okay...more!

I like this bed. Not the powderpuff pillow, but I've always wanted an old bedframe like that.
I think this is a genius way to hang plates. I'm not really a plate hanger person, but I like how they wrapped it onto another wall.
I want this painting.

I think I'm going to start painting again and keep trying until I find what kind of painting I'm good at.

K, bye.

ohhhh good.

Love this.

Want this.

Need this.

I will probably make this. :)

thanks to Apartment Therapy and Elsie Cake for showing it to me.

Sleepover

I attended a sleepover last Friday night. Emily was here this weekend for 2 wedding showers. (The nice and the naughty.) She came in Friday night and all us b-maids stayed over at Bennett's old school style. It's funny...even just 2 years out of college, staying up late and giggling into the night doesn't play out as well the next day as back in the day. I slept maybe an hour. I don't know. I was monkey in the middle in Bennett's king-sized bed. Burning up. (That is nothing new. It takes 2 fans and light blanket and a thermostat on 66 to help me sleep well.) Anyway, take an hour of sleep, add 2 wedding showers, then a time change and stir it all around. Then you get me. Seizure girl who needs at least 9 if not 10 hours of sleep walking around not speaking in clear sentences. Sunday night I slept about 9.5 hours. I woke up a lot so those hours were interrupted. Last night, I slept 11 hours. I'm still struggling today. Eek!

So, I guess I should've had more sleepovers as a kid to build up my immunity. Too bad.

monokini? whaaaaaat???

What is the world coming to?

it's on the horizen

Bocce Ball weather is here. I love bocce ball.

Oscar

Jessica Biel, what were you thinking? Are you wearing your bedsheet tucked into another sheet? I can't figure it out.

The West Wing

I am obsessed with The West Wing. I can't even tell you why. I just do. It's so interesting and has inspired me to know more about politics.

Watch it. You'll be hooked. I've finished Season 3 and am waiting for Season 4 from Patrick's private West Wing library.

Any other fans out there?


PS, California in t-minus 5 days. Wooooopdie!

things

1) I bite my nails. I haven't for a while, but I ruined my streak tonight. I have that weird feeling when they're too short right now.

2) You've Got Mail is probably the best "in the background" movie. It's also just a nice happy movie. It makes me smile. The way Meg Ryan walks, all the daisies, The Shop Around the Corner, Tom Hanks...it goes on.

3) I got a promise on a job from a manager at Starbucks yesterday. At first, I felt kind of embarrassed because in my mind, working for Starbucks would be taking a "step back" professionally speaking. I'm going from salary to hourly, from sick days and holidays to working days, and from dress code to uniform. All the while, having people I know come by and see me in the black and khaki. The embarrassment was the same post-graduation when I realized I wasn't using my degree. Hello! I guess I felt like since I'd spent 4 years earning the piece of paper, I should use it. Well, anyway, I'm over my embarrassment and I'm ready to work. I need a routine schedule again. I need to be doing something productive (s/a earning money to pay for my ungodly insurance and medication.) Bonus: I've missed the food service industry, honestly. So I'm excited about my return.

4) Real Simple just told me I can use a tennis ball cut in half to help open a stubborn jar. How genius.

long awaited D.C. report

We had a great time in D.C.! 1) It was so nice to spend some time with our friends Tyler and Emily for a few days. We haven't seen them in a while! 2) We were able to squeeze in 2 other visits to friends while we were there, the Sandersons and Freshmans. Flying didn't agree with me on the way there and I was very nauseous when we got our rental car and started the 2.5 hour drive to stay with Jake and Maggie in Charlottsville, VA. I got so nauseous that we got a hotel and left the next morning. We had been driving for almost an hour and a half, but had only made it 20 miles. DC is confusing. We met Jake and Maggie Saturday around lunch and had sandwiches at their awesome house. We saw a vineyard/winery that afternoon. I don't remember the name, but it was really cool. We saw the remains of the house Thomas Jefferson designed for the vineyard owner back in the day. It was a cool place to visit. We were able to do some other sightseeing in downtown Charlottsville, VA and saw the University of Virginia. It is huge! It spans multiple blocks and has HUGE buildings! It was quite a sight. We left the next morning, (Sunday,) and met Carl's photo-mentors, the Sandersons to do a family session for them. We had dinner with them at this cool Diner and then returned our car back in DC to stay with Tyler and Emily. We found out that our rental car return was a block from Emily's apartment. We laughed about it. Emily lives just 3 miles from the monuments and capitol. We relaxed for a little bit Sunday night and then went and saw the monuments at night. They said that was the best time to see them and they were right. Everything was all lit up and there were very few other people there. Seeing them in the day just isn't the same. I was looking forward to the Lincoln memorial the most but it was blocked off and had lots of scaffolding and a stage set up from a concert that afternoon. I was a little disappointed. We also saw the WWII memorial and Vietnam memorial as well as the White House that night. Lots of walking! The White House lights were off when we got there. Apparently at 11pm, they "close" for the night. We got there at 11:05. Bummer!

Monday we walked around Georgetown (which is a yuppie neighborhood just outside DC.) Carl is shooting Emily and Tyler's wedding in June. He shot their engagement pictures that afternoon while we walked around. You can see them here. We were able to make it to the Capitol that night. It's HUGE! We relaxed that night and got to bed early to be up at 5am. We left at 5:45am for the mall area. We were able to take the Metro (underground train) to just blocks from the mall. We think so many people thought the train would be packed that they walked. We tried it and there were very few people! We were smooshed between who knows how many people. A water main broke on the street we were walking down so police and fire crews were trying to go against the flow of thousands of people. Needless to say it got very cozy and it was the only point in the day I got very nervous and concerned I would be separated from our friends and get lost in the crowd. Luckily we got out fast and were on the mall before we knew it. We were behind the 3rd jumbo-tron, about 3/4 mile from the Capitol steps. We were very happy with our spot and were surprised we were that close. Considering the crowd spread over 2 miles, we were doing well! We were surrounded by lots of great people. We spent about 6 hours standing. We talked and laughed and had a great time with our new friends. I was standing next to a woman who had been in a segregated school through the 5th grade. It was very neat to be standing next to someone who was able to see a circle completed in history. The man to my right was from Australia and kept asking when we were going to sing the National Anthem. They played several songs over the system before the ceremony started. This Land is Your Land was my favorite. It was very surreal to be with almost 2 million people singing the same song. It also was very cool to say the Lords Prayer with everyone at the close of the ceremony. It gave me chills! There were some frustrating moments...like when this lady stole my spot. She said, "excuse me" like she was trying to pass me. And then she just stood where I was standing. Then I couldn't see. Thanks a lot lady. I went back and forth between seeing about 1/6th of the jumbo-tron to seeing 1/3rd. We had to walk the 3 miles back to Emily's apartment. It was a very tiring walk after standing for nearly 7 hours. We finally made it, grabbed lunch, and then lounged the rest of the day in the apartment. We watched the parade and fell asleep. Emily and Tyler had to work the next day so Carl and I were able to sleep in, relax, and take our time packing for the airport. We went to the airport 3 hours early because we saw on the news that lines were very long and people were missing their flights. We made it to the gate with about 2 hours to spare. We made it home late that night and slept extremely well (as you can imagine.) It was quite a whirlwind trip! We are looking forward to going back. There was so much more we didn't get to see (other monuments, the Smithsonian, the American history museum, Arlington cemetery, etc.)

Carl took pictures of the day and you can see them here

Shew! I think that catches you up on how it was! It's hard to believe it's been just over 2 weeks since we were there. Since being home, our friends have had baby showers, actual babies and I've been tracking down my insurance mess. Good news! Babies are all well and I have insurance again! Hip Hip!

It's nice to be back home and into a routine again. Don't worry, we leave in just 3 weeks for 5 days in California! (Strictly photography business trip...and the beach.) :)

Hopefully a job is in there too! I meet with a manager from Starbucks on Monday. Hip Hip again!

DC cont.

This is a pump fake. But Monica brought to my attention I didn't post the rest of our trip, i.e., inauguration day. I shall do it soon! I've been in the middle of baby showers, superbowling, and helping with new babies! (baby Simon comes TODAY!) Check out my photos on facebook and Carl's blog post of it. That should hold you over.


ps, Is Groundhog Day really that important?

choices

Tonight was small group. It was so great to be back together with most everyone and catch up. We got on the subject of college and if we could do it all over again, would we have the same major, would we still have gone to the school we went too...

I re-realized that the choices we make are chain reactions. If I hadn't gone to school where I went, if I hadn't chosen the major I did, if I had gotten a different job...blah blah blah. Where would I be? Who would I be? What would I be doing? Would I be married? Would I have had a seizure? Would I be living in Ireland? Would I be in grad school? Would I have the friends I have now or have found friends that are like the friends I have now?

I used to believe in a God that knew what my every moment would be. This God who had already planned out my whole life and I believed that whatever happened was "meant to be." How much more powerful it is to believe in a God that allows me to choose. But at the same time, how overwhelming! Should we buy a house? Should I try to work full-time? Should I go back to school? Should we move to Oregon sooner? Should we move at all? Should I, should we...ah! All these choices!

At some point you have to decide and go from there. This could easily spin out of control with anxiety and worry. It's hard to keep from wondering what would be if we had made a different choice. I guess it's about learning to accept the fact that we will never know what could have been and being happy with what is and the choices you have made to lead you where you are. I think I need to work on that.

D.C.

Holy crap, D.C. is so amazing. Luckily we're staying with locals who know the scoop so we don't have to carry a tour guide book, or maps, binoculars or stand reading directions for how to use the Metro.

Sunday night: Walked/saw the Washington, Lincoln, WW II and Vietnam Memorials + the White House (flag was up which means B was in the house, and when got up close the lights were off which means the house had "retired." That was kind of bummer, but still cool to stand at the gates and see it up close. Oh, and Tyler showed us the West Wing which isn't actually part of the White House, it's a completely separate building. The West Wing being one of my favorite shows, I felt a little cheated that I didn't already know that. Federal Reserve, US. Treasury, Pentagon, and.....probably other things I don't remember.

Monday: We walked around doing Tyler and Emily's engagement pics in Georgetown (allegedly the yuppie part of town.) They host $4 million dollar condos and Porsches. We saw a white Bentley. Holy cow. Those things look cleeeeeeannnn. Since Beyonce is in town performing for an Inaugural concert on Sunday, I just presumed it was her and Jay-Z's. They own one, you know. Anyway, we saw the Capitol which is giiinoooormous. US Supreme Court, the building where all the congressional offices are, the Library of Congress....I think that's all. We were going to squeeze in Arlington Cemetary, Holocost Memorial, and Iwo Jima memorial but we were tired and ready to sit still. Carl and I will try to do some of that and the American History Museum on Wednesday before we leave to come back. We'll see.

All in all, this city is tight and we don't know the 1/2 of it. Tomorrow is going to be crrraaaaazzzzzyyyyyyy!!!! We're leaving at 5am to head there. Lots of layers and giggles will be in attendance. EEEEK!

bdays are weird

Birthdays are weird.

No, I don't feel older.
No, it's not really any different than 23.
Yes, I still get told that I look like I'm in high school.
Yes, people don't believe I'm married.
No, I didn't ask for anything because I can't think of anything I need.
Yes, I share a birthday with Martin Luther King, Jr. (Haha! No one asks that.)


But seriously, aren't birthdays kind of awkward? You say "thank you" like, 5,000 times for the birthday wishes. People always embarrass you at restaurants. If you get a present (which you don't really get after you're...I don't know, 16, if that?) it's usually something you're like, "Oh...gee...thank you." My favorite part is my grandparents calling and singing to me over the phone in their sweet voices and my mom telling me things about the day I was born. Today it was, "it was a very cold morning when you were born."

I'm a year older. That's weird. I don't think tomorrow will be any different than today. (Except that it means I'll be on a plane to DC to see the inauguration Tuesday!!!!)

24

I'm turning 24 on Thursday and that's weird.

Milestones used to be 16 (obviously drivers license,) 18 (obviously an adult,) 21 (officially an adult,) and then...crap, I'm graduating college? I'm getting married? Am I old enough to do that? 22 was weird. I graduated, I got married (only 2 weeks apart) and I joined the real working world with a salary and benefits. At 23, I started the new year working a 16 hour day to find my AWOL 17 year old crack addict Ray Ray a place to stay. My job went downhill and was stressing me to the max. I wrote my resignation letter and planned to submit it once I found another job. Seizure. No driving. No working. Lots of couch sitting. Now, I'm about to be 24...which qualifies as mid 20's, right? Carl turns 25 next month. That's 1/2 way to 30. Whaaat? I feel like I've got to get it in gear. A year goes by so fast! Our friends are having babies!

24 is weird.

But the show 24 is not weird. A bit cheesy but I still won't miss an episode. And I still love Jack Bauer.

home

I tend to enjoy traveling. However, living out of a suitcase in 3 different states, in 4 different places got a little old. I've realized how true it is that you don't know what you've got till it's gone. I miss being home. I miss being somewhere that's familiar to me. I miss my bed (who doesn't.) I have slept really well out here, better than I've been sleeping at home, but still. As materialistic as it sounds, we've missed our couch and the Element and the kitchen. It'll be nice to have dinner with friends around the table again. Oh yea, and we've severely missed our friends! The hardest part of moving will most definitely be that our friends aren't coming with us. (Well...we're still working on them.) It will be hard to start over in a town where I don't know anyone. Carl has friends from his high school days that we see when we're in town, and I guess that means I'm friends with them too, but you know. I'm the one who's sitting there while they laugh about memories and stories and has this look on my face like, "I don't know who that is, where that is, what that means." Haha. I'm sure I look ridiculous.

I'll probably still miss home for a while after we move. I don't mean Oklahoma, I mean the place I've spent the last 23 (almost 24) years of my life. My family is here (or within 3 hours from here,) and I see them often. The tables will be turned. Carl's spent the last 6, almost 7, years out here away from his family. It will be weird I'm sure.

It's very intimating moving to a place I am not familiar with and also because Carl is really familiar with it. Everything here is SE, SW, NE, NW and streets turn into other streets and there seems to be 50 highways. There doesn't seem to be any pattern or reason for all the directions added to the signs. No grid here in Oregon. Public transportation is awesome but that's also going to be intimidating to learn. The MAX (subway-like system), streetcars, buses...yikes! I'm going to look like a tourist for a while and that will be fun.

Now, I'm sitting in the KC airport (ugh...this place is aweful,) and am glad to be experiencing no hitches on our flights home. We'll be back in the familiar in 3 hours. Woo hoo!

We had a lot of fun despite all the travel hiccups. Carl took some pictures so I'm sure those will surface sometime soon. Regardless of familiar vs unfamiliar, the Northwest is one of the most beautiful places I've been to. You should visit. (When we move there, you can visit us AND experience all it has to offer. Perfect!)

For the first time ever, I think I'm looking a year in the face realizing that it could hold many different opportunities. Carl and I are going to witness history in just a few short weeks at the Presidential Inauguration in D.C.. It's going to be mind-blowing. What a cool story to be able to tell our kids someday.

2009 holds a lot of hopes. Hopes for no seizures. Hopes for a job or career or something that makes me wait with anticipation to get out of bed in the morning. Hopes for more travels. Hopes for our new friendships through our small group to only grow deeper. Hopes to grow and support our friends in their new endeavors as parents. Hopes to be closer to debt-free. The list goes on and on.

It looks like it's going to be a great year.

P.S. Carl is laying on the floor of the airport snoring. Bah hahahahahah!

holiday games

We spent since Tuesday in Seattle with Carl's dad. I learned to play Yahtzee. I was really bad at first because I'd never played before. I learned though and eventually did really well. Yahtzee!

If you haven't played, you should learn. It's barrels of fun!

PS, barrels makes me think of Barrel of Monkeys which was a dumb game to me. You always lose monkeys and then the game's worthless.

continued

Okay. Oakland is scary.

We walked to In-and-Out burger which was roughly a mile from our hotel. No big deal. It'll be nice to get out of our hotel. Well, okay. I almost got hit by a car on the way there. Then while we were waiting for our food, I have my arm on the back of my seat and this creeeeepy man puts his hand on my arm and isn't moving it. I'm instantly like, what are you doing, and take his hand off my arm. Meanwhile, I'm thinking of ways to defend myself and then run. This guy says, "Oh I'm sorry. I thought you were my grand-daughter." I say, "Okay." And this dude continues to explain why he thought I was his grand-daughter. Dude, I don't care, just get away from me. I was completely freaked out. It totally ruined my meal. Then I see him outside with his family pointing at me and explaining what happened and they're laughing. Sir, I don't think it's funny. Go away.

There's a fight outside when we leave. We walk quickly. This is going to sound so horrible and I know that and I'm disappointed in myself for thinking it, but it's honest. We were 2 of 10 white people we saw on our outing. I felt really unsafe. Part of this may be because Josh (our new friend) told us that Oakland is the murder capitol of the US. Gee wiz dude, don't tell me that. So then I'm paranoid our entire walk and wondering if everyone has a gun. That's awful. I know. But it was my reaction to our situation. We walked quickly back to our hotel as it was getting colder, starting to drizzle and get dark. I feel really bad that the main reason I felt unsafe was because of someone's skin color and the way they were dressed. We almost got hit by a garbage truck on the walk back. It seemed like he sped up when we crossed the street.

Okay. We spent the night in our hotel room and ate in the restaurant downstairs again and then watched A&E shows. I love my Intervention and stumbled on a new show, Manhunters. It's tight. I slept SOOO great (which was nice for a change) and woke up to blueberry muffins we purchased on our walk.

We're packing up to leave, take the shuttle, and chill in the airport. Wait. Wait. Wait. The zipper on my luggage just broke. The broke where it comes off track you know? And then it starts opening....ah! What am I going to do! It was on the bottom of my bag too. Great. So we go downstairs, ask the front desk when the shuttle will be here and if they can take us to WalMart to get a new bag. They say sure. Shew! While I had to sell my soul to WalMart (my first purchase at WM in 3 years) to freaking TRY to fly for the 4th time, it was worth it.

Now we're sitting at our gate, crossed fingers and toes that we're leaving for real this time. So far, so good.

PS-plan update. We're flying into Seattle to stay with Carl's dad and step-mom till Monday (so great!) and then taking the Amtrak to Portland on Monday morning. Now if everything will just not cancel, we'll be good. New Years in Portland wasn't planned, but is happenin'. We'll make the best of 7 extra days in the Northwest. It probably won't be that hard.

Bless you for thinking of us as we travel this journey. It's been CRAAAZY! If I don't get to talk to you again,

Merry Chrismahannahquanica to you and Happy Festivas for the rest of us.

jinx

Okay, here's been the adventure since Saturday morning.

1st-We were supposed to leave Thursday and were cancelled due to fog in OKC. No worries, there's only the worst snow/ice storm ever to hit the Northwest starting Friday.

2nd-Saturday. We get to the airport early, check-in, security, on the plane to KC connecting to Denver. We land in Denver. Sweet. Hardly any snow on the ground. Okay, for all of us staying on the plane to go to PDX they tell us there will be about an hour delay. Carl goes and grabs us some lunch while I stay on the plane. I ask our flight attendant, "Is there any way this flight will be cancelled?" She says, "Oh no, this is a full-flight, they won't do that." I'm fairly confident in her answer. They say it may be up to a 2 hour delay. Okay...as long as we get there. I'll wait all day. Okay, about 5 bites into lunch, the guy comes on again and says, "I hate to make you move your lunch." I look at him like, "What do you mean?" And then I know. "It's cancelled isn't it." "Yes." Great. We get off the plane, there's already a line of about 75 people. We get in line, Carl goes to talk to a flight attendant from our flight to ask what the best option is. He says to call the 1-800 number. Okay. We stay in line, call the number, end up rescheduling our flight for the next day from Denver, to Oakland, to PDX. Luckily, I have family in Co. Springs. We rented a car for only $20!!! and drove to stay with them. They have a small BBQ business so we had brisket and ribs and fixings. We were soooo full and sit by the fire and go to bed early.

3rd-Sunday. Wake up, eat more great food (omelets and biscuits and gravy) and hit the road back to Denver. We were told to get there early because we would have to go through additional security measures. No prob. We get there and are told that there is a weather advisory and are risking not making it to PDX. Duh dude, like we haven't learned that yet. Okay, through security, no problem, plenty of time to go pee-pee, grab a snack, and hang out. Board the plane, we check SW's website, our flight to PDX says it's On Time. We luck out with an exit row, a nice row companion from Oakland, and land. Okay, we make it off the plane. Cancelled. &@*#(@!*!@#&$&*@&!*2!!!! We got in line (short this time) and asked to re-schedule. She doesn't know what she's doing so we go to get on the 1-800 number again. Bless the sweet grandma lady that has been on our flights since KC. We'd talked about driving in line in Denver that morning. She offers to pay for a rental car if we decide to drive to Portland. It was awkward. We tell her we're going to go make some calls and get road conditions. We talk to Carl's family, they offer to come pick us up. It's a 10 hour drive. We think, maybe we'll drive 1/2 way so it's not as bad. Then, we find out 2 mountain passes on the way are closed. Great. We go tell the grandma lady, give her a number we'd gotten from another traveler that morning who was going to drive and our number. I guess she made a plan. We get a flight to Seattle for Tuesday morning, (Portland, the soonest was Christmas Day.) Okay, we go to get a rental car. Enterprise has no cars. We love Enterprise. The cheapest rental car for just 1.5 days is $412 with National. Ohhhh, gosh. And we have to get a hotel on top of that. No thanks. We met another traveler named Josh in the rental place who's in the same position. We decide we're going to get a hotel room. We go to the same hotel. He'd gotten a rental car already and was going to drive the 101 up the coast to his parents which is a 16-18 hour drive. He offered to take us. We decide we'd rather take a day off to rest and re-group and try to fly out Tuesday. We all ate together in the hotel restaurant and chatted a while. He even paid for our meal. What a saint! Turns out he's a pretty interesting guy and a fellow "believer" as he put it. It was a great break in the clouds to make a friend on this crazy journey.

4th-Monday Wake up. I'm hungry. I call the front desk to ask how long the continental breakfast is. She says, "We don't have a continental breakfast." WHAAAATTT? Okay, re-group. Vending machine. Yes, it'll have something. I find only a soda machine. I ask a cleaning lady. She says, "There isn't one....but I think there's something by the front desk." I go to the front desk. I find juice....and candy. I get juice. I find a granola bar in my bag. Score! Now we're sitting in our bed watching CNN and listening to how bad it is in the Northwest and trying to keep our already shattered hopes high of making it out tomorrow.

So help me...I don't know what we'll do if we can't get out of here. One more night in Oakland. Luckily we have some brisket and ribs in a goodie bag from my family in Co. Springs. LUNCH!


Click your heels for us. We are nearing the end of our positive attitudes.

people watchery

So, we get to the airport, get our bags, go inside. OH NO. Where does the line for Southwest start and stop? We start walking, keep walking, still walking, "Sir, is this the line for Southwest?" Yes. Keep walking...finally, but the United desk, the end of the line. (The line grows to the next airline counter...masses of people.)

By this point, I'm facing the fact that we're not making our flight. I figure our flight is delayed. We made it up to the actual posts where the line starts and then it happens, "Unless you are on flight @#*$ to Dallas, your flight has been cancelled. Please call the 1-800 number to reschedule your flight." Oh great. We get out of line, kind of laughing at everyone, call the number, on hold for a few minutes, flight rescheduled for Saturday morning. Not ideal, but it works.

Okay, so the couple in line behind us was already fighting when they got in line. Something about their boarding passes which she had printed offline or something. Then we find out our respective flights are canceled, the husband loses it. He starts off with the cussing and how they'll have to wait forever for a ride since they're from out of town, they won't get to Phoenix, this is the worst thing ever, blah blah blah. He keeps walking off and then coming back and saying something to his wife dramatically and then does it again. We are trying not to laugh because he's acting like a 4 year old. We move outside to wait for Thomas to pick us up, and watch as TSA employees inform those getting out of their cars that all flights have been canceled. We told a guy as we were getting in our car as he was saying goodbye to his friends and the disappointment on his face was priceless. We watched this again and again while inside and outside. I don't know why I found hilarity in others misery today, but it was glorious.

And now, this is happening.

We leave in 52 hours for 11 days in the Northwest. I know 4 of the 3 pictures are from the beach, but I'm the most excited about seeing the ocean again. After all, it's only my 3rd time to see it. We've got lots of fun things planned and I'm looking forward to getting more acquainted with Portland and Seattle. We may luck into a white Christmas which would be great.


Here's to festivus, family, friends, and food! I hope your holiday is one with lots of memories and that we all remember that the only reason we have what we have is by the grace of God.

PS, watch the video at the bottom. It has been inspirational in my family's life over the last 2 years.