Bloggy

Sad little wall.

2011-11-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

I thought I was done with interior design for a while. I like how everything looks and feels in the house. Eclectic, collected, sentimental, and MINE. But, recently two people poo-pooed my lion wall. This makes me think they don't know a thing. Or, is my lion wall not as great as I think?

The wall in question.

This wall is in the living room; a tiny, open, 15x20 room squished next to the kitchen that functions as family room, den, living room, and office. The left (in photo) side is flanked by the bar, with two stools. It has the world's frumpiest couch (but very, very comfy), and two chairs. On the right is a picture window. The couch faces the TV. I have struggled with this wall several times. Should it be an accent wall? House a large piece of art? If so, what? I've tried to make several montages of family photos, found things, and it always comes out mish-mashed.

Until I found the lion. She came from an antique store in Reno, and was living on the tallest part of the wall behind several crystal chandeliers. It was very fun to watch the store employees on their tippy toes trying to get her down with a ladder and an antique fishing pole. The picture reminds me of my dog, and I just like it. The lace framed thing on the top right is actually a doily made by my grandma, who passed away earlier this year. If that was not sentimental enough, she made it for my wedding present! I think it looks very avant-garde off-centered in it's gold frame. Apparently, two people think it's weird.

Living room, with Mo bottom right.

The mirror was $20 from Burlington coat factory and don't care about it one way or another, I just thought it all looked swell together. Ok, maybe it looks a little sparse, but I like to think of it as minimalist. I hate clutter and do-dads. The throw on the couch also belonged to my grandma, and the lampshade on the right was a hand me down from my mom. So all that stays.

Older living room incarnation

If someone has a better idea on how to arrange my living room wall, go for it. Open invite. Here is what it looked at at one point; orange walls and an older rug. TJ Maxx do-dads on the wall and super-old $75 couch lugged from Kentucky (why??!!?). Grr. Designing is only fun when it's easy.

New name?

2011-11-22T15:27:00.000-08:00

I realized that I have had a Bloggy Renaissance lately, and I'm not sure why. Maybe I miss writing. Maybe I have stuff to write about these days with this house, rather than just bitching about the daily grind. I like to have a place to put all my pictures and stories too, like a proud mama. Maybe it's because the "transition" is finally coming to a close, and I have a real life back after traveling, living in four different states, school, marriage, house, career, etc.

This morning before it warmed up enough to paint, I spent a couple hours going back to 2006 and reading my bloggy. Woah. This blog was very different then, and I kind of liked it. In '06, I was struggling, and searching for something. Mostly money. I did a lot of philosophizing, and ranting. Man, those next couple years were stressful.

It's funny though... all the things I wished for have come true, and I have emerged a different person. My blog has changed too. I think is has become kind of sterile. I modeled the new blog after the DIY ones I read daily that are more instruction and witty banter than personal tales. But I don't enjoy reading my newer stuff as much as the old stuff. It's kind of like when a rock star quits using drugs, but still writes music; they are either way, way better, or they totally suck and disappear. Not that my blog is like a rock star... but in my head this analogy works. Misery and tumult make for great inspiration. Contentment, not so much.

A few months ago I actually tried to make a new blog called DIY Fortress, where I started to post all my house stuff, leaving behind Bloggy as my sad trail of self-exploration. But that ended up being too much work. So about a month ago, I merged them... and now you have "Bloggy... the DIY house blog with past ramblings of personal misery, and a gap of about two years."

Anyhoo I am not sure the title "Bloggy" really fits it anymore. It was a great generic name that I just slapped up there to fill space, and it somehow stuck. But this thing has actually lasted six years, and it's a great way to show off my projects to out-of-state friends and family, not to mention have a record of what I've done to the place. So begins the hunt for a new name, and maybe a new function for Bloggy. I guess I need to have an outlet for my meanderings as much as an outlet for my pride-and-joy projects. Suggestions appreciated.

Loggy Bench

2011-11-22T14:50:00.000-08:00

When we first moved into this house, it was unbelievable the amount of shit that came out of nowhere; donated from friends, parents, family members etc. Somehow everyone thinks that new homeowners are in dire need of their old crap. At first I was welcoming of this stuff, our house was pretty empty. But after a year-and-a-half, most of these "donations" are on their way out. However, once in a while I come upon a use for something. Like these dry-rotted 20-year old redwood deck boards from my parents' house in California. Dad loaded up his car one day and dragged a couple dozen of these beauties almost 200 miles. They have been sleeping under the deck, until now.

Gratuitous Dewalt sander placement...so pretty.

They actually came in pretty handy, and with my newly found chop-sawing talents, these benches were put together in under an hour! Sure, there are spots in the seat that can be poked through with a finger, but hey-- they're rustic. The spiders have been swiped off, and some of the holes patched with wood putty. Another coat or two of outdoor urethane, and they're sure to last another year. Yay for recycling. And now I have new furniture made from something that I ran around on as a kid at my parents house. I'm a sucker for sentiment!


This one looks onto the front of our house. Good for admiring paint jobs.

Firewood Rack

2011-11-22T10:52:00.000-08:00

Man, I LOVE having 4 days off every week. It may just be the best schedule on earth. Sure, some sort of rich or famous person who gets every day off may think they have it better, but honestly, I get bored out of my mind after a few days and need to get back to work. Then, sure enough, the long weekend rolls around and I feel like I deserve it, every time. I am so lucky!

This month I am trying to save money to pay down credit cards with Burning Man stuff still on it, and ski season, etc. So, instead of going shopping on my long days off alone, I decided to stick around the house and make stuff. We have been needing a firewood rack for out front. Last year we just stacked firewood in front of the house, but I learned that that can introduce termites. Also, the front (and just the front) has a new paint job, so logs can't go near it!

Wheelbarrow firewood rack, with Mo the neighbor dog.

We need some wood to be dry, so under the patio roof thing in the front of the house is the perfect spot. I started off just using this wheelbarrow, which worked well, but I missed having a wheelbarrow. Plus, that's enough wood for maybe two nights. I perused some online racks, so nice. Brandon wanted a super modern half-circle steel one, and I had my eye on this cheap-o. But still, at $80, I knew I could do better.

Rack for $$$

The cool thing is that now we've been here almost two years, and have stockpiled the garage with leftover wood from other projects, and the Dewalt chop saw from the farmhouse table project. I'd been too wimpy to use it before, but something moved me yesterday.

I started by googling DIY firewood racks, of course, and combined what I saw on Google Images with crap we have laying around the yard. I am not a perfectionist, and as with every project, there is a learning curve. I tend to just jump into things without much of a plan, and make it up as I go along. Fun! I think this turned out pretty good. My design is solid, but the sturdiness is a little lacking-- we'll see if it lasts until spring. I could use a couple L brackets from Home Depot or somewhere, but did not have them on hand. The chop saw-ing was EASY. It was the screwing and nailing that was hard. The darn screws kept getting stuck, and when I tried to drill pilot holes my drill bit would get stuck. Some worked, and the ones that didn't, I just chopped off their heads with this chopper thing we have, and bent them over. Ha!

I need to work on technique....

Ugh. Don't look at that part! The rack as a whole looks much better than that. And it is sturdy enough to hold a bunch of logs. I covered it with a Minwax stain, something dark and leftover from I don't know what. The idea was to match the trim without using my precious paint.

Frame

Awesomeness. Free. Looks pretty great too. So now, onto those chair cushions! Peach and red don't really go so well. What color should I make the cushions?


Finished frame!

Finished frame, with Mo.

Reno fire

2011-11-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

Last week a raging wind storm ripped through town, starting a huge blaze that destroyed 20+ homes. The coolest thing that came from that storm was this photo, with the downtown casino lights. I would love to buy this photo, or print it out and blow it up--it's a once in a lifetime shot!! Amazing! But it's so puny...I think it was originally nabbed from Facebook. Oh well, now I can enjoy it here.

"Headboard"

2011-11-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

Since the painting project has come to a halt thanks to snow, I'm posting about something else today! Meanwhile our house is literally half old paint, half new paint, and I don't really care. Actually, I am happier about it looking this way than I was before we tore into the project. So what if it stays this way until June.

We dragged this bed across the country with us from Louisville. It's a pretty basic queen, just standing in until we get an awesome king. I always kind of wanted a headboard so the pillows wouldn't get sucked off the head of the bed down to the dusty abyss. But, headboards are a stupid thing to spend money on, I decided, and it would be easy enough to make my own! I tried several methods. One was making a large wooden frame and screwing it on to the metal bed. That worked for about a night. Then I found some old shutters under the deck, cleaned them up and painted them green (sorry, no photo) and attached them to the wall. Very cottag-ey. For my last effort, I used one of these very handy, very clean closet doors that we removed from the third bedroom (now dining room). I painted it, turned it sideways, and screwed it into the wall. Voila! It is actually centered, even though my photo doesn't show it.

Bed with "headboard" and dogs.

Old closet doors

The dogs/models were put on the bed on purpose. Cute! The black one isn't even our dog, but the bed was so lumpy I gave up on making it nice for the picture. The models were happy to oblige and jumped right up there. You'd think they do that all the time.

In person, I think the headboard looks clean, and it can be painted or whatever. I was thinking that if I ever found a place that sold wood veneer, that would be a great project. Just slap on some wood veneer and make it match the cedar chest. Pretty! One of these days Brandon is going to help me build a gigantic king size bed, but there are many, many projects in line first.

More paint!

2011-11-12T22:06:00.000-08:00

I have to say, living in the country has its benefits. Over the last month while I was out scraping paint off the house, two different neighbors stopped by to offer their paint sprayers and tools, and another offered a paint sprayer when he saw Brandon at 7-11. That's 3 paint sprayers. How awesome is that? We borrowed one this weekend, and exactly half the house done as of tonight. Tomorrow we'll get out there early and bust ass, and hopefully get most of it done before the next storm rolls in. It's such hard work, but such a great payoff! Our super sweet fort is totally coming along!

New color, big pain in the butt.

2011-11-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

A project we've been dreading since we moved in is now underway... painting! The south wall of the house was peeling so bad we were afraid it wouldn't make it another winter without dry rotting all the way through. So at the beginning of October we started scraping. And it's November now, and we're still scraping in between snow storms! But, I have most of the front of the house painted, first coat anyway. See all the area on that wall that is white? That was all bare wood, scraped off by me, the hubby and my parents! It will eventually be red again.

The trim is all going to be brown instead of white... I love it! We really thought hard about changing the color. The red was ok, but was very barn-y, and since the former owner showed up a couple times, I've been all about changing the look of it as a reminder that this is MY house! Not yours! But after a few walks and drives around the neighborhood, we realized that 95% of the homes are some sort of brown, grey, beige... and ours really stands out and looks good red. It wants to be red. It has been red since 1970, so why change?

So we decided to change the trim. We tore off the shutters and painted the corners of the house red, instead of white. I think it looks much more modern, and less barn-y. Hopefully over Veteran's Day we'll get temps high enough to paint, and no rain. I want to get at least the south side and the trim in the front done!!!

Homemade Farmhouse table

2011-10-24T19:58:00.001-07:00

It all started after sitting in this dining room, at this hand-me-down table and wishing I could see out the window. The dining room, I think, was once a bedroom. The bookshelf unit behind used to be an ugly closet, (more on that later!) and the previous owner took out the doors and made curved doorways. It looks awesome, but is a smallish, dark kind of room. After 3 paint colors, I am loving the pumpkin. But we never spend any time in there, since it's dark and uncomfortable. I toyed with the idea of putting in a bigger window. But we're not ready for that yet.

I moved the furniture around and around, tried to make it a lounge/bar/library area...anything to get more use out of the room. Finally we decided that we'd buy a bigger table and more comfy chairs. After venturing out onto the shoppers abyss, we considered dropping $1,000 on a counter-height chair/table combo from a decent furniture store. Thing was, even at a grand the table top was cheapy-looking wood veneer. Ugh. Why isn't anything made out of good wood these days? We loved an Amish table we found, but it was about $3,000. So.... with that inspiration, we decided to make one to own specifications!

Brandon did the measuring and cutting (ugh! Details!) and I got to do the planning, staining and finishing. Also the chair-picking. This is the table in the garage before the polyurethane. We ended up staining it black because we were to cheap to get all matching, nice wood, so a lighter stain would have revealed the greenish tint of the poplar tabletop, and the reddish tint of the base. Oops. I know that now for next time. The legs are straight-up 4x4s, with 2x2 beams for support and random poplar timbers for the top. Brandon was very worried this would end up looking like a picnic table, but once we got the right chairs for it, it looks just fine!

If I had to do it again, I would make it a little bigger. We got the height right, but the chairs are a tad tight. Otherwise, I love the thing. I can stand on it, even dance on it! And now we have a great view out the window when we're eating, studying, reading, whatever. We've moved back into that room! Yay!

We distressed the top with chains... fun!

Four chairs from Overstock.com, very comfy!

In all, we spent about $600 on the table. But... that was only because we bought a chop saw from Dewalt for $300! I think the chairs ran about $300 also. But now we have a table that will last forever, and if we can get sick of it, it will be right at home on the deck. We also scored a nice tool that we'd have probably been too cheap to buy otherwise!

Don't drink and dye

2011-10-24T19:57:00.003-07:00

This was a bad idea...

Bad idea....tea-dyed blanket

White is not so good at my house. It doesn't stay clean for very long, and in the case of this nice white blanket, I'm just not into bleaching it weekly. So, since my debit card was recently hacked and I can't get to any money until my new card comes in the mail, I decided to try this tea-dyed technique I read about on the internet.

I started by brewing several pots of black tea I had leftover from a random trip to Chinatown in Chicago 3 years ago. I also poured some coffee grounds into the mix, some hot water, salt, and maybe some vinegar. I kept it in the "bath" overnight, and expected greatness when I pulled it out and hung it on the deck rail the next day.

I thought it would be a lovely rust-batik, or something. Brandon saw it hanging there and laughed. He asked if I'd been drinking. I do remember having a couple glasses of wine before I started this project. Wine + home improvement = dirty coffee/tea/blanket. Next step: buy some real dye and do it right!

Tea bath

Retro chair re-do

2011-10-24T19:57:00.001-07:00

Before, take II

Before, take I

Chairs, like all furnishings, are freakin' expensive. I needed a smallish chair, and instead of paying $600 at RC Willey, I found this $60 one at a thrift shop in California. I don't really know why I like it, maybe because it's curvy and has a lot of real wood, which is hard to find in new furniture these days. The foam was in good shape, but the wood had this 1960s opaque-looking finish on it. The color was all wrong, and the fabric was hideous.

I sanded it down which was a huge pain in the butt. All those curves, surfaces. Argh, it took forever. I stained it a darker color, and used satin polyurethane for the finish. I think it updated it at least ten years. Ha. The first incarnation was recovered with what I thought would be a very worldly use of fabric-- a hot pink hammock I've been dragging around with me from Ecuador. It turned out that the fabric was just too thin, and you could see it puckering around the foam. I'm sure I could have added it to a base fabric of some sort, but by the time I'd sewn it and put it on and taken it off several times, it had already started to wear out in places. I loved the hot-pinkness of it, but ended up going with something else. I will keep that fabric for pillows!!

After!

I found this very retro whitish-yellow circle print at the discount fabric store for yes, $5/yard. It is heavy, so hides the foam well. It was really easy to work with, and I think it goes well with the dark wood. I basically made two pillowcases for the cushions, and blammo, $70 chair! And my first upholstery project.

Brandon took one look at it and said I have "grandma style." Ha! He doesn't know. Now he always laughs and says I have grandma style about everything, which is OK because it counteracts his stupid, heavy metal, basic dude who-would-live-in-a-cardboard-box-if-he-had-no-woman-in-his-life-style!

DIY EASY Roman shades

2011-10-24T19:56:00.001-07:00

This fabric started as homemade curtains in the living room, but they ended up being too busy for that small space. I reverted back to some basic curtains for that room, and cut this fabric up and turned them into roman shades. So simple! The bedroom was an issue-- it had these long curtains over the short windows and I never could get it looking right. I wanted nice, white cell blinds or roman shades, but a blinds.com quote was for over $250 for simple Roman shades for all 3 windows, and I didn't feel like spending that.

So I made these from the old curtains--which were a good deal in the first place, like $6 a yard! I cut them to the window size with a little extra on each side, about 5 inches longer in length. Then I made five small folds and ironed them in-- big enough to place wooden dowels in the back of the shade so they won't sag. The folds were about 5/8". Once those were sewn in place, I sewed by hand these little plastic rings I found at Lowes on the back of each fold--two per fold. These are to secure the opening device. I strung rope through them from the bottom up, and tied a knot at the bottom. At the top I strung the rope through screws with eyelets attached to a 1x2 wooden beam secured to the trim of the window. That allows me to move the shade up and down by pulling the rope. So easy.

I ended up not needing a securing device or a fancy opening device-- the combo of the heavy-ish fabric and the light plastic rings, and the rope actually makes it stay in place while up. Then I just gently pull at the bottom to bring them down. All in all, besides the fabric which I already had, these cost me $20! Yay! I think they look so much better than my curtains, and better than the nasty, dirty blinds the previous owner had up.

Please excuse the cord coming from the window.... it was the air conditioner unit we had up this summer, which is now tucked away in the garage. Oh... country livin', no central air.

The front door... where it all begins!

2011-10-24T19:55:00.001-07:00

Old yucky door

Sweeet new door.

Welcome! Check out the entrance to our fabulous "new" abode! We lived in the house for nearly a year before attacking this project, even though the old door had cracks in the window, and a huge doggie door big enough for a man to crawl through. The reason we waited? Front doors are friggin' expensive!

We finally got the motivation for this project after the junkie/ former owner showed up at our doorstep, twice, and asked when we changed the locks. After parking in our driveway and trying to open the door, he informed me that he used to be able to pick the lock with his thumbnail.

After that episode, we also got a dog. Anyway, I wanted a solid wood door--and they are not so budget friendly. I kept thinking I'd stumble upon a Craigslist beauty, but that just didn't happen. I decided against a steel door because it can dent, and a fiberglass one with a fancy glass insert just doesn't go with the rustic facade of the house. So I scoured Craigslist for weeks... not wanting to spend hundreds on what was basically a piece of wood. Besides, I could easily refinish an older wood door in good shape. But, being that we have an older house, the frame is not square. Buying a used door without a frame would be much harder to fit into the space, we decided we needed a door that came with a frame, so in this one case, new was the way to go.

Front door with icicles!

New wood doors on a frame can cost thousands! I had no idea. We opted for an unfinished big box store special order in alder. We paid $399, which was a bargain. Sanding, staining and finishing it was a super pain-in-the-ass. All the nooks and crannies hold stain and polyurethane, and it is super heavy. We still don't have sawhorses, so I did it all while it was lying on the floor of the garage. I used Minwax Early American, and an outdoor urethane.

The hardware is from handlesets.com. I tried two different sets at Home Depot and Lowes that didn't fit. I really really suggest NOT buying the "Smart Key" technology from Kwikset. After installing it, we proudly opened and closed our door for a day or so when it seized up and locked us out! Good old Google revealed that we were not the only ones with this problem. It is made for landlords I guess, who want to change the keys occasionally. It is faulty, and I boycotted Home Depot for at least a day for selling such crap.

After installing two sets of doorknobs, we had "extra" holes. My poor husband, expert driller of holes, was so ashamed. So much for DIY-- there is a very big learning curve to all this! We had to special order a handleset that has a big back plate to conceal our boo boos. In this case it definitely could have been done more cheaply, but we love how solid the iron looks and feels, and how beefy the door is. Finally we have a custom-looking door, a new lock, and peace of mind, all for around $600.

Trailer rehab

2011-09-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

We picked up this Coachmen beauty from Craigslist in June for $850. Straight outta 1973, that 70's smell included. Had it rehabbed just in time for Burning Man. It was quite a project, but a fun one. I felt much more creative with the trailer than I could with the house; you can't just fix a hole in your bedroom with staples and duct tape, but it works magic in a trailer!

It went from a dank, wood-paneled dirt-covered fiasco to a light, tranquil, fresh-smelling oasis!

I started with new upholstery-- which could have been cheap. I found some awesome retro fabric from Home Fabric and Upholstery for $5/yard, but busted my sewing machine in the process. So, $200 later, got a used commercial strength Kenmore beauty to finish the job nicely. I learned how to make box cushions which will come in handy later. They are pretty simple, but some are really really odd-looking. Good thing this is "just" the B-Man trailer, and good experience for the sofa I hope to do in the next month or so.

The cabinets took a while... they are all wood, but the doors are particle board with wood-look vinyl on them. Ick. What to do? I tried painting them, even used primer but just ended up with a clumpy mess. So I had to strip them, which left them with a fake-wood whitewashed kind of look. It'll do. With the rest of the wood painted white, it actually looks great. The ceiling had some water damage, but instead of replacing it with melamine, I simply used staples to hold white duct tape together, then finished it with more duct tape. It matches really well, and looks just like a vinyl seal. Really, it does.

I found a beige berber carpet remnant for $40 at a carpet store and made a reverse template of the floor, then laid it out in my garage and did a pretty darn good job of cutting it up to fit. No more 70s brown and yellow!

There was some wallpaper in the bathroom and kitchen area that I painted over using oil-based primer. Also painted the wood paneling white after caulking every little hole. The foam I saved, but aired it out on the deck for a couple days after spraying with bleach, water, then febreeze. Also treated it with carpet powder and vacuumed it off. Don't know which one did it, but the 70s smell is totally gone!

Brandon revamped the water holding tank, refurbed the water pump, and made all the lights work. None of which was easy. But we finally had showers out there!! I painted the fake wood stripe on the outside to match the truck, and did flat black on everything else that wasn't white. We caulked all the edges and seams on the outside, and after 3 trips to the DMV that baby was ready to roll!! At Burning Man it performed beautifully!

We also got a solar charger for the battery, so actually had solar charging our battery, which we used only for the water pump and lights. The stove is propane, and unfortunately didn't have time to get to the fridge....which I hear is a major deal in RVs. Oh well, block ice worked fine, and we were able to sleep in till 11am some days!!

Burning Man 2011

2011-09-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

This was the 4th Burning Man for me, and I have to say it made the top three! Something about how it all came together this year made every moment fly by and made me wish I was back out there again the very next week. We went with new people, were in charge of staking out a camp, and we came prepared with a trailer; I washed my hands for the first time at Burning Man this year!!

I was warned that as you attend more and more B-man's, the sparkle kind of wears away and it becomes something different each time. The first couple times you are SO overwhelmed by the art, the people and the things to do that your head just spins for the entire year after, and your memory is shinier than the actual event.

I'm kind of glad I'm over that phase... my mind has been blown, I've picked up the pieces, and can enjoy it for what it is. This year I camped with virgins-- and was somehow the expert on all things Burning Man! We made time to explore things during the day and through the night.

Next year I plan to volunteer, perhaps as a greeter, and then work in the medical tent for a shift. I feel like I can finally tear myself away from oogling everything to give back to the community. We volunteered for Camp Arctica a couple of times, which is the only cool place out there as it is an ice tent.

I can't wait to hear everyone's stories... I am laid up with a nasty cold and haven't made it back to work yet. I am sure it's from B-man, sharing cups, playing in the dirt, etc. Next year: One cup, one cup only!!

Did I forget to mention?

2011-02-11T20:08:00.000-08:00

I got married to my hunney! Stopped blogging for a couple years it seems... missed some important details. Brandon ended up coming with me to Kentucky for nursing school. Of course he waited until the last possible minute to decide, but he came! He asked me to marry him during the second semester, right before the second huge Med/Surg test. I was a little distracted, and only got a B.

When we got to Nevada, we got hitched at the Justice of the Peace with both sets of parents there by our sides. We'd imagined eloping, but the parents wouldn't have it and drove in from out of state! Looking back I am so glad they did. If the situation were a little different, I'd have loved to throw a big party. But times were tough then. We were so broke, and lived in this ucky little apartment. We just wanted to be hitched, none of the fluffy stuff mattered. We had a cake from Trader Joes and BBQed burgers on a grill outside the apartment after the wedding. I had (stupidly) worked the night before, so got home at 7:30 and slept for 3 hours. I was a little goofy.

The next day all of us, including a brother from each side and their s/o's all met in San Francisco for a ride on the Adventure Cat in SF Bay. It's an awesome catamaran that is owned by family friends. They built the boat themselves, and have done such good business over the years that they have other people to run their charters from Pier 39. It was a gorgeous, sunny day in the bay, and no one got seasick! We picked the boat ride for a few reasons. I'm from the area, and have always been fascinated with the city. Brandon and I MET on a boat, over the Sea of Cortez in Mexico. (Well that was a ferry boat, but anyway, a boat seemed appropriate.) Also my dad and my friend Erin and I have all swam the Shark Fest, an annual 1.5 mile race from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park. I always like being out on the bay and feeling its power. Nothing quite compares to swimming through it though!

Anyhoo, we had our 1 year anniversary in September! Oh, and the picture of us was taken in Louisville. We were playing Frisbee at the downtown park on a rare day off.

Ooooh looook.... Bloggy brown!

2011-02-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

I like brown! Hmm. Too basic?

Built in bookcase

2011-02-09T17:56:00.001-08:00

This is another recent project. The house came with 2 bedrooms... used to be 3, but the dining room was obviously once a bedroom. When we moved in, there was a closet in the dining room, with the same ugly doors as in the guest bedroom. I took those out day 1, and started imagining what I wanted in its spot. We decided on an office/bookcase, since maybe one day the guest room would house a kidlet...?

The challenge was designing a space around the heating vent that went through the back left corner of the closet, and also doing it for next to nothing since I'm cheap. So, I learned how to use the circular saw and got some pine boards and just started in. The final color of the room (it's 4th color in under a year) is called Butter Rum, and it's perfect-- not too dark, not too bright. The shelves match our accent wall which is brown. I think there are 4 different shades of brown on my walls throughout the house. Love it. The bookcase is a success, and I owe it all to fancy trim work to cover up my boo boos. Again, the NEXT time I build a bookcase, it will be much better!

Cedar chest transformation

2011-02-09T17:38:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite recent projects is the resurrection of this Lane Cedar Chest from the 1940s. The chest was found in grandma's house when she moved out after grandpa died. It had been living in an upstairs closet for who knows how long. There were glue spots on the veneer, the polyurethane was wrinkled and spotted like an alligator... it was gross. I had it hiding at my house for months, and one day I decided to just dig in and fix it!

Dirty, lumpy, cedar chest.

I bought a sander finally after hand sanding for hours to the demise of my fingerprints, and sanded the whole thing down. I was so lucky that the veneer was thick enough that I only sanded through in a few parts. Man I was lucky!! Lesson learned, don't sand veneer with power tools!!

finished!

Looking back I probably should have stripped it first to see where that got me. Then I stained it with natural stain from Minwax, then used polyurethane over the top, several coats. I wasn't sure if that was the thing to use... antique restoration websites say don't use poly on antiques. BUT... my chest is technically not an antique, since it's only from the 1940s and not over 100 years old. So I went with it and am glad I did!

Time has flown by!

2011-01-02T20:58:00.000-08:00

Look! It's 2011. I haven't blogged in a while, was busy, felt like I didn't have anything going on or something. BUT--I guess stuff was going on. Now, I am older, more mature, have a career, a husband, a house, a dog, and new hobbies to blog about!! I am addicted to decorating and furnishing my house. It's a great house, lemme post some pics.

We bought it with the idea that we're staying here forever. It's not a starter home. It's in the mountains of Nevada, elevation about 5000 ft. It snowed New Year's Eve, and we woke up to a beautiful 3-4" of fresh snow and blue skies. Instead of wanting to go snowboarding, however, all I wanted to do was finish the dining room! This is actually nothing like what it looks like now... it has been 3 colors since then and is full or furniture. I will post what it looks like eventually.

Me is nurse

2009-08-25T22:58:00.000-07:00

So unbelievably I am a nurse already. It seems like it took forever, and then again it flew by! Somehow, Brandon and I ended up in the very spot we had our eyes on, Carson City, Nevada. It's a town of less than 50,000 people, surrounded by mountains. Every time I leave the house for an adventure, I find one! Tonight we went for an evening hike in the hills on the west side of Washoe Lake. I found a trail just by driving through a neighborhood, and we found gorgeous views of Carson and washoe lake, up in the trees and granite rocks. Eight miles in you can see Lake Tahoe, but we didn't get that far before dark. The hike area is pretty cool... Just on the other side of the valley is the rocky, more desert-like terrain, without trees.

I love it all! There is mountain biking , hiking and all kinds of other fun stuff to do. Recently I've been wanting a big dog. Brandon works 5 days a week (ha!) so I need a buddy to come play with me!! Before we get a big dog, we need a big house, and before we get a big house we need to pay off some big debt. Pooey.

Renorenoreno!!!

2009-07-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

We have landed in Reno! Well, Carson City actually, and it was about a month ago. But damn, it's nice to be back out west!! For all the friends and fun I had in Kentucky, I don't think I'll miss that place for a long long time. There's just so much to do out here! So little time!

Nine screws!

2008-10-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the sweet little break between semesters here at nursing school. Looks like I haven't posted in a few months, and it figures. They keep me busy here. Last week actually marked the halfway point! I am halfway to being a nurse! It's pretty amazing. To celebrate, I had a major nesting weekend, where I stayed close to home (except for a 1 day side trip to Cincinnati for some shopping with a friend!) and fixed up the nest. I got little extension cords that I have been meaning to get so I'll have light at the kitchen table. I got a dish drainer, I polished my furniture, etc. It was awesome.

For my birthday I got myself a nice big mirror. I have always had those flimsy door ones that make you have skinny days or fat days depending on how it's leaning. I found this great one that is BIIIIG for only $50, so happy early 30th b-day to me!!

Then....I spent half of today trying to hang the thing. It's BIG. And I have no stud-finder, no power tools, I couldn't even find a tape measure. I ended up screwing NINE holes in the wall before I finally hung the damn thing straight. For a while I was questioning my decision to be a nurse--how can I take care of seriously sick patients if I can't even hang a mirror straight?? I laughed out loud. A lot. Then I was sad.

First it was cockeyed to the left, then to the right, then I just got confused and started punching random holes. I finally realized that my bargain basement mirror's hooks were crooked. Ah. Shoulda thought of that first. After that it still took me 2 more holes. But now it's great and my house is totally feng shui for me! Yay for weekends with no studying. My next post shall be in December!!

Craaaazy rain!

2008-07-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

One minute it's hot and humid. Ten minutes later you step outside and it feels like someone has laid a hot, wet blanket across your chest. Then the lightning comes. From every corner of the sky. Every 15 seconds. No thunder. Then the wind, strong and blustery.

Finally, the rain. And MAN it comes down! In sheets, cats and dogs, sideways... all the metaphors that try to explain rain that makes umbrellas completely useless! The drops are so huge that when they hit the ground they splash back up as high as your waist. The drops are so huge that one drop on your head soaks your hair completely, and runs down your face and into your cleavage!

Where I'm from.... it doesn't rain past May!

Free concert in the rain!

2008-07-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got to see George Clinton play in little old Kentucky! It was Louisville's 4th of July festival, and I swear, I am so taken with this little city. They find sponsors to host these free concerts at the waterfront--right on the Ohio river. For Derby week the B-52's were here, and there's been music pretty much every weekend since then. It's all free, and parking is incredibly easy. Beers are under $5, and you don't even have to have a wristband or wait in ungodly lines. It's unbelievably easy to have fun here!

Anyhoo, George Clinton played for hours on Friday, and didn't stop when the rain started pouring down. They didn't stop when the fireworks started, and they didn't even stop when the fireworks ended and the city blasted canned patriotic music trying to drown out the band and get the crowd to leave. It was great!

You look great for your age!

2008-07-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

Seems like I have been getting this more and more lately, and I don't quite know how to take it! I mean, I know it's a compliment...but it also means that I am older than I look, which means that I look young but I am....old? Or something. I don't know. When I hear it I cringe.

Kentucky culture!

2008-07-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had our first break from nursing school. It was a whole 3 days long, but it was really, really nice. I got to escape to Cumberland Lake in the southern part of Kentucky, and got in some boating, some drinking and some guns.

Lake Cumberland just happens to be THE houseboat capital of the U.S.! Some of these things are ridiculously obscene. They've got swirly slides coming off all which ways, some are 3 stories tall, with 10,000 square feet, and get 3/4 miles to the gallon. Rad. We didn't have a houseboat, but I was lucky enough to go with some friends that had 2 motor boats and could get us to the little inlets and creeks all over the lake. There was fantastic swimming, and I am 10 shades darker even though I wore 50SPF the whole time, AND a hat. That's a result of kentucky summer + portland winter. EEghh.

Anyhoo, friends brought guns. I mean, that's the thing you do in Kentucky. So I got to handle them for the first time-- I practiced with a bbgun, and a 22 gauge thingy. There was also a 45 caliber pistol, but I wasn't really into that one. It's noisy and kinda scary. We shot Miller Light cans. I missed 7 times, and nailed it on the 8th. I rock!

$20,000

2008-07-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

So it's just 8 weeks into school, and my bill is already at $20,000! Not a problem, I know I have to repay this whether I finish or NOT!!!!

First Bill

2008-05-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

Today I got the bill for my first semester of nursing school. It's thousands more than my car cost. On the bright side, I don't think that in 10 years it will be outdated!

Fire hooping!

2008-05-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

Last night I met up with some fire hula hoopers in a park here in Louisville. It's a super small community, and were so happy to have more people join in the fun. And, they made me hoop with my hoop on fire! It was awesome! I was scared at first, mostly because I'm pretty sure my shirt was polyester, but also because the flames are pretty big. More details to come on that...and pics, too! But, I think I know what I want for my 30th b-day. No, not a fire hoop. An LED hoop!!! Yes, I want a hula hoop for my 30th b-day, and no, I did not mean my 3rd b-day.

www.hoopingharmony.com sells them, and these hoops in particular were highly recommended by the hoopers last night. I might actually buy myself an early 30th b-day present....just because hooping in November sux.

The picture is not me, but I may soon have pics like this! Oh, an LED hoop is just a regular big ol' dance hoop that lights up and looks super awesome at night. It's way less work than lugging around white gas and fire extinguisher supplies, and as far as I know you can LED hoop indoors too, whereas fire hooping has some logistical limitations, naturally.

Slow down movement

2008-05-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

I was reading a fellow hula hooper's blog tonight, and I came across a post she'd written recently about how she'd been interviewed on TV for a movement she's into about slowing down and unplugging. Her post is here, and the segment is here. She's a freelance writer, etc., in Seattle. I like the message. I am constantly trying to simplify and slow myself down. I am not addicted to my computer or phone too much, but I want to cut down on driving, and I want to enjoy being NOT busy. I am constantly trying to plan something or make something or go somewhere. I need to be busy. I hate it. Living in Portland really gave me a glimpse of what it could be like to rely on walking for most errands, and it really slows me down. I love it!

Going to the grocery store makes me feel like a robot for some reason. Same with getting gas and really anything else involving waiting in line or traffic.
However, a quick bike ride to a farmer's market is therapeutic. So is walking to Walgreens. Somehow going slowly makes it more enjoyable. Anyhoo.

Kentucky Fried Hot Rod

2008-05-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of someone's sweet ride. These are all over here, and I don't quite know why. Brandon loves them for some reason, and fantasizes about lifting his 1996 Buick Park Avenue and sticking some huge tires under it.

51 weeks

2008-05-14T17:55:00.001-07:00

I forgot to mention school started last week, and already it's flying by. So far, I am an awesome student. Being a student in my late 20s is way different than being a student in my early 20s, or even mid-20s. I am so prepared and motivated this time. Not that I wasn't before, but at Cal State Long Beach I was a different person. I went to class and got A's, but I read only what was necessary to pass the class. Now, I find myself reading ahead chapters, and following up online or in conversations with my dad, who's a nurse.

I also finally see what an advantage students who don't have to work while in school have over those who do. Throughout high school, junior college and CSULB I worked. Sometimes I took breaks, but I was always trying to support myself. I worked my ass off, putting in 12 and 16 hour days. No wonder I was an average student.

I am not working this year, and this will be the longest break from work I've ever had. My schedule now is roughly 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and nothing else to do but study! Oh my gosh, what a concept. Gee, I wonder if I'll pass?

It is kind of sad though, realizing how easy some people have it in comparison. I wonder if I'd had a full ride, would I have chosen a harder degree? Would I have excelled? Played sports in college? Gotten scholarships? Would I be going back a second time?

Eh, I guess we'll never know. But for now I will sure enjoy it, even though I know I'll be paying this off for the next 30 years!

Wino gone dry...

2008-05-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

Ok I am not really a wino! But due to the lack of Trader Joe's here, my wine habit has been taking a serious beating. Here in Kentucky they don't sell wine at most grocery stores. You have to go to a wine shop or liquor store, where the cheapest of the cheap is $8. Ok ok... $8 is a cheap bottle of wine, I know. But as a starving student nowadays, I long for the $2 Chuck of ol' California. Boo hoo.

p.s., check out this blog. It has more information and more dialogue that you'd ever need on cheap wine and $2 Chuck!

Derby Day Disappointment

2008-05-03T16:55:00.001-07:00

After weeks of hype, we finally got to witness the Kentucky Derby. For a full 2 minutes and 1 second of excitement, the entire city was held in suspense. Brandon and I got caught up in the action a little bit--we considered heading out to the Derby, but backed away from the crowds. We opted to BBQ at home and place bets online, but even that backfired when we couldn't get our online betting account to work.

So, we made fake bets and watched hours of coverage leading up to the Derby. Finally, a little after 6 p.m., the horses were off-- and a big brown horse named "Big Brown" crossed the finish line first. I had placed a fake bet on him, and with his 2.5 odds he won me $75 fake dollars. He was a favorite in the Derby, but had drawn post position #20, putting him in the very outside slot of the track. But his trainer was confident. This horse was undefeated for 4 of his previous races!

Brandon put his fake bet on a filly--the only female horse in the Derby--named "Eight Belles." She came in second, but as she crossed the finish line and started into a gallop, she collapsed. Both ankles were broken, and she had to be euthanized on the spot.

Two weeks ago we'd gone out to a fancy theater in downtown Louisville to watch "The First Saturday in May," a documentary on the Kentucky Derby. We learned that last year's Derby winner had suffered a similar fate--after winning, he'd gone on to run another race where he broke a hind ankle, and after many surgeries to fix it, was finally euthanized.

As I watched Eight Belles lying there on the track today, after witnessing all the pomp and shit, the crazy hats, the celebrities, the millionaires and the stretch Hummers that have been cruising around town all week, I thought, "Man, I am glad I had nothing to do with this ugly spectacle. I hate the Derby." Sure, it's been going on for 134 years, and I know it's good for the city and whatnot. And, there are many other sides to the Derby that I am oblivious to. But I also saw that these horses are pushed to their limits out there, and for what? So a bunch of drunk idiots and bored rich guys can place bets on them like a hand of blackjack? Is it really for the sport or even about the horses? If it was, then why would they name them after cult movies and sex positions and dancers?

Brandon says my Bay Area/liberal/bleeding heart background is coming out, and I shouldn't talk about things like this in these here parts. Maybe he's right. And, I can't complain to much-- I mean, I did just feast on a huge steak for dinner. When it comes down to it, how different is eating a cow than shooting a horse dead on a track after racing for money?

Finally home!

2008-04-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

After living for 6 months in a torturous roommate situation, working two night shift jobs to pay off debt, and enduring another depressing Portland winter, I finally landed in Kentucky!! And, I've got 2 full weeks to go before nursing school...and the Kentucky Derby is coming up!

The drive across the country took 6 days. Brandon towed a trailer with his pickup, and we went 65 the whole way. Big rigs passed us constantly.

Most of the drive was flat, boring, and the food was crap. Once we reached Kansas City and St. Louis things started looking up. The rest of the way was rolling hills and lots of grass. I won't say it was "pretty" but hey-- last summer we were living in the Columbia River Gorge. There's probably nothing else that comes even CLOSE to the awe factor of that area. But, I still have hope that this summer will bring out the pretty in Kentucky.

So far the people seem the same as anywhere. Some are asses, some are super cool. The only difference is a little twang in some of their words. Oh, and there are lots of hicks--they make themselves known to all by curling the bill of their ball caps real tight. And by driving what Brandon's dubbed a "Kentucky-Fried
Hot Rod," which is an old beater car, raised up with super fancy wheels under it. I'll have to get a picture.

The girls rat their hair a bit more here than out west, and lots wear high heels. Weird. I wonder if I'll pick any of that up? When Brandon and I first landed in Southeast Portland we were surrounded by tattooed hipsters. I wonder aloud what we'd look like in a year from then. We didn't end up with any tattoos, but somehow my hair went black and I have bangs. I look more Portland now that I did when I lived there!

My house is way cool- it's a mansion built in 1895. The paint is peeling and everything is falling apart, but it's got a ton of charm and I just love living in something with some history! Is anything out west older than 30 years? Sometimes it doesn't seem like it.

backcountry whooping

2008-02-08T17:58:00.001-08:00

So we really got worked this weekend in BC. We went backcountry snowboarding with some friends, and, uh.... 10 hours later slid into town by moonlight. I still have bruises and sore muscles to prove I was there. But, the views were awesome!

What to wear?

2008-01-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

Ugh. January skin looks nothing like July skin! There's a party in a couple weeks and I was asked to hoop for it by a DJ friend. Great fun, except it's the dead of winter and I haven't moved a muscle in 6 months! So, how to I cover my legs, abs, arms and bootie and still move a hoop? Hmmmm.....

2007-11-21T15:28:00.000-08:00

This is something to aspire to... Well, maybe in another life. The video is Irina Roubleva, a fourth generation Russian circus performer based in Moscow.

Here I am

2007-11-15T00:43:00.000-08:00

It's after midnight and I am wide awake. Why? Because I slept all day long, getting ready for work tonight. Then I got called off. The census is low, so it was my turn to stay home. Won't look too deep into it now... now's not the time to start believing I am cursed in some way. Now's not the time to have epiphanies about being grateful for some lame job because you figure it's better than nothing. Now's not the time to worry about being grown up and having thoughts like, "hmm, so this is why some adults are so angry all the time, this is why they turn to alcohol and drugs, and a life of crime. Cuz shit just doesn't make sense, it's not fair, blah blah blah." Nope. Now's the time to stay up late and surf the Internet, blog angry things and get mad because I can't sleep and won't be able to pay certain bills this month. Reflection and worry come later.

Sweet shoes

2007-11-15T00:40:00.000-08:00

I didn't know they made shoes as sweet as this anymore. I thought the last time was 1985, but I guess I was wrong! You just have to know where to look, and in this case it's a California-themed online skate shop based outta Sweden. The same one that brought us the fabulous pants below. Nice. I'm gonna keep shopping.

High pants?

2007-11-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

Low low pants are annoying, but seriously... these are worse.
Anyhoo, I ripped this from another blogger site, but it's so funny I had to save it for future reference!!

And it doesn't look like it's a joke. Go here to see them for yourself!

From hipster to hippie

2007-11-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

These are my new b-day shoes... and they look strangely like something my parents started wearing decades ago, and I think, still do to this day. Yep, they're Birkenstocks. And you know what? I love them. Don't care that they have no heel, no sex appeal, and are not on Cosmo's hot list for fall. And, finally, no one will confuse me with a hipster when I wear them!

Boring blog!

2007-11-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

Because life if boring! Compared to the crap I've been dragging myself through lately, the excitement factor sure is low nowadays. I've been working my 3 12-hour shifts, and getting used to the nuances of life in the hospital. It's weird working with lots of people, and with young professionals. Some nurses are in their early 20s, and some nurses aides are just barely in their 20s. It does make me feel older... here on my 29th b-day, but hearing the pitiful dating stories and living-with-parents woes, I'd never want to go back! And I guess that's a good thing. At 29 I have an awesome dude and we're in no rush to do anything. And I've got a serious direction in life, which feels great.

3:30 a.m. worries

2007-10-26T03:30:00.000-07:00

Oh, sure, everything in life is all great, and I'm goin' on about how I looove Portland, the new routine, even the rain can't get me down. My job is good. I walk to the gym. My commute to work is 10 minutes. Then all of a sudden the reality of life hits me like a bank account balance of $26. Life's grand. I guess I could be optimistic here... at least it's not negative $26. But all my damn planning, all my careful spending and extra work this month has left me with $26. And that's it.

Sure, I made my debt payoff goals, but what's really slapping me in the face is the realization that this year I am working and paying off my expenditures from LAST year. Yep--I work one hour for me now, and one for last year. Roughly half of my income went to credit cards that paid for my existence in my Year O' Hell. The shittier part is that even though I'm staying afloat and paying down my debt, I am not saving a dime.

Why didn't anyone tell me growing up would be this lame? Oh, wait... everyone told me that. Guess I'm glad I had fun when I could.

What the future holds...

2007-10-24T13:52:00.001-07:00

My real life and blogger friend, Ray, had a great idea that I am going to steal. He wrote out his wishes and dreams for the next few months--what he called a Stuart Smalley-type entry... and it worked for him. See his idea here

It's kinda like a prophesy, where you have the power of making things happen just by thinking them, and in this case, writing them. And I think it works! Because if you don't come up with new ideas, how is anything new ever going to happen? So, here goes mine.... short term, then long term:

Over the next few months I hope to stay focused at my new job, and inspired enough to pick up extra shifts and pay off all my debt before leaving for nursing school. I also want to be completely ready for school when I get there, all loose ends tied up, and ready to dive in an learn.
Over the course of the year in Kentucky, I want to absorb tremendous amounts of nursing knowledge, and feel prepared for my new career. I also want to be scouting locations for my first job, even if it's just on the Internet. Once I graduate, I want to have a location picked for my first investment property, whether it's land, a duplex, or a single family home.
Through all this I want to maintain all my relationships, from friends and family, to my boyfriend, even though we'll be spread all over the country. I also hope to be open to new lessons in how people live in that part of the country, and be able to take that knowledge and use it to form more educated opinions about life in the US.

ok that's it. Let's see how I am doing here in a few months!!

There is nothing new in my world

2007-10-24T13:47:00.001-07:00

And it's great. The feeling of routine and predictability are actually comforting at this point. However, the knowledge that everything is going to be shaken up here in a few months when I head to Kentucky keeps me from going berserk.

But for now, I am loving coming home and making dinner, going for walks in the neighborhood and heading to the gym every chance I get. And the knowledge that a paycheck is coming every 2 weeks is the greatest feeling ever!!

Stupid condos

2007-10-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

Ha! Condo conversion backfires! The Oregonian reported it today, http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1191898514282930.xml&coll=7&thispage=1
but we all saw it coming...

Did the owners really think all the apartments in Portland could be converted to condos? Not EVERYONE wants to buy a run down 1-bedroom apartment *with NEW countertops,* in a questionable area--for $200,000, nor do they want to pay $550,000 for a high-rise downtown! HA! And now, boo-hoo, interest rates went up, and we all wanna rent, not buy. And you can't sell. Jerks.

Although this news doesn't exactly make my life easier, it still is kinda sweet. Good rental houses are being rented within hours, and rents are going through the roof. Shoulda coulda woulda bought 5 years ago.

Life experiment

2007-10-01T02:30:00.000-07:00

So I just reread "my life experiment" thing on my blog to see if it was still an accurate description of me, and I realized that this segment of my life really did start on that trip to Mexico in January 2005. Actually, right before it; The few months hating my last job, planning my escape, hitching across the border, and meeting the man of my dreams on a ferry boat. It still seems like a fairytale.

Everything before that trip was SO different. I had been on a completely different path, and if I would have seen a script of my life for the next two years I wouldn't have believed it was mine. But that's awesome. And I hope the next two years hold just as much surprise. Well, I also hope my plans come to fruition!

Brandon has been a huge part of my life since that trip. His presence has changed everything. What would I have done if I'd never met him? Would I have ever left California? Would I have landed in Phoenix? Would I have gotten that job there if I hadn't botched the phone interview? Would I be going into nursing? I feel so lucky to have found him, but I know it wasn't just chance. He was crossing my path, and I just had to go find him all by myself.

It really is amazing how much power we have over our own tiny little lives. Sometimes it feels like I am steering this huge ship, affecting other people's lives with every decision I make. Other times it feels like the ship is steering me, and I can't tell what direction it's going. But for the most part it's fun. The next couple years are going to be tough. At a time when my friends and his friends are buying houses and cars, making babies, and settling down, we're both thinking about school again, and anything else seems so far off in the future. I meet nurses at my work who are 25, married, and have this career thing figured out. But I wonder what are they going to do with the rest of their time?

I'm guess I'm doin' it the only way I know how... Bass-ackwards, with a haphazard plan and overly-optimistic expectations. Keep your fingers crossed!

Settling in

2007-10-01T02:21:00.000-07:00

So winter is here. Forget indian summer and fall. A week after we moved back to the city, the rain came, and I am glad to see it. Among the positives of being back in the city; Brandon and my commutes have shrunk... Mine is minuscule, it takes me about 10 minutes to get to work, and Brandon is now driving 20 minutes each way, instead of 55. Awesomeness.

We landed in the outskirts of the city, and now have access to all of the normal American conveniences, which I forgot were so damn convenient. We can choose from 4 Fred Meyers's, and two Winco's, two WalMarts...and it's all withing 5 minutes of our house. I am looking for a gym nearby, and found a community center within walking distance that I think I'll try out for a while.

So far, I have not missed our old house. It was big. Maybe too big. Open rooms and empty spaces does not a cozy home make, and it's almost nice to see all my stuff crammed into two bedrooms and an attic. Our "office" has a desk, computer, chaise lounge, bookshelf and coffeemaker in it. There is really no reason to leave this room all day long, and I've spent quite a few hours in it already. The bedroom has clothes spread all over it, since we lack dresser and closet space. This too has its positives, as we can see clearly all our options laid out in front of us.

I am looking forward to filling my time with extra shifts at work, and extra-curricular activities that weren't an option out in the Gorge. Maybe we weren't ready to "retire" to the country after all.

The nitty gritty of financing an education

2007-09-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

So nursing school is not free. It's not cheap either, especially the way I've chosen to do it, which rightthisveryminute. It's the way I tend to do everything. The less planning I have to do, the better. It's more exciting that way...and I'm not 27 anymore.

Actually, school doesn't start until May 2008, but it still doesn't leave much time for saving. In fact, I have written myself a strict pay off debt plan for the next 7 months which will leave me precisely at $0 when I start school. (Hey, at least it's not a negative number.) It also means that all of the $35,000 tuition will be in the form of loans, as well as my cost of living. I'm guessing I'll be starting to pay off about $50,000 in debt when I start my new job as a nurse in the summer of 2009. Yay!

It's a small price to pay for job security for the rest of my life! Right? After feeling what it's like to be destitute and unemployable for a year and a half, getting call backs and job offers sure sounds good. The staffing people at my NEW job in my NEW field started calling me asking if I could work extra the DAY I got off orientation. They've called me nearly every day since then, too. Yesterday morning I got off at 7 a.m. At 8 a.m., I got a call asking for CNA's to work that day, anytime, until 7 p.m.

That's a far cry from shooting out my resume to dozens of companies and hearing nothing. It's a glorious feeling, in fact, after sitting through interview after interview and being told, "yeah, you're great, but why hire you when we can get someone with 10 years of experience and pay them less than what you're asking?" (Note: even after I succumbed to the realization that I'd never make more than $12 an hour in Portland, I STILL couldn't get hired doing what I wanted to do.)

Ok so that's my positive nursing school post for today. Let the record show I ate brownies for breakfast, and have also started biting my nails.

The coolest

2007-09-13T14:45:00.001-07:00

This was the coolest daylight art at Burning Man by far-- the Big Rig Jig. It was two oil tankers stacked on each other, going along with the "green man" theme about oil dependence. This looked like a cartoon out there! So weird. The photo was taken by my friend John.

Suthern' cookin

2007-09-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

And um, other southern stuff. Yesterday I talked with some ladies who work in Bellarmine's financial aid office, and I got off the phone all giddy and excited. Kentucky is a whole new world! They talk funny and eat funny stuff and they like to watch horses run in circles! They say "fiiiiive" and "biiii". If I got into nursing school in Portland, at this point I'd almost have a pang of regret. I like the change and the adventure. I've lived in the west forever. And I can't wait to wear my dang cowboy hat and say ya'll.

The wee little hospital

2007-09-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

I had a job interview today at a tiny little hospital in White Salmon, Washington... The hospital sits up on a hill across the Columbia from the town of Hood River, with full views of 2 rivers, the town of Hood River, windsurfing, kiting, trains, barges, and of course, Mt. Hood in all her hugeness. The hospital has 24 beds. It's TINY. There are about 8 doctors that come through, and my job would be a CNA in the med surg unit, and also the ER. The town has 2100 people--the hospital I work for in Portland employs about 2,000 people.

The downside is that they pay $10.35 an hour. Yeah, you read that right. Nurses starting about make about $20 an hour, and I'll have to decide whether that's worth it in about a year and a half. Such a toss up! It would be out of this world to live and work in a place like that. I compare it to Tahoe, only what I imagine Tahoe to have been like before I was born. Houses can still be found for around $150,000, and there are no stoplights for miles and miles. People are friendly, and downtown's got empty buildings and run-down businesses. And did I say it's pretty? Not just rolling green hills pretty, it's like stop and take your breath away pretty. And it's amazing to me it's not all bought up and sold off like most of California is. I watched that happen right in my backyard, and I almost feel like I have to jump on this opportunity before it's too late!

2007-09-12T11:29:00.001-07:00

Here are some more photos... the turtle car belonged to Brandon's friends, and was an awesome way to get around and see things. People would run up to it and pet it and want their picture taken. For some reason people really like turtles.

The dust

2007-09-12T11:22:00.001-07:00

Oh, and here is why I am still cleaning up after Burning Man. The tent we have is not air tight. In fact, during the first dust storm, we didn't even have the cover thingy on, do the powder-like dust blown up from the dried lakebed we camped on went right into everything we brought. Food, clothes, bed, dishes, yeah. It's still there, too. Oh, and did I mention, the dust was blowing so hard because there were also 60MPH winds. Yay.

27 necklaces

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

It's about that time. The end is near for our stay in Cascade Locks, and I've been eyeing cardboard boxes for the last few days. This time, packing is a little different. I know I am not packing all my stuff to move to Portland for any length of time. I am packing all my shit up once again, to move somewhere for a few months--after which I will pack up again and move across the country for a year, and after that, move home, wherever that is. So, do I really need to drag 27 necklaces with me? Four winter jackets? Three broken swimsuits? A $30 couch? A $2 coffee table? I've been RUTHLESS the past few days and really lightened my load. We've got the truck loaded up for the dump, and a huge pile for the Goodwill. But it seems like I've done this all before...

I remember just before leaving for Mexico feeling this same rush of urgency and excitement. It was then that I got rid of books and cds and winter clothes. I gave a ton of stuff to friends, and the rest to Goodwill. At that point, I didn't know if or when I'd be back, and it felt so right to just let it all go. Well, merely 3 months later I was really missing my damn warm clothes, and I still miss my $80 brown sweater from Bebe! I think Goodwill Napa got it.

This time, I am thinking in terms of value... do I really want to lug this (insert sentimental piece of crap here)thousands of miles? Is it worth putting in storage? For a majority of my crap the answer is NO! And camping at Burning Man may have helped a bit...we WAY overpacked. All I really need to survive is a couple outfits, some fingernail clippers and a toothbrush. Well, my laptop would be nice too. And my camera. A bed. But that's it! 27 necklaces have got to GO!

Burnt man

2007-09-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

So Burning Man was windy and dusty this year, not to mention temps in the 100s every day. It's amazing what sun and heat will do to your psyche, not to mention your body! I didn't karaoke even once, nor did I do much hula hooping, jumping on trampolines or even much dancing! We did end up having some fun... but it was such a relief to get back here to this wet air and cool breezes!Everyone I went with talks about going again next year, so we'll see. It will be a major expense to fly from Kentucky, but I know every year people fly from farther than there to be at Burning Man.

This year we were lucky to get all kinds of extras... there was a full lunar eclipse on Monday night, which was great to see. Since we were camping anyway, it was above us all night long and we watched the whole thing come and go. Then there was a meteor shower on Friday, which was almost ridiculous-- there we were out in the middle of the desert in the middle of the night, watching lit up art cars pumping techno music drive by, with us all dressed up in costumes, watching fat shooting stars falling out of the sky hour after hour. Nuts. There was also a double rainbow, and two white outs that disorienting enough to get you lost only a couple blocks from home! Cool! Then there was the man burning on Monday night--some arsonist getting his kicks--so everyone who came later went to Burnt man, instead of burning man. Then of course the suicide of some young fellow, and... well I guess that's it for extra credit. All in all, it was, as Brandon put it, 75 percent shitty for 25 percent fun. And I am still cleaning dust out of our stuff.

The picture is of me, Brandon and a girl we camped with (she's wearing a mask). So is Brandon... and it's fabulous! People LOVED it-- they would stop him and stare. At night, his beard totally blended with the feathers, and it looked like he was some kind of werewolf man thing. Totally appropriate out there, especially with all the kids on drugs. He was a hit--and he didn't even spend hardly anything on costumes! That mask was borrowed! Figures.

Welcome to grown-up world

2007-09-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know when human children are actually considered to be grown up, but I figure anywhere around 30 is pretty close. Today I made my first appointment to my very own dentist, using my very own medical insurance, in my very own town far far away from home.

Why is this blog worthy? I don't know if it is. Something just struck me as being very grown up about that--being part of the complaining majority worried about health care costs and coverages. I'd been covered with my family until age 25 since I was a full-time student. (Yeah, till age 25, so what). Then I somehow was still under my dad's Kaiser plan for years after that. At one point I struck a crummy deal with an employer so they'd help pay for that plan instead of giving me their crappy one. I never could find a better deal-- paying $250 a month for a healthy person on no prescriptions with no medical history, no nothing-- yeah, that's fair.

I was freeballing it for a while and my parents picked up the tab. Nice of them--without it I wouldn't have seen a doctor for oh, three years or so. And I meet a lot of people in that phase. I was lucky to have a safety net. But now, I am settling back into a profession that provides "adequate" coverage and I feel grateful. Also a bit ripped off-- since the appointment I made today to see the dentist (first time in 2 years) is not until the end of November. Then I want to get some ortho work done since my teeth have moved a bit... that requires a 6 month waiting period, after my first and second dentist appts. Who knows where I'll be then!

Anyway, long rambling entry. It's good to be back from Burning Man. More on that later.

B man here we come!

2007-08-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's the big day! After months of preparation and weeks of doubt that we'd even make it, somehow we pulled off Burning Man this year. Here's a shot of our camping trip a couple weeks ago, where we timed ourselves setting up our gear. The other campers thought we must have been crazy---we stayed way out in the gorge at a kiting location where people camp for weeks. We pulled up in a truck and put up a gigantic tent and shade structure, then left the next day. Ha!

Hair News

2007-08-24T07:33:00.001-07:00

In hair news today; I seem to have curly hair?! I woke up one day and decided for some reason not to do the same thing I've done to it for years: put crap in it, and blow dry it straight. Why not? I was lazy. Worked the night shift and got up in the afternoon. I knew I wasn't going anywhere, so I didn't do my hair. It's been a Loooong time since that's happened. Anyway, so a couple hours later I looked in the mirror, and it had dried curly! Weird.

Oh, and it's blonde. I did that on purpose. I think I am finally starting to recover from the serious butchering by 3 separate Edward Scissor-handed stylists who turned my shoulder-length dark brown hair into a chin length hipster disaster earlier this year. Hmph. However, I have been reborn as a curly blonde, and I am not complaining!

Tweak

2007-08-23T01:40:00.000-07:00

I feel a little like Tweak from South Park right now. Nope, not high on drugs or caffeine... just trying to readjust my schedule from my new job on night shift at the hospital. It's almost 2 a.m., and I can't tell if I am tired. But I don't think so. I also can't tell if I am hungry. My stomach has told me when it's lunchtime for 28 years, and it's not giving me the same signals at midnight. For the last 3 days I had popcorn for breakfast at 7:30 a.m., which was, I think, actually dinner.

I started Sunday night with 3 12-hour shifts in a row, 7p.m. to 7 a.m. I'd applied for this job mistakenly back in May, thinking it was 7a-7p. But when it was the only one that I got a call for, I started to really consider it. And here I am.

There are some great benefits to working night shift. The place just clears out. I get princess parking. The skeleton crew shares a weird bond... It's like, hi, I'm a zombie too, and I feel ya. During the day, it's easy to disappear into the mix of 2,000 some employees. At 2 a.m. it's easy to share a laugh with the docs. They are trying to stay awake, too. I notice an immediate difference between the night shift docs, and the ones that roll in at 5 or 6 a.m., coffee in hand and don't-fuck-with-me attitude that comes with morning rush of staff pouring through the doors.

The patients seem calmer, too. I find it strangely satisfying to be the ghost who wakes them up gently to take blood sugars and vital signs at night, whereas during the day there are a million other things going on; docs and families and respiratory therapists, breakfast, lunch, dinner, physical therapy, etc. Many are awake during the night anyway, and like having someone to talk with.

We'll see how the adjusting goes. It's interesting for sure. A lot of the night nurses take something to help them sleep at night, melatonin, benadryl, etc. And I hope I don't have to go that route. The pay is better on nights, too. And since it's inside a hospital, I don't seem to miss the daylight. It's light when I get to work, and light when I leave. I sleep when it's light, so I don't feel like a vampire. But the downsides are obvious... it's 2 a.m. now, my night off, and I don't think I'll be sleeping anytime soon. Meanwhile, B is snoring away.

Best boat ride pic ever!

2007-08-23T01:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago my parents came to visit... here we are on the sternwheeler paddling up the gorge. It was my dads b-day weekend, and we got to have some of his friends over for a slumber party and steelhead BBQ! The visit was awesome, they came just in time for summer weather before we plunged, yet again, into the rainy greyness that is Portland 85 percent of the time. I love this photo--it looks like we're all little kids!

Old bike? New bike?

2007-07-21T13:52:00.001-07:00

So for Burning Man one of the only loose ends I have yet to tie up is the bike situation. Not exactly an emergency, but I am indulging myself in bike fantasies, here in my 54th hour of work. (I do work hard, at times.) I have various bikes in various locations of the country, none of which are convenient to Burning Man this year. Another option: buy new bike.

New bike? Used bike? Craig's List has a plethora of old bikes. People even give them away for FREE!! Truly, I'd like a nice mountain bike to replace the one I borrowed from a friend for years through her two pregnancies but recently had to give back. It was a sweet bike, one that I'd feel guilty splurging on for myself. But, for BM this year, I decided on a crusty old cruiser that would be easy for cruising, and easy on the wallet. There are a few for under $100, and occasionally a steal for under $35. But with CL, you not only have to decide on something, but arrange a time and place to meet and get cash. All tough to do when you work 12-hour shifts and live out of town. So, I went to the Wallyworld website (BAD! I know!)and they have gorgeous beautiful bikes for $80!! Who knew?

Here's my dilemma: Get an old cruiser like the one pictured above for $50? Or, get a new one for $30 more? Hmmm.

One would support a local Portland person, and be much easier on the environment. In some ways, it would be more suitable for Burning Man, and I like the idea of not buying new stuff because it cuts down on packaging, labor, energy, etc. What a hippie I am.

Buying the other bike new would support the evil Wallyworld empire. My measly $80 would surely contribute to all the terrible things it represents... destruction of small towns, perpetuating the nasty cycle of the underpaid and working poor, environmental degradation, on and on.

But... the NEW BIKE IS ONLY $80! And loooooook how shiiiiny!

AAH! I am a terrible consumer. So broke, but so enticed by shiny bike. Must buy shiny bike.

What do I to do?

Ok a little more about burning man!

2007-07-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

I just got my ticket in the mail yesterday. It was so meant to be! I had applied for a low income ticket because I am in fact, a "low income participant." I found out about the process and applied on the last day the day the request forms were to be postmarked. My printer ran out of black ink, and I had to send in my letter printed in blue. There was no time for creativity, but I came up with a good enough story to earn a ticket! Here are some excerpts, not because they are terribly interesting, but because at some point I will read through this and realize how far I've come....

Why do you feel you need a low income ticket?

...This year I’ve racked up $7,000 in credit card debt paying for rent and food. It’s been the roughest year of my life, at a time when I thought I should finally have my shit together. It’s been ego-crushing, for sure. I’ve fought off depression and feelings of total worthlessness. Could my career have already failed at age 28?
In March, I decided I’d had enough of my pity party. I applied for nursing school, something I’d started then gave up on 5 years ago. I’ve just been accepted to Bellarmine University in Kentucky, and plan to head there in May, leaving my rad boyfriend of one year in Portland.

This month, I finally got a full-time position as an unlicensed caregiver (a.k.a. butt wiper) and plan to work until I leave for school. It looks like my schedule will allow for Burning Man this year, even if my budget won't. But I’m going, even if it means $280 more on my credit card. I couldn’t go last year— unemployed, down and out. Next year looks bad because I’ll be in Kentucky, deep into nursing school. This is my little taste of freedom that I just can’t pass up again. I’d really like to bring my boyfriend for a celebration of change, of the future, and to strengthen our bond before I leave for school.

Ok, that's it about that. My ticket was half price, and I feel SO lucky to have it! YEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS!

P.s., the pic is an idea I have for an outfit. I think I can make something similar out of scraps of fabric and fancy beauty things I already own. Sometimes it's fun to be creative and resourceful!

The new nuclear family

2007-07-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

Our place sold. That nice, fancy, big house we've been living in this summer was finally purchased by some old cranky dude that left the toilet seat up and didn't flush when he was there writing an offer with the real estate lady. Ew. But I'm glad it sold. This will end the steady stream of realtors coming through who think they own the place.

We're even cutting our lease short--we're there till Oct. 1 instead of Oct. 31. But where to next? That's a huge question. If I leave for Kentucky in May, what do I do in the meantime? I've been spoiled by a two-car garage, yard, and way more bedrooms and bathrooms that we need. But we definitely can't afford all that in the city.

One option is to downsize again. Get another 1 bedroom and save save save our money till I go off to school. But that was miserable. We did that, and spent lots of money going out to eat and at bars because we'd get cabin fever after 20 minutes.

What about roommates? I know that's not a new idea, but at ages 28 and 34, it does seem a little weird. I guess it would be even weirder if we were married. But, we've got some friends who suggested moving in together, and we're really thinking about it. They are in the same situation we are: A couple who are both going back to school, paying down debt that accumulated in their 20s, and living paycheck to paycheck.

We're planning on finding a good-sized house in Portland, and splitting everything 4 ways. If it works out, maybe in the future we could buy a duplex together. $300,000 sounds a lot better when split between 4 people. Maybe that's how things have to be done these days for the few of us without rich grandparents, trust funds, or gifts from some unknown relative? We'll figure it out. Then we'll write a book.

Workaholic?

2007-07-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

I would never have considered myself a workaholic, but lately something has changed. At the moment, I am about 1 hour into a 24-hour shift doing home care for a sweet elderly couple. Why? I don't know! I couldn't say no! The thought of extra $$ to pay of debt and to put toward burning man, etc., just sounds too good to pass up. I have gone for too long being broke and destitute and looking for work, that when it falls in my lap, I have to take it. ALL of it!

Nevermind that I haven't had a day off with Brandon in over a month, and our relationship consists of sleeping together (most nights, excluding tonight) and a few hours during the week after he gets home from work. And nevermind that my "days off" next week really aren't "off" at all, since I'll be working on a couple of stories for the paper.

But, there's plenty of fun stuff to look forward to in August, so I am donating my July to the Man, and to my debt. Yay.

In the middle of the river

2007-07-12T18:13:00.001-07:00

A local Stevenson guy took this shot of Brandon kiting out in the Columbia. It was posted on the kite forum, too. He's famous!

PS

2007-07-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

See that car in the background of my kite shot? That's Brandon's "new" ride... it's a 1996 Buick Park Avenue! He's seriously retired. But, the car feels like a Cadillac! Much nicer ride than the Honda Civic.

My first kite

2007-07-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

Here's my lil' 6 meter kite from a shop in Hood River. It's a 2005, so it's an older model but it's unused. As for me as a kiter, who knows. In Hood River yesterday, Brandon got frustrated teaching me so I quit. One day I may have enough money for a real lesson, but don't know when that will be. It's so damn technical. Everyone we met and told that he would teach me they shook their heads and said that's a bad idea. Yesterday we found out why. Dialogue was something like this:

Pull the kite in!
I am!
No, IN, not right!
Right? I don't know what you mean!
In means IN, right means right!

Keep in mind that it's really windy, and the kite is HUGE...and there are a million details. Plus, this kite is lifting me off the ground. It's exciting but terrifying at the same time. You've gotta keep your eye on it at all times, but then how do you watch the yahoos that come up behind you? You've gotta watch them, and their kites, too! GAAAH!

We lasted about 20 minutes, then went swimming instead.

The country?

2007-07-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Even though we drive 45 minutes out of town to live in peace and quiet in the Columbia River Gorge, we're not alone. Living here has made me realize what I really want in a house is seclusion! For example, yesterday morning (Monday, my day off) I was awaken my my neighbor to the right's gas-powered lawn care thing. I didn't even see what it was, all I know is that it made lots of noise for a long time.

This morning, (Tuesday, my next day off) the neighbor to the right is getting his roof replaced. There are 7 or so men on his roof with a perfect view right into our house. I can hear every word they say, and every scrape of their shovel thing they use to take the old shingles off. It totally sucks! I'll get over it today, but for future reference: neighbors are noisy!

Kentucky, here I come...

2007-07-07T08:42:00.001-07:00

Lately I have been doing nothing but daydreaming about Burning Man and Kentucky. Not together... I am totally excited about Burning Man, but equally so about Kentucky. I cannot wait to get the %$&* out of Portland. I hate this place. Sorry to anyone who likes it here, but I think it sucks. Wages are low, unemployment is high, weather is crap, city is congested, and taxes are F-ing insane. Other than that, it's a cool place, I guess.

But, Kentucky! I know nothing about it, which is perfect. I am finding out bits and pieces as I go, such as this house for rent within biking distance to my school: 1 bedroom for about $500. There's lots of houses made out of brick there, which make me think there are no earthquakes.

I want to get rid of my car if possible--spend and entire year bike commuting or taking the bus. I have never done that before. I think it would be a nice change from spending upwards of $500 a month for the luxury of transportation. I may get a roommate if Brandon can't come. It might be fun to live alone again. I loved that. I'll live without TV again, no prob. No meat, either. That saves a lot of $$. Stupid bacteria-and-hormone-infested meat sucks anyway. If Brandon comes, no prob. I'd love to have him, and we can get a sweeet $800 a month 2-bedroom place, still in biking distance to school!

The Ohio river (I think) runs through the city, so he can even kiteboard there if there's a good launch. There are windsurfers on the river, too. I can get health insurance through the school, along with gym membership and all the goodies. And for only $40,000 a year! Bargain!

2007-07-07T08:20:00.001-07:00

This week a couple of new reporter job openings appeared on Craig's List. i don't know why I looked, but I did. And, I had yet another moment of... confusion, I guess. I spent all of last year looking for jobs like these. Should I keep it up and apply? But no, I am heading to nursing school, and I have a job that is perfect for that. Screw journalism. Right?

The jobs sound great. One is for a web reporter for a small, privately-owned paper, and the other is for a health care reporter. But am I even interested? I'm not, really. My new job, when it finally starts, will give me good benefits and a ton of flexibility. Extra shifts when I need them, overtime, and even a 401K. Did I mention 12-hour shifts? I doubt these jobs offer anything close. It's weird how convinced I am now that this nursing thing is the right thing to do, when it seems like not so long ago I was crying into my laptop while writing cover letters to any and every job that came up. I applied for administrative assistant, data entry clerk, receptionist...if I was overqualified, I applied.

Ok, here's my new mantra: I don't have to apply for these crappy-but-fun jobs because I have a better plan! Better, I tell you!

Lessons from my old ladies

2007-06-28T17:39:00.001-07:00

I don't have the most interesting job. Most of the time I'm something of a housekeeper, personal assistant, friend and memory helper to elderly folks in their homes. I'm officially titled a "Personal Care Worker," or "unlicensed caregiver" on my resume.

But I work with a population that not everyone has contact with on a regular basis, and I take from it what I can. My curiosity always leads me to asking questions whenever the mood is right. Maybe it's the reporter in me, but I've asked the same question over the past few months to certain women who seem happy and fulfilled at this stage of their game. I want to know their secret, so I asked:

What would you say has been the very best part of your life?

I don't know why I am so fascinated with that question. Maybe I am trying to foreshadow my own life. To be on the lookout for the one thing that I should really, really relish. I thought for sure they'd all say "kids." Those little darlings. But to my surprise, the responses are similar: "Marrying my husband." For many of them, lucky souls, their husbands were the absolute highlights of their lives.

Of course, this only makes me more curious. Did I just happen to ask women who had been really lucky in love? Maybe. If so, is love really what it's all about? I should ask my grandma, who was divorced at a young age. Bet she'd have a different answer.

I'm also reminded that my ladies are from a very different generation.
One waited 3 years for her husband, while he was away in WWII, then held as a POW by the Japanese. Another is married to an intolerant asshole. Even the kids have disowned him--but she stays loyal.

So how is this related to my own life? I don't know yet. Choose carefully, I guess?

Burning Man!

2007-06-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again... when thoughts start to drift to sequin-covered dresses, cowboy boots, and dirt-filled tents. Ah, Burning Man. It looks like we're actually going to be able to go this year, and know others who are going, too! I know Brandon is going to love it, we've just gotta be able to shake off the 9-5 stuff for a while, forget our deadlines, finances and other terribly pressing concerns, and live life minute by minute for a while. For 7 days, actually.

Part of the fun is planning the trip. Should we take the truck? Can we fit everything in the tent? Can we bring our couch? A rug? A full-length mirror? Do we have 2 crappy bikes? What will our costumes look like? Where will we volunteer? Should we make an art project?

I remember a friend telling me that Burning Man was going to change my life. So, I went expecting nothing at all. I thought she was hyping it up. However, slowly but surely I noticed changes in myself after Burning Man. It didn't happen right away, but it happened.

My taste in music changed 100 percent. I like the old stuff, but I also found myself downloading electronic music; trance, house, etc... I found hula hooping. Which really did change my life. I brought hoops with me to Mexico, I won the talent show at a work party, started and failed a business, and met countless people all because of my hoops! All my recent art projects were inspired by art I saw at Burning Man, including much of what covers the walls in my house today. It also gave me confidence. I never had a problem with dancing in public, but I never thought I'd hula hoop, in costume, in front of everyone at my 10-year high school reunion.

I still don't wear patchouli or give everyone I meet extra-long hugs, but a lot has stayed with me since my week in the desert 2 years ago. I wonder what we'll bring away this time?

Nursing School

2007-06-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

So, screw Portland. I got accepted into a nursing program in Kentucky last week. It's a 12-month Bachelor's program. No muss, no fuss. Just come in May 2008, and start. A year later, I'll have a bachelor's degree in nursing, and be ready to take the test to get my Registered nursing license.

What a relief! Kentucky is far away, yes. And I don't know anything about it. And my boyfriend doesn't like the idea of Kentucky either. But, after seeing what goes on with the 800 people who apply to nursing schools here, I am more than happy to move myself for 12 short months. Everyone else can stay here and try for 3 years in a row to get into school. They can have their nerve-wracking admission interviews, they can be placed on extensive alternate lists-- just in case someone drops out-- and live their lives with their fingers crossed that they just might be the lucky #24 out of 800. Then they can have their 2 year programs, and their 4 year programs and their dumb old gloomy weather and traffic jams! Ha!

I say whatever. Have it. I am going to go Kentucky and get this done.

Summer! Yay!

2007-06-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

I think my bad luck spell/curse may finally be lifting. I think it may be the sun. I had a job that was supposed to start July 2, but my license would not be ready by then. Fearing that I'd be unemployed again (I'd already given my notice at my old job) I freaked out. But, it turns out my new boss just happens to have another position opening up in mid-August, and would love it if I could slide right into that one instead! What are the odds? I guess the odds are pretty good when you're talking about healthcare. Turnover is super high. It also turns out that my old job would be glad to have me back for another month or so. Yay!

And the benefits in my new job are awesome. I never thought I was the type of person who really cared about good benefits. I did, I guess, but it was never the motivation for work. Now it's a different story. I know what good medical coverage is worth!

Anyway, I have no doubts I am on the right track.

The view

2007-06-20T15:18:00.001-07:00

And here's another shot of the view, this one looks toward the kite and windsurf beach. If you look reeeeeal closely, you can see that there's a kite or two up.

Our new pet

2007-06-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

Lulu is now an outside kitty since she picked up this peeing habit somewhere along the way. She doesn't seem to mind it, and in fact has become quite welcome in the neighborhood. She willingly shares her food with this blue jay, who swoops down many times a day to eat it.

I moved it onto the railing for this shot, but usually he'll pick up some food, then fly away and bury it somewhere, like in my plants. Later, he'll come dig it up and eat it. I am not sure Iams urinary tract formula is good for blue jays, but he really seems to like it.

New life...

2007-06-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

So I guess Idon't have too much to say for myself except I recently landed in an awesome place, with an awesome guy, a good job with an ok income, and a fat house. This summer I am getting visits from some good friends, and there might even be a Burning Man trip in the works. After my Year O' Hell, I deserve it! At least I am pretending I do. $6,000 in credit card debt tells me I deserve to work really hard this year...

But I also found a new school out east in the gorge that looks promising for nursing. I have decided to concentrate on that for a while. It's hard to back away from one career, but on the other hand, it sure is nice not to have to constantly check my email and be brainstorming about stories all the time. Maybe if the right opportunity came up, I'd do it again, but I am really enjoying working 3 12-hour shifts, and having 4 days off to play. Um, yeah. Even Brandon is jealous!

Life... is good.

New job

2007-05-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday I had the first "real" job offer I've had in over a year in Portland. It's for a C.N.A/ unit secretary job in the telemetry unit at a hospital in East Portland. Night shift. I applied for it accidentally, and was shocked when the supervisor called me two days later. I scheduled the interview, then realized later it was for night shift.

After debating whether or not to take it, I decided to go for it. My new motto is don't turn any work down, ever. Kind of harks back to a different era--- we're much more likely now to take work that we "like" and "is fulfilling" and "has great benefits," rather than take what you can get and hang on to it for deal life. But, that's what this year has taught me.

So, night shift it is. I start July 2.

This town is too small for mailboxes.

2007-05-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

So I thought I was taping into my creative side when I started breaking mirrors for a mirror mosaic project. But all I got was a ton of bad luck. Or so it seems. Though I feel my luck is slowly changing, (I got a job!)there are still plenty of unlucky occurrences that keep me feeling as if I've been walking under ladders all my life.

We're moving next week to the house in Cascade Locks. All is well, and a pretty job with 12-hour shifts fell into place so I'll only have to commute 3 days a week. I thought I was being proactive when I went to the post office online and changed my address. I changed it a couple days early knowing that it sometimes takes a while for it to kick in, at least that's what they say at the website. Lucky me, it kicked in immediately, and I won't be receiving my paycheck until next Wednesday when we go out there and check the mail. I had Brandon stop by the house today when he was out kiting and pick up my check from the mailbox. He called to say there is no mailbox.

I thought he must have hit his head on a sturgeon, or he was being ridiculously naive. He checked again. No mailbox. I called the landlord. Seems they were so eager to get the place rented they missed a few details. Like, there's no mailbox. Everyone in the town has P.O. boxes because the town is too small to have an official postal route. So, my checks and all other mail have been sitting at the post office in Cascade Locks (I f*in hope they are sitting there) for three days now. And, I won't be able to find out until Tuesday!

Was I too eager? Should I have waited to move to change my address like Brandon? No matter how hard I plan or how much thought goes into something, I get bit in the ass!

But in the good news department, I backed into my neighbor's car two days ago while leaving my parking spot on the street. I was furious-- they'd parked about 4 inches from my back bumper, but it's still my fault, I guess. So, I left him a note, and he looked at it and said "no worries." So that was cool. Today he's parked in the same place, 4 inches away from the guy in front of him. Brandon has the attitude that "he deserves it if he parks that close," and I totally agree.

Rejection, Chapter IV

2007-05-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I received 4 emails in my inbox from Providence Hospital saying this:

"Preliminary review of the information provided from your application indicates you may not meet the minimum qualifications, and therefore may not be considered for this position."

I sent out 5 applications for CNA in all areas of the hospital, including ones I had worked in previously. Now, I don't know about you, but to me that there email sounds like rejection. Sure, I am used to this by now. I did think I had a better shot at getting a job in this, something that I have 5 YEARS of experience in. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I applied prematurely. My license is not yet valid. But waiting for the state bureaucrats to get their shit together and actually mail me my CNA license could take up to a MONTH! So, I thought I'd start early. Then again, maybe I am not qualified because I haven't worked as a CNA for 3 years now, and have therefore forgotten everything. Maybe they noted my California area code, and sent that email automatically. Maybe they don't like the fact that I am ______, _____, _____. Whatever it is, I may never know. Here's what they put at the bottom:

"Sincerely,

Human Resource Department
Providence Health & Services

Messages sent to this inbox are not monitored; please do not reply to this email address."

Love that special human touch, don't you?
So, on I go. Sending pointless applications to random job sites. It really is true, it's not what you know it's who you know. Anyhoo, my '06-'07 Great Depression continues...

Now we're itchin'!

2007-05-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

To get out of Portland, that is. You know how when you have something planned, the time just can't go by fast enough? That's how it feels waiting to move to our new house! It's SOOOOO far away.... all the way at the end of May! And we're totally unprepared. But, we can't wait to go anyway. Lulu is going to have a heck of a time getting acclimated. She's been an indoor kitty for years now, and she'll have the great northwest to explore. Brandon thinks she'll be eaten by raccoons the first night.

She lost another tooth, and now has 0 teeth on the right side of her mouth, and only 2 big ones (one is loose and dangling, ew,) on the left. So, her tongue still hange out of her mouth, but on a diagonal, to the right. She's cute.

Moving out there will surely quadruple our gas expenses, not to mention sewer, water, and rent increase. But, whatever. Today was my first day taking care of people in an old folks home for my nurse's aid training. It sucked. The place was hot, no A/C and it's 80 degrees out. The floor was sticky, and it all smelled like pee. The nurses and aids walked around like zombies. This is where you go if you can't take care of yourself, and you can't afford anything else. So, my rationale is to live it up while you can, then jump off a bridge when you start losing it.

Job Search II

2007-05-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

So, I've applied for 11 positions as a CNA so far this week. That's right, 11. And there's more where that came from. I'll be finishing up my CNA recertification sometime in June, and I hope to have a job waiting for me when I am done. At least that's my delusion now. I know all too well what the job market is like in this town. I wouldn't be too surprised if my 5 years of experience in this doesn't get me anywhere, since I haven't actually been a CNA for 3 years now, and according to a recruiter at Providence, that pretty much means I get to start from the bottom again. Life's grand:).

On the bright side, the CNA jobs in hospitals around here go from about $13- $19 an hour to start. Journalism jobs, with similar experience (5 years), start at about $11 an hour, and go to about $12 an hour. So, ha.

Go me!

Movin' on up!

2007-05-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

So, we're moving. Here's the view from our new place in the Gorge, in the first photo, and the kiteboarding launch on the other side of the river--just 10 minutes away from home. Um, yeah, we're pimpin'.

yeah, we might be crazy

2007-05-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

And, yes, this makes my new hula hoop club null and void. Oh well. Brandon and I semi-secured this place in the Columbia River Gorge for the summer. It's a 4 bedroom, three bath pimp house right in the middle of all the columbia river action. There are two train tracks in front of the house that trains run on every hour..... every single hour. In front of that, is the river. That's right. Just us in a fat house, the trains, then the gorge. It's 10 minutes away from super sweeeet kiteboarding, and 45 minutes away from the toil and traffic of PDX.

$995 a month, which is, yeah, a hell of a deal. One catch: The house is for sale. But we won't dwell on that now. If he sells it in June, we've got a contract drawn up that will give us the house until Oct. 31. A perfect summer house in the gorge!

I have not been so excited about something since I left for Mexico. Or more terrified. We gave notice on our place today. Yay!

New club!

2007-04-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

So, I decided I really didn't have much going on in my life right now, and decided to start a new club! A hula hooping club! There's one here in Portland already, but the girls who run it I think are running out of steam. Plus, they meet on Sundays at noon, and that's pretty inconvenient for a lot of folks. Many Sunday's I am not out of bed by then!

So, Portland Hoolagans was born! More out of a need for hooping girlfriends than anything else. I can't be out hooping without people asking about it, or weirdos approaching me, so now I will have something legitimate to tell the cool people, and hopefully our numbers will scare off the gawkers. Yay!

And just as I was researching music choices for my new club (with officially 1 member, and 4 invites out so far) and I ran across this old photo of yours truly waaay back in 2004 when I was a member of the Bay Area Hoopers. See if you can tell which one is me!!

Those were the days! Do you see that sound system they have set up???!!! I'm about to go find me a boom box at the goodwill, but one day a set up like that WILL BE MIIINE!

Rejection update...

2007-04-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

During the great depression, many people were, uh, depressed. I am reading a book right now called "Dark Age Ahead," by a woman names Jane Jacobs who predicts the coming of a dark age in our culture, signaled by a breakdown of a few important aspects of our culture. Family and community (thanks to our car culture), education, (hello worthless university degrees, and schools unable to support demands)... I'm only halfway through, there are more.

Anyhoo, Jacobs uses the Great Depression to foreshadow what may lie ahead. She lived through it the first time. She says it was unemployment that made life hell for people, and differed greatly depending on what part of the country people lived. The constant rejection for work was overwhelming for many people, especially those supporting a family. It was hard for people in their 20s, I understand, and harder for those in their 30s who may have gotten an education and a start to their careers before feeling useless and idle. But it hit hardest to people in their 40s with a family, many males who were the sole breadwinners for their families.

I wonder what it would take to send the country into this sort of thing again? Here in Portland I know there are many people feeling symptoms like this already. I feel like I am personally going through my own Great Depression. This city is unique, but maybe not that unique. She also talks about the time when homes were truly affordable to the majority of people.

What a time that must have been! When people did not expect to dump half their (and their spouses) income into a mortgage payment!

"For more than 40 years starting in the mid and late 1930s, the median income of an American family was sufficient to cover the mortgage costs of a median priced house or rent payment. Median means statistically, that half of whatever is being measured falls below the median, and half above... But at some point in the 1970s, the two figures--median shelter cost and median income--slipped seriously out of whack..."

Oh, my point was that I got rejection #2 from Portland Community College's nursing lottery. I was not one of the 100 candidates randomly selected out of a hat for entrance into the program. Big surprise!

How many hours do you work for YOUR lifestyle?

2007-04-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

Being broke has its pluses. Among them, it has forced me to reevaluate everything I have ever known about work, money and the world. For instance, have you ever wondered what it really costs to live? Let's say you couldn't work for an entire year, how much money would you need just to survive? Or, how many hours would you have to work at a later date in order to repay that debt?

Well, I sat down an crunched some numbers. It's pretty shocking what we civilized humans spend our money on. Sure, we go to work to get money to survive, but I discovered that a lot of the money I need to keep going is money that I spend on work itself; clothes, getting to an from work, relaxation after work, etc.

Take transportation. I live where I can walk everywhere...except for work which varies and is usually across town.
Car loan: $150/month
car insurance: $70
Gas: between $60 and $90

Monthly total: About $300
Yearly total: About $3600

That doesn't sound like much. But, when you've got a shitty job, and get taxed by the state, feds AND county (here in Multnomah) then it adds up like this: I work about 34 hours per month just to drive my car to and from work. Is that insane? That's nearly a week's worth of work, just to drive to and from work. Hmmm, something's not right here.

I broke all my bills down like that, and it's rather interesting.

8 hours a month: Cell phone
41 hours a month: rent
3 hours a month: gym membership
23 hours a month: food

Sure, if I made more money this would change, right? Maybe not. Why don't you try? We all know as we make more we spend more. I bet my gym membership is pretty cheap compared with most people's. And my rent is good too. Come to think of it, my bills are pretty low.

In all, I figure I need about $13,000 a year to survive like I am doing now, and that's a really low estimate. If I get into nursing school and can't work for a year, I will be repaying some student loan company that money for years to come. How can I reduce that? One way is to get rid of the car. That brings my cost down to $8400. See how that works? That sounds a lot better. No Netflix, no gym, reduce my cell phone plan, buy food in bulk, etc.

Is that torture? Not when I'll be busy with other things, like school.

I posted a few months ago about a woman I interviewed who grew her own food in her backyard. I think I'd rather do that than wipe old ladies' butts for 20 hours a month to pay for food. Plus, I hate grocery shopping.

I'd rather run around the park a few times than drive a cranky old man to home depot three times a week. And, I'd rather take the bus and read when I have to go downtown rather than deal with heinous traffic, and clean old people's toilets for an entire week.

There are lots of ways to look at this. What if I liked my job? What if I made more money? Well, I know the answer to that one...
I'd have more bills of course. I'm already dyin' to go to a better gym. I'd consider private yoga lessons. Buy more than 2 buck chuck. We'd get cable. I'd finally get new clothes. Get a season pass at Mt. Hood. Buy new kiteboarding equipment. Buy a house. At least rent one. We went to look at one for $200 more a month just yesterday.

But is that really what I want from life? Part of me says yes. That's life here in these states. Work, buy, work, buy. My neighbor has a better couch than i do. I want that, too! But the part of me is saying that there is something else waiting for me if I can just get my shit together.

Is there a place where I can grow my own food and not worry about it being poison? Walk where I need to go and not worry about the environmental and social impacts? Where I can swim in the ocean for exercise instead of a creepy gym where nasty men leer and it stinks? Have enough time to homeschool kids so they don't get shot, and not worry about the cat being squished by cars zooming down the street? Am I totally dreaming?

Yesterday I found two new websites with women dreaming of the same things.
http://anti9to5guide.com/, and expatwomen.com.

Plus, I've been reading a lot. When I am not wiping old ladies' butts, I am waiting for them to poo, and I can read. I've been learning history, something that I never really had time for. Seems that lots of people before me have thought these same thoughts.

While traveling around, I've met people who are untethered already. Kiwi was one of them--he's not an American though, as you might have guessed he's a kiwi. He's in his mid-20s, from some remote village in New Zealand. He just breezed through Portland for a visit on his way up to Canada in his borrowed El Camino. Know how much he owes per month? $0. He works construction projects around the world to eat and just keeps going. He gets nothing in the mail.

Meeting Brandon was good for me because he's got the same nagging sound in the back of his head, telling him there's another way to live. For some reason he's unsatisfied too, and no amount of digital cable and SUV will get rid of that feeling.
I'm not buying into this century's mentality that working like we do is right. I don't think consuming everything that someone says it hot or new or needed is my way to happiness.

What if we did this instead:
-Pay off debt
-Downsize,not upgrade
-Learn to live with less

Sooner or later, we'd reach a point where we could actually work less! What would you do with leisure time?
Art? Read? Exercise? Buy a hostel and live off the land? Learn a new sport?

the end.

Grease fire!

2007-04-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today marks the day of my first grease fire! I was cooking Indian food for dinner, when I heard some weird crackling from the kitchen where my vegetable sukha was supposed to be simmering. It was not simmering, it was full of flames! It's times like that when I wish I'd bought a fire extinguisher, or at least some emergency grease-fire baking soda.
The first thing that ran through my head was that I had planned to search the apartment complex for the nearest fire extinguisher-- something that conveniently slipped my mind months ago. The second thing... what the heck can I throw on here that won't make it worse? Water? No! Water? No! What else? Milk? Popcorn... I searched my cupboards while slamming a pot lid and a pan on the fire. Finally it died down without the smoke detector going off, and I was able to save the sukha. Lesson learned. I need a fire extinguisher! It happens so fast, and fire is hot! I thought it just happened to people who deep fry stuff, or cook really fatty things. Not veggies. Could have been some beef fat left over on the burner from Brandon's steak last night. Hmmm. ...

reality check #786

2007-03-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

I got my first nursing school rejection letter today. It was a form letter that some 500 other applicants also got. Even the signature on the bottom of the page from the admissions coordinator was photocopied. This one was from OHSU, a program that costs way too much, and is way to hard to get into. I am not surprised at this rejection, but it still hurts just a little bit, knowing that I've potentially got 3 more letters like that coming. One down, three to go.

The next one I'll hear from is PCC, Portland Community College, who will hold a lottery for admission in mid-April. They too have several hundred applicants, with only 30 or so spaces. Then Mount Hood Community College, then Linfield. All are pretty much the same. Everyone in the world wants to be a nursing student, and most want to do it here in Portland. I am beginning to feel that twinge of doubt, again...the one that I just got rid of after seeing my A in statistics, and meeting some of my competition. I am picturing my summer making $11.50 an hour as an unlicensed caregiver, wondering what the heck to do next. Will I run out of steam and just end up here forever? It's not that hard to imagine. There's only so much rejection someone can take. Right?

Then again, there are plenty of stories of people who have it much harder than I do, who are still plugging away. I have a close friend who is still at least a year behind me with her prerequisite courses. Maybe I'll end up at some midwestern college for a year after all.

Hi, my name is Cassie and I got an A in Statistics

2007-03-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

I am also known as Ms. Genius, at least for today. An A! I guess my teacher rounded it up after all. I didn't think he'd be the type. In class we had to round everything up at the fourth decimal place. My grade would be 89.65438, rounded up to 89.6544...not 90! But, he did it, and I have an A!

Finals

2007-03-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it's over. I just finished my last final about 30 minutes ago, and am now officially in the waiting-to-find-out-if-I-get-into-nursing-school phase. Funny thing though, I still don't feel that much relief. Guess I'm waiting till final grades come out, then I can take a deep breath.

Over the past two weeks I've been talking with "older" students like me in my study groups who agree that this time around in school is harder, and more stressful. We came to the conclusion that it's because now we've got more to lose.

We're missing out on work, when we could be paying down our bills. We're postponing having kids by a couple more years, and we're adding stress to our significant others by requiring more from them...like making dinner all the time, and chipping in extra for the movies, etc.

For my undergrad classes, I was a pretty good student and didn't worry too much about grades. If I got a tough teacher and a hard class, no big deal--sooner or later an easier class would come along and I'd boost my GPA with it. But this time around, it feels like every class counts. Getting into nursing school is SO competitive that certain schools won't even look at you if you have less than a 3.5 GPA, and the students who get in usually have GPA's much higher than that. This means that EVERY class, and every grade, and every test, and ultimately every question on a quiz counts directly toward your immediate future. All that added up equals major, major stress that I've never experienced before in school. I used to like school! I had near perfect attendance in elementary school, and had a 4.0 in high school. I actually liked taking tests. They were kinda fun, and a break from the regular day.

But this time around, I was stressed like crazy. I even had test anxiety for the first time--during an exam my mind would wander to odd things like the condition of my fingernails, or whether or not I really had to go pee. Then I'd realize a few minutes had passed and I was still trying to figure out what a question said. I think I gained 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks alone, and am surprised my face isn't completely melted off from the stress hormones seeping out my pores and causing acne at age 28!

But, I did learn a heck of a lot in the past 3 months. The curriculum, of course, but I also learned (again) that school grading is pretty arbitrary. There's a certain percent of grading that is realistic, but there's also a lot of room for instructor interpretation. For example, in statistics, my final grade is an 89.65. Will my teacher round it up to 90 for an A? Probably not. He IS a statistics teacher, but the syllabus clearly indicates that a 90-100 is an A, and 80-89 is a B. He's not the type to grade on a curve, either.

Then, in anthropology, my teacher throws out these tests that have nothing to do with his lecture or reading material, forcing him to grade on a HUGE curve, and assigning bonus points for material he "finds interesting" in our short answers. He told us he'll bump us up to the next grade if he thinks we deserve it.

In microbiology, the tests are so disjointed from what we learn in class that it prompted gatherings in the hallways after every test with students scratching their heads and cursing Prof. Mirkes's name.

Then again, I got through it all with a B average, maybe better, which is interesting, because I'm pretty much a B student no matter what. So maybe after all there is something with grading. Maybe an A student has something that I lack. Maybe it's the willingness to argue with the teacher after every test, which I watched many people do, and perhaps I should have done. Maybe it's some brain capacity to foresee the outrageous questions on the test...like the one asking for 2 symptoms of cutaneous Anthrax, when I clearly only have one symptom in my notes. Maybe they are just smarter, luckier, better students, whatever. I know that I tried my best, and I guess that's all I've got!

Fake Spring

2007-03-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

At the end of every winter here in Portland, before spring, we have what's called "fake spring," according to locals. Today was about 75 degrees, and the entire city of 1.5 million was out and about, clogging up freeways and side streets. It was glorious and hellish at the same time, as everyone tried to squeeze every possible moment out of the sunny and flower-y day before it starts raining again till mid-June. Well, I wasn't fooled. I know better. I am going to keep my rainy gray mentality till I know damn well we're outta this shit.

Meanwhile, I did get in 2 hours of hooping in the parks today on my study break! Seweeeeet!

Full-fledged mushroom farm!

2007-03-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

This is by far the coolest unintentional experiment EVER! I love my little yellow mushrooms! I want to kick out my spiky plant and let the lil' shrooms take over. It's the perfect plant. From what I read on the Internet, you pretty much CAN'T kill them. They love to be overwatered, which I do often, and you don't need to plant them--they just show up. You can't eat them, but they are the brightest yellow, even in the gray Portland winter.

They even have a name: Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, a.k.a.Lepiota lutea.

I am a mushroom farmer!!

Rather large penis mushrooms!

2007-03-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

I am really getting carried away with these little guys, but it's amazing how fast they grow. One minute, they are little, then I get home from school and they are huge!!

Medium yellow penises!!

2007-03-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

These things grow soooo fast!

Little Yellow Penises

2007-03-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

I'm a gardener?! I've produced some new form of life that's taken shape of many little yellow penises growing around the base of my big indoor plant. Since I have yet to find any little yellow scrotumses that one would think would accompany such a phenomenon, I am leaning toward the belief that they may be some sort of mushroom. I guess we shall see at dinner tonight.

Wah

2007-02-22T15:37:00.001-08:00

school is hard

waah.