January 10, 2019: The Boise Adventure | A Kept Woman

Garrett with his to-go desert compliments of Stagecoach Inn
(restaurant is a classic western icon per my research and our experience)

Way back when in my Lutz days, I had a client I worked with from central Nebraska. My main contact was a lady by the name of Aleta. Although she ran a medical practice by day, by night she was a ranching woman. We had only met once in person, but over the course of our many conversations, I always pictured her in cowboy boots with spurs and a rifle never more than an arms-length away.

I always enjoyed Aleta. She was a straight-talker with colorful stories about life on the ranch, and her view on life in general. Many times her stories didn't come from the actual telling of a story, but from a sidebar comment.

One that I clearly remember involved an asthma inhaler and her horses. I called Aleta with a question concerning a payroll tax deadline, a very normal accounting-ish thing to do. Aleta, in her typical nonchalant fashion, didn't provide a hum-drum response to my very boring question.

"You're going to have to call me later, Sandy. I used my son's asthma inhalers on the horses last night and need to replenish the supply at the ranch. Better get it done now."

I didn't quite know how this happens in everyday life, at least not the life I was accustomed. And I wasn't brave enough to ask. Following her instruction (you always followed Aleta's instruction), I called back later. Asking if everything was okay, Aleta brushed off the event as though it were the most common occurrence in everyone's everyday life.

Conversations like these were the norm with Aleta and me. She had no problem sharing whatever it was she felt like sharing and I loved the spontaneity and honesty in our conversations.

There was a particular comment she made to me around the time of my divorce that stays with me today. I haven't a clue on how she knew I was divorcing or how the conversation even came up, but she had no qualms sharing her direct advice with me.

"Honey, it's time for you to be a kept woman."

She made the statement and I responded with silence. And that was the end of it.

Although I knew this phrase had several connotations, I didn't ask what exactly she meant. I wasn't sure I really wanted to know. Instead I let my naive mind wander to the side of conservative. My vision of a being kept woman was me with no worries, doing my own thing, and at my own pace. All with a significant other taking care of my core needs.

To be honest, it sounded pretty darn alluring. At the time I was the mom of three very busy young boys and a partner at a growing accounting firm, both coming with a lot of demands. My days ran me. I did not run my days.

Fast forward ten years and my life looks markedly different. I now absolutely run my days. Other than the dog, I answer to no one. From the moment I wake up to when my head hits the pillow at night, I have mapped out when and how to work on every project, timing of interactions, and what fun adventure I want to create and when.

I shared the Aleta story with Garrett early in our relationship and we had a good laugh over it, along with the stories of my illustrious ranch-women friend. Over the years I have brought up the 'kept woman' label in jest as Garrett and I banter over our next career steps. Recently it has become our running joke with Garrett now working an 8-5ish job.

With our move and with one shared vehicle, I have begun taking Garrett to work in the morning with pup in tow. I then pick him up later in the day with all the hours in between classified as my 'kept' days.

I have also been entertaining Larry, Garrett's dad, with my play-by-play on these daily activities (along with sharing with him pictures from our fall road trip...always good to keep the best memories top of mind). The kept woman banter has been fun.

Over our anniversary dinner on the 3rd, Garrett and I picked our word for the year. I chose the word, intentional, and Garrett, transition.

Each day I plan to live in a very intentional way, running my days and not having my days run me. Being there for my husband in his top-of-mind transition time while intentionally seeking out the good in our new surroundings while hitting my career goals and purpose in my new normal.

Garrett started his new job on Tuesday, giving me two days full of intention along with some new adventures.

Tuesday I chose to spend a couple of hours in Downtown Boise before I picked Garrett up from work. I have always assessed a city by the vibrancy and heartbeat found in the downtown district. Garrett looks for this same feel from the city's neighboring mountains and open space. Although we may sound like the couple in Green Acres, a perfect city for us hits both these criteria. So far Boise does not disappoint.

The size of Boise is roughly half that of Omaha with a city population of 250,000 and metro of 500,000. The downtown is amazing. We have stayed there before on past trips and enjoyed the eclectic atmosphere and open air markets in summer and fall. Tuesday I wanted to check out the feel on a colder weekday afternoon.

The final analysis: I loved it.

I walked several streets watching the activity of people on motorized scooter's and those who were just wandering from point A to point B. The area is alive with many venues from historical to newly developing, covering a variety of arts to all kinds of food and drink. I did land in a little bar and grill called Solid and pulled out my computer to work for a couple of hours. I loved the thought of how this would feel sitting on the outdoor patio on a sunny and warm afternoon in the spring.

After picking Garrett up later, we decided to debrief on our separate days over dinner. Without a plan and not much luck narrowing down the options with Google assist, we basically drove toward our home headquarters until something caught our eye.

What I thought would be some hip new local restaurant instead turned into our choice of The Stagecoach Inn. We felt right at home in the Boise equivalent of Omaha's The Drover. The waitstaff have likely worked there for over thirty years on average. The table next to us were all over seventy with cowboy hats and cans sprawled around the table.

It was perfect. Day one of our new normal, which is still in the development stage, was broken down by the hour over dinner at a Boise original.

Garrett is in his new world of working in a predominantly millennial workforce. Something very new for him. My new normal includes choices like where to walk the dog, new people met and places found, and interesting developments on my many moving parts of my daily work.

There is definitely never a dull moment in my work life. Similar to how I attack my personal life, my work life is a mirror. I love everything interesting, fun, and challenging but tend to take on more than I should. As Garrett likes to say "Sandy, you hate to miss a party."

Yes, good parties come in all shapes and sizes.

As an added note, I did find an amazing dog park for Zeke just minutes from Garrett's work. Zeke was thrilled (as were his humans) to have this big open area for playtime as part of our morning drop-off routine.

I better wrap this and get on with some of the other productive requirements of the day (after I take Zeke on a long walk). I haven't completely mapped out the afternoon, but know that the knowns are picking up Garrett at 5:00 and then going to the gym. Our adventure of the night is checking out one of the many local breweries.

More to come on that and all the other exploratory adventures and new projects I have mapped out in my head. I look forward to executing on these ideas as I run my days. One intentional day at a time.

A kept woman? Probably not the right terminology, but I do think Aleta would approve.

Our walk route for the day

An Idaho St, of course

Not sure what this is all about, but I like it!

Main Street, Boise

JR Simplot headquarters with lots of vintage tractors on display