7 Quick Takes 71: Buying a Home, Burning My Arm, and Bunny Rehoming

Hey there. Happy Friday.

After a crazy week, I’m settling down at my desk for the last day of the work week. I’m drinking my second cup of coffee and reflecting back on all the changes in our lives that have happened since I penned my last quick takes (it’s been a hot minute).

But before we head out for the weekend to wander around some antique stores and pick out a new rug for the front room, here’s a quick look back at the adventures we’ve been on lately:

1. We’re home-owners!

After four moves since 2017, the Langrs are putting down roots. Joseph and I bought our first home last month, and moved everything over the holiday weekend. This year, we took the “labor” part of Labor Day very seriously.

Between broken toilets, unpacking boxes, organizing closets, and re-assembling IKEA furniture, it’s been a bit of an adventure around here for the past couple of weeks.

But it’s so dang beautiful to break down those cardboard boxes and relish the fact that we don’t have to pack up everything up and move again in a year.

Want to read more about the joys and challenges of owning a home? Check out this piece I wrote about how I idolized this home earlier this week.

2. Living on the edge(ish)

I’m a low-level rebel. Like, zero entry of the pool low-level.

But every once in a while, I like to live on the edge(ish).

This week, I returned my library books on the day they were due. Not a couple of days before. The day - at 9pm, to push the envelope a little further.

It turns out the books weren’t due until midnight, and the fees I could have incurred would have been less than a dollar.

So rebellious. Very edgy.

3. Embracing the curls

I’ve fought my natural hair texture of waves and curls for years. But after watching a friend embrace her natural hair and her curls, I decided to give it another try.

It turns out my hair is much more curly than I ever imagined, and with the right hair care techniques, it just keeps getting curlier and curlier.

I tried to convince Joseph to join me in this hair care routine, since his hair has a natural wave to it, too.

I think the fact that I called it the “curly girl” method didn’t help my case.

4. Coffee comes at a price

A few weeks ago, I woke up and decided to make a pour-over coffee. Since I was making the pour-over for Joseph and I, I also decided to precariously balance the pour-over on our french press container.

It looked like a good idea until it wasn’t.

I reached up in the cabinet above where the french press and accidentally spilled the pour-over all over my arm.

Coffee grounds, boiling water, and all.

After I crawled into bed and started the day over, my arm turned bright red. Then scaly. Then blister-y. Finally, it peeled like nobody’s business and then settled down into a light burn.

In good news, it’s the tannest my arm has looked all summer.

5. Sorry 5K, not today

I’ve enjoyed running in the past. I ran a 10K once, even. It was two years ago, don’t get too impressed.

I thought it’d be a good idea to sign up for an easy 5K race to get back into the running habit. Spoiler alert, it was not a good idea. I’ve ran once since signing up, and let me tell you, it was the definition of rough.

Not only have I been struggling to get the motivation to put on the running shoes again, I’ve also been (unsuccessfully) juggling moving, writing, parenting, etc.

Last night, I crossed the 5K run off the calendar. So far, no regrets.

Maybe next year?

6. On the bookshelf this week

At the suggestion of my friend and podcast co-host, Joe Heschmeyer, I downloaded Libby this past week.

It’s an audio book app that’s connected to local libraries (read:free), and I’ve really been enjoying it so far. I’m close to finishing my first audio book, “Better Now Than Before: What I Learned from Making and Breaking Habits” by Gretchen Rubin.

Now I just need to apply my newly acquired habit knowledge into establishing a running habit, right?

7. Re-homing Wilson

We’ve had some good times with Wilson, but last week he went to live with my little sister, Olivia.

We came to the realization that it was time for him to go to a more loving home after picking rabbit fur out of Maeve’s hands and vacuuming the front room for the third time in a week.

Since we were in the process of moving everything to the new house, the idea of not having any rabbit hair floating around our new living room won out over the idea of having Wilson.

I miss hearing him play with his little cat toy (yes, he’s a weird rabbit), but I know he’s enjoying his new home and all the attention Olivia is lavishing on him.

And while it took me months to get to the point where Wilson would let me hold him, Olivia was cuddling the little stinker in less than a week.

Of course.