home.

waking up the next day without a hangover was fantastic (thats what happens when your in training and cant drink).  it was actually a little cold and windy that day so it was nice to not be outside.  we went over to matts to hang out in the afternoon and watch a movie.  it was literally the weirdest movie i have ever seen.  it was called the game with michael douglas,  im still not even sure if i liked it.  and the whole afternoon was a little weird honestly, we kinda felt left out and there were only a few people there.

dinner that night was much smaller than expected, but the table was surrounded by great people.  we even got the waitress to sing happy birthday, against richards very strong wishes otherwise.  the best part, definitely the monster size sundae...

with the evening being rather windy fremont street was a little too much.  there was a ufc fight going on that night so that took prescient anyway.  we headed back to matts and the guys had decided to get a poker game going while the early fights were on.  richard tried to win money, but no such luck.  this was more of an early night, especially with all the craziness from the night before.

sunday evening was my turn!  i had planned a super special dinner that i was hoping he would love.  i found out over last summer that his favorite all time meal is the chicken cutlets his aunt makes.  i messaged her a few weeks back for the recipe and she was totally on board.  we woke up late that afternoon and hadnt really done much other than grocery shop, it was a great lazy kind of sunday.  i had kept the secret pretty well and was really nervous about making this dinner.  for some reason richard had decided to take a really late nap and slept through most of my cooking.  when he woke up though, he was not very impressed.  i knew that mine would never taste as good as aunt mar's, but i thought he would have been a little more excited.  i thought they were delicious, and they made fantastic leftovers.

i made a few realizations this weekend.  one, with family so far away and not able to see him every day the way i do, i am going to be the biggest cheerleader/celebrator in his life right now (which is definitely ok with me).  two, keep his best interest at heart no matter what others say/do.  three, i am an excellent secret keeper.  four, i will always be more excited about things and thats ok.  i think for a 29th birthday weekend and the ups and down this turned out to be a good one.  for sure one to remember!

the abcs of us.

the super fun list going around the blog world:)

richard

age:  29

bedsize:  queen

chore you hate:  dishes

dogs:  one day…for now butch will do

essential start of your day:  workout at the gym

favorite color:  green

gold or silver:  silver

height:  6’1”

instruments you play:  none, i always wanted to learn either piano or sax

job title:  sorter

kids: 0

live:  vegas baby!

mom's name:  lorraine

nicknames:  -

overnight hospital stays:  2

pet peeve:  the closet light being left on

quote from a movie: “first rule about fight club, you don’t talk about fight club.”–fight club

 right or left handed:  left

siblings:  2 sisters

time you wake up:  during the week – 730a on the dot

underwear:  boxer briefs

vegetable(s) you hate:  squash, cauliflower, spinach

what makes you late:  traffic

x-rays you have had done:  teeth

yummy food you make:  steaks

zoo animal:  lion-o

katy beth

age:   25

bedsize:  queen

chore you hate:  emptying the dishwasher/putting away laundry

dogs: one day…

essential start of your day:  coffee! 

favorite color:  red, blue, pink

gold or silver:  silver

height:  5’7”

instruments you play: not musically talented at all

job title:  assistant director of admissions

kids:  one day…

live:  vegas baby!

mom's name:  nancy

nicknames:  ladybug, boomer, kb

overnight hospital stays:  none, knock on wood

pet peeve:  being talked at instead of talked too

quote from a movie:  "there you see her/sitting there across the way/ she don’t got a lot to say/ but theres something about her/ and you don’t know why/ but you’re dying to try/ you wanna kiss the girl"-the little mermaid

right or left handed:  right

siblings:  1 “little” brother

time you wake up:  too stinkin early

underwear:  always wear cute ones, no matter who is looking:)

vegetable(s) you hate:  peas, spinach, brussel sprouts

what makes you late: tv, phones, traffic, choosing clothes me

x-rays you have had done:  teeth, ankle, knees

yummy food you make:  pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

zoo animal:  hippos

now its your turn to fill it out:)

the living with a runner thing.

i started running about 2 years ago and instantly fell in love.  growing as an athlete running was always my least favorite part, ok i down right hated it.  something completely turned around though when i started training 1/2 marathons.  it was the perfect outlet for anything i needed.  i run by myself usually with my music, but sometimes with nothing at all.  i dont run for times, or to place in a race, or to beat the fastest person.  i run for me.  more about all of that in another post. 

when i first met richard i was already about 1 month into training for my 1st race.  he has been there since the beginning and never saw another side.  he was there for my very 1st 10k and almost every race since.  but coming to be that fantastic support and being there everyday is a totally different thing.  when we first moved in i wasnt training, i had just come off my 3rd 1/2 marathon and was ready for a rest.  i was on a mission to lose the weight i had gained on an awful protein shake i had taken on my last training cycle, which at that point didnt even include the gym. 

richard has always been super healthy and a gym rat the whole time i have known him.  i may not agree with the weight gainer shake he takes or going to the gym at 8am when he doesnt go to bed until 2 am.  but he is super dedicated to his goals and its amazing to live with someone so committed to the gym and health.  he definitely helps motivate me to get up in the morning to do my own training.

now when i say get up in the morning, i dont quite mean at 8am to go with him.  i mean more like 6am to go run 4 miles outside in january. 

even in las vegas we get pretty damn cold in the winter.  this was the morning i was still cold after the shower, coffee and about 2 hours into my work day.  and its a 5-day a week habit.  there are training plans and runs that have to get worked into the week.  no matter how i feel when that alarm goes off i have to get up and go.   if i skip a day it has to be for a fantastic reason.  i went light on training for my 2nd 1/2 marathon thinking i have done this before, if i skip a day or 2 during a training cycle i still can hack it.  i paid for it big time during the race and vowed i would stick to the training plan for every other race i trained for. 

up until moving in with richard i only had to be semi-considerate of others for early morning workouts.  when living at home i had my own room to turn lights on as i needed, open/close as many drawers as necessary to find all my clothes, and set as many alarms as i wanted to.  once leaving my room i tried to be as quite and close the doors when i had lights on in the bathroom or kitchens.  our apartment is quite a bit smaller and i didnt realize how much noise i was really making while trying to get ready.  i do still set 2 alarms, its a pshcy thing that i think i am hitting the snooze button.  except now i quietly get out of bed and head into the bathroom once awake to this...

it has definitely kept me a lot more organized and cut down on the time it takes me to get ready.  who knew something as simple as getting my clothes together would be way more considerate to him still sleeping and so much easier on my life. 

the other big thing we had to get used to is the food part.  i have always been a curvy girl and have definitely let it get out of hand a few times in my life.  when we met i was on the losing weight track without even trying because of all the training, it was fantastic!  once that 1st race was done though i realized my body could quickly go back to the out of control curves if i wasnt careful.  i love food, and have come to understand that i can continue eating what i wanted as long as i was mindful of my portions.  richard and i have fairly similar tastes in food, both pretty plain and nothing too exotic.  when we 1st met his dad actually told me that he was hoping i could expand richards eating horizons!  (still one of the funniest conversations to this day.)  with richard trying to gain weight and me training/always wanting to lose weight as any other girl i have definitely learned that i need to watch what goes on my plate.  richard can eat whatever he wants whenever.  getting off work at 11pm he can stop at mcdonalds and get 2 mcdoubles, french fries, and a large coke and be fine.  i need to eat at a decent time and have become very diligent at counting calories.  even though i am in pretty much constant training i still cant eat just anything.  another example of our different dinners...

now our different work schedules for sure allow us to eat whatever we want when we get home.  the weekends get a little tricky sometimes when trying to choose a restaurant to eat at.  and when i get close to a race my food choices get stricter and stricter.  but we have been able to deal with our different tastes really well.  we are both even introducing the other to new food. 

merging your life with someone else is really hard at first.  you are trying to figure out how to share a closet and what to do when the other person is taking the longest shower ever and you need to finish getting ready (i would definitely be the one in the shower).  merging your athletic lives though is sometimes just as hard.  once you figure it out however it can really make both your lives so much easier. 

the day of l-o-v-e.

we all know that valentines day is definitely a holiday aimed at women, and as a woman i am proud to say that i fully support the holiday.  i have always been behind holidays no matter how big/small/silly/serious they are.  i wear red/white/blue at any holiday.  i will wear stick on tattoos on my face to represent a team or event.  valentines day is no different for me, single or in a relationship.

this was my first valentines day in the same relationship as the year before and i was super excited.  richard had been excited about my present for what seemed like months and i had no idea what it could be, which is exactly the way i wanted it.  i was really struggling on what to get richard though.  with the holiday being pretty girly its hard to decide what to get your guy that is romantic without being over the top mushy.  i am a hopeless romantic, there is no doubt about that.  i watch mushy movies and think how amazing it would be to be swept away from the palace by a prince and what it would be like to come home to a path of rose petals with candles everywhere just because its a friday night.  like i said, a hopeless romantic.

we had decided to celebrate on sunday because we were both off and there were a lot of things going on saturday.  after lots of thought i figured out my present for richard and was really excited about it.  but when my brother asked what i had got him and i let him in on the secret he didnt seemed that impressed.  once he thought about it though, he realized it actually was a good gift for a guy.  earlier in the week we had both talked about cooking dinner for each other and that we both actually wanted to be the one make the meal.  i had decided that i was going to save up my idea for his birthday and he could have that day to cook.  after waking up late in the morning i got up to wrap his presents in the least girly valentines wrapping paper i could find.  i proudly brought the presents out and suggested that we go run our errands so we could come home and celebrate the day.  the look on his face though meant there was no way we were leaving without gift opening, he was dying to know what were in those boxes.

i decided he could open one before we left, this way i could stretch things out through the day.  it was then i realized how much the presents went together.  i had purchased a black tuxedo vest he had been eyeing since christmas from h&m.  well with any vest you need a new dress shirt to go with it.  i let him open the shirt first and could see the let down on his face.  there was no way i could not have him open the vest at the same time.  instant grin!  there was also a candy box pack of wonka candy he had seen a few months before at a candy store i went back to pick up.  for as much as i struggled with the ideas, he was super excited about the new things to add to his wardrobe.  and of course the candy was a huge hit!

i couldnt wait for my present.  there was no card in the bag, and i thought maybe he was saving it for the actual day on monday.  i also knew there were no flowers in my future.  he had told me the week before that i was not getting flowers.  i was a little bummed that there were no flowers, i was even more bummed that he had told me the week before, a girl has to have something to hope for.  first i opened a precious moments box with a horseman and a sign that said "hail to the princess".  it was beautiful and had a chain like it attached to something else.  then he opened the ottoman (sneaky) and pulled out another bag.  inside this box was a beautiful cinderella precious moment on a carriage complete with a glass slipper and a pumpkin.  there was another chain on this piece, but they did not go together...definitely left the door open for future pieces.

we got ready soon after and decided what to do for dinner.  since i left him up to the task of dinner we were in debate.  i was gladly going to take the dinner task because i was hoping there were going to be pink chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.  but once he was insistent on dinner i knew there wouldnt be.  the year before was one of the first times we actually made dinner together and had made crab legs and steaks.  richard had decided he wanted to do something similar.  well the the night before we had red lobster with my brother so valentine dinner was back up for debate.  we were both hoping for lucilles bbq on saturday night so we decided thats what we needed to have on sunday instead.  we could run our errands and then pick it up on the way home and hang out on our couch together eating.

it was such a simple romantic day.  just the two of us at home doing our own thing together.  we did just that with our bbq and pjs on the couch watching things we had dvrd.  there is so much pressure to spend lots of money on each other and declare you love in these huge gestures.  now the hopeless romantic in me loves a gesture, but sometimes just spending the day together is perfect. 

the little things no one tells you.

when you move in with someone, whether it be a significant other or your best girlfriend you have a certain picture in your head.  the way he will look when he walks through the door every night to come home to you.  how great it will be to wake up to him everyday.  the way your heart will be content staying in on a saturday night cuddled up on the couch together.  then the move actually happens and the fairytale in your head seems to play out differently in real life.

now dont get me wrong, this move is one of the best decisions i have made in my whole life.  and i love living with richard.  i just didnt know the adjustment period would be so...much.  there are so many things that you dont even realize, i thought i would indulge you with a few.

the sleeping.

i used to stay at richards house on the weekends, and loved waking up to him every morning.  it was extra special weekend treat.  so when we moved in i thought that would be one of my favorite parts, and it is.  except that we dont really get the opportunity to go to bed together.  so i fall asleep on my side, which is awkward.  then he comes in later and has to adjust, flopping all over the place trying to fall asleep.

what seems like a mere few hours later my 1st alarm goes off to get up for my morning run/workout.  i actually set two 15 minutes apart so that i can hit the snooze button without being rushed.  i know it drives richard crazy, but its a pshchy thing. 

the thing we finally conquered were the sheets and the fan.  growing up i have always slept on flannel, even in the summer, just with less blankets than the winter and a ceiling fan.  he always slept on cotton with no top sheet just the comforter and the loudest fan in the world.  after weeks of not sleeping well because of him flopping around like a fish when the fan was on and me freezing because there was no top sheet we had to do something.  we agreed upon putting a flannel top sheet on the bed and not turning the fan on in the winter.  pnce richard got over having the sheet tucked into the bottom of the bed, we have been sleeping great ever since. 

the bathroom counter.

for the last few years i have a had bathroom to myself where i could spread out as much as i wanted to, and i did, often.  so now going back to sharing has been a bit of adjustment and i know that one of the few things that drives richard over the edge is the way i leave things on the counter.  1st i rarely put the cap on the toothpaste.  its my own tube, i never have.  havent really seen the point.  i know the end gets a little crusty (gross) and sometimes i end up wasting some of the toothpaste.  but it never really drives me to put the cap back on.  2nd i leave hair things all over the counter.  clips, bobby pins, rubber bands, and bows.  now they are not stacked so high you cant see what they are, but usually i am in a hurry and they dont always make it back into the drawer.  and 3rd is the fact i leave things on his side of the counter.  i am right handed and have the left side of the sink.  he is left handed and has the right side of the sink.  probably not the best planning, but its the way it happened.  i think the fact that i leave things on the counter comes from being in a rush.  its never on purpose or to drive him crazy.  it just happens.  i really am trying to get better about all 3, i know that the toothpaste cap is definitely the biggest.

the dirty dishes. 

i am definitely not the cleanest person in the world.  i leave things on the floor.  my shoes are usually under the table and not in the closet.  the mail will sit on the counter for a few days before i throw things away.  however i am not so messy that i let mold grow on things or i have 3 inches of dust on everything.   one of my biggest pet peeves is leaving dishes in the sink.  now if you are cooking and then eat right after, thats ok, leave them in there until you are ready to clean up.  leave them in there overnight or to "soak" and i might go crazy.  getting up in the morning and seeing his dishes (that dont need to soak by the way) still in the sink the next morning is enough to drive me over the edge.  just put them in the freaking dishwasher that is right there ready to be loaded.  he always tells me he is too tired and they need to soak overnight.  so that is on one side of the sink.  the other side has the hand blender that he mixes his shakes with and the shaker bottle.  now we dont have a very big sink and i am super clumsy so i always know everything over.  then i get super frustrated because there is not enough room in the sink for me to get water and i refuse to put his dishes away.  were still working on this one. 

the laundry. 

when i said i am not the cleanest person, this is never a clearer statement than when it comes to laundry.  i leave my clothes on the floor of the bathroom under the towels because thats where they drop when i am ready to take a shower.  its definitely not a basket, but out of the way so you can still walk through.  now yes, it may take a few days for them to get put into the actual laundry basket less than 15 feet away, but at least you do not have to walk on them.  richard, not so much.  all of his clothes land in front of the dresser, no matter what.  now by the end of the week i can barely open my bottom drawer to get shorts out for my run.  yes, i do occasionally contribute to that pile with a piece or 2 of clothing.  mostly because i am so frustrated that his clothes are everywhere. 

when i actually do laundry (we do ours separate because i have cooties lol) i am soooo not good at putting them away.  1st it takes me forever to complete laundry because i forget it is in there.  there are also certain things that dont go in the dryer, such as bras, jeans, and dress pants.  these things naturally go over the shower curtain to air dry.  i should have added that to richards bathroom pet peeve list.  once it is done i fold everything and leave it on the dryer...for days.  most of the time for the whole week.  i just live off the dryer.  now i think this drives richard a little bananas.  almost as much as it drives me crazy that he will take out his clean clothes and throw them in a pile on the bed.  and then leave them there all day.  when i am finally ready for bed, they usually end up in a pile on the floor.  and so the cycle begins again.  did i mention you must step on all the clothes to get that loud awful fan?  were still working on this one too. 

im sure as those of you reading this that have been through the adjustment period are dying with laughter.  and i know that in a few years we are going to think this is all hilarious, but for now it is what we are working on.  we have definitely conquered a few things along the way.  for example if i go for an early run i now put my things in the bathroom the night before so he can sleep.  he comes to bed with me sometimes and just lays there as i fall asleep so i dont feel so awkward sleeping on the one side.  we both check what the other is recording to make sure the person home can watch tv even if you are recording something.  he takes things out of the freezer so i have something to eat for dinner without a lot of effort.  i put away the dishes when i get home that he turned on before he left for work so neither one of us has to listen to the dishwasher while trying to watch tv.  who knew these little things we have learned to do for the other could make such a big difference when you are home without the other person?