The ducks play in the BCS today against the Auburn Tigers. I'm so proud to be a Duck. And there is so much love in the state of Oregon right now. You can feel the energy in the air!
WIN THE DAY!
Music: With A Little Help From My Friends - Ellis Island
Austin has finally moved home! I'm so excited. Over the past 10 months, he lived in Eugene while I've stayed in Portland. We managed to see each other every 2 weeks which was so nice. The hardest part every time was driving away. We'll have to do this again in September, and maybe for a little bit the following fall, but otherwise we're on the home stretch!
I went down last weekend to help him clean, pack, and move stuff to the storage unit. He had been feeling pretty sick the previous week, and I was teasing him that it was just allergies, trying to keep him from believing he was sick in an effort to keep him from getting sicker - does that make sense? Well anyway, I came down with a sore throat, congestion, body aches, fatigue, and chills on June 14. He really HAS been sick! And I got whatever this is from him. But it's ok, because now we're both sick so we don't have to worry about getting each other sick.
I have been using toilet paper as kleenex because I haven't been able to run to the store. Today, I got the super fancy kind - Puffs with lotion! They feel really good on my nose! But I think they should make kleenexes in lots of different colors, tie-dyed, even. Why are they just plain white? Boring! It would make being sick so much more fun, I Music: With A Little Help From My Friends - Ellis Island
I just gave up Facebook for Lent. I'll probably start blogging more now haha! Facebook can be so toxic and stressful sometimes, so this will be good for me. It's such a habit! Hopefully afterward I'll use it less. One year, when I would blog every day in my Livejournal, I gave up LJ for Lent. Afterward, I rarely ever posted. I was happy that it cured my habit. I don't want to be tied to anything on the computer. I want to get outside more, visit friends and family more, and be able to check more things off my to-do list!
Here's to technological freedom!
Here's to technological freedom!
I've been waiting 3 years for The Lion King to come to the Keller. I just got an email 15 min ago saying tickets have gone on sale for June 2010 and I'm up an hour early to buy tickets...only to find that they are at least $200 each. Apparently the email was from "Team One Tickets" whatever the hell THAT is. Broadway Across America tickets don't actually go on sale until FEBRUARY ahh I can't wait that long!
Last night made me wonder if some angels walk this earth. There are few people in this life that I may come across who make me consider this. I'm so fortunate.
Nike was spayed yesterday. Looks like we're in it for the long haul and I couldn't be more pleased. :)
Nike was spayed yesterday. Looks like we're in it for the long haul and I couldn't be more pleased. :)
I like microRNAs. They're totes my fave molecules. Dr. Carlo Croce's research is really fascinating and exciting to me. Yay science!
"Just enjoy yourSELF! its easy to let time go by without really enjoying yourself. sit at a park by the river and read or watch clouds! very relaxing!" - Austin
I'm sitting at Starbicks and I think I'm about to witness 1) an episode of The Locator surprise long lost reunion or 2) a surprise party.
"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." - Harriet Beecher Stowe.
My 3 year old nephew is hilarious. He just told me I was a bad boy and a ballerina, almost in the same sentence.
Today
Today has been crazy! I woke up to the maintenance people here at our apartments pounding away at the wall my bed is against. They're replacing all of the siding on our side of the building. When I finally got out of bed, I took the puppy to work because he hasn't been feeling very well. He had diarrhea yesterday and has vomited 3 times in the past 24 hours. Poor little baby!!!
When I got to work, I got a fecal, blood, and we took some abdominal x-rays. His bloodwork and x-rays were beautiful, but he had quite a bit of bacteria in his fecal test. I gave him 200cc of fluids, an ampicillin antibiotic injection, we gave him an anti-nausea injection, and I took home 3 different types of medications and some special food to help him feel better faster. He's been sleeping all day. Actually right now he is "playing" with one of the cats. Apollo doesn't see it as playing though haha.
Wow, I'm afraid to go outside today. There are fires in south central Oregon and south easterly winds are blowing them straight into the Willamette valley. The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency says the air quality is worse here than in Oakridge, which is a town 24 miles away from one of the biggest fires. I've never seen the weather sites say "Smoke" where it usually says "Sunny" or "Cloudy". The air quality has been officially labeled "unhealthy" and people can expect to face health problems because of it. Crazy! Apparently people in this area have been finding ash and soot on their cars. Also crazy!
Austin, Alex and I were originally going to go climb Spencer's Butte but it would definitely be too dangerous, since we'd be needing as much clean air we can get in order to cool down in this upper-80s weather. Ick!
I am about to head out to run errands and then get the hell out of here! The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality says our air quality index is 28 and the LRAPA says Eugene/Springfield's is 164.
Eugene
I'm here in Eugene with Austin. I never realized all the memories I have here in Eugene. Walking through Albertson's in itself brought back tons of memories with Blair and Lauren, like making cake at 2am, making a batch of almond poppyseed muffins and eating the whole batch together before it got a chance to fully cool, or living off of lemonade and limeade, or difficulties with the self-checkout. Or being checked out in the dairy section at 11pm at night. I miss doing penny drives with Blair all over Eugene and going on adventures. I miss laying around our apartment doing nothing in particular. I miss staying up until 4am being silly.
But I have so much to look forward to this year! I'm excited to find new favorite places in Portland. I haven't thoroughly explored Portland much (on purpose at least, other than getting lost!) and I'm excited to do that with my family and Portland friends.
Right now the boys are setting up their new HD cable box with Alex's new surround sound system and DVD player. We were going to climb Spencer's Butte today but the forest fires have made everything really hazy and muggy. Everything is cast in an eerie golden light, as if it's been sunset time all day. It's kind of pretty. The above picture was taken around 4:30pm, way too early for sunset lighting. The lines are from the blinds. Crazy!
One more thing!
I am starting to think that I'm a happier person when I blog regularly. I stopped blogging a few years ago. Coincidentally, I've been trying to go back to how I felt about life back then (as a whole that is - obviously I've changed and been through a lot since then that is bound to have changed my perspective). Anyway, I think I'm much happier. Everything seems so much clearer, including not only my thoughts but how I perceive myself and my world. It gives me time to step back and speculate and digest everything that's going on around me - I usually don't allow time to do that unless I'm alone and bored on the drive between Eugene and LO.
Fall
Fall has always been my favorite season. In the past, partially due to new school clothes, new classes, new school supplies, friends, a new musical, and new things going on. But now that I find myself home and not currently taking classes, it means something else to me. I am so excited to go get apples in Hood River and start planning for Halloween and Helen's 21st birthday and for the football games coming up. Halloween is going to be fun because I think Alex and I are going to go to the UO-USC game. I love Halloween. I love the feeling and smell of the air on Halloween night. There's something about the familiarity of houses where I used to trick-or-treat that is really peaceful to me.
I work tomorrow. I haven't worked for over a week and I'm excited to go back. I love my job. I have yet to come across something as rewarding as helping an animal feel better.
Although I really want to volunteer reading books to kids in a pediatric hospital. Katie suggested that tonight after I got sucked into the children's book section at Powell's. Soon Lisa and I are going to start volunteering for the Make A Wish Foundation. Maybe those two things will go hand in hand. I hope so!
After work tomorrow, I get to look forward to going down to see Austin on Monday! We'll probably climb Spencer's Butte and Austin hasn't done that yet. It'll be so fun to see what he thinks about the glorious view.
Ahh I am sleepy!
I work tomorrow. I haven't worked for over a week and I'm excited to go back. I love my job. I have yet to come across something as rewarding as helping an animal feel better.
Although I really want to volunteer reading books to kids in a pediatric hospital. Katie suggested that tonight after I got sucked into the children's book section at Powell's. Soon Lisa and I are going to start volunteering for the Make A Wish Foundation. Maybe those two things will go hand in hand. I hope so!
After work tomorrow, I get to look forward to going down to see Austin on Monday! We'll probably climb Spencer's Butte and Austin hasn't done that yet. It'll be so fun to see what he thinks about the glorious view.
Ahh I am sleepy!
Today was amazing.
I woke up and watched the UO Utah game. Naturally, we broke Utah's 17-game winning streak, 31-24. YAY!
Then my mom and Katie and I went downtown for dinner. We parked at the Max station and I went to get a ticket. While I waited in line, a man came up and gave me his all-day ticket because he didn't need it anymore. He saved me almost $5! I love random little acts of kindness.
We rode the Max to Goose Hollow and walked two blocks to a tiny restaurant called The Leaky Roof. It's a tiny little Irish pub. They messed up my order (which I didn't mind, I'm sure anything there would be amazing) and felt horrible. They brought me really rich chocolate cherry cake on the house as an apology (still I kept insisting that I didn't mind). Aside from all of that, I loved the cozy, homey atmosphere. They made us feel like family, like regular customers at least. We joked about how I was going to have their special Guinness when I turn 21 in a few months. My whole family's going back there on Wednesday. When we left, the owner gave my mom a hug. Seriously one of the nicest places I've ever been.
Afterward, we walked to the street car station and went to Powell's. I found some amazing books there, but I can't go into detail because everything I bought there are surprise gifts for people Austin there's your hint! :) I found two books that I really want but couldn't afford. The first one is called Have You Ever Tickled A Tiger? (http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780375843969.html) and the other is Favorite Poems, Old and New by Helen Ferris (http://www.amazon.com/Favorite-Poems-Old-New-Selected/dp/0385076967). LOVE them.
We almost went up to Tea Chai Te but decided to save that for next time. I loved spending time with my mom and sister, it was so nice.
Then I came home and ended the day talking to Austin, what a good end to a good day.
I woke up and watched the UO Utah game. Naturally, we broke Utah's 17-game winning streak, 31-24. YAY!
Then my mom and Katie and I went downtown for dinner. We parked at the Max station and I went to get a ticket. While I waited in line, a man came up and gave me his all-day ticket because he didn't need it anymore. He saved me almost $5! I love random little acts of kindness.
We rode the Max to Goose Hollow and walked two blocks to a tiny restaurant called The Leaky Roof. It's a tiny little Irish pub. They messed up my order (which I didn't mind, I'm sure anything there would be amazing) and felt horrible. They brought me really rich chocolate cherry cake on the house as an apology (still I kept insisting that I didn't mind). Aside from all of that, I loved the cozy, homey atmosphere. They made us feel like family, like regular customers at least. We joked about how I was going to have their special Guinness when I turn 21 in a few months. My whole family's going back there on Wednesday. When we left, the owner gave my mom a hug. Seriously one of the nicest places I've ever been.
Afterward, we walked to the street car station and went to Powell's. I found some amazing books there, but I can't go into detail because everything I bought there are surprise gifts for people Austin there's your hint! :) I found two books that I really want but couldn't afford. The first one is called Have You Ever Tickled A Tiger? (http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780375843969.html) and the other is Favorite Poems, Old and New by Helen Ferris (http://www.amazon.com/Favorite-Poems-Old-New-Selected/dp/0385076967). LOVE them.
We almost went up to Tea Chai Te but decided to save that for next time. I loved spending time with my mom and sister, it was so nice.
Then I came home and ended the day talking to Austin, what a good end to a good day.