March Updates

Hello again! Things have been relatively quiet here in the Swatson house as of late.

The sneak peek of spring we had a couple weeks ago quickly turned into rain and snow, so we haven’t done much in the fun outdoor activities department. Work is going well. I don’t dread going to work in the morning. I do the best I can in my eight hours, then I go home and think about other things. I’m not particularly stressed out at the moment, which is weird but not awful. Things are good.

This is the view from the work parking lot. My office is in the building on the left. You can’t see it, but someone ran their car right through a first floor window on the other side of the building on the right.

In other news, Ian is doing particularly well because he got a new car! He’s been wanting a red Toyota 4Runner for quite some time, and now he has one. In contrast, I’m excited to pay off my car this week. That is, if I ever remember to call the credit union to process the transaction during East Coast business hours.

Spiffy

We went on a snowy hike the weekend before last and another bike ride this past weekend. We attempted to do our taxes, but after two hours we determined that we needed professional help. This is the first year we’re married filing jointly plus we have taxes for two different states, so things got a bit complicated pretty quickly. How boring this must be for you to read about how one of the more noteworthy events of my life right now is my inability to do my own taxes. Yikes, sorry about that.

Where did the mountains go?

And just like that, winter turned back to spring. We got roof racks for our bikes so we look official.

We attempted to do our taxes, but after two hours we determined that we needed professional help. This is the first year we’re married filing jointly plus we have taxes for two different states, so things got a bit complicated pretty quickly. How boring this must be for you to read about how one of the more noteworthy events of my life right now is my inability to do my own taxes. Yikes, sorry about that.

The good news is we have many exciting things coming down the pike.

This coming weekend we’re going to Bryce Canyon National Park. We haven’t done a proper hiking trip in a long time, so I’m excited to get back out there. Plus, you know there’s going to be some amazing blog content after that trip. I honestly haven’t been posting as much because I haven’t had much to say. Reading about my riveting Friday nights where I go to bed at 8:30 sounds even worse than reading about my taxes.

OH here’s something - After years and years of lying to myself that I’m going to get back into reading for fun again, I’m finally doing it. I’ve read two whole books since the last time I posted and started a third. Did it take me three days to get through the last four pages of a chapter in my current book because I kept falling asleep? Yes, but I give myself props for trying. I like reading before bed, but sometimes it’s a little too effective at putting me to sleep.

One of the books I read was pretty dumb and not very well thought out, so I’m not going to tell you about that one. The other book was absolutely ridiculous but very well-written, so I will tell you about that. The book (technically a novella but who even makes that distinction?) is called River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey. Loosely based on the true story of some US politicians who tried and failed to domesticate hippos in Louisiana in the 1800s, this is the story of what the world would have been like if hippos actually had been imported and domesticated. The characters and the plot are outlandish but fun and eclectic. The book has plenty of surprises and keeps you on your toes. It’s a wild ride, and the characters are surprisingly compelling for such a short book. I don’t even know how I found this book at the library, but it’s 10/10, would recommend. There’s a sequel too!

Ian’s also hopped on the reading train and finished his first book yesterday. When not distracted by his new car, he’s been complaining about this obnoxious new guy at the gym. This guy comes in with a tripod and records himself while he works out, grunting and yelling, and he makes sure to use just about every piece of equipment in the gym while he’s there, including invading your personal space. He’s kind of awful.

I don’t want to end on him, though. I just got home from getting frozen yogurt with the neighbor. Ian’s been snowboarding a couple times with the husband, and the wife is pretty cool. It’s nice to get to know them a little better because we have no friends here. Now I’m sad because I miss my friends, but it’s okay.

Get ready because more adventure content is coming! Also, how crazy is it that it’s almost our one year wedding anniversary? Then, of course, there’s Ian’s birthday to celebrate too.

January and February are such dreary months, but I’m excited to share with you all of the fun and exciting things coming up as we thaw out of winter and move into spring.

It’s bedtime for me, so I’m going to attempt to read. The current book is Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (a novel not a self-help book - normally I don’t go for fiction, but that hippo book got me hooked back into it).

Thank you for reading. Love and miss you all!

Chloe