Where do we go from here?: Spilling over tea/coffee July 2017

~ Chocolaterunsjudy

 

Nope, we’re not moving. Not yet. Not for quite a few years most likely. But we think about where we want to move to. But first it’s been a long time since there was a Bandit update.

Confessions of a Mother Runner

Today I am joining up with Coco and Deborah for their ultimate coffee tea date.

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They make my feet happy
If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you that last month I wrote about how I was looking for cute shoes in TJMaxx and all of the sudden women kept coming up to me and asking me for opinions on their shoes. I didn’t leave with comfortable shoes (although I thought I did).

But as I shared recently (read that post here), I actually have found a few pairs that, although they aren’t killer heels, they’re at least not grandma shoes. And they’re really comfortable — to me, anyway.

Ask and ye shall receive. No doubt Mr. Judy thinks I’m receiving a bit too much.

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you I try not to be superstitious. But it was right at this time of year last year when I felt I could finally start having some fun, as I no longer had an ailing furkid and had mostly worked my way through my grief of losing Chester.

Man plans and God laughs, as they say. Because believe it or not, it’s Bandit’s adoptiversary in just a couple of days. And that just started a whole snowball chain reaction that was so not fun.

I’m kind of feeling like I’ve at least sort of got my life back, with one or two adjustments. Which is just a little bit scary. But I’m also prepared to believe that it’s time for some good things to happen!

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Someone’s getting mighty comfy
If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you I look back at the way we were living last summer and it’s like a bad dream. Every day I had to lock Gizmo into the laundry room to keep him away from Bandit. We had to keep Bandit and Lola separate, even down to taking them outside separately — at one point Bandit would lunge at Lola if he was in the office and I let her out (there is only one door to let them out).

Trying to feed Bandit every day was an adventure (still is some days, but it’s definitely better). There’s no doubt in my mind he was a deeply depressed dog, and he didn’t want to eat in the mornings — sometimes the best I could do was to get him to lick some food off of my fingers.

He often woke us up in the middle of the night, needing to go out (or didn’t wake us up — resulting in a messy early morning cleanup). He had to be gated into the kitchen, or downstairs. He had to be on a leash at all times. We definitely couldn’t walk Bandit and Lola together.

Fast forward a year. He’s no longer gated anywhere, although I still do crate him when I go out — but I leave him free in the house when I drop him off after running with him (as I finish up my run).

We not only walk the dogs together, we walk them on a double leash. He has seen (but not been examined by) the vet he bit; no signs of aggression and the vet was impressed.

There’s the occasional middle of the night outing, but that’s very rare. Bandit has become very food motivated, but he still sometimes isn’t very interested in food in the mornings.

I don’t think he really has any command down pat yet, but Bandit has gone from a dog with almost no training to a dog that semi-knows sit, come, stay, stop, down, wait, leave it, drop it, sit up. And he runs with me sometimes.

He still gets extremely anxious when I go out, which is another reason why he’s still crated when I’m out. It’s to the point that maybe he doesn’t need to be crated at night, but he is crated when he’s boarded, so I want him to remain comfortable with it. And I’m not sure I’m really ready for 2 dogs back in bed yet. It’s amazing how just one little dog can take over almost the entire bed.

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you Mr. Judy and I discussed the whole Bandit/bed situation last night, and came to the conclusion we both agree we don’t want him sleeping in bed with us — yet, anyway — but it would be okay if he was allowed on the bed.

And we invited him up. And man, that tail was whipping back and forth he was so happy. If you follow me on Instagram, I posted a little video of that wagging tail not so long ago.

Of course until we asked him to get back off as I was going to sleep.

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you I have been bit by the hiking bug. Bad. Unfortunately most of the nice local hikes are at least a 30 minute drive away, often much longer. The great thing about hiking, on the other hand, is that other than gas for your car, it doesn’t cost much (if anything).

One of these years Mr. Judy will retire. And at some point, we will move. We’re not sure where. I know that I’d love to find a ranch house (as in one floor, not an actual ranch) that is close to trails to hike or run.

I also know I’d like to have a Whole Foods, a Trader Joes, and hopefully other good grocery stores close by. I can deal with some snow, but not the eternal grayness we suffer with up here in the northeast (don’t think you have a corner on it, Seattle!). I also don’t want a very humid summer.

I don’t ask for much, do I?

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Hope to do some exploring one day this long weekend

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you that I hope that everyone in the US (or outside the US, for that fact) celebrating the fourth has a happy and peaceful holiday. We have no big plans. I do hope that we go on a hike if the weather cooperates . . .

Tea? Iced Tea? Coffee? Decaf? Or something else?

Will you move when you retire? If yes, where to?

Long hot summer or long cold winter?

Favorite activity other than running?

29 thoughts on “Where do we go from here?: Spilling over tea/coffee July 2017”

  1. Nope. We won’t move. I can’t imagine leaving my friends. But if any if my friends move I’d be happy to visit and run a race nearby. Lol

    I love tennis. Hiking is second.

    I don’t mind hot weather. Esp if there’s a lake or beach nearby.

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    1. I do mind hot weather — it makes me tired. Hot meaning humid; I can do dry heat fairly well.

      You have to remember we’ve only lived here 8 years. I’m not saying I won’t miss the friends I’ve made here, and it definitely isn’t easy to start over someplace new, but neither one of us wants to stay here.

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    1. We’ve only lived here 8 years. And while I have family in the area (although not right here) now — by the time my husband retires, most likely we won’t.

      Have a nice holiday, Michelle!

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  4. I don’t think my hubby would ever leave the “lake life” for good. We just might be one of those couples that lives in 2 states- who knows! It is fun to think about it though! Enjoy the 4th! I hope you get beautiful weather!

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    1. My husband can’t wait to escape NY! Since I was born here, I don’t quite share his feelings about NY, but I also know I don’t want to live here the rest of my life.

      He’d love to be a snowbird, but since we’ll probably always have furkids I don’t see how that will happen.

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      1. I think it’s from me living in sunshine every single day for 40 years. We never had beautiful overcast days like we do here, and also, here the sun shines daily from July to September, so I don’t really ever have to miss it (until about January when I’m frozen to the core, lol).

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      2. Ok, sunshine every day is like my dream . . . But I’ve leaved the majority of my life (sadly) in the northeast, which is really quite gray most of the year (but not during the summer, mostly, thankfully, despite all the rain we’ve had this summer!).

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  6. We accidentally moved to Vegas about 5 years ago. We love it here but hope to move to the Caribbean someday. That’s our long-term goal. Hopefully before retirement age. 😉

    Bandit has come a long way in the past year! That’s exciting!

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    1. I know, right? Those little dogs grow somehow in bed. We used to have our 2 10 lb chis in bed with us, and my 14 lb cat would come in sometime after I’d fallen asleep.

      It’s much easier now that it’s just Lola.

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  8. I’ve really never thought of moving but D.C. is such a working town it would make sense to retire somewhere else. I do love hiking too! I’m so glad you stuck with Bandit and he’s doing so much better!

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  10. I like coffee or tea 🙂
    It is so wonderful you have bonded together as family with Bandit now! It did take an awful lot of work, but worth it 🙂
    I would be in Montana right now if I could convince my hubby. I don’t mind the cold or the snow…I’d take to escape the oppressive humidity here. What kind of place fits your wants??
    30 minutes is not bad at all! My hikes are about a two hour drive or a little more. That is why I haven’t been able to go much this year. I adore hiking as much as running, in some ways more at times.
    I fell in love with walking when i was in Montana all over again. I just like being on my feet in general.

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  11. I’m with you ….humid has worn me down. I’m too old for this crap yet I can’t do much snow and drab weather either. I’d love to move to Wyoming or Montana …but then there’s that snow issue. Who knows…unfortunately, we still have a while before retirement to figure it out.

    Sweet little Bandit ….as we say down here in the South, Bless his heart! He has made huge strides and looks very happy with Mr. and Mrs. Judy!!! 🙂

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