Heading home for the week!

This dog to the left probably looks sad because he doesn't get to come on the trip to Oregon with us tomorrow. Or maybe he is just really in love with his new buffalo. I dunno.

We are flying in to Portland tomorrow and staying until the following Friday. Even though we have only been gone six weeks, I am ready for a trip home to see everyone. A few of the top things on my agenda:

1) Visiting with my nephew Cedar. I haven't seen him in over a year (bad aunt, I know), and he just moved back to Oregon with my sister. He can be a nutball, but I look forward to hanging out with him nonetheless. Don't mean to leave out the rest of the huge family clan, but sorry, the 5 year old kid trumps everyone this time.

2) Sushi, sushi, and more sushi. Anyone who likes the stuff, please schedule me in for lunch or dinner this week! No surprise, but sushi in Ohio just isn't as ocean fresh as that in the Pacific Northwest (I mean, you can't fish this stuff out of Lake Erie now can you?). Mio and Yoko's will be my best friends this week.

3) Seeing all my friends and family. If they haven't written me off yet for moving to Ohio, I'll be visiting up an down the I-5 corridor...okay, only between Vancouver, Portland and Salem, but everyone has a car. Speaking of, I won't have a car, so I love anyone who wants to drive me around.

So, there you have it. My only goals of this trip.

More to share:

1) Happy belated holidays to everyone.

2) Thanks to the fantastic JB for sending me an awesome new collection of music all the way from Australia. Since I only received it yesterday, I have made it to, A, Aqueduct...but so far I love what I hear and am sure that the rest of it will make my ears smile too. I'm gonna load some of it on my iPod for the plane.

3) Oh, for Christmas I got Justin tickets to the University of North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech game on January 13th and it's going to be on ABC at 3:30 EST...so tune in and look for us. On this same thought, can anyone tell me how the people who sell tickets on eBay sleep at night? Savvy business people or selfish bleeping jerks? I can't decide.

4) My song of the moment is Take It From Me by The Weepies. It's on my MySpace page if you want to hear it.

Alright, gotta go pack!

Now That's a Stick!

Bailey has a talent for finding the biggest sticks to play fetch with. He dug this one out of the snow today while we were out enjoying our first afternoon of true Ohio winter weather. 

Coming to You From (Almost) Smokefree Ohio

Well, it's been a while hasn't it? Though not entirely settled in here in Ohio, I thought it'd be a good time to post an update...

Referencing the title: The Ohio elections a few weeks ago proved quite Sarah friendly with a vote to ban smoking in all public places! Most of you know my disdain for tobacco products, so the ban couldn't be coming at a better time! On my last visit in October, Justin and I ate at a restaurant and I had to move seats because the smoke from the bar area was just cruising right in to interrupt my lunch. And work places actually advertise here that they are smoke free. My lungs are very content.

Drive slowly and with caution: There's a lot of wildlife in our area, including herds of deer, cute little bunnies, possum, squirrels, and a handful of geese who slowly meander across the street. Unfortunately, there are plenty of roadkill to show for it. Combine that with the insane amount of cops who strictly enforce the 35 mph speed limit on RURAL roads, and you probably don't want to speed or drive like a lunatic. This doesn't mix well with the V6 engine on my new car.

Why the snow warnings? So far, we've had pretty mild weather. The barometer has hit 60 degrees everyday for the past week. Everyone warns that the lake effect/snow belt/damn Ohio snow will be here soon, but for now, I am enjoying the outdoor friendly days.

I need a job: I've been job shopping and had my first interview yesterday. I am noticing the my industry pays terribly out here and that most jobs require you to be a licensed social worker. Looks like I should think about making a change.

I hate leaves: When we moved into our house, our one acre property was conveniently left with a nice heavy blanket of leaves. Credit goes almost entirely to Justin for cruising around on his new John Deere yard tractor to pick up the leaves, but I spent one day out there yesterday and part of this morning raking and bagging the remainder and there are still a ton left!

Five in a row: We got a pool table for the basement, and that's my record number of legit hits into pockets. Pretty good for a girl with few pool skills.

Oh, GO BEAVS! I didn't do a weekly post of the Beaver's football game scores this year, but they definitely made me proud. I may have had a mild heart attack during the final minutes of the Civil War! Now that we're bowl game bound and almost back in the poll rankings, I need to take back my slam of them early in the season. All hail Serna!

That's plenty for now. I'm off to, hmm, clean or something more exciting. Hope to see many of you Oregonians (and Washington family members) in about a month!

Turbo Post!

Life has been busy. Our moving truck is on the road to Ohio, my last day of work is tomorrow, I'm trying to sell my car, and I am spending my last days in Oregon running around in my home town of Salem. I get on the plane Saturday to head out and I am pretty excited.

I'll get back into the groove of posting once my life mellows out a bit and I actually have time to sit down and do it.

Oh, there's been a lot of rain in Oregon over the last couple of days. It is crazy.

Okay, talk to you all from the Midwest in a little while.

Easily Entertained

On my way home from work Monday, I narrowly missed my first car vs. animal tragedy.

I was winding through my neighborhood when a squirrel darted out into the street. I slammed on my brakes so hard that the car skidded (hey, I have swerved for a buttefly before), but then saw no sign of the squirrel fleeing away. I decided to back my car up to see if I had flattened him, and there he was...alive and frozen in the exact same position of absolute terror I had seen before I came to a screeching halt. He wouldn't move.

I pulled up alongside him and looked over to the sidewalk. Another squirrel (I'm guessing his pal) was standing up, frozen in fear as well. I shouted at my almost victim squirrel in the street and he finally darted off to his pal and they cruised away.

I'd like to think that two lives were saved that day...the squirrel I almost hit, and his pal who would have been traumatized for life had he seen his best bud get murdered.

Okay, gotta continue packing for my weekend trip to Ohio. Oh, note to all. I head to Ohio for good on November 11th. That's Veteran's Day by the way, for all you patriotic folks.

Maybe I Should Post More

I'm getting good huh? Like, one post per month. Ahh well. Here are some updates...

Moving right along...An awesome house has been secured in Ohio, and I am pretty excited about moving even though it will be sad to leave everyone. I am going out for one more visit on the 20th and then should be moving away at the beginning of November. The kitchen in this house is amazing, so I think that maybe I should take some cooking classes or something. Otherwise, I'll just have to get used to staring at all the nice cupboards and countertops. A favorite feature of this house (besides the one acre lot, nice big windows, and cool back deck) is that it actually has a tub big enough for me to take a bath in. No big deal to some, but I have always seen no relaxation in scruching up in a short tub.

It'll be hard...to leave this awesome fall weather. It's 70 degrees right now, headed for 80 in a couple of days. This has been the most fantastic summer and fall ever. Really, ever.

Looking for a winning season...My poor BEAVERS football team sucks this season. I haven't even logged their wins and losses this year. It's just too depressing. I haven't even watched a whole game yet. I am a disappointment to true Beaver Believers everywhere. Sorry. Maybe if I start watching, they'll start winning. No? Okay.

My how fast...a year goes. This weekend marks the one year anniversary for Justin and I. Sadly, we won't see each other until the following weekend, but it still puts a smile on my face.

Getting older...a couple of happy birthdays going out to two girls I love dearly...Trina hits 28 tomorrow and Aimee checks in at one year below 30 on Friday. Must be why Aimee chose to go out drinking and partying all night on Friday. Don't worry, I'll be there to support your last year in the young crowd.

Oh yeah...did I ever mention that Justin got me golf clubs as a present last month. We went and played on a par three and I think I did pretty good. I didn't even break or throw any of my clubs or land any balls in water. A couple of bushes and trees, but otherwise I see me going pro in a year or two. No to that too? Okay. Anyway, it's a fun game and I look forward to mastering my skills. Especially with my driver...I can't seem to do anything but slice to a hard left.

Carry Me Ohio?

It's been a while, so I figured it about time to come on here and add some MAJOR updates...

DUN DUN DUN...

I am flying out to Ohio on Friday to go visit Justin. Why? Because he started a job out there today. What? Yes, most of my friends and family know that Justin decided to leave his current company and take a job in Ohio. Soooo? So the current plan is for me to join him out there when we are able to land a house (he's in temp housing right now). Didn't you just move back, like, 17 months ago!? Indeed I did, but I kinda adore this guy and think it'd be quite nice to be out there with him. Hmm...If all goes as planned, we'll be relocated by mid fall. The town is close to Cleveland, so if you know any connections, people, jobs, anything, send a message my way.

This is, undeniably, a HUGE deal. But I supported his decision to consider and go for the job and support the plan to move out there too. It's damn scary, and I have to admit that I will miss everyone...but on the other end it is very exciting and I get to continue to be near the person I love (sigh). While living in CA and UT, I was always a good visitor, and I am hoping that won't change much. In the meantime, I am still working at my job in Salem and living in our house...which I must say seems a little empty without Justin.

Oh, I'll give free prizes to the first person who actually comes to visit us in Ohio.

A MOVIE TO GO SEE

My girlfriends and I went to see The Last Kiss yesterday. It was well done with great acting. I don't want to say much, because I don't want to give away anything. But hey, Zach Braff...expect some backlash on the street from women who mistake you for the character you played in the movie. And they won't be happy. Poor Zach.

AND SO

I hope to see everyone more than once in the next several weeks, maybe have a girl shindig of some kind.

Here's some new songs that I am enjoying. Sewn by The Feeling was a free song of the week on iTunes...I am oddly obsessed with the tune. Oh, and I am embarrassed, but I've decided that my guilty pleasure is crappy Nickelback tunes. I play them for about two weeks and then write them off. It must be attached to my nights as a youngin watching MTV Headbanger's Ball. Their song of the week...Far Away. I even bought it on iTunes...go ahead, make fun of me. I deserve it.

Bye all.

Vacation Time!

In honor of my vacation, here is a quote that I won't need to worry about until the day after Labor Day. It's from The Little Book of Stress (the little book that gives you tips on how to get stressed)...

Schedules...Make them whenever possible. Include an unrealistic number of tasks. Agonize over why you're constantly falling behind.

And here is one that just made me laugh...

Pets...Research shows that people with pets live longer. Never get a pet. And encourage your friends' and neighbors' pets to run away.

Time to get back to doing nothing. God, I love it.

Shooting Stars!

The dork in me must present what I will most likely be doing this Saturday night...watching the meteor showers...

PERSEIDS (maximum August 12, 23h UT [4pm PDT; 7pm EDT])

Moon: Waning Gibbous (major interference)

Best viewing window: Saturday evening, August 12, from the end of evening twilight through Sunday morning, August 13.

Recommended for: Anyone interested in meteors; just remember that the Moon will detract from the show.

The Perseids are probably the most-watched annual meteor shower. The shower has a very long duration, from about July 15 through August 25. The shower is most interesting around its peak on August 12 or 13. This year, the waning gibbous Moon will be a big nuisance, riding high in the sky during the morning hours when the Perseid radiant is high. In addition, the shower's normal peak will occur during daylight for North American observers. The radiant is above the horizon the entire night for observers north of latitude 32N, but it is fairly low at the end of evening twilight. Evening Perseid rates are low, then, but there are usually enough meteors to be interesting. The Moon is also low in the evening this year, and hopefully rates will not have fallen too far from their peak. East Coast observers will be favored this year. Serious observers will watch all night long, and deal with the Moon as best they can. Face the darkest part of your local sky, and if the Moon is in your field of view try to block it with some sort of obstruction.

Rates for most observers will probably top out at around 15-30 Perseids per hour, with a few sporadic and minor shower meteors added to the mix. Die-hard observers may be watching on adjacent nights; unfortunately, there are no Moon-free periods this year.

Perseids are fast meteors and tend to be fairly bright on average. An occasional fireball is seen, but these seem to depend on the luck of the draw.

My favorite other parents, Kay and Dougie, have invited me to a viewing party on their farm in Sublimity. Kay said it's BYOB...Bring Your Own Bed.

Last year, I tried watching these from the park above the Rose Garden. While I admit that I had a blast with a group of friends, it was just too bright to see many stars. In high school and college, I watched them out at Kay and Doug's, and it was always a great show, so I am hoping to make it out there.

The best part of the meteor showers? Getting to wish on all the shooting stars...that's like 50 in one night!

In Line for Zach Braff...

Zach Braff's new (highly anticipated by me!) movie, The Last Kiss, comes to theaters on September 15th. Considering that I still have a pretty strong love affair with Garden State, I am guessing that this will become an instant favorite.

Braff doesn't take on all the creative facets of movie making for The Last Kiss, but did get to have all the influence on the soundtrack which includes Snow Patrol, Cary Brothers, Aimee Mann, and Joshua Radin. Oddly enough, it also includes my favorite Coldplay song and a longtime favorite tune of mine by Turin Brakes called Painkiller...which is nice because I thought I was the only person in the world who had adoration for this song.

That's all I have to report at the moment. Take my advice and go see this movie in September. Here's another trailer in case you aren't convinced yet.

Crisis Averted for Another Beautiful Bride

Trina and Steve tied the knot this weekend in a beautiful outdoor ceremony outside of Ashland, Oregon. Here are Aimee, Robin, myself, and the lovely bride at the reception.

Trina looked beautiful. Oddly enough, a short 48 hours earlier, I had accidentally chipped her front tooth while on the bachelorette rafting trip. To make the story short...I was sitting next to her on the boat, turned around to talk to her, elbowed the bottle she was holding, and WHACK...it took off a small piece of her front tooth! It was small, but noticeable to the bride, and of course to those of us in the raft who knew it just happened.

I assumed total chaos would ensue followed by a disenvite to the wedding, but no...Trina remained calm, had an emergency dentist appointment the following afternoon, and made it to the altar with a perfect smile. For those of you who missed the event, I have added a short slide show of the event to my MySpace for you to check out.

So to Trina, I love you and wish you and Steve an eternity of happiness. Thanks for letting me catch the bouquet at your wedding. You didn't even knock me out with it or take out any teeth as payback. But just remember, when my big day comes, you get to take the first punch.

Seaside Sunset

We went to Seaside last weekend to spend time with Justin's family, and the weather was awesome...around 80 degrees, which is something I have never experienced on an Oregon beach. This was Thursday night's sunset.

A Good Week to Be a Beaver

I don't know how I have gone this long without posting some recognition for the Beaver's clinching of the NATIONAL TITLE in the College World Series!!! Go Beavs!

It was quite the rivalry in our household...as many know, Justin is a graduate of UNC and still a diehard Tarheel. He got in a few jabs at our 'second rate team,' but then had to watch as the Beavs came back in game two, and then stole game three...victory for the underdogs.

I am guessing that our two teams won't be playing each other again in any sport for quite some time, so I am proud of the Orange and Black for beating the Carolina Blue. Thanks Beavs!

North Salem Angels

Well, here we have reunion picture post #1, courtesy of Julie, from the Friday night pre-reunion event. This would be Camille, Kelsey, and myself enroute to the second destination of our night. Sadly, JB had to miss the event, so I sent him a pic of three of his favorite Oregonians, which he has posted to his blog too. Once I figure out how to post many pictures in a feature, I'll get some more up, but this one just made me laugh.

Some More Useless Info

Jay-Z has impressed me with his boycott of Cristal because of ridiculous comments made by Frederic Rouzaud, managing director of Louis Roederer, the company that produces it. Hmm, I wonder if he will be getting a pink slip soon.

We should all be helping these musicians get famous: Sun Kil Moon, Joshua Radin, The Fray, and lets keep working on Snow Patrol too. Their new CD is as good as the last. And I am currently on a high note with That Old Pair of Jeans by Fatboy Slim. It just puts a smile on my face.

That Old Pair of Jeans is also currently my song on MySpace. I continue to like this social site and have added a slide show to my page with pics of friends and family.

Alright, I am going to go make myself useful now. Gotta clean, get ready for my high school reunion weekend, and get some sleep maybe. Have good weekends out there.

And oh yeah dad, Happy Father's Day! Of course, I will call you and shout the message on Sunday as well, but it's been another great year having you in my life. Thanks for that!

Justarah?

This is my before I go to work post of the day...

I hate hybrid names for celebrity couples. It is annoying and irritating. I thought it was funny for a minute back in the day...my sister and her boyfriend combine to Bennifer, like the original comboed celeb couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. But she didn't like that much, so I stopped.

So now, we have Brangelina, Vaughniston, and Tomkat. Stupid. Vaughniston?! Who came up with this? They have names, and I am sure they'd appreciate if you used them.

Really, I have no other opinion on it. Just felt like complaining about something.

So here, different combinations that Justin and I could go by: Justarah, Saratin, Ustah, Simait, Chimmons, Chammins...and my favorites...Simcha and Chasim. Hmm, I don't think Justin will go for any of these.

The Battle for the Birds and In Laws

Well, Wes will be happy to know that a pair of ducks have landed in in our neighborhood again. Justin, as you will see, is particularly excited this time:

Justin: So when you got home, were my ducks in the yard, or did you scare them away?
Me: What? I didn't scare them away. They were in our neighbor's yard.
Justin: What? The neighbor's yard?! When I went to the store they were over there, so I went in and got bread and made a trail of it to our yard. When I got back from the store, they were in our yard again.
Me: You are competing for the attention of the ducks with our neighbor!?
Justin: Yeah, I even put on my Ducks shirt so that they would notice. (This is a lovely bright yellow shirt with MIGHTY OREGON emblazoned across it in green).

Justin also suggests that we methodically plan Bailey's bathroom trips so as not to scare the new couple who are settling in. They seem to be bouncing back and forth between our yard and next door, so hopefully, Justin will win this battle of the birds...I don't really think our neighbor really cares though.

On another note, I feel pretty sorry for my sister right now. Her mother-in-law from hell is in town (if you don't believe that she is bad, read my sister's posts). This woman has an odd need to talk about me, is terribly conservative and ignorant, and irritates my sister to no end. No offense Jennifer, but I am glad they aren't my in-laws.

So, for my sister, I recommend that everyone go listen to Lord Kill the Pain by Red House Painters and think of ways my sister can survive another 2 weeks with the in-laws.

Twenty Days Later

Hmm, 20 days since the last post. Figured I should just write something, whether or not it is exciting!

It's been a semi busy 20 days. My sister Lexy was out visiting from Utah with her husband, so family activities were a plenty including dinner with fourteen people and a night of pool (wow Dad, you REALLY are good at pool!). I also had my girl's night in Salem with a crew of high school girls. We brushed up on who's who in the yearbook and tried hard to embarrass each other with stories from our dramatic days at North. I have been slacking on the job apps, but did get accepted again by DHS for interview referrals and think I will probably end up going the way of the state worker.

Here is what's coming up:

My ten year high school reunion...I'll be running around Salem the weekend of June 16th to catch up with old faces. Once again, I actually enjoyed high school, so I am excited for all the stupid events and hob nobbing.

Jessica's bday party...This weekend marks year 28 for Jess with a bizarre bash in her backyard complete with a Metallica cover band, and apparently, a big tub of pudding to wrestle in. Yeah, that part doesn't sound very appealing to me. Oooh, I have matured so much in the past year.

New projects with Justin...We built a walk in closet (well, I helped) and plan to build a bed soon. Justin has a smattering of projects that deserve their own post, so I will write that soon. They include a self designed leaf blower extension that reaches the highest rafters of the roof...very interesting.

My kids leave...With the end of the school year coming, a lot of my clients head home to their families for good. It's scary to cut the ropes on my little former juvenile delinquents, but I have high hopes for the ones who have earned the chance to go home and prove themselves successful.

Oh, and proof I am really getting old. I had one of my 14 year old clients in the car with me and he was running my iPod. He selected I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight by Cutting Crew. I said, "Wow, you actually like this song." And he said, "Oh yeah, I just love oldies." Ouch.

Back With the Good and Not So Good

I haven't written about my likes and dislikes for a long time, but today I am feeling very opinionated (and hungry), so while I eat my lunch, I will serve you some sides:

GOOD:

1) Justin returns from a four night business trip this evening, so I won't have to miss him until next week when he leaves for another three night trip. Speaking of Justin, I never mentioned that he was served a big promotion at work about a month ago. He is the youngest person in the history of his national company to hold the spot (sorry, I won't mention the title or company because he is a little more private than me...no MySpace, no blog). It is a big deal, and I remain proud of him for getting there.

2) The sun is out, the sun is out!

3) My younger sister Lexy and her husband Ben are in town visiting, so we get to hang out. Last night, we went out for my dad and his wife's 23rd anniversary in a loud group of eleven. I enjoyed the chaos and was highly entertained by my younger brother Kyle who sat next to me singing, "I love salad and breadsticks." I am not sure he knew people were listening, but it cracked me up.

4) I applied for, interviewed, and quickly got a job offer for a program manager position at a residential girl's program in Portland...but decided to turn it down. The pay wasn't what I was looking for and I was pretty mixed about heading back into residential, even with the title. So I continue on the application path. That means a little more commuting until further notice.

NOT SO GOOD:

1) Don't ask how, but I suckered myself into watching the final episode of Seventh Heaven. I have only watched this show about two times in ten years, but have some adoration for final episodes. Let me tell you, they have something to celebrate yanking this show. The acting is horrendous! Now, I'll admit that I think it is a good 'family friendly' show, but to cap the series with the announcement from three of their seven kids that they are each pregnant with twins was absolutely idiotic. Only in television.

2) Moving on with television, I have noticed that affairs and divorces are THE thing to have when you are in TV world. I don't want to make TV the scapegoat for people having affairs in the real world, but I can't help but think that tons of people watch Desperate Housewives and shows like Extra and Access Hollywood and think about the exciting prospect of living like these jerks. Can't we just take a bunch of this crap off the air and require people watch more of the educational channels? Maybe people will pay attention. (Oh, and sorry to some of my friends who watch DH...but I just think it is highly over rated.)

3) I need to take a really long vacation to a really far away place. I took a three day weekend last weekend and it just didn't cut it. Hmm, maybe I will work on this one.

4) Some of my friends have decided to skip our ten year reunion. As I presented to Julie...come on, don't you guys want to go with me and make fun of all the guys who still think they are cool because they played football in high school? I am going to start Operation Go to Our Damn Reunion and start pumping up the troops. We only have one more month.

5) Speaking of our ten year reunion, I joined a Yahoo forum a while back that exclusively includes people from my graduating class. I did this so I could keep informed about what was going to be happening at our reunion. Well, some new former classmates have joined and turned it into their personal chat room to talk about warcraft games and write 'lol' and 'winks' back and forth to each other (one of these includes a girl who intentionally filed her nails into sharp razor like talons and clawed her sister's face during high school). Guys, this is what personal email is for...no one wants to read these besides you. Now I will probably get kicked off for bashing the forum, but I just HAD to get that out.

Alright, how about some songs...I am currently into Happier by Guster. Not a new song, but I love it. Out of My Mind by James Blunt and Boston by Augustana also get my vote.

Creepy

Whenever I walk my dog past this house, I feel very creeped out and uncomfortable. Through fall, winter, and spring, these two dolls have been staring at me out the window, their hands in the waving position, the little spring green outfits. I have no idea why the owner assumes that this is a cute idea. All I can think of are those ghost stories about dolls that kill you and how many poor little kids go home and have nightmares after walking past this scene.

My idea is to take a similar doll and put it on the sidewalk, waving toward these dolls. Then maybe the owner will realize how bizarre this is. Then again, they may like it and add some more. 

Lift Me Up

I have been in a negative mood for a few days, so I figured that I would try to find some mode of inspiration to get me out of the funk...so today, I offer a Suess-ism...

On Success

So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
-Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Ahh, I feel better already.

Message to Wes

My coworker Wes said he is going to stop reading my blog if I keep writing about ducks. So, I decided to write a blog about Wes so that maybe he will be drawn to read it still.

Okay, that's a lie. I just wanted to write that a NEW duck couple has moved in up the street. And sadly, the late Mr. Duck got picked up by a street sweeper before he could be buried.

Sorry Wes, my life will get more exciting soon. Until then, I think you should start a blog about your partying antics, political views, busy life, and cute kids. You always have good stories and your myspace is very entertaining.

And lastly, I miss being your officemate. I am still bitter that we all got broken up.

Resident Ducks (Minus the 's')

This morning, Justin called me on his way to work and reported that Mr. Duck was lying in the middle of the road and that 'it doesn't look good.' Sadly, Mr. Duck has moved on to a bigger and better world. He has been moved to the side of the road, and I think he needs to have a proper burial of some kind.

The sequence of events leading up to his death seem odd to me. First, it was he and Mrs. Duck, proudly waddling around the neighborhood for two weeks. Then, she disappeared and he would cruise around alone, quacking up and down the road and sidewalks. As recently as yesterday, Mrs. Duck was coming out of the woodwork to feed on a front lawn, looking remarkably thinner. But the last time I saw the two of them together was late last week.

I am guessing that Mrs. Duck nested in a backyard to hatch some ducklings and left Mr. to his own defenses. Did he die of a broken heart?

I truly assume that the neighborhood wasn't the safest place for the ducks to be hanging out and a cat or dog got him. If Mrs. Duck appears out in the open with a trail of ducklings any time soon, I am going to call a bird rescue and have them lead them back toward the park so that they can grow up safe and sound...the products of a mysteriously broken home.

Mr. Duck, your neighborly spirit will me missed.

The People Around Me

Here are some clips from my life and the lives of the people I adore:

Devil child...My sister called me yesterday to tell me that she is sending her son to live with me. Sounds as if he has been quite the hellion lately...

Cedar had to go to the dentist yesterday to have a tooth checked out for a possible cavity. Upon arrival in the dentist's chair, he refused to open his mouth. Jennifer and the staff tried everything to coax him into opening his mouth, including threatening to never let him have candy again. He finally did for one small moment, and there is definitely a little cavity in there. Unfortunately, he was tight lipped the rest of the trip.

On the way home, Jennifer said that Cedar yelled from the back seat, "When we get home, I am telling Daddy that you are MEAN!" Hmm, he has some of the same dramatic flair his mother had at a young age. For now, I think that I will just continue to enjoy being the aunt who he gets to visit.

Becoming buddies...When Justin acquired me as a live-in girlfriend, he also gained the company of a huge dog. This is a big deal. The first thing that Justin's parent's pointed out when they found out we are living together is that they are surprised that Justin let my huge dog move into his house. Sweetly, Justin tells me that it makes him realize how crazy he is about me, that he would allow this ball of fur and bad manners to cohabitate with him as well.

I see the two bonding quite often now actually. I catch Justin sweet talking Bailey and petting him, and Bailey giving him the big tail wags and doe eyes. They have also started jogging together, and Bailey appears to idolize Justin for hours after they return. Justin is hell bent on teaching Bailey how to heel, something the poor leash walking animal has never really had to do thanks to overspoiling from my camp. But, I took Bailey for a walk the other day, and he actually stayed by my side. Impressive.

Car wrecking...A couple of weeks ago, my youngest sister totaled my dad's car. Just so you are informed, this is car wreck #2 in just 5 months for the younger sibs. I am once again just glad that Lauren and her boyfriend are okay, but my dad said I need to make sure to not catch the family car wrecking bug.

Me...I have been back in Oregon over a year now, but nixed writing a post about it. Still on a new job hunt, so if any of you know the perfect match for me in Portland, send some suggestions. Preferably something with a huge pay raise.

June visitors...I am excited that BOTH Vince and Jonathan are travelling out here in June to visit for our friend Jessica's birthday. Jon sent the email yesterday, so I am officially recording that he said he'd come so that he can't back out. Guilt will follow in mass amounts if we hear anything differently in the next two months.

Slumbering girls...I may have mentioned it before, but on May 20th, I am getting together with several girlfriends from highschool and we are having an old school overnighter. I am guessing that we will get in less trouble than we did in the old days, but then again, we are going out in our lame hometown of Salem, so it could get interesting.

Alright, gotta go see my old officemates. They split us up, and we are all a little bummed about it. But we are getting more work done. Hmm, I am guessing that our boss had this all planned out.

Resident Ducks

This is the newest couple to take up residence in the neighborhood. A park full of ducks, geese, and other feathered friends is only one block away, but these two have been settling in on a different lawn on the street everyday for the past week, cruising down the street and sidewalks on their webbed feet...they are quite social. I am thinking about asking them over for a dinner party...guessing we would have to serve a poultry free dish and brush up on our quacking skills. 

Hello, It's Me

I seem to have taken a short sabbatical from this blog writing, but feel it is time to update you people out there on what is going on in my busy-ish life.

Announcing...A big decision in our relationship and life...Justin and I decided to live together, so at the beginning of the month, Bailey and I waved goodbye to Beaverton and moved on over to Portland. Very exciting. Oh, I owe a big thanks to the Andersons for setting me up with 1/2 their house for the last year. You guys were great!

My Dad's birthday present...I am trying to make this a surprise, so I can't spill much. My sister and I have put together a pretty cool gift for the tall one's birthday, and it has been a little time consuming. My thinking is one more week to go and plenty of time to get it finished...hopefully my procrastinating tendencies don't take over.

Taxes...I decided to complete my taxes this weekend...one federal and two state tax filings later, I am looking at a decent payback from Uncle Sam. God, how boring is this news?

As if three in a year weren't enough...After 10 months at my current job, I have decided to re-enter the job market again. While I adore my coworkers, the 500 mile weekly commute just doesn't conjure up the same feelings of love. So I doctored up my resume this weekend and applied for four new positions in the Portland area. Don't worry, I will continue to drive back and forth and back and forth and back and...man, I hope I get a new job soon.

MySpace, I actually like this thing...You can catch up with friends and actually be a little more interactive in their lives, even when they are far away. I should have done this when I lived in Utah and actually did live far away from everyone! No one has tried to enter my bubble yet who I have no desire to talk to...so that works.

One year...In a few days, I will celebrate my first year back in Oregon. In my opinion, there is plenty to celebrate. It kind of feels like I never even left the state, but I am glad I did because I got to see that the grass is nice on the other side, but never as nice as it is at home...for me at least.

New song...Over My Head by The Fray. I admit that I am getting old and first heard this song on Kink. A sign that I am getting old and plenty of proof that I need to write a blog about getting old.

Maybe next week.

The Sister's Blog

My sister has decided to start a blog. Introducing Balance. Jennifer tends to be highly opinionated (like me) and full of interesting information (occasionally unlike me), so you should enjoy it. The first post is pretty entertaining.

In the meantime, I patiently await her slow ass arrival back to Oregon. Currently, the ETA is between 3-9 months. Can't you just decide already?

Crash Wins and I Try MySpace

I forgot that the Academy Awards were on last night, and probably wouldn't have watched had I remembered. Beside the point, it was nice to wake up today and find out that Crash won best picture last night! This is a movie that I adored and even devoted an entire post to back in September. I guess this will be my only apology ever to the Academy: Sorry I make fun of you all the time for your predictable picks...you now have one point toward my good side, well two because you gave it best screenplay too.

Now, I sadly announce my conversion to mainstream crap...I decided to join MySpace purely to communicate with old friends. Maybe I can help catch all those jerks who use the site to be assholes to other people. Hmm, I wouldn't mind a new job. Do you think they'd pay me for it? By the way, I won't be using the blog space that they supply. I just posted a link in it to this blog instead. I can hardly keep up with this one, so there is no point in having two.

Link to my MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/ccsarahcc

Well, I gotta go and help Justin to create dinner. As many know, I am not a pro in the kitchen, but I am trying...I swear. Be right there baby.

Rambling Monday Post

I haven't rambled in a while, so here, have some rambling...

RENT: Call me a musical poser (because I am) because I JUST finally bought and watched this. Something in me thinks that the only reason I am drawn to musicals is because I had to watch them over and over with my sister as a kid. I remember being so damn excited to see this before it came out, and then...well, it got lost in life and I never went. So, I thought it was pretty decent, but I kept crying the entire time. When Justin asked me what was wrong, I said, "People are dying." Yes, death is still a sensitive subject for me right now.

I plan to watch RENT again when I have less emotions running through me. I liked the slower songs, but found the faster ones a little off key. My biggest issue with this is that I kept thinking about the opening to Team America...."my sister...AIDS...my grandma...AIDS...my brother, and my mother, and my cousin...AIDS, AIDS." I better knock that out of my head next time I watch too. My coworker Wes borrowed the copy, watched it five times this weekend, and then went and bought his own copy. So from an unemotional POV, he may be the best rating of a sign that it's good...or maybe he just has a huge crush on Rosario Dawson.

Saying goodbye: I went with Robin down to Redmond on Saturday for the first memorial service for her dad. It was a true celebration of life and exactly as Steve would have wanted it with good music, a BBQ, lots of desserts, and a ton of good beer. There was even a shrine to the OSU Beavers set up. The next service is this Wednesday in Salem and it should be an equally fitting tribute. On Saturday, it was clear how much of an impact Steve has made on people's lives. He just made everyone smile and laugh.

Secrets: I have a secret and I can't tell yet. Aggh, it's killing me!

iTunes purchase #3: I actually purchased Ever the Same by Rob Thomas. Sorry, the mainstream song just caught my ear. And to make you non-downloaders proud, I removed Morpheus from my computer. Mostly because I was scared of viruses, but hey, I am trying to contribute to legit music buys. And paying 99 cents for a flawless good copy of a song really makes it so that I can't complain.

Jack+Sarah: A year has passed and I still love Jack Johnson. And just look at how cute he is singing the Curious George soundtrack. I bet his son thinks he is the coolest thing in the world right now.

Sarah+Oregon: It has already almost been a year since I returned to Oregon and I plan to recap it soon. Right around now last year, I was pretty terrified to be moving. But it has truly been a great decision for me.

Justin: Lastly, I will thank Justin for being here for me over the last couple of weeks. He is coming to Salem on Wednesday and will meet a lot of important people in my life for the first time. It's true that the circumstances won't be the greatest, but he doesn't worry about that and has been the greatest...and I absolutely appreciate him. He also leaves me cute messages in the steam in the mirror. How sweet.

Alright, that's the end of my rambling for now. Bye.

Sun and Cup Noodles

I figured that I needed to get a new post up, so I am going to start by mentioning that it has been sunny here in typically cloudy Oregon for DAYS now. It's surprising and I love it.

To coincide with the weather, I will recommend a song...Brighter Than Sunshine by Aqualung. It's mainstream, irritates my boyfriend (but reminds me of him), and is overplayed, but I love it anyway. Speaking of boyfriend, I will give some love to his alma mater, the UNC Tar Heels. The boys continue to look pretty good for how young they are and even hold a rank right now. It's nice to have someone to root for since we all know how unspectacular my Beavers are in basketball. Eeeegh.

I have also been cruising through this Scrubs site to find new artists to listen to because I love most of the music they play on the show. The creator of this site finds every song title and artist and posts it by episode. So far, Michael Tolcher, Josh Radin, and Cary Brothers have caught my ear. Cary Brothers are on the Garden State soundtrack of course, and that gives them some plus points.

Robin's dad is still on my mind quite a bit. I wonder why the people with the biggest hearts get taken so soon. Steve had a huge impact on me. I know I wouldn't have made it through my high school years successfully without his support. He just carried that through to my adulthood too. His memorial services are coming up, and I am sure the thoughts that I have will be echoed by many. He was just a great man. He was also a regular at the Portland Blues Festival and assisted in expanding my musical horizons, so go download some Tom Petty, Chris Rea and some Blues or Zydeco music and think of him for a while.

And now for an interesting fact, which I am guessing most people overlook, just like me...there is no soup called Cup of Noodles...it is simply labeled Cup Noodles. Justin pointed this out to me last night at the store when I declared "I want a Cup of Noodles." I for one, have never heard it called by it's appropriate name. Am I a better person for knowing this? Probably not. Will I ever remember to call it Cup Noodles? Probably not.

Lastly, I send my regards out to Kim, who I hope is feeling better this week. I am still debating which was worse: Coach or car? Coach or car? I am just glad that you are okay and hope that doesn't happen to you again.

Oh, happy belated birthdays to my nephew Cedar and half-brother Kyle who turned 5 and 15 on February 16th, respectively. And Marlene, who celebrated a mystery age on February 17th. Next up is Bailey on the 28th. He turns 6, which translates to OLD in people years. But the dog will live forever. At least that's my plan.

Sad News

Robin's dad passed away on Thursday afternoon. He had a tear in his aorta. It was sudden and unexpected.

Steve was the closest thing I had to a dad for most of my life, and he always referred to me as his other daughter. He was a great father figure and I am sad that my own dad will never meet him. I still don't feel like writing much about it yet, but I will miss him a lot.

People are selfless when loved ones die. Yesterday morning when Robin called to tell me, she apologized to me for her own father's passing. I asked her why she was telling me sorry, and she said she knew how important he was to me. Robin is an amazing person and I know this will be harder for her than it will be for anyone else.

I spent yesterday with Robin and her mom and stepdad at their house in Sublimity. It was a hard day, but we were able to smile about a lot of good memories...he provided a ton of those for me, and I thank him for that.

Who Needs Calm?

From Rohan Candappa, the author of Wrong Shui, comes another random little book called The Little Book of Stress: Calm is for wimps. Get real. Get stressed. I picked it up while Christmas shopping at Borders in December, and am just getting around to posting some of my favorite suggestions on how to induce stress in yourself and others:

1) Whenever you have the opportunity, shake up cans and bottles of fizzy drinks. Then leave them for someone else to open.

2) If you have free time during rush hour, find a pedestrian crossing and repeatedly push the button to stop the traffic. Never actually cross the road.

3) Always make sure that you have the last word. Raise the stakes by making that last word "dickhead."

4) Never stray from the beaten track. Because the beaten track is a track for the beaten. And, face it, that's you.

5) Make yourself a Humor Free Zone. If you ever find yourself laughing at a predicament you're in, go to the bathroom and pull yourself together.

As I head off to bed, I will leave three final suggestions from the author that coincide with sleep:

6) Write down your worries. Read the list before you go to bed.

7) Learn to snore.

8) Record the sound of a dentist's drill. Play it at bedtime.

Goodnight all.

Random Quote

"The best way to show someone they're wrong is to let them go ahead with their plans."

Kids on the Run

Well, it's Friday night and I am on call. As luck would not have it, two of my own program kids decided to run away tonight. Funny thing is that three hours later, they decided they made a horrible mistake and want to go back to their foster home. This has left me on and off the phone for four hours. This made going to the car show with my dad tonight an interesting experience of "Ooooh look at the Maserati" to "Damn it, I have to go make another phone call to find out where my kiddos are." Sorry Dad, I still had fun hanging out with you.

My Weekend View, and News of Sarah

The above picture was my view for this past weekend from the porch of Justin's parents' house up in Port Ludlow, Washington. I really loved the area, and it was nice to wake up and look out to see a ton of water. Plus it was nice to get away for the weekend and spend time with Justin and his family.

Otherwise, here is what's up in the life of me:

I decided to join a Yahoo group for my graduating class to monitor the class reunion buzz. My ten year is this summer, which ages me of course, but also is something I am actually interested in attending. Maybe it is because I actually enjoyed high school. Sadly, there are a couple people on there who I cannot, for the life of me, remember. This makes me guess that I better do some brushing up before June 17th. Or I will just practice the nametag glance and handshake combo. Either way works for me.

I had the honor of wedding dress shopping with Katrina last Friday morning at the Brides for Breast Cancer event at the Portland Art Museum. She scored a dress for half the ticket price, supported an awesome cause, and looked absolutely beautiful on top of it all. I can't wait to see jaws drop when she walks down the aisle on July 29th.

My dad's side of the family showered me with gift cards for my 28th birthday, so I picked up some new CDs. Here's what I bought, and some opinions:

1) Tiny Cities by Sun Kil Moon... This remains in the heaviest of rotation from the four purchases, and I highly recommend it. The CD is great from start to finish.
2) Songs for a Blue Guitar by Red House Painters...I already had most of this downloaded, but figured I owed them some cold hard cash for their quality tunes. Definitely worth a legitimate buy and touts the same lead singer as Sun Kil Moon. He has such an awesome voice.
3) Life in Slow Motion by David Gray...This is not as impressive as White Ladder. It's nice to have some new stuff by him though.
4) The Beekeeper by Tori Amos...This CD convinces me that I should no longer be a completer of Tori Amos's collection. I will personally describe it as irritating, obnoxious and striving to be some original piece of work that fails miserably. I liked her music much more back in the days when she was single, angry, and childless. Sorry Tori, I am happy for the good life you are living now, but can't you dig up some old pain before you start writing again?

Well, lastly on my agenda, is Scrubs. The series started up again, and a new one airs in ten minutes, so I need to go prepare to watch THE ONLY show that has earned my undivided attention and regular viewing. I actually get excited when Zach Braff's voice-over starts at the beginning of each episode. And networks hate good shows and many people are too stupid for the sarcastic humor (see the great Arrested Development), so I imagine it will get served a cancellation soon. Dumb TV wins damn it.

Oh, and the blog will continue on in true form. Though I never write when people are sleeping anymore. I like sleep now and covet as much of it as I can each night. Zzzzzzzzzzz. 

Snake & Hamster=BFF

Here is a cute story about unlikely best friends posted today on MSN.

I was going to title this 'I Hope the Snake Eats Him' but that's not really how I feel. If a snake and hamster can be friends, I think the rest of us stand a fighting chance to get along just as well. I'm foreseeing that Aochan and Gohan have the opportunity to score their own movie from Disney out of this.

Here's to hoping that they don't lose their good chemistry.

Even Time

So, it's 2006 and I just turned 28 yesterday. I prefer even years to odd ones for no particular reason other than they seem easier to remember. Last year, I had to think every time someone asked me how old I was. True, it shouldn't be that hard, but oh well.

I am a little behind on updating this thing, but plan to get the ball rolling again this weekend. It's a new year, and my life changed A LOT in 2005, so I am thinking about starting a whole new blog. I could 'pull a Marcus' and do what he did last year after he had a particularly annoying winter and erased 90% of his blog entries, but that's not me...I am a packrat, a keeper, I rejoice in memories good, bad, and bizarre. This is not to say that I think Marcus was wrong to erase his blog...I really think I am just pissed because his writing was so good last year and I would love to go back and be able to read his entries.

This aside, I occasionally DO go back and read my entries and realize that 2005 was a big deal, that I MOSTLY made good decisions for myself. I am astounded by some of what I wrote in here...there are definitely many 'What was I thinking?' moments. But really, I embrace what my year was...pretty damn good overall.

That said, I think I am ready for something new and cut off from the past, so stay tuned.

Alright, gotta continue on with my birthday week. I find it best to celebrate as many times as you can, so it's on to fun night #3 tonight.