New Jobs, new opportunities

Life's jumping ahead of me! I can barely keep up with everything that's going on these days. But I'm enjoying the ride.
So we both got new jobs recently. Judd is at a new firm, teaching people how to be computer and design geniuses like him. Ok, that's a stretch, but he's getting to travel and meet lots of people. I'm hoping it's our ticket out of Las Vegas someday since they have offices in several other states. Plus they're helping with the design of the Disney Castle in Shenghai, so I have a crazy fantasy that we'll become a cool international family who lives abroad.
But that's going to have to wait a bit. I also have a new position! Same station, but now I'm the producer of a much bigger show! Before, it was just the 4:30 a.m. Fun, a good show to learn on. Now I'm the 7-9 a.m. Producer! It's crazy busy all the time. My show is a little more entertainment based than a typical newscast, we have a ton of guests that come on, and we tend to keep things more lighthearted and fun! I'm working with a great team, thankfully, since this isn't the easiest job to learn. I went back and forth on whether to take this show for a few weeks, mostly because I was kind of intimidated by it. But now that I'm kind of used to it, it's becoming easier. I'm sticking with my mantra: I CAN do hard things!
So if you're in Vegas or have the FOX5 app, it's FOX5 News Live in Las Vegas, from 7-9 a.m. Hey, I'd be an awful producer if I didn't do a little shameless promotion of my show!
We're really excited and thankful for these new changes. Once we get settled in, we can start figuring out the next big change to hopefully come our way. Yes, that was a Pre-announcement. ;)

Atomic Camping

I only have about five billion pictures I haven't done anything with yet, so I'm slowly trying to catch up on blogging. Really, really slowly!

Our flyball team decided to skip a tournament and go camping instead. We went up to Kolob for a few days of fun, sunburns, and just a wee bit of drama. If I learned anything this trip, it's if you have a huge group of people on one trip, you have to be super flexible! Some feelings were hurt when everybody started doing their own thing, and sadly some people went home early. I hope we're all good now though, I felt kind of bad about that.

ANYWAY... so we had 19 dogs with us (I think)! The best thing about this place is that the dogs are able to just run around like crazy and not obey lame leash laws (I'm sure people around us were thrilled). We were right on the reservoir, so there was plenty of boating and fishing involved. Judd and I were failwhales and forgot our fishing gear, so we just paddled around everyone else.

We also brought up our little dirt bike for one last spin before we sold it (I recently bought a new one since the bike was kind of small). It was a hit, and we ended up selling it to our friends on this trip, since they couldn't keep their little girls off it! I'm glad it went to a good home.

It was just a really great time, with great friends! The food was excellent (doesn't everything taste better camping?!), and we had plenty of fun just hanging out with friends and our pack of crazy dogs. Getting home was a little ridiculous with everyone having a car issue at some point, but at least we made it since we stuck together like a little caravan!

Runnin' for the HOUSE!!!

Man, it's been crazy. I've barely had a chance to breathe, let alone update this thing. So I'll play a little catch up.
I ran my first 5K a few weeks ago! I've never done anything like that before. I usually wimp out and do whatever "fun walk" option is available. But this time around, all my friends were doing the 5K for the Ronald McDonald Runnin' For the House challenge. It's an event my station hosts, and we were volunteering with the setup. When I mentioned I would just do the walk, my friend Kristin told me she thought I should try the run. She reminded me that I go jogging everyday anyway, so it shouldn't be a big deal.
That's true...except my idea of jogging is more of a jog-walk for a mile, two if I'm feeling really ambitious. I've never done three before!
So after feeling a little peer-pressure, I snuck into the 5K runners section. And when Ronald McDonald himself kicked off the race, I started to run.

A few things I learned along the way:

I could almost hear my middle school P.E. teachers scream "Pace yourself!" I learned quickly it doesn't matter where you are in the pack, especially if you haven't trained. It was humbling to sprint that first half mile, then gasp for air and feel like you're gonna topple over!

Speaking of being prepared, having an inhaler would have been nice. Eating breakfast would have been smart, wearing sunscreen would have been even smarter!

Fanny packs ARE cool! All the serious runners had a belt or pack, which I totally wanted after jangling my keys for three miles!

Most importantly, I learned my body is a lot tougher than I give it credit for. I usually back out of stuff like this and blame my asthma or bad leg. But you know what? Once I paced myself better, my asthma wasn't an issue. And my leg never became a problem. Whenever it got hard, I would remember what this race was raising money for. I ran alongside families who have stayed at the Ronald McDonald House. Their stories were inspiring. One mother kept reminding her daughter about the importance of keeping this organization going, since they had to use its services not long ago.

I ran, walked, and jogged the race in 46 minutes. My goal was to do it under 50. It's a start! The best was seeing my friends all waiting for me at the finish line. I'd say we got a great workout, but it was probably negated when we went to Hash House A Go Go!

Me and Kristin. I can do a 5K...just can't keep my eyes open!

Two Home Sweet Homes

Home #1

Alright... it's decided. Kidmans are making their 5th move in four years.

We said we wouldn't do it unless we found a house that was worth it. I think this one will do the trick:

Whoever lived here before loved plants. There's a ton of them all around the front yard and the back. It's a one story with a big backyard and shed. Its in Green Valley, not too far from where we are now. My phone is being finicky about uploading more pictures, but at least you can see the front of it. The house is slightly smaller than our current one, but all the rooms are bigger. We basically figured we're losing the family room, which means the turtles will someday be roomies with the future kid. I was planning on a nautical/ocean theme anyway!

But the interior, new appliances, paint, yard, and special features more than make up for the lost family room! I'm still a little sad about leaving our home here behind, but I think this will be good for us. 

This is by far the easiest move ever. Our lease here isn't up until the 30th, and we already have keys to the new place. So we've just gradually moved a few things in here and there. Our awesome new landlord said she won't charge rent until the 15th, so we'll be fair and wait until then to move ourselves in. Then we have two weeks to clean up the old house! The rush of having to pack, transport, and deep clean within a few days always freaks me out each time, so it's nice not having to deal with that this time. 

We also have this to help us out this time around

Home #2
I wanted to move because of the dog... Judd wanted to move so he'd have a place to park a trailer. So as soon as we signed the lease, we were on Craigslist looking at trailers! Thing about them, they hold their value really well. We were seeing used ones for the same prices as new ones, so we figured we'd start fresh and get one that didn't have anything wrong with it for the same price.

So there's Judd's brand new toy! If you know him at all, you know he's gonna give it a makeover. The goal is to turn it into a camper that can haul around the bikes and paddleboat. He's putting in a floor, windows, sink, refrigerater, TV, and bed.

 I'm not joking.

Yay  for creativity, right? That's Judd, always gotta have a project going!

An Inconvenient Week

Crazy night last night. We're looking at this house (another story, hold on a sec), when Judd gets a call from his dad, wondering where he was. In some weird, confusing mix-up... Judd thought he was going for his annual Moab trip next week... but it was actually today. So after a mad dash to beg for his boss to let him off... we had to cram a whole week's worth of things to get done in one night. That included filling out taxes (ugh, hate waiting last minute), filling out this rental agreement, cleaning up some stuff, getting Bindi's freestyle routine set to go for today, and so on. Somehow, we fit in our friends' little girl's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese (at that point, we so needed to have some silly fun, haha).

So now Judd is gone for the next week, and I feel like I have all these crazy decisions to make in the next few days that he should really be here for. Most important... figuring out once and for all what we're going to do about this house.

I've said it before... we LOVE this house and neighborhood. But the situation with the landlord changing her mind on our puppy because she was worried it would destroy the non-existent carpet really rubbed us the wrong way. I mean, what else is she going to change her mind on? So we decided to change our minds about re-signing the lease.

I've had a few people tell me we're totally ridiculous for wanting to move over a dog. To them, I say they must not know us very well. Our social lives, as weird as it sounds, pretty much revolve around Bindi. We are on a dog sports team, so we spend hours each week practicing with her, and several weekends out of town at events. Our team is like our second family, and we do a lot of things with them, even if the dogs aren't around. So in our minds, since dog sports is kind of our thing, it makes perfect sense to get a second dog, so we both have one to work with. At most of our events, one of us gets to play with Bindi while the other doesn't. If we had two dogs, it would solve that problem and we could compete together.

Plus... it's a pre-baby thing. I have a sneaky feeling once a baby comes, Bindi won't get the undivided attention she's used to (we wouldn't quit our team, you should see how many babies are on it!). I figure if she has a dog friend, it won't be as bad for her. And since I don't want to deal with a puppy and training if I'm pregnant or have a baby, why not now, before all that?

I found a house on Craigslist, and we fell in love with it. 1 story, 3 bedrooms, big grass yard, built in BBQ, big barn shed, RV parking, and all new appliances. It's exactly what we're looking for, and this owner is cooler about dogs. I'll post pictures if we actually end up with it. It's looking good so far, have to sign a few things Monday.

I HATE moving, packing, etc. Like I said earlier... this would be our 5th move. We swear next time will be when we actually buy a house. But that would involve leaving Las Vegas (technically Henderson, haha), and we're not quite ready for that.

But this house just might be worth the hassle. I think.

I just wish Judd were here so I didn't have to figure all the procedural stuff on my own. I can do it, just worried I'll miss something and it will come back to bite us later, you know? But I guess I have to be a big girl and just get over it.

Sorry this is the longest rant ever. I just have so much on my mind right now, and thought it would help to write it out...

4 Green Thumbs

Here's a good reason why we shouldn't move right now...

We just started a garden!

One day, Judd and I took a look at our backyard and decided it needed a little love. So we went to the plant store and bought all kinds of stuff. Then we waited to see what would happen.

So here's what it looks like all together. The lady next door who's really good with plants gave us an umbrella so the sun wouldn't totally roast them. Bindi ate the watermelon, hence the chicken wire.

This rose bush was already in the backyard, but more or less dead. We've been nursing it the past few weeks, and not only did it come back to life, but it bloomed!


Here's the petunias and lettuce. We tried planting both of these in a sunnier section of the yard. They burned to a crisp, so back under the umbrella ICU for them. Looking much better!

We bought carrot, cucumber, and pea seeds. So far, only the pea seeds have sprouted.


Here's an assortment of basil, strawberries, mint, and a pepper plant!


As seen on TV, and our back yard... Topsy Turvey! We tried this a couple years ago, but failed miserably. Mostly because we forgot to water them. Not this time around. I'm determined to make this make tomatoes!


And last, but not least, a miniature orange tree! Not sure if it will actually grow oranges since it's so puny, but it smells so good!

So there you have it! I wouldn't say I'm a crazy plant lady yet, but maybe I'm getting there. I call them my "plant babies," and have decided if we do move, they're coming with us. At least I don't sing to them. But I do spend plenty of time out there taking care of them. It's actually really soothing to take care of the plants. I find it really relaxes me after a hard night of work.

And call it cheating if you want... but Miracle Grow does WONDERS for plants!!

3 things I'm torn on

There's three things I'm torn on this morning. One silly, one serious, and one that could have a bad impact on my sanity.

Let's start with silly...

At what age are you too old to shop at stores aimed at teenagers? American Eagle Outfitters has been my go-to store since high school, mainly because no one else makes jeans like they do, for the price they're asking. Seriously. I love Love LOVE my American Eagle jeans. I rarely buy them anywhere else. Good product, lasts for years.

So this weekend, I needed a new pair. Judd and I headed to Galleria, where we both picked up a new pair of jeans, along with some other cute stuff. As I paid for my clothes, I looked up at the pictures of models all over the wall.

And realized they were easily several years younger than me.

I don't think I've written about my quarter life crisis yet, but turning 25 made me feel OLD! I'm looking around the store and seeing all these kids, and thinking, "Am I too OLD to be shopping here?" Never mind the cashier was probably older than me, and Judd has three decades on him and could care less.

So at what point are you too old to hang out in the junior department, or shop at teeny-bopper stores? It's not like those are the only stores I shop in. I love me some Express and New York & Company. But no one, and I mean NO one, makes jeans like American Eagle.

Earlier, I wrote that what happened to Trayvon Martin was a travesty. But now, that's what I'm thinking about the media coverage of it. I picked these two pictures, because we as a media mis-used them. They're both years old, and give viewers the wrong idea about the people pictured. Trayvon wasn't a little kid when he was killed, and George Zimmerman wasn't a con. Of course, this is what we had to work with for a few days. But now, every time I see either one of these pictures, I cringe.

My thoughts now on the whole thing: Mistakes were probably made on both ends, and I kind of doubt we'll ever get the entire story. I'm concerned someone will go after Zimmerman, so maybe he should be in police protection for his own good. I think everyone, myself included, probably blew this thing out of proportion before enough facts were out there. So at least in my newscast... I'm doing my best to make sure the stories even out as far as which side they take.

Ugh... I don't know what to do about our house. Remember how I said I had news that wasn't a pregnancy, but baby related? We were going to get another puppy, but the lady who owns our house had a change of heart on the whole thing, and without a really good explanation. It's a long story, but we feel kind of led on by the whole thing, and it put a bad taste in our mouths. We've heard so many complaints about the people who lived in this house before we did, and not trying to sound pretentious or anything, but I think the homeowner is lucky to have us as renters. We haven't destroyed the house, threatened our neighbors (I guess this happened to several people), or done anything wrong. All we did was ask if we could bring in another dog, and it turned into a mess.

So Judd and I feel we should look at our other options regarding where we should live. Our lease is up in a month, and if we're going to move, now is the time to do it. It's not just the dog thing. We could be paying less somewhere else, or pay the same and get a really cool upgrade.

But we LOVE this house and the neighborhood. And I HATE moving. This would be our fifth move if we do it. There's just a lot of pros and cons on the whole thing to weigh. Basically, it better be a fantastic deal if we're going to leave.