L'aventure américaine

It's nearly 6am in the Medford airport and I wish that I could fall asleep as easily as Randal does! We are headed to Boston for a week and I am so ready. We'll play and explore for the first half and the second half, I will attend an obesity medicine conference. I'm excited! Work has been going so well, but as per usual, it's busy! We're about to induct our third cohort and the first two continue to show success with weigh loss. And talk is increasing about contracting with insurers, so I think that working with community members is closer than we had previously thought.  The Blue Zones assessment continues and that is also looking good. It is such a big deal for Klamath and so stinking exciting!  And regular life in Klamath is great too. We have planted vegetables in our front yard this year and it's the talk of the neighborhood. The bathroom remodel is nearly done and I have been taking showers in our gorgeous shower. I love it oh so much. We camped and hiked...

This Mother's Day is a unique one. It's because this is the last year where I'll focus mainly on my own mom (and now Randal's mom). And next year, I get a new holiday to celebrate. This is the best part of motherhood, right?  With that being said, my mom (I'm pretty sure that this is factual without any bias)  is pretty stinking wonderful. My mom taught me not to use the word "owie."  She taught me to think for myself (so I could use the word "owie" if I so chose). She introduced me to pesto long before it was cool. She taught me how to balance work and motherhood. She taught me that you should mainly be an adult, unless you accidentally eat a olive, and then it's okay to be really immature.  She taught me that marriage comes first. And she always made me feel loved, and protected, and safe, and that if I said or did something stupid (e.g. drive off the driveway while adjusting the radio) that I would be made fun of, but they would help me an...

Do you know in "She's Coming 'Round the Mountain," when you sing: "She'll driving six white horses when she comes...   Whoa back!"   That's a bit how I feel right now.  I'm driving a few horses and I need to rein them in a little bit. But, man, they are good horses.  The Sky Lakes Wellness Center has gotten off to a roaring start.  We have had unbelievable enthusiasm for our program and the first cohort of 30 people starts Tuesday with their group classes.  We are booked until July with individual appointments and are already making some appointments in September.  (I have an appointment booked on my due date, so I'll let you know how that one goes!)  We have had several cranky people come in for informational sessions (in which we explain the details of the program and they decide if they want to move forward or not) and leave with smiles on their faces.  (One woman said, "I thought that this was going to be like overeaters anonym...

I mentioned in the last post that my mom came to visit.  It was such a wonderful time.  I assume, anyway.  I was at work much of the time, but judging on the delicious meals that were on the table when I got home, it must have been going okay. Last week, after she left, there weren't as many delicious dinners.  I miss her for a lot of reasons, but that's a big one. Of course, there's nothing that Randal hates more than a mopey Katherine.  So, he bought me a bike to ease the blow of fewer homecooked meals.  You can't see how fat those tires are, but they sure stopped my flipping-over-the-handlebars nightmares that I kept having.  We'll see how long I can ride during this pregnancy, but my sweet new commuter will let me keep going for months. I did have to say goodbye to the infamous Torker while getting this one.  It had been a great bike and I loved it so much.  However, it was gathering far too much dust as my desire to ride up our...

After last week's ultrasound, Mom suggested the name 'Skeletor,' since that is what the baby most closely resembled.   We are seriously considering it. 

All sorts of new things brewing here in Klamath Falls... Our beautiful town was selected as the next Blue Zones project after some heavy campaigning to the state. The Oregon Healthiest State Initiative chose us due to our need (34th out of 34 reporting counties in health outcomes) and our will (we showed enthusiasm and collaboration and fought hard to be chosen). Watch out world! Klamath is going blue! The Wellness Center launches on Tuesday and we are going to be ready (ish). Our building is complete (ish) and appointments are made. We're finally doing it!! And there's a little something brewing in the Pope house that should arrive around mid-September. It gives me an overwhelming sense of... weird.  But, good weird.  It's a lot, but it sure is happy.  However, it sure was sad to say goodbye to my mama who came to visit for a week and a half. She was so tremendously helpful and I'm so so glad that she came. 

The Wellness Center is now projected to open on March 31st.  Construction was slightly delayed again, but we have updated the announcement forms and plan to send them out this week.  We are supposed to move into our new building next Monday with computers and internet scheduled for Tuesday.  It is getting close and we are getting excited!  (By excited I mean: eager, nervous, a little anxious, and having to pee a lot.) Of course, it is important to balance one's work with pleasure, which is why we have enjoyed ourselves on the weekends in the last month. In February, we spent a crystal clear day at Crater Lake, stomping around in snowshoes.  (This wasn't really necessary as the snow is dismal this year at the lake, but I got these snowshoes for Christmas and dang it, I will wear them!) Is it any wonder this is a national park? Expert snowshoer. And then we went to Portland for an MPH reunion.  The conversation was geeky.  The fo...