It won't be long now...

Keith's coming home next week!! The refinery actually never went on strike, but he's been working pretty steadily so it has worked out okay.

He's taking the bus to Missoula and I'll drive over there on Friday to pick him up, saving him a good six hours on the bus. Which, on a Greyhound, translates into much more than six hours, you know.

I haven't been to Msla since we moved after college, so I am excited to visit. It's my second favorite town and I have a lot of good memories of living there. A lot of people from Missoula graduate to Portland, and for good reason---it has a lot of the same vibe, only more western and less city. It's like the perfect combination of city and town, I think.

Keith proposed lunch at the Staggering Ox or Sa-Wa-Dee and I suggested hiking the M one more time, at which point he laughed his head off.

(when we hiked the M and came perilously close to dying)

I think a trip to the Goodwill is in order, too. Also, the Good Food Store, of course. Mostly I just want to go gawk and see what's changed since we left. Also, seeing some friends.

In preparation for Keith coming home I decided to go clean the (abandoned) tiny house. It was a great sunny day outside. I opened the door on the house, cranked the music, and cleaned. It only took about 15 minutes, but it made a big difference. It's always nice to come home to a clean house. Especially now that the weather is getting better, we're going to start inhabiting it full-time.

(see: cedar siding waiting in the wings)

Then we all sat outside and enjoyed the good weather until the sun started to go down.

(I cut my hair.)

My new shoes came in the mail Friday! Other than my winter boots, it's been YEARS since I've had brand new shoes. Small pleasures.

We're going to have to get SERIOUS about the garden when Keith gets back... I've been doing a bit of research online about ordering plants and seeds and thinking about what we want to grow. So many possibilties!