Numero 34!

I'm officially the world's worst blogger. I mostly, lately feel like I don't really have a ton to say.
I'm 34 today! How crazy is that? You know how when you look back on your life and say...wow - I would've thought my life would look SOOO different at 34?! I can honestly say that is 100% true for me! Not really for the better or the worse, just really different.

I'm loving the change in my life and being in Oregon though. I feel more myself here. More mellow, less "wound". Which, I wasn't really all that wound ever - but just a little more go-with-the-flow about things. I like that.

So for my birthday (I have a 3day weekend this weekend!) I went to lunch with Matt and Blake. Then drove to Jake's house and had cupcakes and opened my presents from them (so nice!) and then went to Eric's house to watch movies and hang out. It was a great day! I felt so much love today - as it should be on a day that was only basically important because you were born (haha). Okay so Martin Luther King Jr put us on the map...but man I'm a close 2nd.

Thank you to everyone who remembered my birthday and made me feel special. And who make me feel special everyday really - not just on my birthday. I'm lucky to have such amazing friends and family in my life.

ps- now that my birthday is behind me - I can get back on the working out bandwagon. I always start diets on the 1st..and they get blown out of the water with junk food on my birthday a mere 15 days later. Yes it's only taken 34 years to figure out I should just start my diet AFTER said birthday...don't judge me. :)

Mid-December Madness

Where has December gone to! I seriously laughed at this woman the other day at work that said "December is nearly over!" (it was the 7th of the month). Haha...I don't know why that made me laugh SOOO hard. But now that it's the 15th I'm on the same page. Apparently 8 more days was all I needed to be a believer. I've been working a ton lately, nothing new. Lots of hours and lots of weird shifts. Most of the time - I don't even know what day of the week it is.

This weekend, my friend from Seattle Will and I are going to Leavenworth, WA and I'm so excited! It's this German town that gets all crazed out for Christmas! Seriously just what I needed. Mostly I'm excited to relax and not do a whole lot around this small village but drink hot chocolate and walk around. 3 days off in a row will be heaven. Will and I have never traveled together - so fingers crossed he's also a laid back traveler. I'll take lots of pictures.

Then I come back and work for 8 days in a row (BLEH) and then get 6 days off! No vacation days required...just how my schedule worked out! I'm going to California from Dec 30-Jan 4 and I can't wait! I need some sunshine! Although really the weather here has not been too bad (except for that pesky tornado the other day - I don't know..my mom told me about it. haha). And some face time with my pals Josie and Thor who just moved to San Diego. I'm hoping we can hang out at least one day while I'm there.

I can already feel that 2011 is going to be amazing! This is like the warm-up to it.

The 16 hour day

Today is my 3rd 16 hour shift day at work since I've started. PHEW! It's brutal.
Although at least this time - I knew about it before hand...so I was mentally prepared.

Work is going well - I think I'm getting the hang of it alright, always a good sign.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving!!! YAY! Blake and I are headed to Matt's house to have the festivities. I'm making Matt grill out steaks - so that will be tasty. None of us are really all that big of fans of turkey. For nibble food before the feast we'll have crackers and cheese and meat. The boys love their "wheel" which is what they call the meat & cheese tray. Plus this chips and salsa thing that I will make. It's delicious. For actual dinner we'll be having Steak (duh), twice baked potatoes, salad, rolls, and green bean casserole. YUM!

My Gratitude to all the people in my life I love and consider my friends and "family" - even if we're not blood related. And of course those that are. I'm grateful for the freedom in our country. All the best to you and your families on this special day! xoxo

A Quoteable Life

There is a TV show on NBC called Brothers and Sisters. It's a great show. The family dynamic is amazing. While yes, it's sometimes a lot over the top, the majority of the time they have issues that normal families might have. I love the chemistry between the actors and I find myself smiling when they have that family banter going on between them. It's just great.

Anyway - a few episodes back there was a scene where Kitty reads a Thoreau quote that her mom had marked for her and it struck a chord that resonated in me. Nora (the mom) had changed all the pronouns to feminine to fit the situation and I like it all the more for it. So to share with you this glorious small verse to celebrate the differences in everyone, here it is. Thank you to Mister Thoreau for always being so insightful.

"If a woman does not keep pace with her companions, perhaps it is because she hears a different drummer. Let her step to the music which she hears, however measured or far away"

The new bike!

A few years back I bought a mountain bike. I loved it. I love it still, but since now I live in the middle of a city - the mountain bike just seems too beefy for city riding. Tonight I bought a new bike! This bike is SUPER cute. I love the seat. The handlebars are leather and super comfy.

I've been obsessing about bikes lately and was SOOOO excited to actually go get one tonight! Now I can finish up my obsession with a super cute helmet. For now the one I have will have to do. But I will be getting either an Orange or Turquoise one and putting white/off-white decal polka-dots on it. Now I just have to find one that is cute, and actually looks cute on my noggin. So excited to start riding my bike everywhere! SIGH! I already rode my bike down the street to get a new movie at the RedBox near my house. LOVE IT!

Sleepy Time Productivity

Last night I slept FOREVER! Man was I tired. I seriously just woke up (9:47) and I went to bed around midnight. That felt AMAZING! I just worked a 54 hour week this week so really I think I deserve it. Ya?

Typically I never (REPEAT: NEVER!) dream when I sleep. I usually just wake up and it's been a 6-7 hour black void. I usually don't mind either until I hear about other people's amazing dreams and then I do admit I get a little jealous that my mind doesn't work like that while sleeping. There must be a shortage of some kind I'm sure.

Last night I did dream though. For my first dream I was in a dancing competition with this guy that I knew from maybe high school? I seriously have no ideal who it was - but apparently I had a major crush on him but we never were friends or whatever. (typical). Anyway so dancing competition....why? Who knows. I don't remember us really ever practicing the dance, or attending the competition so I can't tell you how that went, but the important aspect of my dream was that we fell in L-O-V-E. The starry-eyed kind of love that makes you silly and act all ga-ga with each other. Funny. Which - you all know I'm total crap at being like.

In my second dream I invented scented matches. You know how people sometimes light matches in the bathroom after going #2? Well what if the matches had a scent to them, so it didn't just smell like sulfur matches, but smelled like Plumeria or something else? I'm seriously thinking of pitching it to Bath & Body Works (haha) - so be on the watch for them at a local retailer soon.

Good Morning! Have a productive All Hallows Eve!

A Trent-filled Weekend

Last weekend I got to spend TONS of time with my cute nephew. Man there is something about hanging out with that kid that just makes me laugh. I love that he has REAL conversations with me, and will just chat chat chat my ear off if I just sit and listen to him. But if you ask him lots of questions....SHUT DOWN!

Friday I went to babysit him. I told Jake to tell him I was bringing him a surprise. My mom called later to ask him if he got the cookies she sent him - of course he did. Then my mom asked what the surprise was that I was bringing. Jake said he couldn't say because Trent was standing right there. So he spelled M-O-V-I-E (we watched "How to Train Your Dragon" which was really cute actually). When I got to Jake & Denise's house to watch the little monkey I said, "I have a surprise for you". Trent replies very know-it-all-ish "I already know what it is." Said with my best shocked face "How is that possible? What is it then?" Very matter-of-factly...."LETTERS". Because Jake had spelled letters to my mom, clearly that was the surprise. Yup I'm the worst aunt in the world and brought you educational crap. (although he probably would've loved that).

Then Trent and Jake and Denise came over on Sunday for Blake's family dinner extravaganza. I made Chicken Enchiladas, spanish rice and salad at Blake's request. Trent helped me finish the pumpkin carving I had started. Then we turned the pumpkin around and carved one special that Trent designed himself. I think both turned out equally great.

My pumpkin with some design help on the mouth



His pumpkin design. So cute right?