Miss Renee's Wild Ride

Tonight...

2010-01-19T22:14:00.000-08:00

I wondered if I could still do the broom trick.

I still can.

Lifetime Commitment

2009-05-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

When I came of age (what age, I'm not exactly sure, but an age older than 12) I made a commitment to myself that anytime I saw children selling lemonade on the side of the road I would stop and buy some. I think this commitment came out of the deep sense of rejection I felt as a young entrepreneurial child when cars containing what I thought looked like perfectly pleasant people went whizzing by my roadside lemonade stand without so much as a second glance (they had to take a first glance due to the gigantic neon colored poster-board we used to advertise our delicious nectar (read kool-aid) and lure our customers). Even as a wee one, I recognized the cruelty of adults who wouldn't humor some kids trying to make some extra dough the good ol' fashioned way. On the other hand, I remember the delight I would feel when someone would actually pull over and purchase a glass (read mini-dixi cup) of our hard made juice. These lemonade days are among my favorite childhood memories.

So, today I had the opportunity to fulfill this commitment to always stop at children's lemonade stands as I drove past one on my way home from work. It was the perfect lemonade stand day...warm with a slight summer breeze. I almost envied the kids and the carefree way they made their living. To my delight, inflation hasn't touched the lemonade business (or maybe the recession is hitting it especially hard) because I got a medium sized dixi cup of raspberry lemonade for the bargain price of 25 cents...not a penny more than I charged 20+ years ago. While I hesitated actually drinking the lemonade (you never know where their grubby little hands have been) I was pleased to see the ice cream truck stop in front of their house just a few moments later and think that I somehow contributed to them finally being able to buy that firecracker popsicle they've been wanting.

What are your thoughts on lemonade stands. Did you do them when you were young? Do you stop at them now? Do you drink the lemonade?

P.S. Speaking of lifetime commitments, I keep meaning to blog about Courtney and Cameron's wedding that I went to back in March. Suffice it to say that it was unequivocally, hands down, the best. wedding. ever. Courtney was amazingly beautiful in her self-designed dress, the ceremony was sacred and lovely, and the reception was the most kick A party I've ever been to. Three words: Live. Band. Karaoke. 'Nuff said. Obviously it's not enough said, because I'm going to add this...Courtney's dad started a mosh pit, her mom rocked the bangles, and, at the end of the night, all of the reception guests paraded into the street behind the bride and groom giving them all of our love and happiness through song and chanting. Again...Best. Wedding. Ever!!

Springtime in the Rockies

2009-04-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

It's April 17th. I thought it would be safe to put my winter coats away. I thought wrong.

Birthday Surprise

2009-04-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

"So, what time are we meeting?" I ask.

"We're meeting on the North side of town at 6:00 pm." She replies, with a slight smile.

"What should I wear?"

"Something comfy."

"Like jeans? Or sweats?"

"Ummmm...sweats. I was planning on wearing yoga pants." Keep in mind, Alice wears yoga pants approximately 82% of the time seeing as how she is a yoga instructor and likes to be comfy when she's not being twisty.

My thoughts were racing. I knew my friends were planning a birthday surprise, but I had no idea what it could be. What sort of activity could take place on the North side of town that would require me to wear something comfy?

"Are we going to be in public? Or just by ourselves?"

"In public" she says. I knew that was the end of the discussion...as curious as I am, I didn't want her to actually give away the surprise.

Rock climbing? Ice skating? Flag football? Capture the flag? Yoga? The possibilities are endless!

Today I get a gchat from Scott in which he tells me, "make sure to bring two pairs of socks!" Ummm...2 pairs of socks? Whiskey tango foxtrot?? That rules out rock climbing and yoga. Also seems a little unnecessary for any sort of activity involving a flag or skating (though, Scott can be a bit of a germaphobe and perhaps the extra pair of socks is for changing into before putting back on my own shoes?). He also tells me to wear a "track suit" which I don't own because I'm not a Russian teenaged hoodlum.

So, dear friends, as a birthday present to me, any ideas about what might be taking place tonight?? Brainstorm!! Be creative!! Closest to the truth (besides those who already know) will win a prize :)

a month (or so) in review

2009-03-12T17:26:00.000-07:00

So, I've been in Denver for a month now (well, it was a month when I started this post...now it's been almost two!). Can you believe it's been that long? I'm experiencing another one of those bizarre h'd up time warp things where I simultaneously feel like I've just arrived and like I've been here forever. Those always trip me out.

Anyway, my time here so far has been fantastic. It's been one of the easier moves I've ever made and the transition into my new life has been relatively seamless. Maybe it's because it's home...but it's been an incredibly comfortable and comforting change for me. So...here's my month (or so) in review:

1. I've already been snowboarding twice and was immediately reminded of the FACT that Colorado has the best snow on earth. Utahans might claim it on their license plates, but it's a bald faced lie. (ok, in an effort to reduce my hyperbole I'll say that Colorado has the best snow in the US, since I haven't technically participated in snow sports outside of the contiguous 48. And, if I'm being truly honest...I can only speak to the fact that we have the best snow out of the following states: Colorado, Utah, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, California, and Oregon...do people even snowboard in other states?). Rather than turn this into a battleground over something completely ridiculous, I'll just say that we had a fabulous time and show you these pictures to prove it:

I've also rekindled my long lost love of cheetos since returning to Denver...YUM!

I can't wait until I can get a summit pass next year!!

2. I love living with my long-time BF Shammy. The space is fun-sized, just like me, so likely won't be a permanent situation, but I have LOVED sharing space, having long chats, enjoying tea time, being with someone who totally gets me and offers incredible support, laughing over fond memories, and making new ones.

3. I've joined a bowling team! Really it's just some of Alice's friends who bowl every Wednesday night and I've wiggled myself into their group. I suck, just as I always have, but it's teaching me to be less competitive (which we all know is a hard but important lesson for me to learn). We go to this pretty ghetto bowling alley near our house that seems to be the hot spot for the young and beautiful who are looking for good clean fun. The other night I was up until 1:00 am shopping for bowling shoes and a vintage ball bag on ebay. If I'm going to be a bowler, I'm going to do it in style!

4. I really love my job. I work with an amazing team of people and it's a really great program. It's a bit challenging and I'm learning a lot. I have to tell people "no" (which is really hard for me) and sometimes people don't like me (a product of me telling them no, which is why I don't like to do it). I'm sharpening my clinical skills and getting really good at sniffing out problem people based on meager information. I'm learning a lot about the treatment of PTSD and really enjoy working with these courageous men.

5. I forgot how crazy the weather in Colorado is. First of all, the sun is always shining and is no indication whatsoever of the temperature outside. Also, on several occasions, it has gone from being 60-70 degrees one day to 20-30 then next. That old saying "If you don't like the weather just wait 5 minutes" has been used in many states. But, it's never been more true than in Colorado. So far there have been several snowfalls, but also several beautifully warm days. I'm just waiting for our usual March blizzard before I pack up all of my sweaters.

6. Since I was stuck in Portland over the holidays, my family celebrated Christmas in February. We had a fantastic time exchanging presents sans tree and the stress that surrounds the big Christmas dinner. I already received (bought) and used my gift of a new snowboard a couple times before we celebrated Christmas. I also got a wonderfully snuggly blanket from Desiree. The fun thing was actually doing most of my Christmas shopping the day of the exchange...talk about procrastination! Plus, we got spring pajamas instead of the usual winter flannel :)

Here we are with some of our Christmas bootie

7. I had a visitor within my first month of being back. Paul came out for a long weekend over President's Day (unfortunately, we didn't take a single picture). We had a fantastic time being Coloradans - snowboarding, playing frisbee golf, going to the Boulder Film Festival, eating at the greatest Chinese Restaurant on the planet with my fam, and just hanging out. It was so great to get some quality time in with Paul. As you know...I can't wait for more visitors!

8. It's been really great to meet up and hang out with old friends. In some cases, the friendships just slipped right back in as though I'd never left, which I really love. It's great to have an instant network of people who I love and who really know me. There are still some I have yet to see, but it's nice just knowing that they are there!

9. I've been going to the singles ward since I moved back, but in a month I'll be heading to the family ward (which I embrace with a big ol' mixed bag of feelings). I haven't done the best job of making friends who are LDS (since I've already got such a great group of friends) but I'm hoping that will change when I move in with some girls from the ward. I feel like it's really important for me to maintain that social connection. There's lots of awkwardness and loneliness in this department, but that's fodder for another post.

10. Finally, there's goals group. Alice, Lindsay and I have started up a goals group wherein we meet every other week, make yummy food, and help keep each other accountable for our goals. Each group we make 5 short-term goals. At our next group we check up on our progress and for each goal that we didn't accomplish, we put $5 into the pot. Lindsay thinks that at the end of six months we'll be able to go on a trip with all of the money from the pot. I'm not sure if she's overly optimistic or pessimistic, but either way it's a win-win situation. So far I'm 5 for 5!

Anyway...that's my life in review for those who are wondering. I miss all of my Portlanders dearly, but am having a fantastic time here in Colorado! Come visit!!

eau de toilet

2009-03-03T22:50:00.000-08:00

I've suddenly become very aware (almost to the point of self consciousness) about the amount of toilet paper I use. It all started a few months ago when Ashley and I were at the grocery store and I was about to buy one of those industrial sized packages of TP. We were going to be moving out of our place soon and she said something to the effect of "That is an INSANE amount of toilet paper. It would take me a year to go through that. You're never going to finish it before we move. What...are you going to just pack it up with all of your stuff?"

I went ahead and bought the megaload, thinking it was a reasonable amount for my remaining time at our house. And I was right...I think I used it all...down to the last roll. Now I'm staying at my friend Alice's house and I've been sharing her store of TP until we run out, at which time I'll restock. Her bathroom is downstairs, so I've been grabbing 2 rolls at a time so I've got a spare in my bathroom. This has also made me super aware of the amount of toilet paper I'm going through because I feel like I'm constantly restocking. I never thought I was an overconsumer of toilet paper. But, perhaps I'm wrong.

So...I'm putting it out to the masses: How much toilet paper do you use? How quickly do you go through a roll? Do you use a particular number of squares for each wipe? Or with a flick of the wrist do you just let it roll? Feel free to post your comments anonymously if you're uneasy with potty talk. Members of the PC, I'd especially appreciate your feedback.

sixes

2009-03-03T22:40:00.001-08:00

I never get specifically tagged. And I always feel too self conscious to respond to any of those "if you feel like doing it then consider yourself tagged" tags. But, I've been tagged. And you're all about to be ridiculously grateful that I was because now you're privy to this little gem:

This is a picture of 63 and Larry taken on the DC metro last winter as we were gallivanting around the city before Shawn Lindseth's nuptials. I'll let the picture speak for itself.

Here's how it works: go to the pictures folder on your computer, go to the sixth file, go to the sixth picture, post it, then tag 6 people. I can't narrow down the list of those to tag. So, I'm just gonna put it out to all of you (even though I hate when people do that). I am not sure if anyone even reads this anymore since I almost never post. But...if you do...here's your chance to prove it!!

K(c)arma?

2009-01-26T08:21:00.000-08:00

What did I do in a former life to deserve the kind of car problems I have? Was I one of those machines that smashes old cars into pancakes? Was I road salt that corrodes the underbelly? Was I a gigantic pothole? Perhaps I was black ice or a semi that shoots rocks into windshields? Whatever it was, it had to be bad, and it had to be the kind of thing that cars HATE because apparently my 15 year history of needing rescue on the side of the road is not yet over.

I woke up this morning to big fat snowflakes coming down in droves (yay!). I laughed maniacally as I (and all of the rest of Denver) drove to work despite the blizzard. I laughed even louder when I realized the temperature was 9 (yes NINE) degrees outside. It was amazing to me how wonderfully the city was handling the quickly accumulating snow in comparison to Oregonians in Arctic Blast 2008. I stopped laughing about a mile from my house when my left rear wheel seized up, causing my car to drive straight only when the steering wheel was turned as though I was making a sharp right turn (and the car was at a slight angle...looking like it was heading straight into the left lane). I know this doesn't make any sense to you, the reader. It also didn't make any sense to me, the driver. It seemed like I was just kind of spinning out on the icy road. Only, the road wasn't very icy and I wasn't actually spinning. So, I just kept driving, at an angle, with my wheel sharply turned, thinking I would somehow come out of this "spin". It wasn't until a friendly driver in the next lane rolled down his window to tell me the 411 on my wheel that I learned it had seized up and was not spinning...thus causing my car to want to drive around that stuck tire like a dog chasing it's tail. At that point, I stop the car (there wasn't really a shoulder on which to pull over) and get out to have a look. I'm not sure what I intended to see or do with that look. It's true...the wheel wasn't spinning (which is good considering the car was stopped and I was no longer at the helm). So, I looked, then promptly got back into the car (remember the 9 degree weather and the blizzard??) and attempted to turn the car back on. Only, Mitzy had completely given up on me and would not start. Damn. I sat there in my freezing car, watching the snow pile up to the point that I could not see out any of the windows in a matter of minutes, while I frantically tried to call work, my insurance road side assistance, and my roommate so that I could be rescued.

I thought that buying a relatively new car would free me of my close relationship with the local tow truck company and nearby mechanic. Apparently my bad Carma (sic) is here to stay and Tow Truck Tim and I are on our way to being BFFs.

Day 1

2009-01-19T22:30:00.000-08:00

I've been in Colorado for over 24 hours now...28 hours to be exact. I thought I'd give you a list of the highlights and lowlights of Day 1 in Denver.

Highlights
1. Seeing and hugging my family and best friends and knowing I'll get to do it all the time.
2. My family's excitement and enthusiasm about me being here (I didn't even have time to put my shoes on before my mom yanked me out of the car and started dancing and singing with me in the driveway when we arrived).
3. Fantastic road trip with Scott.
4. The ease of the loading and unloading (and unloading some more) of my stuff.
5. The generosity of my family and friend who helped with the move.
6. Nobody actually broke their knee on the hitch that stuck out the back of the Uhaul truck (but dang does that smart when you hit it).
7. It was 67 degrees today.
8. Alice letting me stay with her in her ADORABLE house in the most ADORABLE neighborhood for a few months while I get settled and situated.
9. There is a Chipotle a block from my house and another one a block from work...significant sign that this move was meant to be.
10. Along with Chipotle, there is the cutest little strip of stores, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops just a block away from where I'm living. It reminds me of downtown Bend, OR.
11. Drinking my first cup of hot chocolate with Alice in her living room while listening to Santa Wars on This American Life and laughing until we cry. I know this moment will repeat itself in various forms over the next few months and that makes me endlessly giddy.
12. Having wireless that works so I can actually blog about Day 1!

Lowlights
1. Missing my friends in Oregon.
2. Not being able to finish my morning pee before my mom and sister burst through the bathroom door screaming "YAY" to let me know how excited they are that I'm here (and awake).
3. Pumping my own gas.
4. Sales tax.
5. Crusty bugers
6. Chapped lips
7. The constant need for lotioning
8. Sleeping on just my mattress because my box spring doesn't fit up the stairs to my room.
9. All of the new positions I'm going to have to learn in order to effectively bathe in Alice's teeny tiny shower.
10. Missing my friends in Oregon...did I say that twice? Well, that's how much I miss them!

I think I'll stay.

Things I’ve Learned From Arctic Blast 2008

2008-12-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

1. Portland is a city of completely unprepared alarmists. Even though Arctic Blast 2008 is nigh unto the apocalypse (according to the Portland metropolitan area populace), no one owns so much as an ice scraper for their car windows let alone plows to clear the now re-frozen streets.

2. 1 small hill* of solid ice + 60 pounds of kitty litter + 2 slip sliding giggly girls = Sweet sweet freedom.

3. Arctic blasts make for FANTASTIC snowboarding in waist deep powder.

4. Ridiculous pimped-out low profile tires aren’t the best tires for snow.

5. They don’t make chains or cables to fit ridiculous pimped-out low profile tires.

6. If the guy at Firestone says that the cables they have might fit your ridiculous pimped-out low profile tires, don’t buy them. You and your friends will spend an hour in the freezing cold kneeling down in six inches of snow, your hands will go numb, you might swear, and they still won’t fit.

7. I have amazing friends.

8. Always bring your cell phone car charger with you. You never know when you’ll be driving in an Arctic blast in a city with no plows with ridiculous pimped-out low profile tires with no cables after snowboarding all day in waist deep powder and find that you have a dead cell phone battery. You wouldn’t want to spend 40 minutes driving with images of you and your new car in a ditch on the side of the road with no means of calling anyone to help.

9. God controls all things, including slippery hills, traffic lights, parking spots, and the radio.

10. Driving home in an Arctic Blast might make you more sore than an entire day of snowboarding in waist deep powder (which is a near impossibility since snowboarding all day in waist deep powder is one of the most physically strenuous activities in which I’ve ever participated…and I do a lot of physically strenuous activity).

11. Sometimes it’s nice when church is cancelled for a second week in a row so that you have a day to recover from all of the lessons I learned from Arctic Blast 2008.

12. Snowdays are much more fun when you have inflatable sleds, lots of neighborhood friends, and a gigantic sledding hill (i.e. Washington DC's Masonic Temple) across the street from your house.

*This is not my actual hill featured in the video, but a fun one nonetheless.

Newsies

2008-12-15T13:01:00.001-08:00

The great thing about being snowed in is that it provides plenty of time for blogging...so long as my internet holds up (I can't seem to catch a break these days, can I?). But, I have lots of new and exciting things going on in my life that I'm sure you're all dying to know about...or at least that I'm dying to tell you about!

New #1: My new phone!

Many of you have been aware of the ongoing bain of my existence that is my phone. Near the end it literally became possessed by the devil and would turn on and off at will. It was particularly annoying when it would do so in the middle of an important conversation or not even turn on and stay on long enough for me to begin a conversation. So, if I have seemed less communicative than usual, it is my phone's fault. But, that is all about to change...because I FINALLY got a new phone. Not only did I get a new phone, but I also switched providers. So, all of you Verizonites out there, we can talk to our hearts' content. All of your Sprinters (which are a dying breed, I realize) you won't have the easy access to my ear you once had.

New #2: My new car!

I wish I had pictures, but until I have the means to buy and write New #4: My new camera! you'll have to use your imagination. She's a 2006 Mazda3 hatchback. Her name is Lyla and she's a little cutie. Kind of like my quest for a man, there are things about her that I never would have chosen but I have either learned to love (the fact that she's red) or just accept (the pimped out low-profile tires) or do everything in my power to change (the funky smell that has now been eliminated). Lulu has gone to the grave (God rest her soul) and Lyla and I are becoming fast friends. I'm just so thrilled to have transportation again that I think I'd love her no matter what, but so far she's been a great little car. We're having all kinds of fun.

New #3: My new job!

I've accepted a position as the Admissions Coordinator of the residential Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder program at the Denver VA. Yes...the DENVER VA. I'm moving to Colorado in mere weeks. How do I feel, you may wonder? Excited, sad, freaked out, overwhelmed, happy, anxious, thrilled...the list goes on and changes from moment to moment. The more it settles in and becomes real, the better I feel about it. I'm really sad to be leaving Portland, because I really love it here! I've had so much fun and have felt really connected to the city since the moment I arrived. I can see myself staying here for a long long time, which is part of the reason I'm leaving now. I am feeling a pull back to Colorado and back to my family. If I don't leave now, I may never leave. I've been away for 12 years, have seen the world, sown my oats (though I'm not sure how wild they've been), and now I'm ready to be back in Colorado and back near my family. I want to be able to spend more time with them on a regular basis and be a part of their lives. I have a lot going for me in Colorado and I hope to make a good life for myself there. It'll be another fun and exciting change and just might be my last stop.

I don't have a lot of details yet on when exactly I'll be back. I'm staying in Portland for the holidays but I should be back in Colorado in the first few weeks of January. We're still negotiating a start-date with my new job, but it won't be later than January 18th. I will be moving out of my house (big sad sigh) the weekend after Christmas and will be homeless (but taken care of) for a few weeks, and then I'll be headed home. I can't wait to see all of my Colorado peeps!! And, for those of you elsewhere around the world, Colorado is a GREAT place to visit! Come see me soon!!

Tale of A City...

2008-12-15T12:01:00.000-08:00

...with no plows.

They said it was supposed to snow on Saturday. Everyone was talking about it. People were hunkering down. There was no milk at the grocery store. Adverse weather alerts were being sent out at work. Being a girl who grew up in Colorado, I kept thinking, "It's just a little snow, why is everybody freaking out??" I understand that not everybody knows how to drive in the snow, but it's not like we were going to get THAT much.

I'm now sitting in my house...trapped and eating humble pie (if only I'd bought some milk, it would go nicely). I woke up yesterday morning and had my sort-of-annual favorite morning - The morning you wake up and realize it has snowed for the first time that season. I LOVE those mornings. They are so beautiful and peaceful and bright. I get SO happy when it snows. To peep out the window and see everything covered in a gleaming white blanket brings delight to my soul! I began to get ready for church, then got a phone call notifying me that church was cancelled. WHAT?? Church...cancelled?? For SNOW?? These people are ridiculous.

But, it was officially a snow day which meant hours of guilt-free lounging. I laid in bed an extra hour and read my book, then transferred the lounging to the couch where my roommate and I watched endless movies on TV. It was fabulous. We braved the elements and went to pick up a pizza for lunch (gimme a break...it was a snow day). The roads were a little slippery, but not too bad. We made it home safely and continued our lounging. I even made ribs for a late dinner. The day couldn't have gotten much better.

Today I woke up with every intention of going to work. I'd made it out yesterday right? It snowed all day yesterday, but today the sun is shining and it's clear outside. I got all bundled, got in my car, said a prayer that I'd be safe, and headed out. I got about 30 yards from my front door when I met my first (and only) obstacle - a slight hill that was a solid sheet of ice. I made my first (and only) attempt to get up it. I employed all of my I-know-how-to-drive-in-the-snow skills. I shifted to second gear when my tires started spinning, I turned into the spin that my car was starting to go into, yet I still ended up spun around and sliding sideways down the hill and into the curb. Luckily, I didn't hit the little sapling behind me or the parked car in front of me. I had to do a slow 20-point turn to get turned back in the direction of my house. I did, indeed, make it home safely, even though I didn't get far. I suppose prayers are answered in funny ways.

I'm not sure if it is the pimped out low profile tires on my new car (yes...you read that correctly), or the below freezing temperatures, or the fact that Portland HAS NO PLOWS, or maybe it's a combination of the three. If this sort of thing happened in Colorado they would have had the streets plowed before it even stopped snowing and we'd all be on our merry little way. Here, there is just ice. Ice everywhere. Which leaves me trapped in my house. Snow day one = blissful guilt-free lounging. Snow day two = stir crazy cabin fever. I'm worried how long this will go on since there is no indication that the temperatures are rising or that they'll ever plow/salt/gravel our little hill since it's not a main road. Maybe I'll take a walk to the grocery for some milk.

Oh, and did I mention that the heat in our house isn't working? I'm currently typing this as I'm crouched next to a little space heater that is warming my room so I don't freeze to death...trapped...in my house. If you don't hear from me for a few days, maybe you should send out a search party.

Case of the Mondays

2008-11-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

My case of the Mondays started on a Wednesday a week and a half ago when my car, Lulu, broke down on the freeway on my way home from work…in the pouring rain. It began as I stood (in my little pencil skirt and faux snake skin heels) on the side of the road, getting splashed with road water from the passing semi-trucks, contemplating my fate without Lulu. I knew she was done for. Smoke was pouring out of the engine and into the car. This was no ordinary break down (and I should know…you might call me a connoisseur of break downs). Just before she died she let out a 5 alarm fire warning with every possible bell and whistle blaring at me. Did I heed the warning? No. I figured I could make it home…or at least to my mechanic before she gave up the ghost. But, my faith was misplaced. She died there on the 5 just north of the Stafford Road exit of overheating, a blown head gasket, and a burnt up heating core. She was clearly having a case of the Mondays.

But my case of the Mondays didn’t end there. It continued once I arrived home to my much anticipated hot shower, Burgerville burger, and Wednesday night TV. I was looking forward to indulging in these pleasures to help me forget about the cold and wet hour and a half I spent waiting for the tow truck driver to arrive. I needed warmth, greasy and delicious food, and the pie maker. I got my hot shower, but the CMAs thwarted my TV watching. And E coli thwarted my comfort food. I spent most of the night expelling every ounce of comfort I had previously put into my belly just an hour earlier.

And my case of the Mondays didn’t end there either. My saint of a roommate gave her first (of many) rides to the bus stop on Thursday morning so I could get to work. We arrived with plenty of time and I moseyed over to the bench to wait for my bus (which was sitting just outside the station in its “I’m here early and am waiting to start my route” position). As I turned around and took my seat, the bus pulled out of its “I’m here early and am waiting to start my route” position and took off down the road, rather than taking the usual pass through the station, thereby causing me to wait in the cold another 15 minutes for the next bus.

You’d be clever if you thought my case of the Mondays ended there. And you’d be wrong. That evening, I’d pseudo arranged for a ride home from the bus stop after work. Plan A never contacted me, so I got on the bus, assuming I could call Plan B on my way home and tell her that her mission was being activated. The only problem is that my cell phone had died prior to being able to notify Plan B. So, there I sat, on the 64 Express to Tigard, with no phone, no money, and (again) wearing insensible shoes (you’d think I would learn my lesson). A kind soul on the bus let me borrow her phone to call my friend, only she didn’t answer at first. Then she gave me some quarters so I could use a pay phone if it came to that. Could it really come to that? What was happening to me?? Luckily Plan B got the message and arrived at the bus stop just in time to save me from a 3 mile uphill walk in the rain and ridiculously uncomfortable shoes.

So, my case of the Mondays began on a Wednesday, carried over to Thursday, and trickled on for the following week and a half, culminating in today, Monday, one of the most stressful days I’ve had in a very long while. I’ll spare you the details, but the day has included completing paperwork to buy a new car, picking up said car, taking it to the mechanic to get the stink out, getting to work 2 hours late, missing an appointment with a patient, eating only a PBJ and a piece of string cheese all day long, dealing with a possessed phone, and catching the red eye to New Hampshire for a long-awaited Thanksgiving holiday with my family. It was topped off by a middle seat on said red eye and leaving my headphones in my jacket pocket in the overhead compartment. I’m going on about 1.3 hours of neck wrenching sleep).

When it comes to my life, when it rains, it pours. This applies to all areas whether it’s stress, change (hopefully to be blogged about soon), problems with electronic devices, dating, you name it. No one ever said I was good at moderation. And if they did, they are idiots. The one thing I’m grateful for is that through this very trying week and a half, blessings have also poured. This experience has taught me to rely on other people and ask for help, which I’m not very good at. It has shown me how much the Lord is aware of me and cares about the little details of my life. He provided for me at every turn. I came out with a new car (at a killer deal), and a new appreciation for my AMAZING friends who were so willing to help me out. I can never repay their kindness and patience with me.

Despite my week and a half long case of the Mondays, I sit here in the Newark airport happy that it is Tuesday. I had a bagel and hot chocolate from Au Bon Pain (an old East Coast fave), I found my way to terminal A (despite the shady bus that took me through the underbelly of New Jersey), and I found a seat in the waiting area with no arm rests so I can lay down and get some shut eye. It’s a new day.

The Vote Didn't Even Get Baracked

2008-11-03T23:28:00.000-08:00

You know how a few short months ago I was posting about being a procrastinator? And, how a few short posts before that I was going on and on about being forgetful? Well, those two great weaknesses came together to create what might be my biggest, and in fact only, regret in life.

I cannot vote tomorrow.

I am so ashamed to even write those 4 words. But, it's true. As a world class procrastinator, I sent in my Oregon voter registration form at the last minute of the last hour of the last day to register. I had to specially request that they post mark it for that day or else it wouldn't count. And, in my haste, I forgot to sign the registration form. I got it back in the mail the other day with a big yellow highlighted line where my signature should have been. Since I sent it in so late, I was unable to fix my mistake and send it back in as the deadline had already passed (like 30 seconds after the original mailing). Also, I was too late to request a vote by mail ballot from California. So, I am not able to take part in the most historic election of my 12 years of adulthood.

It's really a shame too. This is the sort of event that I might be telling my grandchildren about years from now. Of course, now Grandma Nay Nay is going to be nothing but a big fraud when she retells her story of how she helped elect the first African American President of the United States of America. Either that, or I have to admit that I didn't vote...gasp! I'm not sure which is worse, being a liar or a non-voter. I'm reluctant to admit that this isn't the first time this has happened. I also didn't vote the first year that I was eligible because I was away at my freshman year of college and didn't get an absentee ballot or make the drive down to the county where I was registered. I tried desperately to make up for it in the following years, as I was a HUGE advocate of voter registration (even going so far as to shame the non-registered girls in my relief society classes and giving a fist pounding speech about registering at the beginning of all of my lessons leading up to the 2004 election. This was before I was RSP).

I have a terrible fear that this joke (sent to me by both Ryan and Courtney) will turn out to be a reality and it will, indeed, be all my fault. Please forgive me in advance (or thank me if you are on the McCain/Palin train).

P.S. It's been raining since I woke up this morning. Hello frizzy hair, soggy shoes, and no power steering. Goodbye glorious Oregon fall with your breathtaking vistas, soft sunshine, and beautiful weather that I never got around to posting about. I will miss you.

6 a.m.

2008-09-30T07:40:00.001-07:00

6 a.m. and I are not friends. It's not that we're bitter enemies. There have been times when I can tolerate her, like in the summertime when she's bright and warm and welcoming. Even then I don't LOVE her, but I can stand the sight of her face. I hate her most in the early fall...like now. She's dark and dreary and forces me to stay in bed until the friendlier 7 a.m. comes around and she makes me late for work. I'm particularly mad at her this morning...mostly because I'm BFFs with 1 a.m. and those two just don't get along. I've tried to be a nice mediator between the two, but I always end up siding with 1 a.m. He's just so much more fun. He "gets" me and we jive so much better than me and 6 a.m. I know that 6 a.m. is probably going to be a better friend to me in the long run, and I'm definitely trying to limit the time I spend with 1 a.m. But, it's not easy to give up such a good friend. Maybe I'll just have to give it a few more weeks until 6 a.m. gets nicer again...she's so moody!!! What about you? What time do you hate? Love?

Not Quite a Doctor

2008-09-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

My mom is always going on about how I'm a doctor, even though I have nothing resembling a PhD or MD or anything else that might warrant the title. I remind her over and over again that I'm a social worker with a masters degree. Well, now I'm officially not a doctor...but I do officially have a fancy new title! I passed my clinical exam today and you can now refer to me as Licensed Clinical Social Worker Renee. Pleased to meet you. Now I just need a shingle.

No Excuses

2008-09-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

I have a terrible habit of procrastinating. It is genetic and was passed down from both of my parents. I can't really help it. This genetic defect first manifest itself when I was a young lass having so much fun playing in the sandbox that I procrastinated going to the bathroom...and then wet myself. While the consequences of procrastinating in my adult life don't usually result in ridicule and shame, they have a weight all their own. As I type this, I realize I'm in the process of procrastinating right now. I should be packing for my trip to Colorado, my flight leaves in 8 hours (most of which I should be sleeping) and I have yet to even get my suitcase from the basement.

Back to my point...I'm a procrastinator. This procrastinating impacts my blogging. I have a whole summer full of fun piling up in my head that I need...no WANT...to write about. I've started and saved at least 5 posts and haven't finished them. I procrastinate so much that the task becomes daunting and I put it off even more...because it's scary. I used to cope with this by calling Alice at 2:00 in the morning before a big paper was due and crying to her that "I don't know how to start." She always talked me through it and the paper turned out A-ok, and wasn't nearly as scary as I'd made it out to be in my head. But, now I'm a big girl, and it's just not fair to call Alice at 2:00 in the morning to cry about all of the posts that are piling up in my head and becoming so daunting that I don't want to write them. So, this is my attempt to start.

I was going to write this post (as the title suggests) that there are no excuses for my absence from the blogosphere. I kind of hate excuses. I used to be a pro at coming up with fantastical excuses for why I didn't do something or why I was late, or why I didn't show up at all. I learned a while back that I don't need to have an excuse. I do what I do and the reason doesn't really matter. And, there's no use lying about it. I would just be trying to justify bad behavior, which is inexcusable. So, I am not going to give any excuse...except that I just did, and it's that I'm a procrastinator. Blame my parents. And here's another one, just for fun. Since I don't have a camera, I'm waiting on photos from my friends so my posts become more aesthetically pleasing and I can stop playing with font size. Blame Peter. (aren't I good at diverting responsibility??)

Now that I've procrastinated even further and not given you a lick of my summer fun...I'm going to go pack. But, expect a deluge. Or don't...I wouldn't want you to get your hopes up.

Parking Karma

2008-09-11T22:58:00.001-07:00

It happens to be a fact that I have amazing parking karma (and by the mere act of writing it, I am sure I am losing it. Pride sort of strips you of all things good...particularly karma, so consider yourself lucky...this is a huge sacrifice for me to keep you posted on the goings on of my life). While I've had many a good spot, NOTHING can top tonight's find. I went to see the Portland Timber play their final game tonight at PGE park. There were over 13,000 people at the game. And, since most games aren't so highly attended, everyone got there at about 10 to 7 expecting to mosey on in. Instead it was a mad house outside with block long lines to the ticket booths. I see the mayhem as I'm approaching the stadium. Just before getting to the intersection, I say a quiet little prayer that I'll find a good parking spot. I cross the intersection and a car that was parked RIGHT across the street from the entrance pulled out of its spot. I slipped right in without even having to parallel park. I sat in the car for a second, awaiting an LAX-like security guard to pop from behind the light post and ticket me, or at the very least tell me to "move it along." But no, it's a certified, bonifide spot. AND the signs indicating the time limits were covered up...so it was like a total freebee!! I couldn't believe my luck. What could I possibly have done in the pre-existence, or in this life, for that matter, to be blessed with such parking bliss? It's one of the great mysteries of God and will probably be like the 6th thing I ask Him when we meet some day.

picky-nick

2008-09-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

I love eating outside. There is almost nothing better than feeling the sun beat down on my face while enjoying a good sandwich (I mean, a sandwich alone is hard to beat...but the sun certainly adds to the perfection). The weather out here has been beautiful these last few days, and, seeing as how I've been a vampire without a touch of sun this summer, I've been heading outdoors for lunch and some basking.

Eating outside always comes with a little adventure, usually in the form of critters*. Today was no exception. First I was accompanied by a little bee friend. He was nice enough, except for the fact that he kept landing on my sandwich exactly where I was about to bite. I don't think either of us would have wanted to be friends anymore if he ended up in my mouth. Sick. After trying to mate with some pork** that had fallen from my sandwich, my bee friend found himself satiated and went on for porkier pastures.

Then came the pigeons (in frankonology "rats with wings"). I'm not sure why they decided to come settle at my feet, as I wasn't nearly as appealing as the large man spreading breadcrumbs around the corner (I've really never understood people who seek out these infested creatures). I've got absolutely no time for birds of any kind that come begging for food...in fact, I've got absolutely no time for anything that begs for anything, except maybe the cute Tijuanan boy selling chilclett...I love me some chiclett. Well, soon enough the birds had their fill of the measly pickins in my area and, all at once, decided to head back to tubby with the breadcrumbs. They all began flapping and flying in my direction, narrowly missing my terrified face. This hubub caused me to shriek out and take cover, to the amusement of my lunching neighbors.

But, have no fear. This is only the second most embarrassing thing that happened to me today. I started the day off with a face plant as I boarded my bus this morning...a bus that had already left the station and kindly stopped to pick me up on the side of the street as I flagged it down (today I promise I wasn't late...there is a new driver and I swear her clock is fast). Needless to say, if all the passengers weren't already looking to see who was holding up their morning commute, they sure were after the loud crash and squeal that announced my arrival.

*Not the kind one might cover with doilies.
**Not chops, which I have also been known to eat outside.

It's getting worse

2008-07-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

I thought by being open about my new problem it would make it go away. The first step to rehab is admission that I have a problem, right? Wrong...

This weekend, while on a lovely getaway to Bend, OR with my roommate Ashley, I left my cell phone at the pizza/salad buffet where we were having dinner. Luckily it wasn't stolen and I was able to retrieve it when we went back.

Not that the cell phone would have done anyone a lick of good. Ol' celly is nearly dead and is fast approaching the grave. In fact, I think tomorrow she'll go to that great place where all cell phones eventually go (the mouth of a friend's baby...what is it about babies' fascination with cell phones?). I've been meaning to get a new phone, and a new phone number, and a new provider for almost a year now. I get no cell phone coverage in my house, I'm still paying taxes on a California number, and my phone doesn't hold a charge for half a day. Now, aside from the charge problem, I'm not able to send text messages and the phone doesn't notify me if I have incoming calls or messages (until I see the little voicemail icon). The alarm didn't even work this morning. The screen also freezes and it looks like I've stayed connected on a call for 10+ hours. I hope I'm not being charged for this!

So tomorrow, I shall finally make the great switch from Sprint to Verizon, thereby being able to chat endlessly to my family and friends (Desiree...don't wet yourself, I'll still be on my way somewhere when we talk...and HAPPY BIRTHDAY if you happen to be reading this today). I'll somehow let you all know if I end up getting a new number with my new phone...but that might be too much change for me in one day. Besides, at the rate I'm going, who knows if I'll be able to remember it.

Loser

2008-07-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

Mama said I'd lose my head

If it wasn't fastened on.

Today I guess it wasn't

'Cause while playing with my cousin

It fell off and rolled away

And now its gone.

And I can't look for it

'Cause my eyes are in it,

And I can't call to it

'Cause my mouth is on it

(Couldn't hear me anyway

'Cause my ears are on it),

Can't even think about it

'Cause my brain is in it.

So I guess I'll sit down

On this rock

And rest for just a minute…

~Shel Silverstein

I recited this poem for an audience in 4th grade. Who knew the foreshadowing this poem held for me 20 years later. In the last 2 weeks I've managed to leave my camera at the Fourth of July Fireworks at Tigard HS (never to be seen again) and my hiking shoes at the trail head for Saddle Mountain (luckily found awaiting me hours later when we returned for them...thanks Craig!!). What is happening to me? All of my friends tell me you start to lose your mind and forget things once you have kids. I think it's only coincidental that it happens then and really I think it's just about getting old. I've never been one to forget things...my red/type A/anal retentive (whatever you choose to call it) personality won't allow for it. So, either I'm loosening up in my 30s, or I'm losing my mind. Either way, it's resulting in losing stuff, which I'm not happy about. Am I going to turn into my mother and attach anything of value to my person or their designated location with an old brown piece of yarn? So help me...

P.S. Due to the loss of the camera, a post on the trek will be forthcoming...sorry for the delay. Stay tuned!

Calling All Stalkers

2008-06-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

FYI: If you are a stalker on this blog and you happen to run into me at Joann Fabrics in Tigard on a Saturday afternoon, don’t be afraid to say hi!! As awkward as you think the conversation might be, I’d love to meet you!*

*unless you are a creepy person who’s not a friend of a friend of a friend and you are planning to lure me to your unmarked van with candy and then kill me. I would not love to meet you.

The Game

2008-06-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

As has been previously mentioned (I seem to be saying that a lot lately) I have a LOVE of other people's photos. So, when I saw this game on Sara's blog, I had to play along. Here is my resulting mosaic.

Want to play? Here's how:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name. (kid version: favorite animal?)

photo credits: 1. Renee, 2. Pad Thai - Closeup Pad Thai, 3. Hey, Hot Shot! Entries: Remi Thornton, 4. Pink for the Cure, 5. Pace Family, 6. cocacola, 7. Belize 020, 8. Chocolate Cake Balls, 9. MOMMY & BABY / MAMÃE E BEBÊ, 10. fisher price lil people, 11. Genuine Smile, 12. A Star and an Elephant

Gimpy McGimperson

2008-06-04T19:29:00.001-07:00

It was the last two minutes of our indoor soccer game on Tuesday night. I went hard for a ball in the corner, determined to score at least one goal in our currently 0-5 game. Just one goal!! Well, apparently I was a little too determined, because I rolled over my ankle, heard a little snap, crackle, and pop, and I was down for the count. I've sprained many an ankle before, but never had the pain been this bad. I can usually "walk it off" or at least "walk off the field" but not this time. I had to literally be carried off the field. The injury necessitated a trip to the ER later that night and since then I've been sitting on my toosh trying to rest it. Here is what I've learned in my days of invalidacy (is that a word??):

1. It takes an act of God to get me to slow down. I've been ridiculously exhausted over the last week and half and there was no end in sight. I think this sprain was God's way of telling me that I need to take a break and have a rest.

2. I have amazing friends! Everyone was so helpful from getting me ice, to getting me home, to getting me food, to giving me a blessing, to taking me to the ER, to checking up on me. I am so blessed to have such good people in my life.

3. I sort of love going to the ER. This is probably because I've never had a horrible or traumatic experience there (well, I take that back, a few were bad). But, mostly they've been for sprained ankles...and those trips are fun. Your friends are there, you get to play with the hospital equipment (last time this involved me being inverted in my hospital bed by Scott and Joe when the doctor finally came in), and just hanging out.

4. I have discovered the best kept secret hospital in the Portland area. I'm not going to tell you what it is or else it won't be a secret anymore, but we were in and out of the ER in less than an hour (including check-in, x-rays, doctor's chat, splinting, crutches, and a conversation with the nurse about indoor soccer). And everyone there was SUPER friendly and fun. They made for a great ER experience!

5. I hate crutches. I used them for about 5 minutes to get into the house after the hospital and they've since been ditched. I'd rather hobble around like a gimp. The doctor says it's good for healing :) I might be singing a different tune when I go back to work tomorrow and I'll bring them just in case. But I won't be happy about it.

6. As much as I thought I'd love to have a few days at home with nothing to do but watch TV and check email...I'm bored out of my mind. My toosh hurts and I wish I could get off this couch and do something. I'm definitely well rested, but also a little stir crazy. It's funny how when I have full use of all my limbs I don't want to go to the gym...but now all I can think about is going for a run.

7. (this one I already knew) I hate the fact that I don't bruise. When I get hurt badly, I want something to show for it. But no, I get a perfectly flesh colored ankle that's a little swollen. Why can't I get all black and blue and that sick yellow color (like this). I need war wounds...I've got nothing to show for it!!

Larry vs. Me

(check below for all of the posts that I started weeks ago and am only now getting to finish. Thank goodness for an injury and a few days off, huh??)

I Love Visitors - Emily Edition

2008-05-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

I think I've mentioned it before, but I've had more visitors in the year I've lived in Portland than I did in the entire 4 years I was in LA. Maybe even more than LA plus the 3 years I was in DC! I'm telling you...Portland is the new vacation destination! Come and check it out for yourself!! In light of this, I'm instituting "I Love Visitors" as a new spot on the blog. (watch, this will jinx me and I won't get any more).

Little Miss Emily came for a visit to Portland a few weeks ago! It was SO great to see her!! She did a pretty good job of outlining the trip on her blog. I went down to Eugene to pick her up and spent a lovely evening with her aunt and uncle who were very fun and hospitable. We had a great dinner, slept in, looked at her uncle's new koi pond, and then had a nice drive up to Portland. We spent our time shopping, eating, touring historical sites, watching great movies, and hiking in the rain. We even did a bunch of things I've never done before like happy hour at Jake's Famous Crawfish, The Chinese Gardens, and a great hike in Northwest. These things will definitely be added to the Portland visitors' itinerary. It was such a fun trip, and mostly just great to hang out with Em. Thanks for coming Emily!! I hope you come back soon!

A Year in the Life

2008-05-14T09:54:00.001-07:00

This week I hit my one-year anniversary in the Great Northwest, Portland Oregon. As with most anniversaries, I have this "Didn't I just move here?" and "Man, I feel like I've been here for WAY over a year" combination of feelings. Since A Year in the Life of Miss Renee has been adequately documented on this hear blog, I won't do the full recap. But, I just have to say that it's been an amazing year. I've been completely happy with my move and have loved being here from the moment my big toe entered this fine state. I have made some incredible friends, have had a lot of fun exploring the city, and have been really happy. It has been a great place for me to be and I've learned a lot since moving here. It will be fun to see what the next year has in store for me :)

Arachnophobia

2008-05-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

I'd like to preface this post by saying that I'm not typically afraid of spiders, bugs or snakes. I don't particularly love them in my house, but they do not generally evoke any fear or anxiety. In fact, I once had a little bee friend when I was in school at CSU. He would come and hang out with me on the quad when I would study/nap between classes (and let's be honest, there was definitely more napping than studying). But me and the bee - no fear, just friends.

I was taking a sleepy shower this morning (my term for trying to get a few extra minutes of shut-eye by taking a shower with my eyes closed) when, through a tiny open slit, I saw this:

Yes, this GIGANTIC spider was perched on the wall just above the shower head. This not so little guy tore me from my sleepy state and had me at full attention for the rest of my shower. He was HUGE and brought flashbacks of that scene in Arachnophobia where the spider lands on the showering girl's face and she dies (she died, right? It's been a while.). At any rate, standing naked and wet in an enclosed space with a possibly deadly spider left me feeling a little vulnerable. But, I was only on step one of my 5 step showering process (you can ask me later) and all 5 steps were necessary on this particular day. I spent the entire shower in a state of near panic and even bruised my heels when spidey momentarily lost his grip on the increasingly misty wall and almost plummeted into the bathtub with me. Luckily he caught himself, but it didn't stop him from trudging on in his pursuit of the ceiling. When it came time to rinse out my conditioner, I positioned the shower head nearly horizontal to the ground and had to back bend into the stream of water so I could keep one eye on him at all times. I didn't need him slipping down (or intentionally jumping) onto my face and killing me with his poison bite.

After the traumatic showering I was trying to figure out how to dispose of spidey so I didn't find him waiting for me in my bed when I came home tonight. Luckily, as I was devising my plan, I heard a big thud and realized he'd fallen from the ceiling and was awaiting his death-by-drowning on the bottom of the tub. With a quick flick of the nozzle, I was able to whisk him away in a perfectly safe (for me) and humane (I'm assuming) death down the bathtub drain. Phew! I'm so glad that's over. Now I can return to my 20 minutes of snoozing-while-pretending-to-get-clean in the mornings.

The Great GC

2008-04-28T17:54:00.001-07:00

As has already been mentioned, I turned the big 3-0 earlier this month. And, since it's sort of a big birthday, I wanted to take a big trip to celebrate. I tossed around destinations like Costa Rica and Hawaii, but finally settled on the Grand Canyon, because c'mon...what's bigger than the Grand Canyon (except maybe the moon...and while I did go to Space Camp, I'm pretty sure the moon ain't happenin' for me anytime soon).

So, this weekend was the big birthday trip and I spent the big weekend with two of my favorite boys (excluding my dad of course, who really is more of a man, so he doesn't qualify for this category). Sorry if you were one of the many men who thought you were my favorite. Perhaps you'll have your chance to attain that status if we ever do something like this:

Scott and Paul and I had an incredible weekend backpacking the Grand Canyon. I know this may sound dumb, but I really had no idea how BIG the Grand Canyon really is. The pictures don't even do it justice. It was AMAZING!! The vastness and beauty were breathtaking (as was the hike from Bright Angel Campground back up to the rim of the canyon...literally...I had no breath).

I was about to say "I'll spare you the details" but unfortunately I am who I am and it's impossible for me to do such a thing. Just so you can be impressed with how amazing the Grand Canyon is (and how amazing we are for hiking it) I'll not spare you the details.

With about 4 hours of pretend sleep under my belt, we began the descent into the Canyon on Saturday morning, taking the South Kaibab trail (which is about 7 miles and about 4780 ft elevation change). I was a little worried that my 30-year old body, particularly my knees, wouldn't be able to handle the trip...but she held up just fine. I had to do lots of IT band stretches and maybe looked like I had cerebral palsy going downhill with my two hiking poles, but I made it down unscathed except for a blister on my right hand that burst about an hour into the 5 hour hike. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and got hotter and hotter as we went further into the canyon (which made me nothing but happy since I've been living in drearyville these days).

We made it to the bottom in a little under 5 hours, found a lovely campsite right by a river that feeds into the Colorado, and then hit the beach. Yes, there is a beach at the bottom, on the banks of the Colorado River. I was initially upset that I forgot a bathing suit and was about ready to strip down to my sports bra and dive in...until I got my feet wet and realized that the water was FREEZING! A few brave souls (including Paul) took the dive, but I'm my father's daughter and I HATE cold water. I was perfectly contented to lounge on the beach in the shade of a tree. We met up with some of Paul's fellow trainees (he is at the GC for 2 weeks for a National Park Service Training with people from National Parks all over the country) then went back to the camp site for some much needed grub. Paul made us a delicious din din of camp quesadillas...YUM!! After dinner we hung out on Scott's raft of a bed roll and chatted with our new friends. Then we headed to the mess hall at Phantom Ranch (yes, there is also a ranch at the bottom) for a night cap (or cocoa). We hit the hay around 9:00 and spent an amazing night sleeping under the most beautiful starlit sky of my life (and I even saw a shooting star just before falling asleep).

We woke up early (5 am) the next morning and prepared for our hike out. This time we were taking the Bright Angel Trail which is about 9.3 miles and 4460 ft elevation change. I started the morning off strong and was trucking through the first 4.5 miles. I found this hike to be SO beautiful! I loved the stream and the canyon walls and the brief glimpses of the entire canyon below. It was amazing. We met up with our friends who started the ascent earlier than us and continued with them for the rest of the day. They provided some much needed entertainment. I continued strong through Devil's Corkscrew to Indian Garden, the lovely little mid-way point. We hung out, had some food, and took a jaunt to Plateau Point (though Scott and I got distracted by a photo shoot and didn't make it all the way there). I was feeling great at this point, knowing we were half way there. But, then I realized that in the first 4.5 miles we gained 1300 ft in elevation. And in the second half, we were covering about the same distance but gaining 3000 ft in elevation. YIPES!! I made the mistake of filling my 3 liter camelback, which was totally unnecessary considering there was a water station in a mile and a half. It weighed me down a bit and I was definitely quite a bit slower in the second half. But, me and my 35 pound backpack trudged up the endless switchbacks. I won't say it was easy. My hips were begging me to just stop, drop my pack, and make my home on the ridge. But, I will say that it was completely amazing, beautiful, and gratifying. Scott (and his previously unknown to me competitive streak) raced up the canyon in the second half. He turned a switchback ahead of us and was never to be seen again. When we finally made it to the top, it was pure, sweet success! I saw a couple with ice cream cones and yelled "ICE CREAM!" and b-lined it for the soda fountain shop. Rainbow Sherbet never tasted so good.

Scott and I had early flights to catch on Monday morning, so we went back to Paul's place, showered, and then headed back to Phoenix (with a brief stop at Arby's where we gorged ourselves on all of the fried food we could get our hands on). We visited with his cousin, took a dip in the hot tub, ate some more food (c'mon, we burned a LOT of calories on the hike) and then crashed out. I woke up exactly 2 minutes before our planned 4 am departure time and we headed to the airport. Every step was excruciating and I hated the idea of putting the pack on my back one more time. Scott even ditched most of his belongings (including throwing his hiking shoes in the trash) to lighten the load.

So, the big trip for the big 3-o was about as big and as good as it could get. I had an amazing time with my two BFs, was reminded of God's love and the beauty of the earth, and came to know myself a little better. BIG thanks to Paul and Scott for making it such an amazing and memorable weekend. You guys are great and I miss you both already! I'd love to go back and do it again if anyone's up for it. Though, while I'm glad I backpacked it the first time around (mostly so I can say I've done it), next time I would definitely book a room at Phantom Ranch which would require only a day pack.

And now, just like aunt Mildred, I'm going to subject you to a slide show of my photos of My Trip to the Grand Canyon (totally cliche, I know). But, at least you can look at them at your leisure (or not look at them at all) and you don't even need to feign interest!

portland is a fickle little h

2008-04-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

She's a tease...and I don't like a tease!! This weekend brought us GORGEOUS weather. It was in the 80s, sunny, beautiful, trees are in bloom, the air smelled sweet, it was DRY. I spent the day outside participating in the usual summer activities: soccer practice in the morning, washing my car in the afternoon. I got a little sweaty and my skin is beginning to lose the Boo Radley look it's taken on. It was delightful. I was ready to put away my winter coats and pack up the sweaters.

And then...Monday rolled around. I am not typically a hater of Mondays. It is certainly not my favorite day of the week, but I've never had a "case of the Mondays" as they say. Well, maybe I have...but the day isn't inherently bad...except this week. Monday came, and with it came the FREEZING COLD, rain, clouds, sweaters and coats. I'm all for winter...don't get me wrong. I wasn't at all bothered by the Northwest winter with the rain and cold. I like my winter clothes, I like to get bundled, I like winter sports, and I like how winter gives you an appreciation for spring and summer. BUT, like I said, I DON'T like a tease. Don't give me one weekend of wonderfully warm weather and then snatch it away and give me bitter cold and rain. Perhaps I was spoiled by the constant 70 degree weather and gradual temperature changes of Southern California. Those 4 years made me forget that spring is fickle...but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Even my winter coat is rebelling. I lost TWO buttons on the coat yesterday...TWO!! It's as if my coat is saying, "I've had enough! I'm done! I'll button no longer!" (In a strange coincidence, I also lost a button on my shirt yesterday...perhaps this post should be about the work-out plan I'll soon be initiating rather than how I wish it would warm up?)

At any rate...spring, come back, I'm not mad...I promise!

what would you do for a renee dollar?

2008-03-31T23:36:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me (which I assume is the case if you are reading this blog...but perhaps that's a mistaken assumption) knows that I:

1) Love a good competition and
2) Will do almost* anything for money.

My darling friends realized these two great things about me and threw a birthday party that was perfectly suited for me. Following a delicious dinner at Salvador Mali's, we headed to our place for the festivities which involved playing, "What would you do for a dollar?"

The Rules:
1. Everyone gets 5 Renee Bucks
2. Challenge people to do stuff for money
3. Be WILD and creative
4. Whoever has the most money at the end of the night wins the BIG PRIZE (a date with me).

So, what would you do for a dollar?

Ethan ate an entire jar of pickles.
I drank the juice.
Ashley told everyone that she's a Wild Succulent Woman (so did Russ).
Jeff Kissed me (on the lips).
Laurie shook her booty (among other things).
I pinned someone up against the wall with my bum for 5 seconds without saying anything.
Jessica bit some guy's arm.
Ethan crawled through people's legs.
Gabe tried (unsuccessfully) to grope Peter, but Ethan gladly let him.
Jeff made butt to butt contact with everyone in the room.
Mega Mike flew me.
Gabe bit people's calves.
I stripped*.
Laura sang one for the cougs.
Ariana caught olives in her mouth.
I did the worm.
Kevin stood on his hands.
Andy drank the sickest thing I could ever imagine.
I shimmied.

I learned two things:
1) I have no shame.
2) Maybe I should develop some.

Many brave and embarrassing acts were performed for fake money that night and it made for a delightful party. Big thanks go out to everyone (especially Laurie) for leaving their inhibition at the door. Thanks for such a great party and for helping me get the 30th b-day celebrations off to a great start!!

Here are some pics of the birthday dinner and a few of the party (unfortunately the camera didn't catch most of the hilarity).

*All previously established standards of modesty and propriety were kept.

Earth Schmearth

2008-03-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

I was inspired last week by Cobb's post on earth hour. I wanted to join the efforts to save our earth by turning out the lights from 8-9pm on Saturday March 29th. Unfortunately, that time conflicted with my previously planned birthday party. I mean, priorities, right? So, we decided to delay the celebration and have it tonight instead.

At 8:00 pm on the dot, we turned off all the lights and unplugged a few things, thus (reportedly) reducing our carbon footprint by a smidgen. Mostly I was excited to hang out with my friends in the dark for an hour while giving the appearance of saving the earth without having to do that much. Courtney made a number of suggestions for ways of entertaining ourselves in the dark. We opted to play speed scrabble and Five Crowns by candle light. I was enjoying myself immensely, but apparently saving the earth isn't fun for my friends. You would think they'd be into it since they live in Oregon, but apparently they hate the earth. I even found out that Gabe doesn't even recycle!! What?? They couldn't stop complaining. But, when 9:00 rolled around, I didn't see anyone jumping up to turn the lights back on. Perhaps in that quiet hour they had time to meditate on how much they love the earth and being in the dark. Besides, without earth hour, we never would have gotten to see the obese drunkard burn down.

Before

After

Stuffin

2008-03-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted a big booty...

What do you think??

Extracurricular Activities

2008-03-13T21:35:00.001-07:00

Has anyone ever asked you what your hobbies are or what you enjoy doing? I think it's a fairly common question, particularly when meeting new people. I always have a really hard time answering it, though it should be fairly simple, right? What do you like to do? My problem is not that I can't come up with anything, but that I have a tremendously hard time narrowing it down. I like to do just about everything. I'll try anything once and I like to pretend that I'm "in" to lots of stuff. My problem is that I sort of jump from activity to activity and never really get good at any of them. My commitment problems are blatantly manifest in the way I spend my leisure time.

I've recently semi-committed to two extracurricular activities that I've loved for a long long time. First off, I joined an indoor soccer team. My friend Jenn from DC moved to Portland a few months ago and graciously invited me to join her team. We're called the Leftovers...and it's a pretty good description. We're certainly not the best team on the league, but we sure do have a lot of fun. Re-committing to this sport has made it painfully clear how out of shape I am. I thought going to my yoga class once a week and occasionally doing the elliptical machine was keeping me fairly fit. That might be true, but cardiovascularly I'm a mess. After about 3 minutes of running around the field like a mad-woman, I was so dizzy that I thought I was going to pass out. I couldn't catch my breath and my lips were tingling!! In an effort not to look like a pansy, I stayed in for another 5 minutes and then thought it was a good time to give another girl a chance to play. I was so tired I could hardly lift my hand to ask for a sub. Jenn had warned me about this but I was deaf to her words of caution. Once I subbed out I went straight to the bathroom because I thought I was going to throw up. Fortunately, I kept all my fluids in my body, where they belong, and I returned to the bench to lay down for a second. The ref even asked me if I was ok. One of the other ladies on the team had pulled her quad, so that made me the only sub. I was back in for round 2. This time I did much better, primarily because I paced myself (read - hardly chased after the ball and only exerted energy when it was absolutely necessary). By the end of the game my legs were like lead and I could hardly move them. I managed to pull my groin the next day at yoga, so I was a bit of a mess for a few days. Last night's game was MUCH better. It was still a little rough, but I wasn't going into a panic due to lack of oxygen and threat of unconsciousness. Ahhhh, I love exercising...seriously.

On the other side of the spectrum, I've picked up knitting again. It's been a long time since I've taken up the needles, probably since the good ol' days of the knitting group on Cheryl's couch in LA. Man, those were good times. Well, I've formed my own little knitting group up here in Portland. It consists of me and Q-tip mama, Ellen. She's teaching me to knit these fantastic fingerless gloves. It will certainly be my most ambitious project to date, but I think I'm up to the task. They might take me several months to complete, at which time gloves might be out of season, but hey...I'll have a brand new pair for next year, right? It's especially fun because I get to hang out with Ellen in her adorable house. She's been laid up with a broken ankle for a couple of weeks, so I like to think that it's a mutually beneficial relationship. I get to enjoy her company, sandwiches, and knitting skills and she gets a break from the boredom of being couch bound. It's a win win!!

I Love Visitors!

2008-03-02T23:00:00.000-08:00

My favorite thing about visitors coming to town, besides the fact that I get to spend time with my out-of-town peeps, is that I get to explore my awesome city. Every time someone comes to town I realize how much I love Portland. This is partially due to the fact that I get to see Portland through newcomers' eyes and be with them when they discover how completely rad this town is. It's also because I usually get to try out something new that I've never done before. Of course, I always take people to my favorite hot spots (particularly Sloan and Mio Sushi on NW 23rd) but each time it's like I discover a new little gem in the city of Roses. This was no exception when Kathya and Sylvia came to town.

Two things have been on my list of things to do since I moved to Portland: 1) The Kennedy School (This old school house that has been converted into a great little hang-out including a restaurant, movie theater, and several little pubs, one of which is named Detention) and 2) Multnomah Falls. Kathya and Sylvia are such incredible little travellers (including their obsession with over-priced trinkets) and had the trip perfectly planned. They walked all over the city on Friday while I was at work and hit all of the Portland must-sees. I think the highlight for Sylvia was Powell's Bookstore.
Kathya was not at all happy about having to walk from Chinatown up the hill to the Japanese Gardens, only to find them closed.

Friday night we hit up the Kennedy School and, though at first felt like we should be wearing dunce caps because we couldn't really figure stuff out, ended up having a fantastic time. Sylvia kept saying, "This is definitely the most interesting thing I've EVER done!" They are now officially obsessed with all things McMenamins and are planning a return trip in which they can visit all locations. Saturday we went to the falls where we had a nice little hike, a delicious lunch, and a "brief" drive into the Gorge in search of the Bridge of the Gods. Luckily, our search for ice cream led us right to the elusive and celestial bridge so the detour wasn't in vain. We also nearly escaped death at the hands of a serial killer who was stalking us. I don't think I've ever been flipped off more times by a single person in my life. Our evening ended with a shopping spree and sushi on NW 23rd (natch) before a night of salsa dancing at Aztec Willies.
I had such a great time and I can't wait for them to come back in the Spring!!

Friendship Basket - Amy

2008-02-25T23:28:00.001-08:00

Little Miss Amy came out for a visit a few weeks ago and we had a great time. Last time she was here I didn't take any pictures of the two of us. On this trip, I did a little better. I took one picture of Amy and my roommate Ashley. Aren't they cute?? We had a lovely little time hanging out in Portland. We closed down a little Thai place for dinner on Friday night. Had a delicious breakfast at Rose's deli and hit up the Columbia employees store for some good buys. Saturday night we went to see The Counterfeiters (which later went on to win the Academy Award for best foreign language film), and spent the night with the girls out on the town.

Really it doesn't matter what we do when Amy is around. I always have a wonderful time. She's one of those people who I can totally be myself around. I have SO much fun but can also have a good heart to heart. She's amazing.

She has also spent a lot of time in the friendship basket, so it's time to say goodbye (notice, she wasn't complaining this time that the friend had been in the basket so long). You can see her blurb and some additional pictures below. This is Amy...or as I like to call this picture "Crazy Amy". This picture is my favorite of Amy, because it captures her essence. Notice the big smile. Amy is ALWAYS a barrel of laughs. I have SO much fun when I'm around Amy, even if it's in the middle of the night and we're laughing at the phrase, "The Bombdiggity". It doesn't matter what we're doing, I'm sure to have fun when I'm around this girl. Also, notice the Jazz Hands. Amy LOVES to boogie. The girl can get down on the dancefloor like no other and she truly knows how to shake what her mamma gave her. Notice the wall behind Amy. She transformed her stinky basement bedroom into a beautiful lair with glue and brown paper bags. The girl is a genius when it comes to crafts and decorating. Her new condo in SLC is adorable and she's always on the lookout for special finds. I met Amy when I lived in Washington DC and we knew immediately that we were meant to be friends. We worked at the same place, lived across the street from each other, were in the same FHE group, and I was her visiting teacher. Even if we didn't want to be friends, we would have to be friends. The great thing is, I totally wanted to be her friend. In addition to being so fun, a great dancer, and a craft genius, Amy is one of the most loving, genuine, and thoughtful people I know. I am lucky to count her a friend and I gladly put her in my basket :)

This is another picture illustrative of Amy's excitement.

Again, notice the jazz hands!

One of my favorite things to with Aimes is travel. Here we are in NYC.

Here we are in Philadelphia on the miraculous New Years 2003 (and Amy's b-day).

Amy likes to get dressed up. Here she is as a punk.

And here she is as a bug, after rolling around in the leaves.

And here she is as a very angry pig, a pig I like to call pootsie.

Serious Fun on the High Seas

2008-02-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

Despite being raised in land-locked Colorado, without an ocean in sight, it turns out I'm a decent deep sea fisherman, or woman if you prefer to be politically correct. I tried my hand at the rod yesterday under the clear blue sky off the Northern Pacific Coast in February. It was an unseasonably beautiful day outside of Depoe Bay. After a number of morning snafus, we finally made it onto the open sea in the early afternoon on the Clark's boat Serious Fun.

(Parenthetically - WARING: I'm about to type an entire paragraph in parentheses - I love boat names. Whenever I'm at a marina my favorite thing to do is read the names of boats. Some people can be SO creative and come up with great names for their sea faring babies. My favorite of all boat names comes from my dad's cousins Bob and Anne. When they were a young married couple, Anne was saving up to buy some rugs for their home. She'd been saving and saving her money. One day, her husband Bob decides to use the money Anne was saving for her rugs and buy a boat instead. Anne was furious, as you might guess! But to compensate, Bob named the boat Anne's Rugs. Cute, eh? I'm not sure it was really enough to make up for the blunder, but I like it nonetheless. And, they've continued to name all of their boats after the first one. I think they are now on Anne's Rugs VI).

So, I started this post over a week ago and had all kinds of clever things to say. But, now I'm bored with it, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, sort of:

Here's Tom chopping up the crab bait...ick.

Me with a fish head. To the left of the picture you can see the crab traps.

Me and Deneal a'fishin' off the side of the boat

Here's my biggest catch! I caught 6 fish, three of which we had to throw back because they were too small. But this guy was gigantic! I had a H of a time getting it into the boat. It's called a Cabazon (never heard of it) and was 25 inches long! I had some serious fishing mojo!!

We caught some serious crabs (in a good way). The crabbing was really fun. I felt like I was on the deadliest catch. Hauling in those pots was hard work! But well worth it...yum yum!!

This might have been the biggest crab we caught. Deneal was manhandling it for about 10 minutes. After posing for this photo she was working on cracking off the top shell, which wasn't working too well. She took a break and turned her head for a moment...

And then this happened! Ouch!

All in all, the high seas were serious fun...seriously.

DC Trippin'...or Jumpin'??

2008-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

I was well on my way to breaking New Year's Resolution #1 when I took a short weekend trip to Washington DC a few weeks ago. The justification for the trip was that my friend Shawn Lindseth was getting married. (I usually avoid using first and last names on the blog, but his is one of those names that is always first and last. Unless you want to call him Steak or Iceberg, which were the only names by which I knew him for the first few months of our acquaintance). So, back to the topic at hand...I went to DC for the wedding, but really it was just a great excuse to get away and to see some old peeps. Though the number of friends in DC has decreased drastically since I moved away 5 years ago (almost to the day), some of my favorites are still kicking around. Also, as luck would have it, the reception was being held in York, PA which happens to be the very town where my cousin is living and going to art school. So, I had 3 totally unrelated groups of people to fit into my short 3 1/2 days in town. This made the trip very worthwhile, but I was also a little stressed about being able to see all of the people and have all the good times that I knew were awaiting me there.

This time, God was on my side, and He was not about to see me break a NY Resolution less than a month into the New Year. Miraculously, I was able to see everyone and do everything that I wanted to. And, I even felt like I got good quality time with most people. So, all in all it was a fantastic trip!! I know not to tempt God again in the future, but I'm soooo glad it all worked out this time!!

I haven't been back to DC in several years and it was so fantastic to be back in the city. I stayed with Betsy, who has an adorable apartment in Dupont Circle. It made me so happy to be walking around the blustery city, taking the metro everywhere, and feeling so connected with everything around me. There is something about the city that makes me feel so alive! I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as I walked around the neighborhood. Even the sounds of the metro made me super happy and, oddly enough, made me recall some of the books I read while commuting all those years ago (particularly the long ones like Atlas Shrugged and Harry Potter).

As expected, the weekend was filled with good times! After getting hit on by a slightly creepy middle-aged man on the train from the airport, I met up with Bets at her swanky Dupont Law Firm and we had lunch at a delicious little tavern. I got to meet Betsy's friend Lincoln and have some good thought provoking conversations. We ate at a couple of fun restaurants in areas of DC that used to be super ghetto when I lived there and are now alive and thriving. We spent an evening in Adam's Morgan, got a taste of what it feels like to be a minority at a Reggae club, and ate some jumbo pizza. We hit up all of the major touristy spots, took a jog through the National Gallery, went to the top of the Washington Monument (which I'd never done before), and of course we jumped.

This pizza is so big three of us could eat it at the same

time and not invade any personal space

The boys

The highlight of the trip was meeting up with all of the old DC peeps for dinner at Five Guys, one of my favorite old burger joints (unfortunately, I took absolutely no pictures of these events). Paul, Betsy, Elizabeth, and Lincoln always make for great company and great conversation...it was as though no time at all had passed since the old days. After dinner we went over to Chris' house. He was on baby duty since the lovely Kate was on call (she's in her medical residency and just had an adorable little baby, Eva...she's a super woman!). Chris was one of my best friends from DC and I haven't seen nor spoken to him for 5 years (outside of the occasional email or voice message). Since we last parted on that snowy hill in Old Town, Chris has been on a mission, gotten married, and had a baby!! It's pretty crazy what can happen in 5 years. But it was so great to hang out and get caught up. Kate made it home before the night was over, and the bonus was that Chris' brother Jon and Jon's wife Wendy were both there too. What a reunion!!

I got to spend a lovely afternoon with Paul, who feeds my soul (and coincidentally my belly too). We took Jasmine to the dog park and ran into B-Cash (HA!) then had a nice lunch in Shirlington. Then I met back up with the wedding peeps to take the mormon fun bus up to York, PA for the wedding reception.

After numerous detours in hot pursuit of Friendly's, an East Coast diner with AMAZING ice cream delights (also featured in my favorite children's book Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday), and a long ride on the floor of the van wedged between the two captain seats, we finally arrived at the church in York where the reception was to be held. The reception was nice, food was good, friends were fun. Highlights included a rousing rendition of Dean Martin's That's Amore, C&Os style; incredible icey punch; and being tricked into thinking that Chip (who caught the garter) had previously hooked up with the girl who caught the bouquet, making for a very awkward moment (I'm so gullible...and I was working hard to get that scoop!). The lowlight of the evening involved being forced out onto the floor for said bouquet toss. I'm too old for that crap, enough said. Mostly the evening was delightful because it was spent with my friends who I love and who are always a great good time.

Following the reception, my cousin Anna and her friends came to pick me up and we went back to Anna's apartment. It was SO fun to see her place, she's such a little grown up. They took me by her school and if I looked really hard I could see one of her art projects on the shelf through a window on the second floor. It was so great to hang out with her and her roommate. We played Disney's Scene It and I learned I know absolutely nothing about Disney movies. I couldn't even get the questions on the cards designed for the kiddies! They were helping out a bit, which did eventually lead me to a victory over Anna :) We stayed up late and chatted, then woke up early for a pancake breakfast before heading to the airport. It was so fun to hang out with Anna in PA one last time. She's almost done with school (I'm so proud of her) and then she'll be headed up to New Hampshire where she and her family are moving.

Another fantastic trip!! I don't know how I pulled it off, but I did!! I saw everyone and did everything that I wanted to. I had lots of long sit-down and catch up conversations with people. Nothing felt rushed (except perhaps for a moment on Saturday afternoon). And I had a delightful time. Thank goodness (again and again) for great friends and cool cities, two things so very close to my heart!!

Greatest Snow on Earth?

2008-02-08T17:04:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I HATE the Utah license plate slogan, "Ski Utah, Greatest Snow on Earth." I mostly hate it because I think it's a little cocky and we all know that the greatest snow on earth is in Colorado. At least that's what I thought until yesterday, when I experienced the greatest snow of my entire life right here in Oregon.

I finally got up on the mountain for a little snowboarding. Sadly it was my first time up this year. Gladly, it was AMAZING!! We went to Meadows on Mt. Hood and they had just been dumped on. There were 12 inches of new snow from the day before and they got another 19 on the day we were riding. They had the largest base in the country at 200". I've never ridden in such incredible powder.

It snowed for most of the day and at times it was total white out conditions, but it was so worth it for fresh tracks all day long. You can only imagine how I got worked by the powder since it was my first time up this year. All I have to say is that the muscles around my jaw were sore the next day! What?? Apparently it was a tense workout to keep up with all of my friends, avoid getting stuck in thigh deep powder, and scoot along the flat parts. But we found some incredible runs that made you feel like you were floating on a big white fluffy cloud. Incredible.

I would include pictures, but they would probably look something like this:

Mini-Break

2008-02-07T22:47:00.000-08:00

Before moving to Portland, I was really worried that the winter months would be long and dreary and wet. I won't lie. It's been wet. But, it has been far from long and dreary! This is mostly due to the fact that I've had lots of visitors and have taken a couple of mini-trips since the New Year began. Who knew so many people would want to visit Portland in the winter?? You can read about some of the visitors in the previous post and I'm sure in posts that are to come. Now on to the trips:

In the middle of January, a group of friends from Oregon rented a beach house on the Oregon Coast and had a little weekend getaway. It was so great. It reminded me a little of our beach trips to North Carolina when I lived in DC (except that it was a little chillier, there was no hammock, and no beach houses could ever compare to the places in Duck). What this house did have, was a fantastic hot tub that overlooked our own private little cove.

We spent a lot of time hot tubbin' and hanging around the house. On Saturday, we took a trip into Newport and had a yummy breakfast, walked around the shops, bought some delicious salt water taffy, and visited with the locals. Ignacio took some time to molest a gigantic bear.

After that, we went to check out this great lighthouse.

And then we went to play on the beach.

And of course we jumped. What would a trip be without jumping??

The Oregon Coast is incredibly beautiful with lush greenery, impressive cliffs, and wide beaches. It's not exactly the beach I was used to in LA and it generally requires several more layers of clothing. But, I never cease to be amazed by the mighty Pacific and love spending time near the ocean whenever I can. Hopefully we'll be making a return trip in a few weeks!

The DC trip really deserves a post of its own. Stay tuned!!

Three Way Hug

2008-02-02T15:01:00.000-08:00

You've already probably read all about Ryan and Cheyney's visit to Portland at the end of January if you are a regular reader of their blog. They are two of my favorite people and are high on the list of my favorite couples. Aren't they cute??

We had so much fun! I always love it when people come to visit me because it gives me a chance to explore the city. Despite the FREEZING cold temperatures, we went to the Japanese Gardens, which were quite beautiful. They sit up in the west hills and offer amazing views of the city. Once our lips were numb from the cold, we went to get some delicious sushi at my favorite sushi place in Portland (and a regular stop on Miss Renee's Official Tour of Portland...I think I've taken every person who's visited me to this fine establishment.). And, since Mio Sushi sits right in the heart of 23rd, of course we had to do a little shopping...and then get gelato. I've had a bit of a Pavlovian response to eating sushi since I moved to Portland. Since there is a delicious gelato place right around the corner, we started going there for dessert every time we went to get sushi. So now, every time I eat sushi I have a STRONG hankering for some gelato. I'd like to think I'm above conditioned responses...but apparently not. I'm just like Pavlov's salivating dogs.

We finished off the night with a quick trip to Beaverton Bakery for some treats and then an evening with Ryan's brother and his family. They were SO cute...I loved it. We had a delicious dinner and I got a taste of what it's like to have FHE with kids, including a rambunctious 3 year old that needed to be contained within the death grip of his father's thighs at one point. I realized that night that I've really only had FHE with young single adults, or the occasional family with grown children. It taught me a thing or two about the difficulties and joys that can come from families.

The weekend was filled with great company, late night talks, and a whole lot of catching up. It was so fun to reconnect with such great friends! I missed you guys the minute we parted ways! But, I love having visitors! I've had more people come see me in the last 8 months in Portland than I did the whole time in LA...I love it! I'm really looking forward to upcoming visits from Amy this weekend, Kathya and Sylvia later in the month, and Emily in April! If anyone else wants to come up for a visit, my doors are always open!!

1-2-3 Not It!

2008-01-31T23:55:00.000-08:00

So, remember when you were a kid and you never wanted to be "it" in tag? We would go to all kinds of lengths to avoid being "it." We'd yell crazy phrases, count really fast and put our thumbs to our heads, sometimes gouging ourselves in an effort not to be "it." We'd run as fast as we could and slide between other people's legs or run into brick walls in order to be safe. Well, as adults I don't think our desire to be "not it" wanes, but now we have no base. Someone tags you and you are "it." I suppose I could get tagged and just not respond, but then I'd be like the lame kid who gets tagged and decides he's done playing, thereby ruining the game for everybody else. So, in an effort to be a cool kid and not a lame one, I'm gonna be "it" in this game of blogger tag. Here are 6 little known facts about me:

1. My first crush was on my cousin Andy when I was 5. This began a long history of loving boys I can't have.

2. When I was young I used to enjoy organizing a box of 64 crayons in the best chromeological order more than actually coloring with them. How's that for nerdy?

3. I have an overdeveloped sense of empathy that does not only apply to humans. If I'm eating a baggie of cheerios (which I do almost daily) and one of the cheerios doesn't make it into my mouth I feel bad for the little cheerio who spent its entire existence waiting to be eaten and instead ends up on the sidewalk or the floor of my car. When I was little and was going to spend the night at a friend's house I would never bring a stuffed animal because I was worried that if I brought just one all of the other stuffed animals would feel bad that they were left behind.

4. My biggest fear is marrying someone who turns out to be gay.

5. When I eat candy that has multiple colors (like M&Ms or skittles) I always eat them two at a time, with same colors only. When it starts to get near the end and there aren't any more matching colors, I eat them in the best matching pairs (yellow/orange, blue/green).

6. In 11th grade I was cruising Taco Bell in my parents' car with Amy when we saw a boy who we thought was Andy Coones. We flirted with him, causing him to follow us. We soon discovered it wasn't him but we couldn't shake him and he followed us home. Once in our neighborhood, I went racing down a back street in an effort to lose him. I hit a dip, caught some air, and the bottom of the car scraped the street when we landed. The car "mysteriously" started having problems and cost my dad a pretty penny to be repaired. I never told my parents...until now. Sorry!

Sleep Deprivation and Airplane Problems: AKA New Year's in LA

2008-01-03T17:19:00.000-08:00

First off, sorry to anyone I offended with the picture in my previous post. I hope you haven't blocked my little blog due to inappropriate content. I promise to remain above bar (and butts) in the future :)

Considering the difficulty I had with purchasing my ticket to go to Colorado and then to LA for the holidays, I should have realized that my trip was doomed from the beginning. I'm not usually that good at taking such difficulties as signs that I should change my plans. Perhaps in the future I'll heed the warning. But, despite the problems, I had a really wonderful trip. I just spent a little more time on airplanes than I had anticipated.

After a great and relaxing time in Colorado (see the previous post) I headed to LA for a wedding and to ring in the New Year. I left for LA early on Friday morning. The day started off bad, as I woke up an hour and 15 minutes later than planned. Luckily, we only left the house 30 minutes later than planned and I got to the airport in time (sans shower). Unfortunately, the airplane gods didn't care that I had woken up at the crack of dawn and raced to the airport. They busted a part on the plane when they were refueling and we sat on the runway for 3 hours while they repaired it. Needless to say, I missed the wedding in LA, which was the primary purpose of the trip. The rest of Friday was spent with wedding festivities, catching up with Brecken, Niles, and the Foresters, and trying my darndest to stay awake and pretend I was having a good time. Apparently as I approach my 30s, I don't do as well with sleep deprivation as I did when I was a young whippersnapper. Though I didn't have to pretend to have fun once the dancing started...that is always a good time, especially with Brecken around. Girl can rock it on the dance floor.

Saturday morning we packed 6 adults, 2 toddlers, and two grandmas into 3 cars and headed for Anaheim (with at least one bathroom break on the way down). We had every intention of spending the morning at Disneyland with the kids (how great is disneyland with little kids??). Unfortunately, getting to Disneyland with little kids and grandmas is a little harder than going it on your own. Plus we had a ticket snafu. So, we spent what little time we had playing chase with the kids while the parents sorted out our ticket problems, and then parted ways as they went to enjoy the happiest place on earth. Courtney and I then headed to what might be dubbed as, "The second happiest place on earth" and that was lunch with Ted and Alison. The lunch was too short, but we got to catch up, and spend some time together, so that was nice. Then Ted and Alison made the second leg of Renee's LA Relay and took me to the Rose Bowl where I met up with Emily, Maggie and Evan to check out the floats for the Rose Parade. They were RAD. Maybe I'm an idiot, but I had no idea that the floats were made entirely of flowers and other organic materials. Every inch of those suckers had to be covered with flower petals, ground up lentils, palm fronds, and all kinds of beautiful stuff. It was cool to see how the floats are put together and it was really fun to just hang out with my friends a bit.

After the floats, we made the final leg of Renee's LA Relay and headed back to West LA where we met up with Jim and friends for the celebration of Jimmy's birthday. Of course there was way too much food and the usual hubbub caused by Jim whenever he's in public...which made for a great time. On Sunday the LA 1st ward wasn't meeting, which was a total bummer because I was looking forward to seeing everyone at church. But, we went to one of the Westwood wards and I got to see a fair number of peeps...particularly the marrieds :) Sunday afternoon I got to take a nap (yipeee) and we had a bunch of people over for dinner and games. It was just like old times and made me wish I still lived around the corner and could participate in the usual Sunday gathering.

On Monday my wildest dreams came true and I made it to Disneyland afterall. I drove down with Kami, which was great because it gave me some unexpected quality time with her. Courtney, 63, and my new friend A met us down there and we hit some rides at California Adventure before I had to head back up to LA. Monday evening we went to Emily's parents' house for a delish New Year's Eve dinner of lobster and salad. The food was amazing, but the best part was the company and being able to participate in a Winnie family tradition. They are such a loving and welcoming family and it feels so good to be in their home. I devoured the food and ate up all of the love in that home. I particularly loved Emily's mom's best friend (sitting to my right)...she was a riot!! I also learned that broom sticks can fix garbage disposals...who knew?

After dinner we raced back home and changed for the New Year's Eve Bash which was a great success. Lots of people came and it seemed to be a great time had by all. We did a little bit of dancing, a lot of chatting, and a bit of New Year's smooching (totally innocent I promise). I have to admit though, at the end of the party I was left feeling a little unsatisfied. Not from the lack of kissing, but because there were so many people who I got to "see" but not really sit down and catch up with. As people started to leave the party, my heart just sank because I had to leave the next day and I knew I wasn't going to see them again for a while. It left me feeling sort of disconnected and sad. I had a really really wonderful time (and lots of quality time) with those I stayed with (Courtney, Emily, Maggie, and Sara). But, there were so many people with whom I wanted to plop down on a big fluffy chair and talk for hours. There just wasn't time for that in the trip and it made me sad. So, New Year's Resolution #1 - plan my trips so that I have plenty of time to see everyone I want to see and do everything I want to do. Hold me to it folks!

After the crowds trickled out in the wee hours of the morn', I packed up my stuff, debriefed with the girls, and then headed to the airport at 4:30 am. I get to the airport well before my scheduled 6:00 am flight, to find that there is a horrendous line for ticketing and several airport agents who are no help whatsoever. Without giving me a chance to wait in the line, or checking me in at a side booth so as to make my flight, they make me stand in another horrendously long line (with only 2 agents manning the booth) in order to get re-routed on another flight because they, "didn't think I would make it." You can imagine that all of my forms of the word "what" were used that day as I tried to make sense of the ridiculousness that was unfolding before me. So, I waited in said line for OVER AN HOUR to get rerouted on a flight that left at 7 am. I thanked my lucky stars (and the very nice agent Jimmy) that I wouldn't have to spend all day at LAX and headed to my gate for a very short (and very uncomfortable) nap...the first sleep I'd had in over 22 hours. My flights (yes...I now had to have a layover instead of a direct flight) were uneventful and I finally made it back to beautiful Portland 4 hours later than scheduled. My dear roommate Ashley came to pick me up and had a big gulp coke waiting for me. Isn't she a good roommate? I guzzled it down despite my New Year's Resolution #2 to drink less coke, then went home to take a four hour nap. It took me several days to finally recover from the trip, but I think I'm almost back to normal now.

So, despite the lack of sleep and boiling frustration at airline travel, I had a really amazing time with my friends in LA. Thanks to everyone who made my trip so great! I hope I get to see you again soon!!

Belated Merry Christmas!!

2008-01-03T15:02:00.001-08:00

Belated Merry Christmas to you all (except those of you who I saw over Christmas...in which case, you already got yours). I hope you all had a great holiday and enjoyed the Christmas season!! I had a nice trip home to Colorado with my family. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures...so this one will have to suffice.
My trip started off last Sunday with a totally wonderful and uneventful flight to Colorado. My parents had picked up take-out from my favorite restaurant and we went home and mowed down on some moo goo gai pan and pepper steak. The week was spent mostly indoors in my pajamas hanging with the family. My dad and I did some last minutes shopping on Christmas Eve and I made a couple of trips to the grocery store with my ma. But, other than that...it was a lot of lounging, playing games, and music swapping. Quite a nice rest. It snowed pretty hard on Monday night and we woke up to a beautifully white Christmas (one more reason to stay at home in our pajamas). Santa was very generous and I got some gifts that will help me fulfill my (yet to be determined) New Year's Resolutions.

The Christmas Miracle this year was that Desiree (my sister) actually like the gift I got her!! For those of you who don't know Desiree, she is really hard to buy for and she is not that good at hiding her disappointment when she doesn't like a gift. Many months ago I was shopping at Costco and I saw that they had all of the seasons of Quantum Leap on DVD. I picked up season 5 for Desiree and had planned to give it to her for her birthday, but I forgot. So, I brought it home, wrapped it up, and gave it to her for Christmas, not thinking much of it. You can't imagine my joy when she gasped with excitement upon opening the gift!! I nearly cried because I was so happy she liked it. Thanks for making it a wonderful Christmas Dezy-Wezy!!

Another highlight of the trip was a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit - 20th Century Edition. My dad usually slays us at just about every game we ever play. He is a strategist and a cut throat...bad combination. I don't think he ever even let us win at go-fish or chutes and ladders as kids. You can thank pops for my competitiveness (nature vs. nurture...hard to tell). But, we finally found a game that levels the playing field. Not only does dad have a handicap with the more recent pop culture but Desiree and I actually have a chance at answering the history and sports questions. It was neck and neck for a while as we all had our pies filled (or nearly filled) and Desiree and I were fighting for the final question. I lucked out and won the game, but it was hard fought.

On Thursday night we had a little post-holiday party and a couple of friends braved the snow and came to hang out with us. It had snowed most of the day on Thursday so we more than made up for all of the holiday food by shoveling the drive and walkway SIX times...yes...that's SIX times. We didn't want our dear friends to slip and fall on the cold hard ice. But, it made for good times. I get some sort of sick pleasure from a totally clean driveway...but it's probably because I don't live in a snowy place and shoveling is a rare treat rather than a chore. Desiree definitely didn't love it as much as me. But, she was a trooper and did some good hard work out there. And dad shoveled more than I've ever seen him before. Good family bonding in the driveway.

The Christmas party was fun since it was the one time I got to see most of my friends while I was home. Not everyone made it because of the weather, but it was fun to visit with those who were there. I got to meet Alice's BF, play a little with Amy's kids, catch up with Scott, Amy and Steffan (Cheyney, I've now heard both sides of the story), and see some of my dad's old friends that I haven't seen forever. It was great but left me feeling a little unfulfilled since I had to leave the next morning and didn't really get to spend a lot of good quality time with them.

All in all, it was a great trip. This time of year makes me especially grateful to have been blessed with a family that loves me and with friends who have stood the test of time. I have so many amazing people in my life that have helped me to become the person that I am. The people in my life have taught me how to love and be loved, even in difficult times. I always wish I could do more to be a better friend, daughter, and sister and show others the love they have shown me. This Christmas was a great reminder of that. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and know how much I love you!!

Bloggle

2007-12-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

A well known fact is that I like games. Just as much as I love games, I love puzzles, especially those involving words...crossword puzzles can keep me occupied for hours. So, you can only image how giddy I get when I find something that combines my love of words, love of puzzles, and my competative nature. That something is Boggle. Yes, that old childhood game has re-emerged as one of my favorite pasttimes. Anytime I hang out with Ariana (which gratefully is more and more often these days) the first words out of my mouth are not, "hi", "how's it going?" or "what's new?" It's usually, "do you want to play boggle?" I'm becoming obessed!! My heart goes pitter patter as those little letters bounce off the plastic cover while someone boggles and another person sits poised to flip over the timer. My adrenaline pumps as I search for words among those 16 little squares. I get really excited when I find words bigger than "bit" and "tin"...words that no one else will get like "lathe" and "merges". I love making fun of Gabe and his totally made up words. I get fired up when his made up words turn out to be real words. I'm not quite a pro at the game yet...not like Ariana. Maybe that's why I like playing so much...I rarely win, but I can feel myself getting close. The other day I got a score of 13! That's my highest yet...but that's average for Ariana who sometimes plays online (she's not as big a nerd as that makes her sound...really). Maybe sometime I'll attain her greatness.

Another game I love, you might call it a cross-addiction, is speed scrabble. I was introduced to the game by my roommates in LA and we could be found for hours sitting around our kitchen table, arranging and rearranging the little letters in front of us in silence except for the occassional "go" and the comparing of big words at the end of the game. I introduced the game to my family last year and brought it back again when I was home over Thanksgiving. I even got Paul into the action (I had no idea he was so competative!). The great thing about it is that you don't really keep score. Each round has a winner, but then you just flip over the pieces and start all over. So, it has an element of competition, but it's the fun kind...not the ugly kind.

Taking a cue from "Dan in Real Life", my roommate Ashley has even turned cross-word puzzles into a competative sport. We've only tried it twice and both have been relative failures since we chose puzzles way beyond out ability level...but I can see how it could potentially be really fun.

So, I hope everyone is getting their word skills honed. I plan to play lots of boggle and speed scrabble on my week off of work for the holidays. Are you ready??

Feliz Navidad Indeed

2007-12-09T11:25:00.001-08:00

With Christmas music and the smell of fresh baked cookies filling my house, I traipsed down the stairs this morning to put a new batch of cookies in the oven. I'm not sure you can imagine my excitement when I noticed out the back window the small white flakes slowly falling to the ground. I ran to the window like a little child and stood there watching the snow fall, glee filling my heart. I love the snow.

I'm not sure why I love it so much. I think it's partially because it reminds me of home and family. It's also beautiful and peaceful. It means snowboarding and snowball fights and snowcaves and snow angels and snow days. I doubt this snowfall will accumulate enough to actually mean any of those things, but it makes me terribly happy nonetheless.

I'm especially happy to be living in a place where it snows again, even if it's not much. For the 4 years that I lived in LA I had a really hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. The streets would be decorated and Christmas music was being played everywhere, just as it does in the rest of the US around this time of year. We even had a Christmas tree in our house most years. But, the sunny skies and balmy 65 - 75 degree weather always threw me off. It felt like fake Christmas. Like I was driving on a movie set and they hadn't brought the snow makers in yet. It just didn't feel right.

So, with the brisk winter air, the need for bundling up when leaving the house, the occasional snowfall, and the customary Christmas music and decorations, I'm certainly getting into the season this year. And, I'm really looking forward to going home to Colorado...the place that feels the most like Christmas to me. Feliz Navidad!

Belated Thanks

2007-12-08T22:56:00.000-08:00

I was waiting on pictures in order to write this post. Now it's been a month and a half and I've forgotten much of what I planned to write. And, I've actually already been back to Colorado since this trip, so now everything is all muddled up in my head. But, seeing as how it was one of the best trips I've ever had with my family, I've still gotta document it for posterity's sake.

I took a nice long vacation home to Colorado for Thanksgiving and had a really amazing time. My friend Paul from DC came out and spent part of the week with me and the fam...only adding to the greatness. We hung around the house a bit, my dad bought a new car (and thus my parents no longer own twinner cars),

we met up with Paul's cousin for some rock climbing, experienced the miracle of tomato basil bisque,

visited every possible Titanic related site in Denver (bet you didn't think there were any, did ya?), met up with some friends for Woody's wings,

made a delicious Turkey dinner, and just had an amazing time together.

And so, this Thanksgiving I'm grateful for the people I got to spend it with (sorry for ending that sentence with a preposition dad).

1. I am grateful for Desiree. She is a wonderful sister and one of my best friends. She works really hard at the things she sets out to do, she knows what she wants and she goes after it, and the girl's got pizzaz. She's got a mind like a steal trap and she doesn't forget a thing (particularly random things I said 10 years ago). I am so proud of her being the first member of our family to serve a mission. She did a great job and learned so much in that year and a half. But, I have to admit that I'm also really glad to have her back so I can hear her little voice more than twice a year. Desiree has a great sense of humor and has the ability to make me laugh when I least expect it. Though, I have seen more beverages come out of that girl's nose than everyone else combined. Don't ever make her laugh when there are fluids around. 2. I am grateful for my ma. She's also one of my favorite people on the planet. She's a little Irish fireball with spunk and wit, but it comes with a kind heart. She taught me a lot as I grew up, mostly how to think for myself and be independent, and I'll be forever grateful for that. She's always been so supportive of me and my crazy whims, even though they often take me far from home. She valued her family and stayed home with us while we were young, which was always such a blessing to me. I have such fond memories of singing and making up a dance to "I've been workin' on the railroad" in our big kitchen in Connecticut, sitting on her lap and telling her about my day when I came home from school every afternoon, going for desserts at the Walgreen's diner after a day of shopping, being comforted when I had a bad day, and so many more little moments that helped to shape my life. She is a hard worker and did all she could to make our lives happy and comfortable. She's so patient and giving. She's an amazing example of strength and determination and is always so generous with her love toward me.

3. I'm grateful for my pops. I've always been a daddy's girl and I've always been his Kiddo. My dad is a solid man who's extremely bright and logical, but loves to have a good time. He can entertain us for hours with his stories, particularly the ones from his college days. Like my mom, he taught me how to be independent and think for myself. When I was growing up he would ask me questions about the world like, "how did they get the hay to grow in squares like that?" and allow me to figure things out for myself. He's never told me the answer to a riddle and always had faith in my ability to come to an answer. He taught me to go after the things that I want and how to be a good leader. He's gentle and kind and patient. He's hard working and he provided well for our family. He instilled in me an appreciation for music as he drummed out the beat on the steering wheel. Luckily now he's upgraded to some real drums. We had one of our first heart-to-hearts on the bow of a sailboat when I was a little tot and we've only grown closer since.

4. I'm grateful for Paul. We met when I lived in DC and became fast friends. Paul is one of the people in my life who "gets" me best. He's a very intuitive and sensitive (yet still very manly) guy. I always have a good time when I'm with Paul, whether we're having a deep introspective conversation about life or dressing up like ninjas and kidnapping our friend. Paul is an amazing example to me of what is means to be a good friend. He's thoughtful, kind, a good listener, and always there for you when you need him. He makes you feel good about yourself, but also tells it to you straight when you need to hear it. He's honest and open, particularly about his feelings, and has taught me how to be the same. Paul is the kind of friend that I always want to have around...I've never had a bored moment with him. He's a killer soccer player, avid hiker, and all around adventure man. I'm so grateful to call him a friend.

Hall of Fame

2007-11-16T14:05:00.000-08:00

[This post was started weeks ago...I'm just now getting around to finishing it]

Last night, Gabe solidified his position as my new concert buddy in Portland. He certainly does not replace Courtney, Ted, Dale, and Dan, but his name can now be added to that short yet distinguished list of Hall of Famers.

Since our first concert 2 weeks ago, we've been to 3 shows together. I've been meaning to blog about each of them individually, so this post seems as good a time as any to give a little synopsis.

Our first show together was The Hives at the Crystal Ballroom. We started the night off in the balcony (a la the Built to Spill show) but I could tell Gabe was itchin' to get down on the floor. The Crystal Ballroom is an interesting venue with a little something I like to call the Great Divide. Mature drinkers on one side, under aged non-drinkers on the other, with a big wide aisle between the two, so ne'er a cup of beer can be passed between the two (guaranteed by security force posted throughout the aisle). Seeing as how Gabe has only recently turned 21, I think he felt akin to the young rowdy bunch bouncing around on the kids' side (courtesy of the bouncy floor at the Crystal Ballroom). Since we weren't drinking, I didn't protest to hangin' with the kids. This decision resulted in my first foray into a pit in a long long time. I couldn't exactly call it a mosh pit...there weren't any mean and angry 16 year olds in Korn t-shirts randomly throwing punches and taking out all of their teen angst on the other mean and angry 16 year olds. It was one of those fun, happy, pin-ball machine kinds of pits. I have to say that it felt good to get in there and bounce my little heart out. The only downfall was the tween sweat that I was covered in when the night came to an end. Here's a picture of us after we got back to the car...if you look closely you can see that our shirts are soaked. Sick.

Our next show was Feist at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (which is an incredibly beautiful venue and home of the iconic Portland sign). Now, I've been to a lot of shows in my short existence, and I'd put this in the top 3. I want to be Feist. She was amazing. She has this voice that is pure and beautiful with just the right amount of grit. And come to think of it, that's how I'd describe her as well. She was incredibly personable and fun, a strong woman, but still soft and lovely. She rocked the guitar, dazzled the crowd, and looked like she was thoroughly enjoying herself. She even opened the stage up for a talent show mid-way through and was thrilled to death with the brave performers. Lovely, that is really the only word.

If you haven't already seen this video, I highly recommend you check it out.

Finally, we went to check out Quasi at Dantes (this little dive in SW). If you haven't heard of them, maybe this little quote from a fan will peak your interest, "Quasi is sort of a dedicated indie rock fan's wet dream." Eh? Eh? They are this very gritty, low-fi duo who belt out their harmonies and rock it on the drums and a portable keyboard. The last time I saw Quasi was on March 21, 2003. You may wonder why I know the date of a show seen over 4 years ago. But, March 21, 2003 was the day of "Shock and Awe" and Quasi was NOT happy about Shock and Awe. They were down-trodden and angst ridden and I'm surprised they even went on. Sam Coomes kept hanging his head low and grabbing his hair like the tortured soul that he was. He was wearing a white t-shirt with an anti-war slogan written on the front in black marker. They played their music, but it lacked the pep and soul that makes it so good. They were really just going through the motions. Needless to say, it wasn't the best show I'd ever been to. But, I really liked Quasi and I knew they usually were amazing, so I thought I'd give them a second chance. They totally pulled through on this one and delivered an incredible (and very happy) show.

Hodge Podge

2007-11-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger lately. And I apologize to all 6 of you who check in on a regular basis. I know the pain caused when you repeatedly check back on old faves and find there has been nothing new posted. The reason for the silence is because I've been in one of those, "there's nothing really going on in my life" phases. The awkward kind that finds you at parties and FHE drowning in your attempts to make small talk about the absolutely nothing going on in your life. Well, now looking back I've realized that there have been things happening, but nothing really worthy of an entire blog post on it's own. But, perhaps all squished together with lots of pictures they could be of interest.

Fun with Food

A couple of weeks ago, our friend Travis (aka Matt) came over and taught us how to make sushi! Who knew it was so easy and could be so fun?? We started with some basic philadelphia rolls, but now I feel like I'm ready to move on to some more advanced sushi making.

The ingredients

The prep

A voila!

So, from gourmet to the very simple...remember fluffernutters?

I do. And I remembered them for dinner the other night. I love being a grown-up.

Fun with Amy

The most exciting thing that's happened lately is that Amy (of friendship basket fame) came to visit me a few weeks ago. We had a FABULOUS time! Amy explored the city, we had an empinada making party, we met a cheese monger and ate his delicious wares, we saw the Darjeeling Limited (which I highly recommend), we sniffed out a cupcake factory, we walked the ENTIRE city of Portland, we went shopping at my favorite boutique, we ate sushi, we laughed so hard we almost puked (literally), and just had an all around good time. What we did not do, was take any pictures. These are the only pictures I took from Amy's entire trip.

Fun with Salsa

Right before I left LA, I took some Salsa lessons (the dance, not the chip dip, otherwise this would be under fun with food). The lessons were good sweaty fun, but I never had a chance to test out my moves before I moved to Portland. Well, shortly after moving here I met a fellow salsa lover and a few weeks ago we got a group together and went dancing. So fun! We brought plenty of boys, so I never wanted for a partner, and toward the end of the night lots of the pros (read: non-english speakers) showed up and then things really got hot. I can't wait to go back and try again. We didn't get too many pictures of the dancing, but here are some shots from the night.

Fun with Fall

What would a post of mine be without talking about the weather. It's fall in Oregon, and while that means rain, it also means rainbows and beautiful fall colors. Everyday that I walk outside I am impressed with the beauty around me. Some days are clear and bright, with vibrant colors. Others are foggy and mysterious. But, it's all beautiful. Here are a few samples:

This is the view outside my office window (an office that I now have all to myself, for those of you aware of the earlier office dramas)

Rainbow, need I say more?

This is what I see everyday when I walk outside my house in the morning.

I should add that I've had to use my window scraper on my car 2 mornings this week...I didn't miss that when I lived in LA. It's a good thing I'm a pack rat and found my old scraper in my trunk!!

So, that's what's going on in my life! I hope you all feel adequately updated.

Friendship Basket - Scott

2007-11-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

As many of you have pointed out (Mia, Amy, Kaydi), Scott has been in the friendship basket for a long long time. It's only fair that another friend be added to the basket. But, I think I've realized that the reason I've kept him there for so long is that I haven't wanted the tribute to be lost. So, for posterity's sake, I'm going to put outgoing friendship basketers in a post of their own. If you've already read the friendship basket sidebar, then you probably won't need to actually read this post. It's more for my own anal-retentive need for saving things. Be sure to check out the new basket sidebar (and the additional pictures of Poopie below).

This is Scott (and my mom). Scott is my BF (best friend) from high school. He currently lives in Colorado, just finished grad school, and has two adorable dogs. Scott likes to stuff grass in my face and guess what I'm wearing (he favors pastel cardigans). I am happiest when I'm dancing with Scott, or making up tricks on the slopes, or choreographing our next ice skating routine. He is an amazing leader, as evidenced by his stint as Student Body President, where he also perfected his banner making skills. Among all of the traits that make me love Scott so much, there is one that stands out above the rest. He is the best gift giver EVER - from the ugly woman, to homemade hand bags, to matching t-shirts, or hand-thrown plates, I have cherished everything he has ever given me, particularly his friendship.

And, just for fun, I'm going to throw in a few other photos...

Happy Halloweenie!!

2007-10-31T16:32:00.000-07:00

When I lived in Washington DC, my roommate Betsy's mom sent her a Halloween card with one of those hunky, mostly naked, and unreasonably tan men on the front. The inside read, "Happy Halloweenie!" It has since that time been my favorite holiday card, so unexpected from a somewhat conservative Holiday, Utah Mormon mother of 4.

Halloween happens to be among my favorite holidays. I LOVE getting dressed up, going to parties, carving pumpkins, roasting pumpkin seeds, and eating the yummy fruits of fall. This year I had three opportunities to get dressed up...

The old fall-back (our ward Halloween party was on October 12th, waaay too early for me to have thought up something fun and creative).

Saturday Night's Party (I stole Emily's idea of going as Punky Brewster and it was a hit!).

Our last minute attempt to dress as boo-ritos and get a free burrito from Chipotle on Halloween .

This is a photo from last year (before I entered the blogosphere), which will forever live on as the BEST HALLOWEEN EVER (nothing beats a Halloween on roller-skates). I would be remiss if documentation of this amazing night and ridiculous costumes didn't make in onto the world wide web in some way or another.

Here are some pumpkins the wardies carved. The bat one ended up at our house for a few days, but quickly molded and collapsed on itself and was sent to it's forested grave off our back porch by Stacey. We got a HUGE amount of pumpkin seeds from these bad boys and Ashley did a fantastic job of roasting them up. That HUGE amount was consumed in about 3.5 days.

I was really hoping to be home for the trick-or-treaters this year. It has been a long long time since a little tot dressed up like a fairy or a fireman has rang my doorbell looking for candy. Unfortunately, I had to work late and the little ones were all in bed by the time I got home. Are kids still doing the door-to-door thing? When I lived in DC, our first Halloween on 25 Sunset Drive was the Halloween right after Sept 11. So, all the kids up were holed up in their houses for fear of terrorists. Did the terrorists win? Have they kept the kids off our doorsteps forever? I sure hope not.

Of Mice and Men: Starring DanO

2007-10-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

Last week Dan and I decided to make a little wager on the Broncos vs. Chargers game. As many of you know, I'm from Colorado, and as such, am a die hard Broncos fan. Seeing as how the Broncos typically beat the Chargers, I thought this was a safe bet. It was the first time I had ever bet on the Broncos and it turned out to be their worst home loss since 1970...ouch. This is my punishment...I think I've learned my lesson.

The following was written by Dan. I have promised not to make any changes or edits to his prose (please forgive me):

Let’s play an easy game, kay! All you have to do is tell me which one of these decrepit creatures is: a) the plague-spreading, scum-eating vermin, and b) the bilge-wallowing, whine-drunk rat?

While you are thinking, you also may wonder why I, DanO, am taking a little test drive through the blogosphere courtesy of Miss Renee’s Wild Ride, and I am more than happy to answer that. I love every single thing about Renee. We both share the same impeccable taste in music. We both love the 4th of July and jumping pictures. We were LOSTfest OGs and though she may not cop to it, secretly I KNOW that she thinks Grey’s Anatomy is as ridiculous as I do. The only time I ever had to blow the whistle on Renee, it involved roller derby and unsportsmanlike conduct. NEVERTHELESS, I guide my life by principles, including that of an ancient Chinese proverb that I’m sure someone has to have coined at some important point in history: “Wise is the man that takes advantage of opportunity, yea, even as it presents itself.”

Last week, Renee and I were “chatting” on the gmail, as we so often do. I was busy making monkey emoticons while she was trying to spell sounds. We broke from this simultaneously wordless yet profound communication to realize that our respective hometown football teams would be getting it on mano y mano on SUNDAY, sunday, (sunday) on the gridiron. One thing led to the next, and before we knew it, Renee and I had a dandy of a bet on the game. If the Denver Broncos win, I have to buy an annoying looking Broncos necktie, wear it to church, AND get photographic evidence of the desecration of my reputation as the second biggest San Diego homer in the Los Angeles area. (EvRo still holds the top spot.) BUT, if the Chargers win, I get to take the Wild Ride out for a spin. No spread, in Denver, Broncos favored to win. No problem. You KNOW I was in on that action.

Sunday afternoon, while good Mormons everywhere listened to prophetic counsel with half open eyes in their sweats around the world, The San Diego Chargers put a beatdown of historic proportions on the Broncos. The Bolts had their way all day long like MEN from days of yore, playing with a bunch of ratty kids from the block. The final score was 41-3, making it the Broncos’ worst home loss since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Can I repeat that? 41-3. Broncos’ worst home loss since 1970.

A quick note on my personal suffering. For most of my life, the Chargers would have been the laughingstock of the NFL, had only they been worthy of being noticed at all! I may sound bitter, but while Broncos were making three of four super bowls, and then winning two consecutive super bowls, and producing umpteen straight 1,000 yard rushers, and John Elway amassed Hall of Fame stats, the Chargers were mired somewhere between mediocrity and complete futility. The year we did go to the Super Bowl, we got creamed by Steve Young’s 49ers in embarrassing fashion. The supposed savior of the franchise, Ryan Leaf, had about three quarters of solid, #2 pick in the draft football before he threw the franchise for a five-year loss. Even last year when we had our best season in franchise history, a 14-2 record, and an NFL MVP, we found a way to beat the Patriots and STILL lose the game. To quote my boy Jim Rome, the thing we do best is snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

So not to pile on, but I’m going to pile on. I DESERVE IT! Very few things happen only once every 37 years. I could really only think of comets, and apparently a beatdown like this. I cant even tell you how satisfying it was to see Broncos fans leave their own stadium during the 3rd quarter, in total dejection. Few know how long this has been in coming. PLEASE check out this clip with all you need to know about the mauling. I can’t explain it any better.

So back to our little game. Let me lay out a few points that may help inform your guess:

Mike Shanahan was the first coach to start calling timeouts to freeze the kicker AFTER the snap, as he did in the Broncos Week 1 survival of the Raiders. This disgusting practice has spread like a plague around the NFL, infecting at least FOUR games that I have watched, and changing the outcome in three of them. Someone out there may object that there is no rule prohibiting acting like a punk-rat-cheat, and I don’t disagree. But play the game like a MAN, and don’t ruin the game with the phantom rat timeout.

Mike Shanahan is ruining a model franchise by selecting the bilge dregs of the draft, and signing scum of free agency. Observe a few examples:
a. Maurice Clarett – OSU scandals, Armed Robbery arrest, rolls with an AK-47 and a hatchet. (Today was a good day!)
b. Travis Henry - Suspended for a year for drugs, has more illegitimate children than Shawn Kemp.
c. Brandon Marshall – domestic violence, yadda, yadda
d. David Kircus – Second degree assault. Yawn.

Mike Shanahan lives in Denver has a tan in December. I imagine that he has one in January too, but I haven’t seen him in January lately.

Shanahan is a bigger whiner than Pete Carroll. And that is really saying something. Yet over the years, the Broncos have caught more lucky breaks than any other team that I can think of. Yeah I’m bitter. Their luck continues with two wins this year decided by luck (Janikowski FG off the crossbar, second scraping against the Bills). The Broncos could easily be 0-5 this year.

Shanahan’s rodent resemblance is remarkable.

If you chose either a) or b), YOU WIN!! You are on your way to becoming a Chargers fan in full perpetual suffering. Hopefully the next few years will be nice, but we did just fire a coach that got us 14-2 and we did just hire Norv Turner. I have been praying to wake up from this awful nightmare. Let’s just hope that with all the talent the Bolts have under contract, we can get just one measly championship. And let’s kick the Broncos while they are down. Heaven knows, it might not last too long.

So now that I control a pro-Bronco blog for a day, there’s only one thing I really want to say.

Chargers rule. Broncos (and Raiders) suck.

GOODNIGHT NOW!

Love,
DanO

Why I Officially Hate Baseball on TV

2007-10-09T23:10:00.000-07:00

So we all know that I'm a big fan of Heavy Petting and the City (the edited version of Sex and the City on TBS). I never watched the show when it originally aired on HBO and I've only caught bits and pieces of it over its years of syndication. There are several episodes that I've seen a million times (like "Anchors Away" and "All that Glitters..."). But there are also crucial episodes that I've missed that have created serious gaps in my understanding of the big picture story line. Like, I never saw the episodes where Carrie cheated on Aiden with Big (but I know it happened since it's permeates the rest of the show). And I don't think I ever saw the episodes when Charlotte married Trey (but I've seen most of the episodes where they are trying to get pregnant). Since the advent of tivo, and the fact that HPATC is on TBS like 4 times a week, I've been catching up and filling in all of those missing pieces. You may ask why I don't just go out and buy, rent, or netflix the DVDs of all of my missing episodes. Well, I'll tell you...they are too dirty for my taste and I prefer the dubbed over, drastically shortened version that deserves the title of Heavy Petting rather than Sex and the City (I tried to find a clever link for Heavy Petting but they were all too dirty, obviously me and the internet have differing opinions of the definition of the term).

Anyway, tonight I sat down to indulge in my favorite guilty pleasure (I had 10 unwatched episodes stored in my tivo...not that I planned to watch all of them tonight...but I was giddy at all of the new episodes that were soon to enlighten my understanding). I left off at the end of Season 5 where Carrie had just met Berger, Charlotte had just found out that Harry would only marry a Jew, Miranda and Steve had just slept together, and Samantha was recovering from the Richard break-up. I couldn't wait to see how it all resolved! So, I turned on the tivo, got comfy, hit play and to my dismay, realized that instead of recording HPATC, it recorded the end of the Padres v. Rockies game that went into extra innings for the NL wild card game. WHAT?? I mean seriously...I know several of my dedicated readers are even more dedicated Padres fans...but seriously!!

vs.

As if baseball on TV wasn't already the biggest waste of time on the planet, here it was ruining my favorite waste of time on the planet. And, it wasn't just episode 1...it's playoff season and it happened FOUR TIMES!!! WHAT?? Four brand new (to me) episodes just shoved out of the way for boring old baseball (minus the hot dogs, singing, ballpark atmosphere, and opportunities to let boys teach you things which pretty much makes baseball on TV pointless). So, it's official (as if it wasn't already). I hate TV baseball. Dumb ridiculous baseball. Seriously.

Welcome to Portland

2007-10-02T23:34:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of reading about the weather yet? Some people say talking about the weather is the thing you talk about when there is nothing else to say. Others are obsessed with the weather channel. So, I'm going to assume most of you are in the middle and that most of you are intensley interested in my life. And...the thing going on in my life right now is the weather. So, there you go.

So with October has come the rain, just as everyone said it would. I honestly thought the Indian Summer would last a little longer than it did. But, like Kaydi, I think I'm a little prone to not believing bad weather news. And, I've been in high denial about the rainy season, chosing not to think about it in an effort to ward off my fears of suffering from SADness this winter.

Well, the rains have come and so far, so good. I forget that I actually really love the rain. I love hearing it pitter patter on my roof, I love the cozy closed in feeling that I get when I'm in my car in a downpour. I love playing in the rain. I love how the rain smells. I love how green and beautiful the rain makes everything.

Of course, the rain isn't all roses. It's a little difficult to drive in torrential downpours amidst cross country big rigs heading up the 5. My hair prefers dryer climes (though I've gone back to doing it curly more often, which is fun...you know, switchin' it up a bit). The rain limits many outdoor activities. And, with rain comes clouds (except in those rare cases of sunshowers, which happen to be my favorite phenomenon in the Universe). I admit that I am still very worried about the constant cloud cover that I've been warned of and the negative impact it may have on my mood. It has officially been raining on and off since Sunday morning, but there was a little burst of blue sky and sunlight on Monday morning. As long as I get those once in a while I think I'll be fine. If not, I'll either be investing in one of those light therapy lamps or I'll be suspiciously tan in February. I'll keep you posted.

Solo Mission Accomplished

2007-09-28T23:54:00.000-07:00

I did it! I finally did it! For years it has been a goal of mine to go to a movie by myself. I'm not sure how it made it on to my list of things to do, but in my mind, going to a movie by myself was some mark of maturity and independence and a sign that I had overcome my lifelong fear of being alone. A few weeks ago I set my expectations a little high and I tried to go to a concert by myself. Built to Spill was coming to town and I couldn't round up anyone to go with me, but I was dying to see them since I had missed them every other time they'd been touring in my area and I heard they put on a really great show. So, I bought my ticket, tried to convince everyone I knew that I was ok with going on my own and I wasn't feeling lonely, and mentally prepared myself to go solo. At the last minute my roommate decided to come with me. Mission thwarted. I was at the same time relieved and disappointed. But, the experience made me realize that perhaps I was setting my sights too high and that I should start with something a little more low-key...like a movie, which was the actual task on the to-do list.

So tonight, I finally accomplished my mission. For about a month I've been wanting to see the movie Once, a film about some singer/songwriters who find love and romance on the streets of Dublin. I couldn't find anyone else who was interested in seeing the movie (or venturing past the comforts of the local megaplex) so I decided to go on my own. I must admit that I didn't try hard to find any fellow movie-goers since I saw this as my golden opportunity to fulfill my life long goal. The movie was playing at the Fox Tower downtown - a local theater that plays mostly independent films and appeared to be the perfect setting for my first solo movie. The Fates were on my side and my timing was somehow perfect (which it almost never is) and I arrived, found parking right outside the building, purchased my ticket, and found my seat just as the lights were going down and the previews were beginning. I must admit it was a delightful experience, and not that much different than going to see a movie with a bunch of friends. Movies are not particularly interactive events. It wasn't nearly as scary or awkward as I thought it might be. I might even dare say that it was liberating. Mostly liberating me from my fears of being being alone and more so from my fears of being judged for being alone in a movie theater. In a recent re-run of Heavy Petting and the City Charlotte questions Carrie for going to a movie by herself on "date night". Tonight, I can finally relate to Carrie as she said, "The city is my date." I thoroughly enjoyed the experience AND the movie...it's a must see.

Thursday is a Special Day

2007-09-27T23:05:00.000-07:00

My new favorite day of the week is Thursday. I've always had a special liking for Thursday, but today, it is officially my favorite day. This week I switched to working 4 10-hour days a week (rather than 5 8-hour days) and I get Thursdays off. "Wouldn't you prefer to have Friday?" you might ask. Yes, Friday would be nice...I've always dreamed of having a 3 day weekend every week (one day for getting stuff done, one day for playing, and one day for resting/worshiping). But, the reason I was able to get the compressed schedule is because we are having space issues at work. And the space issue is on Thursday, so that's the day I get off.

But, I'm not complaining! I think I might even like Thursday better than Friday. It's a day that very few people have off, so I can have lots of "me" time and plan my day however I want. If I decide to take a "long weekend" and go somewhere fun, I can actually leave on Wednesday night, get a 4 day weekend and only take one day off work. And now Friday is sort of an afterthought for work...like I forgot I wasn't done and pop back in for the day before having another few days off (we'll see how I actually feel about that tomorrow).

So, for my first Thursday off...it really was quite delightful. I got to play the housewife this morning and be at home when the Directv guy came (the dish is now in it's proper place, the homeowner's association can get off our backs, and we can record multiple shows at the same time - phew! Just in time for the debacle that would have been Grey's Anatomy vs. The Office tonight). While the Directv guy was here, I got loads of stuff done around the house (cleaning, laundry, budgeting, organizing) and then I went out and ran some errands, did some window shopping, talked with a girlfriend, and got a Jamba Juice (all of which are some of my favorite activities). Plus, the weather was amazing, bright and sunny with a little bit of fall in the air. Perfect for a day of driving around with the windows down and perusing the outdoor mall. It sort of made me look forward to the day when I get to be a real housewife! Of course then I'll have babies to look after and it won't be quite so peaceful and relaxing...nor so productive.

After I got all of my "business" done, I met up with some friends to celebrate little Gabe's 21st birthday at Fuji's (a Benihana like restaurant...fitting for a pre-office premiere activity, don't you think?). Gabe is my favorite new little friend. I call him little not because he's necessarily little in stature...I mean, who am I to talk? But he's just young, cute, surprisingly funny and has great taste in music. I'm not publically confessing a crush, he's just very endearing, like a little brother (though don't tell him I said that because I know it's like the kiss of death for guys). After the b-day dinner we all gathered back at my place for some cake (leisurely purchased while running errands today) and The Office Premiere (which was SO hilarious if you haven't seen it yet).

So, I was able to get a bunch of stuff done, have some fun with friends, and still get to bed at a reasonable hour (sort of). Andria pointed out that it's a perfect P-day (preparation day for all of you non-mo mos). I can use the day to get ready for Saturday (thus giving it it's special day status), it's relaxing, and I won't throw off my sleep schedule by staying up and partying all night since I have to be to work again the next day. Then I can spend all day Saturday playing and all day Sunday resting and doing church stuff. I'm so excited for the extra 10 consecutive hours I'll have in my life!! The possibilities abound!

Peeping Tom

2007-09-19T13:15:00.001-07:00

I think I might have a problem. The DSM-IV might call me a voyeur. The layperson might call me a peeping Tom. Though, both of those connote viewing sexual things. That's not what I'm into...but I've recently discovered that I like peeping. I realized this today when I discovered Blogger Play. It's essentially a slideshow of all the photos being uploaded to blogger on people's blogs. And it's amazing. I can't tear myself away. There are cute babies, travel photos, paintings, crafts, beautiful scenery, and just random shots of people. It's fun to watch and get a glimpse of what people think is important enough to share with others. I also like imagining who these strangers are, what they are like, and what the heck they are smiling about. The pictures are sometimes hilarious, sometimes moving, and sometimes totally boring. But putting them together somehow makes them great. Check it out! Like Blogger says, it's "fun, often beautiful, but above all, compelling." You can click on the picture and it will take you to the blog on which it is posted. I like playing a little game where I guess what kind of blog it's going to be and then click on the picture to see how close I am. What do you think about this kid? Any guesses as to the blog this was posted on??

What about this?

Or this?
I think I just really love getting a "snapshot" of someone's life. There was once an exhibit at the Getty that was a collection of old photographs. To this day it remains one of my favorite exhibits ever. I just remember being enthralled by the images. There were collections of photos of people with their cars, people in hats, people in uniform, families, houses, ladies, men, and kids. I had this overwhelming sense of nostalgia and I felt a little like a peeping Tom, getting a glimpse of some moment of happiness or silliness or sadness or seriousness.

So, am I a full blown voyeur? A peeping Tom? Am I alone here? Whether it's lurking on a blog or reading post secret I know there have to be others of you out there who peep. What's the fascination with other people's moments and stories?

Post Script

2007-09-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

As if the last post about my place wasn't long enough, here are a few more highlights:

1. I have the most wonderful shower head. I was worried when the landlord took away the super turbo detachable shower head for fear he would replace it with some low pressure excuse for a leaky pipe. But, he pulled through and replaced it with a shower head that might be the best I've ever had in my own home. Perfect water pressure, water distribution, and temperature. It rivals the shower head at the W hotel in New Orleans...yes Amy, I'm serious.

2. My closet window has a shade. I appreciate the warning and will be sure to leave the shade down at all times, not just to protect my privies when I'm changing. Do you think the shade will prevent the sinister sun from fading all of my left shoulders? It will be a blow to my internal organizer to have to start having some of my clothes face the wrong direction in the closet in order to get equal fading.

3. I have tivo again!!!!!! Well, it's not tivo, but the Direct TV DVR, so I'll still miss my little badoop badoop badoop, but at least I won't have to watch commercials anymore. And, my social schedule will no longer be determined by when my favorite shows are on. And, I won't have to flip through endless channels of ridiculous programming. And, I can start watching more ridiculous programming. And...well, you get the point. The other bonus is that both of my roommates like to watch TV, so I won't ever have to feel like a lazy bum when I plop down on the couch for some relaxation.

Home Again, Home Again...

2007-09-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

So, this is the post you've all been waiting for! I have finally moved into my new place! It has been a very lengthy and chaotic transition and in an effort to be brief, I’ll spare you the story. But, it was a process that took several weeks, lots of strength, and many many flights of stairs. I've been here for just over a week, and so far, here are the highlights:

This is the front of the house

1. I woke up on my first morning to the most beautiful sunrise. My alarm went off around 6:00 am and as usual, I rolled over to hit the snooze, cracking my eyes only enough to see where the alarm is (this last step is only necessary because it was a new place, now the motion has become part of my muscle memory and I can do it in my sleep). However, I was so grateful that I had to open my eyes because as I was searching for the alarm, I beheld the most beautiful sunrise out my bedroom windows. I’m the luckiest girl in the world! Who gets to wake up to a beautiful sunrise while laying in bed every morning??

2. I LOVE my closet!! It is one of those built in thingamajiggers and is amazing. It is the closet my clothes have been waiting for. I downsized the wardrobe quite a bit with all of my garage saleing earlier this year, and so everything fits just about perfectly (though I had to get rid of a few more things…but it was time for them to go). I could stand a little more room for the shoes, but other than that, it’s perfect. I can now sell the dresser I’ve been dragging around for the last 7 years. The best part of the closet…it has a window!!

This is only one side. On the left there is a whole other

rack for clothes and on the right is a window!

3. I have a neighbor with a pig. Yes, a pig. She walks it on a leash.

4. I painted my room the most delightful color. It is bright blue…very cheery, bright, and soothing. I’m hoping it will trick my psyche into thinking that it’s sunny every day and stave off the mid-winter “blues” brought on by weeks of not seeing the sun.

Please excuse the mess...I haven't fully unpacked the bedroom yet.

5. Our house backs up to a wooded area so we have a beautiful green view and lots of forest animals for neighbors. Yesterday my roommate said she saw a deer and her baby fawn outside her bedroom window!

6. I have already had houseguests. This house seems to be perfect for entertaining and I can't wait for you all to come and visit. We still need a kitchen table and are not entirely moved in, but we learned this week that it doesn't really matter. Come see us soon!

So…Come here often?

2007-09-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

I stopped by Chipotle today on my way home for some eats. I was having the sweaty shakes (though that’s neither here nor there). As I was getting my coke, the friendly Chipotle worker (let’s call him Louis) says, “You eat here every night!” I protested. He replied, “well [and thought pensively for a moment] at least 2 times a week.” This is true. I could not protest. I tried to make it less embarrassing that I eat at the same fast food place at least twice a week by telling him that I’m from Colorado and I used to go to the original Chipotle on Evan’s Street. But, that only made it worse. How embarrassing!

Don’t get me wrong. I like the idea of being a regular. I just envisioned being a regular at a place more like a Cheers or a Monk’s, not a fast food joint where I always get a vegetarian burrito bowl to go and then eat it at home while watching Seinfeld re-runs.

And, in other embarrassing news, on my way home from Chipotle, a cute boy caught me smelling my armpits in my car. What have I become???

My Apologies

2007-09-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

I want to issue a formal apology for the lack of blogging for the last two weeks. It may be that no one really cares, but for those who do read, and have been disappointed by the silence, I am sorry. I moved to my new place last week (there will be more blogging about this shortly) and we do not have the internet yet. I was unable to pick up any neighbors' signals from my room, but today discovered that I can get the weakest of all signals from some loving soul who didn't put a security code on his wireless connection if I sit downstairs toward the back of the house. Thank you Mr. Ottnetwork. You have saved me. So, prepare yourself for the floodgates of blogging that are about to be opened.

The Q-tips

2007-08-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

Emma, Betty, Ellen and Bridget

Meet the Q-tips. They are a fabulous group of women I work with in Salem (named for their white and fluffy hair). While I wish I was creative enough to have come up with this name myself, I'm not sure how they would have taken it coming from me, a sassy brunette 20 years their junior. I don't know who came up with the name, though I suspect it was Bridget. And while their hair is certainly white (except for Betty's) they can out sass me with their pinkie fingers.

I have to admit, when I first came to the Salem VA clinic, I was slightly disappointed and a little trepidatious at the abundance of grey (or as Bridget prefers...silver) and the lack of anyone under the age of 30. I was used to "my girls" from the VA in LA - another fabulous group of women who were crazy, fun, and supportive and who made a hard job worth coming to. During my first few days of work in Salem I was sure that there would be no one there with whom I could create that sort of bond and it made me feel quite lonely. I prepped myself for long and boring days at work.

But, as I've gotten to know these women (the Q-tips), I've realized how totally amazing they are. I've also realized that age has absolutely nothing to do with the bond of friendship that can be found among women. Though we are all in totally different stages of life and from totally different circumstances I still feel very connected and supported and understood by these women...and we have a heck of a good time together!

Tonight, my bad car karma brought me amazing good fortune. Because my car was in the shop today (yes...this makes 3 times in as many pay checks...though luckily I have an amazing mechanic who charged me only $10.65 for today's services...and that is definitely fodder for another post) I carpooled to work with Bridget who not only offered a generous service and insightful conversation during our drives, but also invited me along to happy hour with the Q-tips after work. I never would have been lucky enough to hang out with them had I driven myself. I think they think I have better things to do than to hang out with "the old ladies" but little do they know that I think they are a riot and LOVE hanging out with them. And, now that I've gotten to know them a little better, I just admire, adore, and love them even more. They are seriously amazing women.

Ellen is the mother of the group. She is soft and warm and welcoming and inspires confidence with her calm yet firm demeanor. She is the jbeany of the Q-tips and knows everything about everyone...nothing gets by this woman. She is the go-to girl if you want something to get done and get done right. She lives in a little cottage that is filled with her collections of plates and socks and miniature houses and weathered wood and coffee grinders that all seem to be an extension of her soul. And lest you think she is all sweet grandma, when she had a big garage sale a number of years back, she put an ad in the paper which read, "dog died, husband left, big sale." And it was God's truth.

Emma is the sweet thing. At first she seems so quiet with white hair and a great smile always accentuated with her bright pink lipstick. I found out tonight that she was a nun-in-training for 5 years in her late teens and early 20s. Literally, she was training to be a nun. And while doing so, willfully broke at least 3 of the 10 commandments (although she may have many more hilarious stories of her sins stashed away behind that innocent smile). She is persistent, kind, and hilarious. She is little but she's a firecracker. She works out regularly and hides her hot little legs under very motherly dresses while on the job. She's always been so warm and helpful and welcoming to me and I'm so excited to get to know her better.

Betty is the case manager. And she means business. Instead of knowing everything about everyone, Betty knows everything about everything. You need business cards cheap? Talk to Betty. You need to know where to go to lunch? Talk to Betty. You need someone to push management for a compressed work schedule? Talk to Betty. You need someone to light a fire under your butt so you'll start looking for a place to live? Talk to Betty. Anything you need...seriously...talk to Betty. She is brilliant - a Nurse Practitioner with a PhD who went to a little school in New Haven, CT. And she's tough - took Judo as a young girl and can hang with the most hostile of veterans. She just has this amazing presence that exudes confidence. She owns it and tells it like it is. And, lest you think she is all business and no heart, she has 5 dogs (most of which I think she rescued from some sad existence or another). She is incredibly empathic and understanding.

Bridget is the feeler (and not in a dirty way). She is more in tune with the energy of the world and of people than anyone I've ever met before. She has an amazing ability to read people and understand them in a way that's different than most people, deeper than most people. She also is incredibly empathic and easy to talk to. She has an uncanny ability to get people (or at least me) talking about themselves and their lives and spilling all. I admire her ability to recognize and appreciate the good in people. She is quick to compliment and is always sincere. She is also incredibly humble and is sort of like a sponge, totally ready to soak up as much new information from the world as she can. Not only is she an incredible conversationalist, she is hilarious and has a ridiculously active imagination. She is a "child of the sixties" who follows her heart and twirls with her girlfriends on Saturday mornings.

So, these are my work girls. Totally different and unexpected but completely delightful. I am so excited about all of the things that I can learn from their great wisdom and life experience. And no, they are not a replacement of my LA girls, who will always have a special place in my heart. They are just proof that the heart always has room for more.

P.S. Sorry to disappoint EvRo, I could only hold back the floodgates of verbosity for so long!

Obsession or Compulsion?

2007-08-22T00:05:00.001-07:00

So, I think I have a problem. We went to the Coast this weekend for a little ward camp-out. It was a great weekend filled with girl talk, long drives, s'mores, hot dogs, thumbs, bon fires, moonlit beaches, shooting stars, campfire songs, freezing cold feet, beach ultimate frisbee, and gingerly wading in the mighty pacific. But, the thing I wanted to do most in the world was take jumping pictures. And so I did. And, I think I might have gotten a few other people hooked too. All day, I would spy people taking jumping pictures in various places on the beach. Here are a few of our shots.

Prior to this weekend, the most people I had tried to get in a jumping picture at a time was 5. That number has increased exponentially. Turns out, jumping pictures with a lot of people are a lot harder to capture...but have some fantastically funny results.

Ready...Set...

The timing was a little tough

I have three favorite parts of this picture:

1. Kevin (guy in the black shirt on the left)

2. K-dawg (guy in the blue standing there looking confused)

3. Sally's balarina pose (on the far right)

This was the best we were ever able to do as a group of 12

I'm afraid of my own hops!

Kaydi and I are pros :)

This guy proved to be the best jumping picture photographer.

Turns out he's not bad at jumping either!

Sunny Days Are Here Again

2007-08-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

So, I may have been a little premature and overdramatic in my last post. The cold, dark and rainy days really did only last 3 1/2 days and today it returned to the Sunny Portland that I know and love. In fact, Portland's forcast for the week: Wednesday - partly cloudy 78, Thursday - clear 81, Friday - partly cloudy 84. Los Angeles' forcast for the week: Clear 77 every day (good call EvRo). I tried my darndest to put a fancy little picture of the forcasts compared but couldn't manage it and got all bothered in the process (I guess I'm not as advanced in my blogging abilities as I thought). The important thing here is that my sunny days have returned and I have renewed my trust in Oregonians and their alleged "They Were Here First" Summers.

And yes, I am really looking forward to having seasons again. I love seeing the leaves on the trees change in Fall, feeling the crisp air at the first signs of Winter and watching the world come alive in Spring. Mostly I'm excited for seasons so I can keep track of time again! When I think back on memories in LA I find it difficult to place them in time because in every scene I'm wearing short sleaves and it's bright and sunny and 77 degrees outside. I'm excited for my rain jackets and sweaters to give me a reference point by which to organize my life narrative.

Aren't we all glad that life has gotten so exciting that the primary focus of my blogs has become the weather?? Sweet.

The Old Man is Snoring

2007-08-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

So, I have finally experienced what it's like to have several days of overcast weather and periodic rain. Like I've said many times before, the summer in Portland so far has been GORGEOUS! Totally warm and sunny and beautiful...just what summer should be. And, everyone has been telling me that it's only supposed to get better. Apparently we have an amazing (and totally un-PC) Indian Summer in Portland where it's warm and wonderful through September. If I hadn't been told this fable, I might not have been so upset with the last few days. But, since Saturday it has been nothing but cold and dark and rainy. And I don't like it. I'm ok with cold and dark and rainy in February...because that's sort of the definition of February (hereby pronounced my least favorite month...luckily it's a short one...which on second thought should maybe be my most favorite because it is like me...but I digress). Now that I'm writing this out I realize that it's only been 3 days of cold and dark and rainy...but c'mon!! It's August!!! Is summer over already?? I know all the kiddies are going back to school and that autumn is on it's way...but why so soon? All I have to say is, Summer, I miss you already and I hope you come back and spend a little more time with me before you go away for another 6 months.

Splish Splash

2007-08-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

Finally!! Proof of me wakeboarding (not of wakeboaring skills, mind you...but just of me actually being on a wakeboard behind a boat). You may want to wear your sunglasses to protect your eyes from the reflection of my white skin. Apparently the Oregon sun hasn't been as good to me as the California sun (though, let's face it...I'm Irish).

And in other water related news...I never got a chance to blog about my incredibly fun weekend at Detroit Lake a few weekends back (other than the jumping pictures, of course). We went out to the Lake to camp with Korie and her family...and it was a lovely time. I was reminded of how much I love camping and being in the woods. I am a fan of camping of all kinds, be it car camping with a community of fellow campers or backpacking into the lonesome woods. There is something great about sleeping outside and the slow, laid back pace that comes along with sitting by a campfire with little else to do. We took a walk on Friday night and got to know the locals.

Jeni and I played a riveting game of don't touch the ground (and made up rules as we went along like 5 year olds...awesome!).

We also hung out on the dock and watched for shooting stars. I didn't see any this time around, but it reminded me of the trip my family took to the Florida Keys when I was a teenager...among my fondest memories was laying out on the dock with our feet in the warm water, watching the meteor shower. Amazing!

I had a heck of a time trying to wakeboard that day, and never successfully got up. I was ridiculously frustrated since that has never happened to me before and we all know how much I hate failing at something. After the attempted wakeboarding we went to this little cove where a river came off the mountain into the lake. There were a bunch of waterfalls, one of which you could slide down on the tubes! We hiked up the riverbed to another great big waterfall. It was beautiful! Just like the spot on LOST where Kate and Sawyer had their little waterfall moment (sans dead bodies or anyone as beautiful as Sawyer or Kate). And, unlike the island on LOST, the water here was freezing cold as it was mountain snow run-off. Despite the cold, we jumped in and swam across the pool to touch the waterfall and back. I think I've officially qualified for the polar bear club.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of the waterfall because getting there required swimming to the beginning of the hike from the boat (in much warmer water). But Korie took this video of us sliding down the first little waterfall on the tube...if you listen closely you can hear my squeal...I promise it looked much scarier from the top than it does from this angle :)

What a Feast!

2007-08-08T13:43:00.001-07:00

So, I'm having a bit of a cash-flow problem since the major car repairs and signing a new lease (yay, I found a place to live! More on that in upcoming posts). So, I haven't been able to go grocery shopping, yet I still need to eat. I started off the week with $8 in my wallet and have managed to make that $8 last me (with $1 and some change left) for lunch all week (dinners have all been made at home with whatever is in the cupboards...shells and white cheddar, tuna fish, the usual college grub...and have not really worked for left-overs, and we all know how I feel about left-overs). This post is by no means meant to inspire pity or sympathy for the lack of cash. It is merely an expression of my amazement that I have been able to feed myself pretty hardy meals for 3 days on less than $8. Today's meal was by far the best. I went to Costco for some pizza and a coke, which came to a whopping $2.54. I think I may have blogged about Costco pizza and the amazing deal that it is in a previous post...but I'm happy to repeat myself here. Costco pizza is not only delicious, but it is also a nice big fatty piece of pizza that is more than filling enough (plus it reminds me of lunches in DC with Jake and Stubbs at the Costco in Crystal City). And again...what a deal!! Refillable drinks at Costco are only 55 cents!! Where else can you find a refillable fountain coke (the best beverage on the planet) for only 55 cents?? I dare you to find a better deal...I triple dog dare you!

BGD's 5 Rules

2007-08-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

I went to my very first show in Portland on Saturday night. We went to see The Format at the Hawthorn theater and it was a fantastic way to kick off my concert career in the new city. First off...big hearty thanks to Dan for alerting me to the show (and he said that no good bands would come to Portland...HA!). Although it was terribly difficult for me to go to a show without one of my usual show buddies...I managed and am working through it.

In honor of one of my show buddies, I am going to take you through the evening and discuss the show based on BGD's 5 criteria for a really good show. If you see a band you like, who can actually sing and play their instruments (i.e. isn't a "studio band"), and the show meets these 5 criteria, you are guaranteed a good show. As illustrated below:

1. The opening bands play short sets.

There were 4 opening bands at the show on Saturday night. A little excessive in my mind, but turns out they were good...so it was worth it. We got there in the middle of the Reuben's Accomplice set. They weren't bad...usual opening band stuff, and the set was short. Then came Steel Train who was AMAZING! I really loved their stuff and even bought a t-shirt and their new album...I also stood in line for the bathroom with the bassist Evan Winiker before I knew he was in the band. He was nice and cute with his big curly hair. He even remembered me when I ran into him later. After Steel Train came Limbeck, who were great, as expected. Finally, there was The Honorary Title, the only flaw on an otherwise great night of music. First of all, they took SO long to set up and do their sound check...which was a fine introduction to their sound guy, hereafter referred to as The Prick. Not only did he kick my friend as he tried to hop over the counter into the sound booth (rather than using the more conveniently located door) but he was also a terrible sound guy, I mean The Prick. The vocals were WAY too loud, to the point where they were piercing, which makes listening difficult, let alone liking. Plus, he was mean to the resident sound guy who was nice and cute, we caught him in a lie, and he smoked (which was not allowed at this venue). Toward the end of their set he found the light board and decided to get crazy. He was also terrible at the lights...so bad that he thought I might do a better job. He asked if I would do the lights...but since I thought he was a prick I didn't want to participate in his little game I said I couldn't reach the light board. So, he decided to try to move it toward me, thereby disconnecting the board from the plug and causing a total black-out on the stage. A+. Anyway, other than The Honorary Title and their Honorary Prick, the rest of the bands met the aforementioned criteria, making one step toward being a really good show.

2. There is good music between bands.

The resident sound guy, hereafter referred to as Cutie Pie, did a great job on the in-between set music. 'Nuf said.

3. The headliners have a good light show or something to watch while they are playing.

So, the Hawthorn Theater is relatively ghetto. The stage doesn't really provide for doing a really good light show or having anything crazy going on behind (though it is favored with a great neon green border ala a Tijuana strip joint). We made friends with The Format's sound guy, Muzz, and, though half the light controls didn't even work (perhaps due to The Prick's clumsiness), Muzz did the best he could with what he had. I've never really paid attention to the regular old stage lights in a show, unless it's something special...but since Muzz was my buddy I was much more aware of his craft (sort of like how you pay more attention in church when your friend is speaking).

4. The headliners play songs from their entire catalog, not just their most recent album.

The nice thing about making friends with Muzz, the lights guy, is that he gave me a sneak preview of the set list. He said, "Hey, you want a sneak peak, sister?" And, while I'm not that familiar with the Format's entire catalog (which, from what I can tell, consists of two full-length albums and a couple of EPs and a live album) they did, indeed, play songs from all aforementioned albums. And they rocked 'em hard.

5. The headliners play at least one good cover.

Since I wasn't that familiar with all of the song titles in The Format's catalog, there wasn't really any way that I could tell if a cover was on the list. Toward the end of the show I was thinking that they had missed this criteria, thus not qualifying by BGD's standards. However, I was mistaken and was treated to one of the best covers I've ever seen. They brought out horns and a sax and did one of those everyone-is-on-stage-and-having-a-really-great-time-because-we're-buddies sort of rendition of Van Morrison's Caravan. Complete with the crowd coming in for the laa laa la la, la la laaaa. Fantastic!

Moral of the story (for EvRo): The Format is a great live band who puts on a really good show. BGD's criteria hold steady.

1995

2007-08-01T08:33:00.001-07:00

This morning I was running a little late for work, which is not out of the ordinary for me. But, today I happened to catch the 8 at 8 on 94.7 fm. They pick a theme and play 8 songs based on the theme...the usual radio kitch. This morning, the theme was 1995 and as I was listening to the first three songs I came to the realization that I LOVE 1995. In that year I was a Junior & Senior in High School. I was cruisin' around in my yellow 1974 VW Bug named Sunny, relishing my independence, making life long friends, and I didn't think life could ever get any better. As I rocked out to the first three songs of the set (Oasis - Live Forever, Better than Ezra - Good, and The Presidents of the United States of America - Lump) I started to feel those happy feelings well up in side that make you feel like you might explode. I was flooded with memories from back in the day and I somehow felt the vibe of that year and some serious nostalgia for that time in my life. For me, music is a lot like smell, the sense that is supposed to be the most connected to memory. When I hear particular songs I can be instantly transported, just like when I get a whiff of the sweet smell of carbon paper and it takes me back to the summer of 1997, but I digress.

I think the music of that era is still among my favorite. Is that the case for everyone? Does everyone just LOVE the music from their high school years? Is it so great because it's associated with such fun memories (for those who actually enjoyed their high school years)? Or is it great because that's usually the age where you are discovering music and figuring out what you like (a la Emily)? Or was the music of 1995 particularly good? I don't know the answer to these questions. But, I do know that I'm grateful for 94.7 taking me back today. I'm grateful for 1995 and all of the people that made that year so great. I'm grateful for the music and the happy times it brings to mind. In the famous words of Bob Hope...Thanks for the memories!

Jump Around

2007-07-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

I'm a lurker on a blog of a friend of a friend. I've never met this kid and he's only posted three times. But, I have been inspired. See, he's a big fan of jumping pictures. And, he likes them so much, it's consumed him and it's all he blogs about. Through him and his blog, I have discovered my own love of jumping pictures. Not only are they fun to look at, but they are ridiculously fun to take. I'm still an amature, not nearly as good as the pro who can create shapes and other themed jumps. But here are a few of my best shots:

I'm sure that many more jumping pictures are soon to come. I've discovered that it's a great way to add spice to an otherwise beautiful, but sort of boring, landscape shot (such as the latter two at Detroit Lake). As the friend of the friend put it best, "The jumping picture plants either an awe, a smile, or a perplexity that diverts the viewer's attention from the ability to be photogenic of the subject, to the wonderment of the photograph." Amen brother.

All I Want To Do Is Dance

2007-07-29T00:02:00.000-07:00

Periodically, I make a vow to myself never to go to another church dance. This usually occurs immediately after walking into a church dance and thinking, "what the hell am I doing here?" For several years I was doing pretty good at abstaining, but every once in a while I'll succumb to the peer pressure, "c'mon, it'll be fun!" "Everyone is going." "Just this once." "If it's lame we'll leave." And you know what? It's never a good idea.

Tonight, I went to another church dance. And tonight, I reaffirm my vow to never go to another church dance again. Tonight was actually better than most church dances. Mostly because I have some girlfriends who really love to dance...and boy can they dance. See, it's not the dancing that I don't like. I LOVE to go dancing. It's one of my favorite things to do (which most of my friends can affirm). But, there is something about walking into a gigantic cultural hall (gym in norman talk) which is moderately lit with bad music and a few people swing dancing to some techno song and the rest standing idly by in the corner judging everyone. It makes me throw up in my mouth a little. The thing is, such things were really fun, once upon a time...a time when I was 15. Now I'm 29 and I feel way too old to be going to dances. I'm a grandma for heaven's sake...I might throw out a hip. Mostly they just make me realize the comically hopeless situation of being an older single LDS woman. I mean, seriously, am I expected to meet someone who I will love and marry at one of these things? Which one of the 12 year olds mac-ing on the other 12 year olds should I approach and engage in meaningful conversation? Which one of the guys trying to break dance in a big circle of white folk should I invite over for dinner? If I try this dance move will it entice the hot guy that every girl is after to come over and ask me to dance?

One of the reasons that I sometimes fold to the peer pressure requires a bit of family history. One day circa 1968 Mary Lou Donahue was content to spend a Friday night at home doing...oh, I don't know, whatever Mary Lou was into at the time...maybe typing? Her girlfriends were planning to go to a dance (not a church dance, this one happens to take place in a bar). She really wasn't in the mood to go, and tried her darndest to stay home, but her friends won out and she reluctantly went to the dance. During the course of the night, she's asked to dance by a quirky little guy named Frank. They dance a few dances, she tries to ditch him by going to the bathroom, but he finds her later on and somehow finagles his way into getting a ride home from Mary Lou's friends. Long story short, they get married. Longer story shorter, I am born. Moral of the story: if you go to a dance that you don't want to go to, you just might meet your husband, have a lovely family, and live happily ever after. I know it's a ridiculous thought, but family lore has a way of sticking in your brain and making you do all kinds of ridiculous things against better judgment. So, sometimes when I really really don't want to go to a church dance, somewhere in the back of my head I think, the more I don't want to go, the more likely it is that my husband will be there and if I don't go I'll miss him. This is made more ridiculous by the fact that I don't believe in "soul mates" or the idea that "my hubby" is out there somewhere waiting or searching for me and it's just a matter of finding him. However, the old mantra, "it'll happen when you least expect it" sort of applies here. I mean, where would I be less likely to meet someone than at a church dance???

Now, there are certainly exceptions to the horrific nature of church dances (i.e. LA1st/SM3rd combined Christmas Party of 2006 - a delightfully lovely evening of dinner and dancing or any kind of dance that takes place on a boat). As I've typed them out I've realized they are exceptions because they are not actually church dances. So, it's not the Mormons who make church dances horrible. Is it the cultural hall? Is it the bad DJs? Is it the fact that it reminds me of being an awkward 15 year old?

Tonight I learned a lesson from my friend Jeni: dances are much more fun if there is no expectation. They are fun when you go with the sole purpose of gettin' your grove on and cuttin' a rug on the dance floor. You do not intend to meet a single person (male or female), you do not expect good conversation, you do not expect to catch the eye of your latest crush, you do not expect to be asked to dance to a slow song. You simply expect to dance your heart out and not give a damn about the rest of the world. And you do it with people you enjoy being around. This is exactly why it's fun to go out dancing with your friends (whether it's at a club, or a bar, or a wedding, or in your living room). Dancing is fun and it's good for my soul. And when I go dancing in all of these other places that's all I'm doing is dancing. I'm not trying to attract a potential spouse and see how that night fits into my eternal scheme - reminding me that I'm a 29 year old single LDS woman. What dancing really does is remind me that I'm alive and I'm fun and I'm sexy, even if no one is looking.

So, instead of vowing to never go to another church dance again, I'm going to start treating all dances, including those in a moderately lit and mostly empty cultural hall, as a chance to feed my soul and rock it on the dance floor. No bad attitudes, no expectations, no miss poopy pants. Because really, all I want to do is dance!

I Love LA!

2007-07-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

I took a lovely little trip to LA this weekend for my friend Holly's wedding. It was a great excuse to go "home" and see my family of friends that I miss so much. It was a busy weekend, though I don't recall doing very much. I was just happy to be with my peeps. Since I've only been gone for 2 months, it didn't really feel like I ever left. Sure, there were a few new faces and some old ones gone, but for the most part, it was just like being home. We slid right back into our comfy relationships and picked up where we left off (including Jim's rudeness on Friday night). I learned a few things from this trip...I'm really happy in Portland and I miss LA. Despite what my friends think, they will never be replaced...they are truly irreplaceable. Since most of my blogging has been dedicated to my adventures in Portland, here are a few things I miss about LA:

1. My great group of friends.

2. My local food joints (especially the vegetarian burrito from Eduardo's).

3. Taking 5 freeways to get somewhere.

4. Spa Days with the girls (and the great gossip fest 2007 on the way to Claremont).

5. My school peeps (and my work peeps who, regretfully, are not pictured).

6. Late night rendezvous at the grocery store (I especially love Emily's look of disdain in this picture).

7. Having guy friends.

8. Having human contact.

9. Being ridiculous.

10. Being around people who know you well enough that they can create an exact replica of you or any of our friends (except Emily) on the Wii.

See if you can figure out who is who :)

There are many other things that I miss about LA, many of which I'm sure will start to become more apparent the longer I'm away. There is one thing, though, that I can categorically say I do not miss: LA Traffic (which turned a 1 hour drive to Claremont into a 2 1/2 hour torture fest for Kami in Friday night traffic and almost made me miss my friend's wedding on Saturday - though Alan is convinced that I get some sort of thrill out of always being late...perhaps I'll start to miss the traffic after all).

And I thought it wouldn't be hot enough...

2007-07-10T18:52:00.001-07:00

When I decided to move to Portland, all anyone could talk about was how rainy it was going to be. "Ugh, but the weather!" they would say. I think it was just one of their many totally transparent attempts to get me to stay in LA...where the sun always shines...but I saw right though it. Sure, Portland is known for its dreary and rainy weather. But, everyone who lives here says that they have marvelous summers. All reports indicated that the summers are beautifully sunny with moderate temperatures. I liked the sunny part...but moderate temperatures? Like, in the 70s? All summer? Some of you may think that's perfect...but I'm the kind of girl who likes it hot. 70s don't cut it for my perfect summer. I like it in the 80s with occasional days in the 90s (very dry of course, no more Washington DC summers for me, thank you...I only like to feel that wet when I've come out of the shower). But hot weather is what summers are all about. I want the weather to make me feel the urge to run through a sprinkler or jump in a fountain. I don't want to be shivering in the cool breeze of a moderately warm day after I come squealing out of the arches of water spewing from the ground. So, I have to admit that I had my concerns that I wouldn't be hot enough this summer.

Well, all of those concerns were allayed this week. Actually, the whole summer has been more than moderately warm. I am convinced I moved to Portland at exactly the right time. It has been quite perfect on most days. There has been the occasional rainy day or cloudy morning, but all in all, it's been lovely...until this week. Portland has been in the middle of a record breaking heat wave. And, while the competitive side of me totally loves when records of any kind are broken, I'd prefer they not be broken while I'm stuck in traffic in a black car with no air conditioning that's been sitting out in the sun all day. I walked out of my nicely air conditioned building today and had I been a blind person I would have sworn I walked out the wrong door and directly into an oven. It knocked all of the freshly cooled air right out of my lungs and I actually gasped. Luckily, like Colorado and LA (and I'm sure many other lovely places in the southwest), it is a "dry heat" which is preferable to a "soaking wet heat" that you tend to get on the East coast and in the South. Typically, dry heat is nice because it means that it's a little cooler in the shade and there is usually a nice accompanying breeze that will cool you right off (which becomes important when you are driving a car with no air conditioning). However, there was no breeze in today's dry heat and even the breeze generated by driving on the freeway felt like the stream of air that comes from my blow dryer when it is on hot and high. No cooling effect whatsoever. Two days in a row I arrived home with visible sweat marks on the back and bum of my clothes...lovely. So, while I absolutely adore the heat, I also like being able to escape the heat in an air conditioned building or car and should really look into getting my a/c fixed. I obviously didn't prepare for this as I was too concerned about not being hot enough in the great Northwest.

In other hot news...I saw Live Free or Die Hard tonight. It was entertaining enough...just what you'd expect out of a Die Hard Movie (somehow battling robots are more believable to me than really fancy government buildings). But man...Bruce Willis still has it after all these years. He's still as hot and bad A as ever.

Just Like a Woman

2007-07-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

I am a woman. I love being a woman. I embrace womanhood. I love all (well, almost all) that it entails. However, there are certain things about being a woman that sort of suck it. I'm going to talk about two of them here: bathing suit shopping, and hair removal.

We'll start with hair removal. I'm not sure if guys realize the amount of time, money, energy, and pain that is spent by women to remove hair from their bodies. This goes from the daily shaving routine, to the monthly eyebrow threading, to the summertime bikini wax. We spend countless hours trying to make our bodies smooth, touchable and hair free. We spend so much time at this and have become so good at it, that the world (or at least those in the US) have bought into the idea that women are hairless (except for those luscious locks on their heads). I'm not about to get on a soapbox and say that this is wrong and the societal norms need to change. I happen to think that hairless legs are prettier than harry legs (I mean, c'mon...have you ever seen the upper thigh of a man...ick!!). So, I'm not about to grow out the hair on my body (even though I live in Oregon)...but I must say that I'm really tired of all of the shaving and plucking and waxing and tweazing and threading that occupies such a big place in my beauty regimen. So, I've finally decided to do something about it...I'm going under the laser!!

Today I had my first appointment for laser hair removal. It started off like many other appointments at a "spa". I was ushered into a nice room, then I disrobed and slipped under a sheet. But, instead of this being followed by a relaxing and soothing massage, I spent the next hour and a half in some degree of pain. In anticipation of the pain, I had planned on doing some deep breathing exercises sort of like the ones I teach my patients to use in stressful/painful situations...or like pregnant women learn in Lamaze (yes, I was anticipating that degree of pain). What I didn't realize is that the laser device blows out this very forceful stream of cold air in order to cool the area that's being lasered. As many of you know, I have a VERY difficult time breathing when air is being blown into my face, as evidenced by nearly passing out while sky diving because I couldn't take a breath. So, while the area being lasered was nice and cool, I was suffocating and obviously not practicing my deep breathing! This only slightly distracted me from the pain and did absolutely nothing for my anxiety. Luckily, laser hair removal wasn't nearly as painful as I anticipated...except for the armpits...OOOOWWWEEEE!!!! I think all of the pain will be worth it though. Soon I can throw away all of my razors and never again worry about a boy touching my leg at church and looking at me as if I'd cut his hand with shards of glass. Just a few more sessions and maybe soon I'll look like this...

As if this post wasn't already long enough...I'm now going to move on to bathing suit shopping...another bain in the existence of being a woman. I'm not sure why, but bathing suit shopping is probably the least enjoyable activity on the planet for most women. I take that back...I know exactly why. It's because, after months of wearing sweaters and long pants, we find ourselves in a tiny room with bright florescent lights squeezing ourselves into suits of lycra that show off every flaw that we had been attempting to hide for the last 8 months. Our skin is that sickly pasty white, our stomachs have become a little more soft, and we haven't seen that much of our bodies exposed since the previous summer. All that, and we are trying to imagine ourselves in said lycra hanging out with boys that we'd like to smootch. Even the tallest and skinniest of women have told me they hate bathing suit shopping. But, it is a necessary evil in our lives...especially if we are going to find boys to smootch. So, a few weeks ago I spent a typical Thursday evening ruining my self-esteem by shopping for a bathing suit for a ward boating activity. While living in LA, I acquired a number of bathing suits (natch, since I lived near the beach). However, very few of these bathing suits are "suitable" for a ward activity, and the few that are I totally hate. So, if I was going to meet and attract a boy at this activity, I was going to need a new suit. The problem is, you can't go bathing suit shopping when you actually need a new suit. I went to several stores and must have tried on 50 bathing suits and still went home empty handed. It was horrible and sent me into a funk that lasted at least 2 days before I could finally kick it.

Well, today I was strolling through Nordstrom on my way to the mall when I happened upon the bathing suit section. "Walk on" said part of me. "But you need a new suit so you can go boating and find a nice Mormon boy" said the other part of me. The latter part won and I spent an hour squeezing myself into some lycra. At the end of the hour I found a very cute bathing suit and still felt really good about myself. This experience taught me some valuable lessons that I'd like to share:

1. NEVER intentionally go bathing suit shopping. If you are looking for a bathing suit, you will never find one.

2. You should shop for bathing suits when you "happen upon" the bathing suit section and have an hour to kill.

3. NEVER go bathing suit shopping the day (or even 3 days) before you need to be wearing said bathing suit. Again, the pressure is too much and you will never find one. Instead, utilize rule #2 and put yourself in a mall more often than not (shopping for make-up, shoes, and handbags of course) at the beginning of the summer or weeks before you know you'll need swimwear.

4. NEVER go bathing suit shopping on an ugly day. It only exacerbates the "I'm disgusting" feeling you get when standing half-naked under those florescent lights.

5. ONLY shop for bathing suits on a day you are feeling hot. And by hot I mean those days when you strut down the street and assume that every guy is checking you out, not the days you are sweaty because it's 90 degrees out and you have no air conditioning (see rule #3). Do your hair and make-up. And, since undergarments are required while trying on swimwear, pretty panties are a must (no bathing suit will look pretty over garments or granny panties).

6. NEVER eat a big bowl of pasta (or any large meal for that matter) prior to going bathing suit shopping. Hopefully no explanation is necessary for this one.

I unknowingly utilized these rules with great success on Saturday and found this little number that can be worn to (hopefully) attract nice Mormon boys. I'm sure it would help if I looked that hot in it. I'd love to hear if you ladies have any additional rules you have discovered along the way to make this necessary evil a little more bearable.

Women, I hope that despite these two difficulties, you embrace your womanhood. As Sark put it...you are a wild and succulent woman (who might have hairy legs and feel horrible in a bathing suit)...but wild and succulent you are!! Love it! Live it!

More Than Meets The Eye

2007-07-07T01:56:00.000-07:00

I saw Transformers tonight. And I loved it! I loved it so much that I had to come home and blog about it immediately. It was completely ridiculous and cheesy and unbelievable...but it's a movie about good and evil robots who come to earth and battle...what do you expect?? The dialogue wasn't as horrible as I was expecting and it was actually quite funny. A good way to spend a Friday night and $8.50 (that's right, student tickets in Portland are $8.50...whoo hoo!! And yes...I'm still getting student tickets, call me a thief...or as my mom would say...thieth). One thing that I realized tonight, is that I love that I have lived in two of the most filmed cities in movies (DC and LA...too bad I'm missing New York). I love that I've called those places home and can recognize my home in the totally fabricated shots of the pentagon and the streets of downtown LA. It just steps up my fuzzy happy warm spot smile as I enjoy my movie going experience.

The Bombs Bursting in Air

2007-07-05T23:12:00.001-07:00

I couldn't go without blogging about my favorite holiday, the Fourth of July. And, I couldn't go without blogging about the BEST 4th of July EVER. The problem is, I've been having bloggers block about how to write about the BEST 4th of July EVER. It was such a crazy event that I can't quite find the words for it. It was a 4th of July for the books. It's up there with last year's celebration at Claremont High School, 1999's hottest 4th of July EVER in Washington DC, and 4th of July's with the family at Front Range as a kid. It even beats 2002 when we accidentally went to the 9/11 memorial fireworks in NYC instead of the real fireworks show...oh, those were good times.

The day started off nice enough. It would have been one of those perfect Saturdays (except that it was Wednesday which is still throwing off my weekly clock). We toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory in the morning and then spent the afternoon playing at Cannon Beach. This is the beach with the famous "Haystack Rock" featured in one of my all time favorite movies - The Goonies. We napped in the sun, walked in the surf and just enjoyed a beautiful day on the Oregon Coast. After our frolicking, we went up to Seaside Oregon which is a lovely little beach town that reminds me a lot of Atlantic City, circa 1952. We had a delicious dinner and then headed toward the beach...this is where things get good.

On our way up the street I smelled the most wonderful smell...fire and sulfur mixed with sea air. It made me feel all nostalgic and happy but I'm kind of an idiot and I couldn't quite place the smell...I kept thinking, "beach bonfire?" Well, the source of the smell became apparent as we rounded the corner and the view of the beach opened up. The beach was packed with people, all of whom had spent thousands of dollars on fireworks. I've never lived in a state where fireworks of this caliber are legal, and I'm not even sure that they are legal in Oregon. But, whatever the laws ...they were not abided on the beach that day. These fireworks went beyond sparklers, beyond whizzing whirly things that sit on the ground and throw flames and sparks, even beyond roman candles (though all of those things were there in abundance). We are talking full blown, for real fireworks being set off by (presumably untrained) every day Joe's who were most likely drunk (judging by the plethora of beer cans already strewn around the beach). Dangerous? Yes. Life threatening? Yes. Amazingly fun? Yes.

Most of the parties on the beach had dug these pits - not fire pits - but these gigantic pits in the ground that had a bench made of sand that went around the perimeter and were big enough to fit at least 12 people and still have room for a fire in the middle. I was pretty bummed that we didn't have a pit. Not only because it would have been super fun, but also because it would have served nicely as a fox hole. We certainly needed the protection. For at least an hour before the actual fireworks show started, huge fireworks were going off all around us. It was great to sit there in our beach chairs and watch all of the money people had spent being blown up in the sky for our entertainment. It was even great when I had to grab my friend and run, screaming "dive! dive!" in order to avoid being blown up by a firework being set off by some college kids right next to where we had been sitting. It seriously felt like a combat zone at times, with loud cracks and bangs going off all around, black smoke rolling from the source of the explosions, and the strong smell of burning things. I'm an extroverted person who thrives on external stimuli, and even I was a little overstimulated at times. Most of my patients would have had a serious melt-down.

But, all danger and PTSD triggering aside, it was a fabulous night. Just what the 4th of July should be - outside, hanging with friends and watching amazing fireworks. I finally understood what it really means when we sing, "The Bombs Bursting in Air" and got just a tiny glimpse of what it must have been like to fight for our nation's freedom.

The All American Pastime

2007-07-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

It's summer time, and that means baseball. This is a relatively new thing for me. I didn't grow up with summertime meaning baseball. When I was a kid, summertime meant garage sales, soccer games, riding bikes and selling lemonade. We weren't a baseball kind of family. We're more of a football and hockey type of family. We like sports where there is a lot of full body contact and aggression.

Summertime has only meant baseball for me since I was about 22 when I moved to DC. My friends and I would frequently take trips up to Camden Yards to see the Baltimore Orioles play. Those are some of my fondest memories of DC. There is just something wonderful about sitting in a baseball stadium (especially beautiful ones like Camden Yards or Coors Field), eating a hot dog, and spending time with good friends. There is an energy there that just makes you feel like an American. The green grass, the soothing announcer's voice, and the familiar songs played on the organ...it just doesn't get better. My love of the game was further deepened when I moved to LA and became a Dodger's fan...well, not so much a Dodger's fan as a Dodger Dogs fan (the deliciously overpriced hot dogs at Dodger's stadium). We would often go to Dodger Games and sit in the outfield with all the teenage hoodlums. Eventually, I moved up in the world and had a co-worker with season tickets that he would frequently pass on to me. Many a night was shared with my LA peeps under the starless sky of Dodger's Stadium. In fact, the conception of this blog occurred at my last Dodger's Game with Dan, Evan, and Emily. Each time I left the Stadium with Randy Newman I would with him cheer, "I love LA!" And in those moments...I truly did.

I miss those nights of baseball, hot dogs, and friends...both in DC and in LA. Summer nights watching baseball is part of what epitomizes my time in both of those great cities. I was a little sad to be moving to a city where I didn't have such great friends and where there is no Major League Baseball team. But, what we do have here is PGE field and the Beavers (the AAA team that is affiliated with the Padres). And, while it's no Camden Yards, and it's no Dodger Dog, it is still baseball and it is still summer.

The Perfect Day

2007-07-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had one of those perfect days. It wasn't a crazy day, and wasn't totally out of the ordinary, but it was one of those days that's filled with a lot of things that I love...thus making it one of those perfect days. I think perfect days are like perfect moments...they are not planned or coordinated...they just sort of catch you in a moment of happy bliss doing something totally ordinary. Here are some of the things that made up my perfect yesterday...

Boating (I have yet to get a picture of me actually wake boarding, so a picture on the boat will have to suffice. And...YES, I have actually been wakeboarding, I'm not making it up despite the lack of photos. Just look at my hair for proof).

Napping by the pool (not pictured for obvious reasons)

Dinner at Rose's (one of the MANY amazing Portland Restaurants). I had a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup (one of my favorite combos). Preceded and followed by shopping on NW 23rd, which happens to be one of my favorite places on the planet. Very charming and cute, GREAT shopping (tons of little boutiques with reasonably priced and very cute things...the manager at Sloan now knows me by name, "didn't you try on those shoes last week???"), yummy restaurants, and some of the best people watching.

Gelato...YUM.

And, at the suggestion of Gamine, we finished the night off with Miss Potter, a delightful little movie that I highly recommend.

To top it all off, the weather was GORGEOUS...beautiful blue skies, warm, with a nice breeze. Who ever said the weather in Portland is miserable? (please no comments about winters in Portland or the alleged "rainy season". I'll believe it when I see it...which will likely happen in October...stay tuned).

Badoop Badoop Badoop

2007-06-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

That's the sound that tivo makes when I fastforward through the commercials. Oh how I miss that sound. I've been 40 days without tivo now. I long for that little badoop.

I'm not sure how I made it so long. The loss was first felt when I missed all of the season finales of my favorite shows and had to watch them on my laptop. And, though my laptop has a large screen...it simply wasn't the same (and I still haven't seen the season finale of the Office...so don't anyone spoil it for me). Then, I was ok without tivo for a while, what with my new and exciting life in Portland. But then...SYTYCD started up it's third season. It's really the only show I'm watching this summer and even just one show is torture without tivo.

Here are the reasons why I hate tv without tivo:

1. I have to be home on the day and at the time that the show is on in order to watch it. WHAT?? I can't watch the show whenever it's convenient for me? This is especially an issue for SYTYCD because it's on two nights a week (and both episodes are crucial). I hate the idea of not doing something outside of the house or hurrying home in order to "catch my show."

2. I have to wait for a commercial to do things like go to the bathroom, make food, answer the phone, blow my nose, and talk to my roommates.

3. I can't rewind if I miss something. This leads to the next problem...

4. I am annoying (and annoyed) when watching tv because I don't want people to talk for fear of missing something...this makes tv watching far less social than I'm used to it being. Usually I'm pretty chill about the talking because you can always pause until the conversation is over, rewind to catch what you've missed, or just watch the whole thing later when things are less crazy.

5. I can't rewatch particularly great things (like Pasha and Jesse's contemporary Jazz dance or Jim's face when Dwight says something ridiculous) or paulse to laugh really hard at something that just happened (like GOB's falls on mother's tequilla) so we don't miss the scene that follows.

6. I can't fastforward through commercials or other really annoying things on tv like whatever dumb guest performer is on while the SYTYCD judges deliberate.

7. Watching tv takes a LOT more time than it used to...I have to multi-task in order not to feel lazy. I used to be able to blow through a tv show really quickly before heading to bed...now it takes up the whole night.

8. If I do happen to be home and bored and I want to watch tv, I can't sit down and watch something that I actually want to watch. I have to flip through the 13 channels we get (half of which are home shopping networks) in hopes that something good will be on (i.e. Seinfeld re-run or Jeopardy).

9. I can't tivo shows that look interesting but will likely be horrible (i.e. that new missing lyric show). I am not going to spend an evening at home, waiting to watch the show and then sitting through all the crap and commercials to see whether or not it's a good show. But, if I had tivo, I could record it, watch it, and decide if it was worth tivoing each week just for fun filler.

10. I miss the cute sounds it makes.

I know I'm being a snobby little brat right now. You might ask, "Why do you even still watch tv if you're so annoyed?" The answer...I still like tv. I'm an American...what can I say? I like my friends Cat, Mia and Nigel, and Izzy, and George, and Meredith, and Jim, and Pam, and Jack, and Hurley and Charlie (rest his soul) and even Sawyer and Kate and Michael. You might also ask, "Why don't you just buck up and by one for yourself you freeloader?" The answer...don't worry smarty pants, I will! I am moving to a new pad in August at which time I'll run to the nearest store and purchase the beloved machine.

The lack of tivo certainly has cut down on my tv watching...which is perhaps the greatest benefit. Despite how annoyed I get during commercial breaks when I reach for the remote and find it's missing those crucial buttons, I am just not willing to give up SYTYCD (and LOST, Grey's Anatomy, and the Office when the time comes). I even miss catching an episode of Heavy Petting in the City when nothing else is on. And, what in the world am I going to do when Project Runway starts up again? That not only requires tivo but also cable!!

I feel like my car has broken down and I've got to scrounge for change, hike up the freeway and find a payphone rather than whip out my cell phone and make a quick call. Seriously...how did we ever live like that? It's not that I won't make the hike...I mean, I'm stranded on the freeway for heaven's sake! But I'm sure I'd outline the top ten reasons for wishing I had a cell phone while peeling that quarter off the bottom of the car's sticky cup holder.

P.S. Here's a picture of me and Mat...he came to Portland last weekend and I never had a chance to blog about our visit. Love this kid...

Thou shalt be as a little child

2007-06-19T23:25:00.000-07:00

Number of Subarus on my drive home: 68

As I finished reading la dolce's blog entry about the ever present reluctance of adults to grow up, I sat pondering the ways in which I attempt to remain like a child. I was surprised to discover, in those first few minutes of reflection, that I could come up with no concrete examples. I thought to myself, "hmmm...could it have happened? Have I become a grown up?" Those thoughts danced around in my head for less than 18 hours (7 of which were spent sleeping) until I headed off to play a game of kickball with a bunch of hipsters that live on the East Side.

I realize that kickball is epxeriencing a major revival these days among 20/30 somethings...especially the young professionals in urban cities. Which only proves la dolce's point that we refuse to grow up! So much so that we form teams and leagues and go to Nationals playing sports that were all the rage in 5th grade.

Luckily, the hipsters I was playing with were not part of any organized league or team nor did they have any aspirations for Nationals. If they did, I would have highly discouraged said aspirations in light of the fact that the Kickball scene is hard-core...especially in Washington DC. And when I say hard-core, I mean hard-core. What began as an excuse to get together and drink beer and yell at each other while acting like children has turned into a serious and skilled competition involving drinking beer while yelling at each other and acting like children (emphasis on drinking beer). Here is an excerpt from the DCKickball website explaining "Why DCKickball?"

Remember…
Playing around at the park when you were a kid?
Playing flash light tag?
Playing kickball during recess?

When you got to college…
Playing quarters?
Playing flip cup?
Playing beer pong?

Now imagine those two worlds, separated by time, coming together….what would you have?
The answer: DCKickball

They are obviously hard-core not only about the game of kickball, but also about drinking beer...a dichotomy that perfectly epitomizes the subject of la dolce's question: Why are we Americans so eager yet so reluctant to grow up?

I only bring up the DC teams because, as my friend Alan sadly realized, any team that is part of an organized league that happens to make it to Nationals will get their trashed kicked by these hard-core DCKickballers. It's best to just stay out of their path. The East Side hipsters I played with this weekend were less serious about the game of kickball, as well as drinking beer, though both were still present. They were so much less serious about the game that, instead of wearing the usual kickball attire (as pictured below), they were dressed like the hipsters that they are (also pictured below). A fact that led to some serious FOLLACI come true for me.

vs.

My Progress

2007-06-18T23:51:00.000-07:00

Subarus counted on the way home from work: 39 (not nearly as high as I expected...I'll do better tomorrow).

Number of naps I took today between 6:30 am and 6:30 pm: 2.

One...

2007-06-14T22:59:00.000-07:00

I like to count things. Not in an OCD kind of way (not usually anyway) but in a this-drive-is-really-long-and-I-need-to-occupy-my-time kind of way. It started when I lived in LA and it took me over an hour to drive the 15 miles from my place in Hollywood to my job in Santa Monica. As you might imagine, there are a lot of Mercedes-Benz in LA, especially in Beverly Hills. And, as luck would have it, my commute took me right through Beverly Hills on occasion. So, I began counting Mercedes on the drive. I once counted upwards of 70 on a five mile stretch from Beverly Hills to mid-Hollywood. Mercedes were an easy target because 1) They were plentiful, but not so much that it became difficult to catch them all (like VWs or Hondas) and 2) They have a very distinctive grill and the nice hood ornament which made them easy to pick out (thus avoiding the awkward explanation to the police officer as to why I crashed into the car in front of me...I was counting?). It was a fun driving passtime, similar to the alphabet game or slug bug (which I would also sometimes play...though much less thrilling when you're playing by yourself). And, because I'm ridiculously competitive, even with myself, a tiny little bubble of excitement would well up in my throat as I approached higher and higher numbers. Ted can tell you about evenings spent crusing LA's various neigborhoods counting Mercedes, wife-beaters, and hasidic Jews (please don't judge me).

I would also, at times, count UPS trucks. That was an exciting venture because it was less about getting a cumulative count on the duration of the drive and more about counting how many I could have in my perview at the exact same time. Between the hours of 9 and 10 am UPS trucks would decend on the stretch of the 10 freeway between La Brea and the PCH en masse. There were times that I could see more than 10 UPS trucks at once (including those I could see in my rear view mirror). You might not think that sounds like a lot, but if you figure you've got about a mile "visibility" while driving on a slightly curvy freeway in rush hour traffic, getting 10 UPS trucks is like hitting the jackpot! Where were they all coming from?? I was determined to discover where the UPS depot was located, in hopes of attaining the thrill of seeing UPS trucks by the hundreds...all at the same time! I was pleasantly surprised to find, when I moved into my new apartment on the corner of Missouri and Overland, that one of the UPS depots was located just a block away! Only they weren't stored there by the hundreds...so somehow UPS is this perfectly timed machine wherein trucks from all over the city coordinate their entry onto the freeway in such a way that it is like a swarm of big brown boxy bugs taking over the freeway. But I digress...

Now that I'm in Portland, I have a similarly long commute, though this time I cover a much longer stretch of freeway. On my drive home today, I was getting a bit sleepy, so I decided to start counting...only this time it's Subarus, which appear to be the state car. I began playing the game quite late on my drive, but counted 30 in the 5 mile stretch from around Wilsonville to my house (including the Winco parking lot). Subarus, I fear, are going to be much harder than Mercedes, and definitely harder than UPS trucks. They have no distinctive hood ornament, and blend in with the many other all terrain vehicles that dot the freeways in this state. This could make it a much riskier game than I'm used to, but I think I'm up for the challenge (though don't tell Emily, as she seems to be appalled by distracted drivers these days). Perhaps I'll need to stop looking at the exterior of the car and focus on the interior which is quite distinctive in that they are ONLY ever occupied by bearded outdoorsy men or lesbians. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Chump Change

2007-06-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

Today was a spectacular day of deals! I haven't been to the market this week (yes, I've decided to start calling it "the market". It's not an Oregon thing...but I like the way it sounds and it makes me feel like my life is quaint). Anyway, because I haven't been to the market, I had to go out to lunch today. This can be difficult in Salem, as there aren't a lot of good eats around my office (there isn't much of anything around my office honestly). My choices were costco pizza (always delicious), Dairy Queen or the Burger Basket. As I'm trying to eat more vegetables these days, none of these options were working for me. A co-worker suggested a Mexican place down the street...Muchas Gracias (not just an expression of appreciation, but the actual name of the place). It was this little shack of a place (always promising with Mexican food...the shackier, the better). I was also pleasantly surprised to find they had a drive-thru! Yes, I'm a lazy American and I hate getting out of my car for much of anything...plus I had a patient to see so I didn't have much time for eating. Anyhoo...the abovementioned co-worker clued me in to the fact that the portions at this place are HUGE. And while I AM a lazy American, I'm trying to prevent myself from also becoming a fat American. So, I opted for the kids meal, bean and cheese burrito (Ted will appreciate this, especially in light of my attempt to eat more veggies), rice and a small drink for $2.60. That's right, TWO dollars and sixty cents. And...because there is no sales tax in Oregon, it was ACTUALLY $2.60. I was so thrilled with this deal that I paid in change (mostly dimes in fact).

The second deal came on my way home from work. I stopped at Costco to get gas and was pleasantly surprised that gas has dropped below the $3.00 mark! Whoopie!!! Who thought I would EVER be excited about gas being $2.95? That sad reality is here folks. I remember the day gas went over $1.00. I was shocked and appalled (but not nearly as much as my dad who, whenever this subject comes up, tells about the days that gas was 30 cents and he could fill his tank for $3.00). I've never been so lucky. I once paid 79 cents for gas in Goldthwait, TX on our way back from spring break in South Padre Island in 1998. That was back in the days when gas was starting to creep up near $1.50 and we were so thrilled to have such good karma on our road trip. We took a picture that day as well. I'm starting to sound way too much like a 90-year old grandpa recounting the good ol' days. Just know that cheap (?) gas is a comodity for me considering I drive 90 miles a day (round trip) to work...I think I'm going to become bf's with the gas station attendent at Costco.

Speaking of which...While I'm on the topic of gas (because really, how often does that happen?)...I'm going to make a side note about not being able to pump your own gas in Oregon (so much for keeping my blogs short...and what's with all of the parenthetical statements in this post??). So, getting gas has gotten a lot more awkward than it used to be. When you pull up to the pump you hand over your card and say "fill it up with regular please" (quaint yes, but not in a market kind of way). What do you do while the attendent is pumping your gas, or cleaning your windshield? I mean, I know it's really nice and more convenient and fits with my love of not getting out of my car, but I still feel a little weird about it. The first time I got gas by myself I tried to busy myself in my purse to avoid just staring at the 60-year old dude squeegie-ing away at my window. Thank goodness for ipods with which to fidget! My trips to the gas station are made more awkward by the fact that my gas tank lock is controlled only by a double turn of the key in the car door lock. This normally wouldn't be a problem because I generally just unlock all of the doors by this method whenever I get into my car. However, my passenger side front door lock has stopped working with the double turn, so to prevent having to lean over and lock the door whenever I get out of the car, I just don't unlock all of the doors with the double turn. But, this means that the gas tank also remains locked. So, when I unexpectedly go to the gas station, the attendent tries to open the gas tank, finds it locked, and then asks me to open it. And, instead of the smooth push of a button that would occur with newer, sleeker cars, I have to get out of my car and shut the door and then stick the key in the lock and give it the double turn. It evokes serious FOLLACI (see la dolce vespa for definition). My friends all say that not pumping your own gas has lots of perks (especially in the rainy season) but I'll have to wait to discover said perks. For now, I just feel awkward (which should be read in a sing-songy voice ala Ted).

Here's to another ridiculously long post! And to two fun quirky things about Oregon...no sales tax and not pumping your own gas (and to parenthetical statements). Hip hip!!

On A Need to Know Basis

2007-06-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

I like to know stuff. This is the case in school, in life, at work. I can't handle not knowing things. Those who have ever tried to tell a secret in my presence, or simply say something quietly, know that I have this need to know because the whispering will usually be followed by a "hmmm, what?" from me, accompanied by raised eyebrows and an excited inquisitive look. This need to know has served me well most of my life. It usually makes me a good friend, an excellent listener, and has probably contributed to my career choice. Being a good therapist is really just all about getting people to tell you stuff. In life, I don't ever want to do anything with the information...I just want to know it. This is a picture of me contemplating the world and everything I know in a bonzai garden. I think being a giant makes contemplation better somehow...gives you greater perspective.

I've realized recently that my need to know has gotten a little out of hand. Last week, it took me a full 20 minutes to recover from the fact that a good friend of mine had been dating someone for well over 2 months and I had NO IDEA! I have talked to this person numerous times on the phone. I have blabbed on and on about my new life in Portland and I think I've even asked about hers. I even once had a conversation with her while I was at the University of Oregon for a track meet...and she failed to mention that she was dating someone who happened to be a track star at the U of O. It threw me for a loop that I was so far out of the loop, so much so that I was a bit speechless. I still haven't figured out quite where these feelings were coming from. I wasn't necessarily hurt that she hadn't told me...I don't think she was trying to keep it a secret. It was just that I was so used to being her go-to girl and knowing everything about her life, that it knocked me off kilter a little to realize that there were things happening in her life that I didn't know about. I realize this is TOTALLY selfish and egocentric (in the literal sense of the word). And it just emphasized to me that I'm ridiculous and my need to know has gotten out of hand.

I was reminded of this again in a reverse fashion today. As you might have figured out by now...I'm a little verbose (just a wee bit). My blog entries tend to be tomes, containing endless details and fluffy words. I guess that since I have such a need to know, I assume everyone else wants to know everything about me as well (again ridiculous and egocentric). Cobb mentioned having read an entry last week and I asked, "did it make sense? what about this part and that?" to which she responded "honestly...I skimmed." Ouch! Ok, first indicator that the blog entries are too long...my friends are skimming. Then today I was talking to Gamine and she said that she and Jo had carried on a whole conversation about how my blog entries were really long ("novels" I think she called them) but they were afraid to tell me because they thought it would take the steam out of my blogging.

I'm here to tell you (in another really long blog entry) that I'm making an attempt to change my ways. I've been trying to figure out a way to turn this blog from a laundry list of the things I do to a more interesting "this is what I'm thinking about" or "this is a funny thing that I noticed" sort of blog. I can't say it will happen all at once. I'm sure there will be adventures that I'll want to report on. So, bear with me. And, as I attempt to be more concise and less long-winded (I just needlessly added 5 words to that sentence...this is going to take a while) I hope you will keep reading, even if you skim.

Taking Time to Smell the Roses

2007-06-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to the Royal Rosarian Gardens (fancy-schmance talk for the Rose Garden in Portland). It was lovely! A perfect evening to stroll around and smell all of the beautiful roses. Kaydi tried tasting one that smelled just delicious, like honey and oranges...but it tasted more like bitter rose leaves. Amy has my favorite smelling style...it's like a full body smell that starts crouched over toward the flower and ends with the body fully extended and head thrown back...it's wonderful. She truly takes time to smell the roses! We were obsessed with taking pictures of the flowers and I'm hoping to make some cute little greeting cards out of the pix...expect to hear from me soon (if I actually get on the ball and follow through with this crafty inspiration. If you're curious about my abilities to procrastinate crafty ideas...ask cobb, she can tell you a number of doozies).
Our lovely evening at the Rose Garden was followed up by a trip to the Rose Festival Fair which started with a ride on the Kamakazi and ended with a ride on the "BIG SLING". Essentially it is a two person chair connected by bungee cords to a huge tower which launches you hundreds of feet up in the air. You then freefall and then you bounce around for a while...good times. We stood at the base for a bit, debating whether it was worth the $25 each. And, though we calculated that these carnies make roughly $1000 an hour for operating this contraption, we caved to our thrill seeking sides. It was worth every moment of the one minute and fourty second adrenaline pumping launch. I hope my mom isn't reading this. I've almost never seen her so disappointed in me as the time I went bungee jumping without her permission. I wonder how she'd feel about this carnie operated death-trap? I love the fair!

Happy National Trail Day!!

2007-06-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

In celebration of what now might be my favorite holiday (National Trail Day, June 2nd) my roommate and two friends and I went and hiked Dog Mountain which is up the Columbia River Gorge about 40 miles East of Portland (on the Washington Side). We actually didn't know that it was National Trail Day, but were pleasantly surprised when we found out and realized that it meant we didn't have to pay for parking at the trailhead!! The hike basically kicked my trash...but it was amazing! It's about a 7-8 mile loop (3.8 miles to the summit) with a 2850 ft elevation gain. It made me realize just how out of shape I really am. I inched my way up some of those switch backs all the while chanting in my head, just keep putting one foot in front of the other, you can make it! All of the huffing and puffing was well worth it for the amazing view of the Columbia River and the beautiful wildflower meadows. As if I needed more reason to love living in Oregon!! It was simply breathtaking (in more ways than one). It was also fun to hang out with the girls and get to know them better. I think that's one reason that I love hiking so much...there's nothing to do but walk and talk and it always leads to interesting conversations.

This is me and my roommate Jill. She's rad.

This weekend was also the start of the famous Rose Festival in Portland. I haven't had a chance to check out a lot of the festivities, but on Friday night, some friends and I went downtown to see the fireworks. I don't know if everyone knows this about me, but I LOVE fireworks! They make me so happy...sitting on the grass with good friends, watching the beautiful display of lights in the air, usually to the tune of some classic rock song or a good ol' American pride ditty, feeling the boom as the fireworks go off and waiting in anticipation to see if they'll be as big as they sound. I just love 'em. This display was no disappointment. They were shot off over one of the many bridges in Portland it was a great show.

This is a picture of the river with all of the boats on it before the fireworks started.

This is me and my roommate Amy at the fireworks. She's also rad, and totally responsible for my thriving social life.

These are some of the Portland peeps. From left to right, top row: tom and shannon (my new bumble connection), second row: brooke, kaydi (who's decided to stay...yippeee!) and me, third row: korie (also responsible for my fun filled life), cindy and amy (roomie).

Let me count the ways...

2007-05-31T23:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I've had another great day in Portland! Work was great...just meeting more people, training, and logisticating. Today I got to meet the Portland Substance Abuse Team and sit in on some groups and classes at the Vancouver VA.

The highlight of the day came after work when I met up with Adam and Eresha for dinner downtown. Adam and Eresha are friends from LA who got married and moved up to Portland about a year ago. Adam works at the VA in Administration (he's one of the guys that showed me around yesterday) and Eresha works for Kaiser. They met at USC when they were both getting their Masters in Hospital Administration (or maybe public health...I forget). Anyway, I am thrilled that they are both up here! They are among my only friends and it's been really great to see some familiar faces! Eresha and Adam are one of those couples that I love because I was friends with both of them before they got married...so they are totally fun to hang out with and it's not weird at all. We had a yummy dinner at Hunan on Broadway which is near Pioneer Square. It was the first time that I've really walked around downtown and again...I fell in love. The city is exactly what I've heard it is...and exactly what I was looking for with this move.

Here is a short list of the things that I love about it so far:

It is a happening city...LOTS of people walking EVERYWHERE!

The streets are narrow and the architecture is interesting...gives the city a very charming feel.

All of the streets are tree lined...again, charming.

I saw no fewer than 3 men wearing kilts (none of which were paired with the usual bag pipes or golden buttoned coats...think soccer jerseys or work boots).

The city had a great energy and was filled with people, but at the same time, some of the major intersections had stop signs...STOP SIGNS!!

I'm sure there will be many more things to add to this list as I explore the city some more. I already feel like I am getting to know my way around and figure out where things are. After dinner, we went to Lake Oswego where Adam and Eresha live. We had some Tillamook ice cream and walked down to the lake where we sat on benches and talked. LO is also a great little town. Cute shops and restaurants, walkable, great big lake with beautiful homes, tree lined streets. If I can't live in Portland, I think I'd like to move there. It's the kind of place that has a real "town" feel. It is hip with lots of things to do and really feels like a community rather than a suburb. All in all a great day! Tomorrow I head down to the Salem VA clinic!! Here are some pics of us by the lake:

I Love My Job (ILMJ)

2007-05-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

So, I've just finished with day 2 of my new job! For those who don't know, I'm going to be working as a therapist, specializing in addictions, at the Salem OR Veteran's Administration (VA) Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). Just like most of the other things in Oregon, I am going to LOVE my job!! I have spent the last two days up at the Portland VA and the Vancouver VA, getting oriented and checking out their programs. The Substance Abuse Treatment Program (SATP) is based in Vancouver and it's made up of an interdisciplinary team of clinicians who treat addiction. The idea for my new job is that I'll be a part of the SATP team embedded in Salem. So, it was great for me to check out their program and meet all of the people up there. I started off my day in Portland yesterday. I met one of my bosses, Dave, who is really really great. They had me running around and doing a lot of HR stuff, getting a badge and computer access (none of which were actually accomplished...don't you love bureaucracies??). Then I met my other boss, Jim, who is also really great. He and I drove over to the Vancouver clinic where I was able to check out the facility, meet some people, and sit in on their interdisciplinary team meeting. I also got 2 bag loads of resources to bring with me to Salem when I go. Day one was totally crazy and an informational overload...but it was also really great. I was craving that kind of information about the program and the position and what it was they expected of me. So, it was great to be flooded with all of that! I was able to get a handle on my role and figure out what I'm going to be doing. Basically, I'll be functioning as an independent clinician in Salem and provide a linkage to the substance abuse treatment program. I'll be providing substance abuse consultation to the primary care teams, working with the mental health clinic, doing intakes and assessments for the SATP in Vancouver, doing individual treatment with those who need it, running a continuing care group in Salem for those who have been through the initial phase of treatment in Vancouver but live closer to the Salem clinic, and providing support and treatment for recently returning vets through the National Guard station in Salem. I am really really excited!!

Day 2 started off in Vancouver. I sat in on the complex condition team meeting (working with those who have co-occuring addiction and other mental health problems or who have complicated circumstances that would effect their treatment). I then sat in on the Access clinic and saw how new patients are oriented and admitted to the program. I tried to figure out the computer access situation a bit more (still not done) and then had lunch with Jim. He continued to fill me in on the program and the exciting things they are doing. He has proven to be very helpful, supportive, and just an all around great supervisor. In the afternoon I headed back over to Portland. I had a few hours to kill before meeting with Dave, so I said hi to some other LA transplants who work at the VA. Gian and Adam both gave me great tours of the VA and the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) which is a big teaching hospital that is connected to the VA by this beautiful sky bridge. Here is a picture from the bridge.

The VA sits on top of a big hill on the west side of Portland with a number of other hospitals. It's surrounded by trees and has the most amazing views of the city. There is also an air tram that goes from the bottom of the hill up to OHSU (you can see the lines if you look closely). Adam showed me a great patio look out point where you can sit and eat your lunch while overlooking Mt. St. Helen's and downtown Portland across the river (if you look closely in the pictures you can see Mt. St. Helen's and Mt. Hood in the background). Gian has a great view of the river and Mt. Hood out his window. Here are some pictures from those points.

The facilities in Portland and in Vancouver are just so much nicer than West LA. And the people here are SO nice and friendly. I was initially a little thrown off by it...but I'm loving it more and more. It feels more like me, you know?

So, after touring and checking out the incredible views, I met up with my supervisor Dave. We talked about a few things and then he handed me off to Andrea who is a social worker in addictions in Portland. We chatted for a minute and then I sat in on her continuing care group so I could get a feel for how they are run. After these two days I am feeling much more confident about my job. I was initially excited about the autonomy and creative freedom that I would have being the sole addictions social worker at the Salem clinic. But, I was also a bit worried that I would be thrown in and expected to develop a program, when I don't really feel like an expert in the field yet. It was great to see that there is a structure in place, there are clear expectations, and support and resources for meeting those expectations. I'll still get the autonomy and creative freedom with just enough structure to reign in the chaos. I'm really really excited about it!

In the process of driving to work and to and from the various clinics I've been able to experience the Portland roadways a bit more. It's been a little bit of an adventure! Yesterday I got mapquest directions to the Portland VA and figured I could reverse the directions to get back home. Annette Krainik was right, the place you get off the freeway is not necessarily the place you get back on! After missing my turn and having to back track a bit, I finally made it back to the place where I expected the freeway entrance, only to find that there was not even a hint of one there. Also, the streets in Portland, especially up in the hills which is where I was, are not at all gridlike...they wind around all willy-nilly. So, using my innate navigation device, I wound a round for a minute and was able to find another freeway entrance and crawl my way back home (whoever said Portland didn't have traffic??). The traffic wasn't nearly as bad as LA, but was more than I expected. It was especially bad because Portland is currently experiencing record heat (it was 90 degrees today) and I don't have air conditioning in my car. Needless to say I was disgusting by the time I got home. See, it's not always cold in Portland, only when I'm doing water sports! The rest of my time here it has been really warm with clear skies and relatively low humidity. My perfect weather. I'm going to love it while it lasts!!

I heart KCRW

2007-05-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

BLISS

Over the last four years I have developed a deep and undying love for NPR news. This can be blamed on Nic Harcourt, the KCRW DJ on the morning music program, "Morning Becomes Ecclectic" or as I like to affectionately refer to it, "MBE". When I first moved to LA, I happened upon this radio station while trying to survive my morning commute. I fell in love with Nic who introduced me to some of my favorite bands and helped me realize that the music world as I knew it was not dead. I love KCRW and all that it stands for. Through it I discovered great music, Matt's movies, This American Life, Story Corps, early concert details, and NPR news. Just like most things that I really dig, I became a little obessed and would talk about Nic, MBE, and NPR all the time. That station saved me from the commercial radio in LA which would have otherwised led to a slow and painful death during commuting (this was in the pre-ipod days). Anyway, Nic indirectly led to my discovery of NPR news. I would get to work in the morning listening to MBE and when I got back into the car to drive home, I would hear the soothing voices of Melissa Block, Michele Norris, and Robert Siegel telling me the news of the day on All Things Considered. In my younger years, I would have immediately changed the station to something more hip and exciting. But, there was something incredibly grounding and calming about hearing the news as I fought my way back to Hollywood in the heat and traffic. NPR quickly became part of my daily routine and when I started working earlier in the morning I would listen to Renee Montagne and Steve Inskeep give me the morning news as I was getting ready for work and on the morning commute. I didn't realize how much a part of my routine and daily world these people had become. But, as I was driving to work yesterday, I had this empty, disconnected feeling. I realized that I had no idea what was going on in the world and I missed my friends at NPR. I frantically searched through the radio stations, listening eagerly for a familiar voice...but none could be found. I settled for some amature news program that just wasn't giving me the satisfaction I was looking for. I came home from work last night, got online, and found the local NPR station, Oregon Public Radio (OPR). This morning, I drove to work while Renee told me about an elephant that was holding up motorists in Orissa and Steve told me about the political crisis that Musharraf is creating for himself. All was right with the world.

Wet = Cold

2007-05-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

So, right now I'm sitting in my room, listening to some Aretha Franklin, realizing that my life is pretty great! You know how I was worried that I would move to this new city and be bored and lonely? Well, that was dumb! I have been having SO much fun so far! And I've been meeting some really fun people! I hope this weekend is a good sign for things to come. Today I spent the day out on the river wakeboarding with some of my "new friends". We went out super early in the morning and hit the river before almost anyone else was out there. They were expecting the river to be packed because of the holiday, but it was a little chilly so there was hardly anyone else out on the water. And, by "a little chilly" I mean FREEZING. I don't know if it's because I lived in Southern California for so long but when I'm near the water, I sort of expect it to be warm. I've discovered this weekend that that is a not necessarily the case. The beach was cold, the river was cold, and I've realized that, in Portland, wet generally equals cold. This is a fact and I'm going to have to get used to it. I don't have to like it, but I am going to have to get used to it. I hear in the summer things warm up quite a bit and then it's not so bad. I'll believe it when I see it! But, just because it's cold doesn't mean I'm not having fun! Today was really great and I forced myself to get in the water (with a wet suit) and do some wake boarding. I got up on my first try! I wish I would have handed off my camera to someone to document the feat, but I didn't think I would pop up like I did! So, here is a picture of us freezing on the boat...

And here's a picture of Joe, the owner of the boat.

He's super nice and fun and a very patient wakeboard instructor. I told Jim that Joe is the first honorary member of the J-Crew, Portland edition. Not that you guys could EVER be replaced, but c'mon...he has a BOAT! As much as I totally miss all of my friends, the people here have been very nice and friendly and welcoming. It has made the transition much easier than I expected. Who knows...this could be just one wild and crazy weekend that is not at all indicitive of what life will be like, but it's been a good start. I think the thing that makes me happiest is the fact that everyone here likes to do the things that I like to do. In LA, there was certainly opportunity for doing outdoorsy things...but you always had to look for the opportunity and look for people to join in. Here, it seems like going hiking and boating and camping and doing outdoorsy things are the things that people do. So, I don't have to fit it in or squeeze it in among other things...it's just what people are into, which is really nice. We already have a hike planned for next Saturday at Dog Mountain, and possibly more boating on Friday...depending on when I'm done with work.

This weekend I also had another adventure at church. The ward seems very nice...but it is just really really weird being the new girl on the block. I went from a ward where I knew everyone and felt totally comfortable, to a place where I don't know anyone and feel a bit uncomfortable. I feel a little needy and like I'm a tag along with the people I want to be friends with. It's weird not knowing who to sit with at church and just not knowing anyone. I know that it just takes time and patience and before I know it I'll be fully integrated. But, it's just weird being in this new phase again. It's been a while since I've been in this position.

I start my new job tomorrow!! I'm really excited but also pretty nervous. I'm supposed to be the addictions expert at an outpatient VA clinic. YIKES!! I'm not sure how that happened because I don't feel like much of an expert...but hopefully I'll do a good enough job of faking it! Wish me luck!