a three dog life

Feb 11, 2011

change can be good... very, very good

Hello to my dearest six blog followers…

I am sure you have been wondering where I have been since I haven’t written since July. Well let me tell you ... A LOT has happened since then.

First off, after being blissfully happy together, nearly round the clock, for almost 10 months, Evan moved in with me in my house in Truckee.

For about a week.

And then he moved out.

Before you panic, it was for a very good reason! He landed a great job in the financial industry, which has long been an interest of his, and so he moved to San Francisco. We had been talking about the possibility of this happening for a few months, as he was doing some very preliminary networking, but things always happen faster (or slower) than you think, so he was off.

Now you know I love love love SF. And so I was thrilled to have a really good excuse to go more often, and luckily my work as realtor in Tahoe affords me a lot of flex time so I was able to visit Evan often as he got settled in his new city by the bay.

But ...

isn’t there always a but ... ?

I am not a fan of long distance relationships, and even though Truckee to SF is only a three hour drive, I quickly determined that I am too old to be an Interstate 80 road warrior, and truthfully, I really missed not being able to see my guy every night after work, and every morning before. We have so much fun together, and life is way too short to be apart so often.

So, I listed my Truckee home for rent on Craigslist and decided if the universe would send me another tenant or two, I would move to SF with Evan full time, and find a way to “visit” Tahoe, by mooching of various friends who live there, for accommodations when I had to head to the hills for work.

And did it ever. I spent a ton of time in September interviewing potential house mates for Josh, and ended up finding him not one but two terrific women to join him on Aspenwood Road.

I then had a very important conversation with my dear friend, and fellow Realtor Abby, and we arranged a great referral program so that if I did have business to attend to in Tahoe, at a time when it didn’t make sense for me to drop what I might be doing in SF, and drive up the hill, she would have my back.

Once those two problems were solved, I call the movers, and we were off!

So since my last post in July here is what changes have occurred in my life. (And can I just say, for a girl who doesn’t like change, it has been rough, but I think I have finally almost settled in for real, and am super excited for all that life wants to throw at me in 2011)

• In August my boss of five years, who I love like family, left Tahoe for Utah.

• With changes in many facets of TMR in 2010, I was informed that I would have a new office in the Northstar Village in August … and then it happened again in December.

• Evan moved in with me in Tahoe.

• Evan gets job in SF and moves to a temp apartment in North Beach.

• Evan moved to temp apartment #2 in the Mission.

• New house mate #1 moves in to Aspenwood. I move to the guest bedroom.

• New house mate #2 moves in to Aspenwood. I move in to the loft.

• Evan moves in to a “permanent” apartment with me and the pups in Pacific Heights.

• “Permanent” apartment in SF has disgusting plumbing problems and we are forced to move again, very abruptly.

• Evan & I move in to for real permanent apartment in Noe Valley … which we and the puppers absolutely love!

So I have to take a moment to pat myself on the back. I am the girl who will still likely be talking on a Palm Treo phone and driving my Honda Civic that I bought in the 90s, if it weren’t for the hazing of friends and family. Yes, I resist change. Maybe not as much as my dear friend Cari, who still lives in the same apartment that she has been in since 1992, drives the same Jeep she has driven since 1994, and wears the same jeans (hate her!) and cowboy boots she has worn since 1987 ... but I totally get it!

The really funny thing is the place we ended up in is literally one block from the last home I had in SF. So I still have the same coffee shop crew at Que Tal, the same little ladies at the Church Street nail salon, and the same fun neighborhoods guys are running the Jump Start corner store. Alot has changed in the area, my life, and the world, but there is such comfort in these simple familiarities.

I think it was on Oprah a couple years ago these psychiatrists were talking about the most difficult changes we face in our life, and I feel blessed that many of them are way beyond anything I have experienced, many of my recent life experiences were in the top ten most stressful life events: Divorce, Major Health Problem, Loss of Job, Change in residence, Foreclosure of Property. I am not throwing a pity party, which I am known to do on rare occasion. Quite the opposite. I am embracing the new stronger, less change adverse Tari Wilde. I faced all those changes, and came out in a place so beyond my wildest dreams.

Maybe change isn’t so bad after all.

But I really don’t want to move again for a really long time!

Jul 2, 2010

bye bye B boy

Sadly, my three dog life went down to two for a while there, when Biddie moved away, but then I met Bentley and was back up to my magic number…..here is the story.

For those of you who don’t know, I have had three new “men” in my life since the fall. My terrific roommate Josh; my sweeter than sweet, nicer than nice, handsomer than handsome (you get the picture…) boyfriend , Evan; and last but definitely not least, Evan’s darling puppers Bentley.

Josh is:
-A fellow Northstar-at-Tahoe employee, where he works in building maintenance (hellooooo single ladies, my tip to you, if you have to get a roommate, make him a handyman!)

- A dog lover (from the minute I met him back in October, I had my “does-he-love-my-dogs-enough” radar up, and the answer was yes, yes he does!)

- An avid skier, runner, biker and all things outdoors (when he isn’t injured…)

-And an all around amazing roommate! I feel really really luck nearly every single day to have met Josh. Thanks to all the powers out there in the universe who sent him to me, so that I had the courage to stay in Truckee for the first winter on my own, so I could meet ….

Evan!

Evan is:
-Hilarious. Sounds pretty straightforward right? But this is beyond. He cracks me up to the laugh out loud point, several times a day. Over the simplest things. I never knew how great this trait was. I tend to take myself and my circumstances waay too seriously much of time, so this was a welcome change. Just one of the many things I love about him.

- Tall dark & handsome (did I already say that? Well he is. Really!)

-My favorite running buddy. Many of our first “dates” were running and it was such a great way for us to get to know each other initially, and something we love to together as often as we can. We have a great time whether we are just jogging around on one of our “vacations”, taking in the sites via our feet, or training for and competing in half marathons together.

-My sous chef. We both really like food (A LOT) and enjoy almost nothing more than spending evenings in the kitchen whipping up delicious, healthy meals together. (Don’t get me wrong. We like our “popcorn-for-dinner-and-mike-and-ikes-for-dessert” as much as anyone, but it’s really fun to have someone to play with in the kitchen, who enjoys the whole process as much as I do.)

-My road-trip-to-concerts-in-San-Francisco- Denver- Portland-Reno-partner-in-crime (this bullet point is a full blown blog post in and of itself, so look for those details in the coming weeks…)

-A master espresso & latte maker

-An excellent cuddler

-A really great brother, son, uncle, cousin, nephew & friend to many (who I have had the sincere pleasure of meeting, and now I totally get where this great guy gets all his great attributes – from his great gene pool & community of friends!)

- And as of yesterday, also my roommate! Yep, we are shacking up! So now I have two terrific guys I get to call “Rooms!” Honestly, I have to pinch myself over my life these days. I feel so grateful for all the gifts I have received in the past year. Again, a big shout out to the powers that be for getting me through the dark and in to this sunny sunny place. I never dared to dream so big or so boldly happy….

So now on to the new four legged man in my life, Bentley!
Oh Bentley, where do I begin?

Evan has shared custody of the “fast curly one” (as we like to call him, because, well, he is fast, and he is curly). He is a snuggly and speedy apricot labra-doodle, who most of the time lives with his mom, Evan’s ex-girlfriend Monica, down in Reno.

When we are lucky, we get to “baby-sit” Bentley a few days a week, and have been doing so regularly since October. Monica is in nursing school, and we have always known that when she finished, she would be moving to Florida to be near her family and husband, and that Bentley would go with her when she did. But that day has come all too soon.

Today I had to say goodbye to my sweet boy B. He is the softest, gentlest little guy ever. Such a happy skinny little fluffy wagger, who wants nothing more in life than to take a run with his daddy, then maybe a little swim or roll in the snow, topped off with a little game of tennis ball chase or run around the living room furniture. I know he will be happy once he gets settled down in Florida, but we will miss him so.

So I am back down to a “Two Dog Life” which is not my favorite place to be. But with Evan by my side, holding my hand, squeezing it ever so slightly, to let me know he is there for me, as we walk through this tremendously blessed life together… and Josh and Roxy and Ono rounding out our “family portrait”…. it seems almost greedy to ask for anything more.

But I am asking. Mr B., if you ever tire of the Florida heat & humidity, and want to get away for some time in the crisp mountain air with your “Tahoe Family”, our door will always be swung open widely for you. And I promise to always have LOTS & LOTS of tennis balls for you to push under the furniture. And Roxy & Ono say they will save up a bunch of kisses, licks and morning wrestles for you too.
Love you! T

Oct 18, 2009

five months!?!

Well I honestly cannot believe it has been FIVE months since I posted. I am lame.

I have drafted many many posts since my last on May 17, and intend to start posting again weekly at least….but I wasn’t properly motivated to restart this commitment until tonight, when my baby brother & his gorgeous wife shelly brought a baby in to the world. Landon James Garvin Wilde was born this evening, mere moments ago, weighing in at 9.37 lbs & 21 inches. All are healthy and happy…except me.. just a wee bit sad… because I am not there. I am so proud of Ben & Shelly and so very happy for them. I really can’t believe my little baby brother Ben, who in my mind is still the tanned tow-headed Mississippi River beach crawler "Gus" of childhood memories, has a baby – a son! – of his own. I know he will be an amazing dad. I cant wait to observe – and hopefully participate in - their bond and experiences as father & son.

Here is a photo of his handsomeness... hot of the text presses….

Also, worth noting as I restart this blogging process, it is important to acknowledge that in reality, I no longer have a three dog life....while Biddie’s spirit lives on in my home and heart every day, she went to live with Albert in Southern CA at the end of September. I intend to keep the blog URL in homage to my pretty Biddie brown eyes, who I miss so so much! I know the Tahoe life wasn’t the best for you anymore my sweet Biddie girl, but I cant help but wish you were here with me for ball chasin’ and ear rubbin’ and snugglin’ up by the fire. Thank you for all the wonderful lessons you taught me over the years beautiful girl!

Apr 30, 2009

the last 30 of my 30s...

on april 16th it occurred to me for some reason: this is the LAST 30 days of my 30s. and then a weird feeling came over me. one of a tiny bit of dread -- those of you who know me well, know these past months have not been my finest, most favorite days -- but also a feeling of opportunity. opportunity for gratitude and celebration.

then, i had another thought, scary i know. two in a row. a very wise man once told me: "y'know t, fun isn't optional, it's like breathing. you need to do it every day. have fun." so i decided "yes. fun. every day for 30 days. i can do that. i think."

now mind you, sometimes "fun" for me is completing a totally lame work related project. because crossing it off my to-do list AND deleting it from my treo is SUPER fun for me. and yes, finishing all the laundry in the house - this means it is washed, dried, folded and put away - all of it - and remember, its spring in tahoe (READ: mud season) and i have three dogs so there is typically a lot of pet related laundry - yes that is fun for me too. but i wanted to try to actually do a little something every day, that a sane person would think was fun too. so here is what i've been up to:

1) took ono to work - nothing makes a day at the office better than that face & those yawns!

2) big run to the martis creek campground/reservoir, with roxy & ono

3) terrific bbq with lovely and kind neighbors - i have the greatest neighbors in the world!

4) bought delicious new bedding (i went to target to get entry rugs for above mentioned muddy dogs and there was a huge display of bedding on sale. the package said "600 thread count bedding 50% off" (WHAT!?!?!) the last time i bought bedding i think the max tc was 300, so i was completely sucked in. it is crazy nice!)

5) girls on the run practice - spending time with these darling girls is so inspiring. and i got my "sole mate" this week, cutest sweetest funniest ryann. cant wait to run, walk or skip, her first 5k with her in june.

6) the high was about 85 on this day, so that was super fun in and of itself. but, i also had a great afternoon meeting with some co-workers at moodys. and then, girls on the run hosted a coaches dinner, again at moodys. anytime you get to go to moodys is fun - but twice in one day. heaven!

7) took roxy to work. shes a very good negotiator.

8) great sunset walk with neighbor friend kelly at martis creek.

9) saw friend tim's amazing blue grass band play at cottonwood, with neighbors kelly & jay & good friend abby.

10) installed new decking with angel/brainiac neighbors kelly & jay & sister missy. this was amazing! so not something i am remotely good at but it sure was fun trying to help and making sure everyone had enough coffee/pastries/beer/mike & ikes/gatorade/kettle corn, etc.

11) sunset walk at martis with friend michelle & her dog koda. it is so fun to watch little ono try to keep up with a giant husky tahoe dog. he is so tough!

12) first truckee river trail run of the season. this is my favorite trail and i am soo happy its run-able again. a true sign of spring for me!

13) had my last neuro appt for 3 months today! got the all clear on all tests so far. just one more set of labs to come in a few more days, before the 100% all clear! woohoo! and while in reno i stopped in to home depot to buy the last of the decking to be installed this saturday. (more fun!)

14) listened to old replacements and REM all day! i am loving listening to old music these days. probably because of the nostalgia of this big bday i am approaching. i also went to yoga, which i do almost every wednesday but today was special because my favorite teacher was on vaca for three weeks, and this was her first night back. so wonderful!

15) great phone "date" with my dear friend molly from mn. we exchange emails alot, but we rarely get time for an actual phone call, so this was a special treat.

so there you have it. the first 15 days of fun. i thought it would be entirely too boring to wait until all 30 days had passed and post all 30 at once. so stay tuned for the second half on may 15. it should be even more fun than the first half, right?

and dad, thanks for the idea. fun is like breathing. you're right. again.

Apr 16, 2009

the results are in.....

granted, there were only 45 runners in the race total, but i have to toot my horn a bit:

i finished 14th overall (top third, like the C student i always was. :)) interesting to note, 7 of the people ahead of me were in between 27 & 32 years old. and the girl i was chasing and passed in the last 1/2 mile was 15 years old!! holla!
in the female group i placed 6th
in the female 30-39 group i placed 3rd
and in the female 30-39 from minnesota group, i took 1st!! whoop! whoop!

i just signed up to to the granite bay 1/2 on sept 19. cant wait!!!!

Apr 12, 2009

first post...

TOP TEN SECRETS to SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING MY 1ST ½ MARATHON:

1) Start race day in the dark pre-dawn light in the kitchen making a Latte!

2) Since I couldn’t rustle up any human cheerleaders to join me for the 6:00 am drive to lovely Fernley NV, I brought my dog. Ono’s wags & licks were my hugs & high fives at the car after the finish.

3) The girls in my ipod: P!nk, M.I.A., Rihanna, Britney, Lily, Robyn, Madonna, Estelle & Gwen.

4) My 1/2M expert cousins in Iowa, Indiana, & San Diego. Your support and enthusiasm inspired me and gave the courage to think I could do it. I hope I can do one WITH you someday!

5) A trip to the ER 6 weeks before race day really helped to solidify my commitment to fitness & living the fullest & healthiest life possible. Nothing like a little fear to encourage an extra mile here & there during training.

6) Train at 6000 feet, race at 4000 feet.

7) You gotta love a town where the D.J. at the race starting line is playing Creedence Clearwater Revival. Really loud. At 7:30 a.m.

8) My Girls on the Run fellow coaches & the girls of Glenshire Elementary School. They all have provided me with the best motivation, inspiration & stick-to-it-ive-ness!

9) The warmest & driest winter in Tahoe in about 5 years. If we had had a big snow winter, and I therefore had had to train on a treadmill, I don’t think I could’ve done it. Nothing compares to running in the clean fresh crisp mountain air.

10) Two words: swimsuit season!