Everyday Adventures

Valentine

2009-02-16T18:47:00.001-08:00

Stella was my valentine this year. And we had a lovely date at the
doggy park, it was even sunny! :-)

Stella Luna

2009-01-29T03:02:00.001-08:00

My puppy!!!! I got Stella 2 days ago from some people out in the
gorge. She is almost 4 months old, born oct 6. I am soooo happy to
have a dog, though a puppy is very exhausting!

Stella means star in Latin.

Shelter

2009-01-25T22:29:00.001-08:00

This was our emergency blanket shelter by the fire that worked
perfectly. It hung over the bench so we could sit facing the fire and
stay dry. Also, it reflected the heat down on our heads and backs, so
perfect for the cold cold evening!

Winter camping

2009-01-25T22:26:00.001-08:00

I biked out to champoeg state park (40ish miles) sat with these guys
and camped over. It was a cold cold ride, about 33 the whole way, but
dry! The rain had perfect timing because we got out there and all set
up in the dry. It started raining in the evening but we had a nice
emergency blanket shelter set up by the fire that all four of us could
sit under. Then it was a steady constant rain alllllll night, tapering
off around 8ish or so. Then we had a nice sunny (and cold) ride home!
Quite nice really.

Vancouver BC

2009-01-19T09:35:00.001-08:00

Walking over the bridge to north Vancouver. It was so cool looking
because half the bridge was sunny the other half was walking into the
mist!

Roof top

2009-01-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

This is a view of the city from Blair's roof top. It was really
sunny...and cold!

Central park

2009-01-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

Walking/slipping around central park. It was realllllly cold. But fun!

Candy steps

2009-01-10T21:06:00.000-08:00

My feet at the candy sore!

Bubble bath!!

2009-01-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

Blearsy in a HUGE candy store (several foots high!) in NYC!

Pheonix airport!

2009-01-08T14:58:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in the pheonix airport waiting for my connection flight to
NYC! I decided on tues that I wanted to go visit Blairsy in NYC, and
booked a train ride for wed. Well, amtrak messed up my ticket so I was
going to have to wait a week to leave. I looked for flights and found
one for around the same price and booked it! And now here I am! I am
scheduled to arrive in NYC at 11 tonight (eastern time). I'm way
excited, and this has satiated my thirst for impulsiveness!

Awwwwwww

2009-01-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

Me and my mama at April's housey when she was here visiting for the
holidays :-)

Ice!

2008-12-23T22:21:00.000-08:00

So, a few days back we had not only snow, but ice as well. It
coatedeverything in a layer of ice...kind of like glazed krispy kreme
donuts. It was really beautiful though. It then continued snowing even
more! I didn't have to work yesterday and today we got stuck 6 times,
the end one resulting in a tow truck coming to our rescue. We didn't
get even close to all of the packages delivered and looks as if it
will be about the same conditions tomorrow.

UPS elf!

2008-12-17T09:01:00.000-08:00

All bundled up for a day of package delivering! The past couple days
it has been freeeeeezing and every surface is a sheet of ice! Monday I
fell on my knee which is now I pretty blueish purple shade. Yesterday
I fell flat on my butt and have a bit of a sore tail bone..but not as
bad as I would have expected from the fall. I also fell up some stairs
and skinned my knuckle up.
Today is stilllllll icey with more snow, freezing rain and low temps
predicted. My goal is to make it through the day without further
injuring myself.

Tree time!

2008-12-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

Andrew topping off the tree with his ornaments!

Snow!!!

2008-12-14T19:54:00.001-08:00

I woke up thismorning to a text from April saying "look outside!" I
did and it was white!! It continued to snow more and there's a couple
inches out there!!! Very exciting! I took advantage of the christmasy
spirited day and walked to get a tree! My roomie Nicole and I went to
get one and set it up. Of was really exciting because it is my first
very own tree! I also baked cookies, drank eggnog, and played with the
doggies on the snow! I didn't realize how much I missed it. Though, it
being the end of the day, I realize why I live in Portland where the
white stuff is a special rarity. It was hard not being able to just
hop on my bike and go.

With the white is cold. And the room I am currently in has no heat
vent and a cracked window. My room is verrery cold! The temp ouside is
27, forcasted 13 tonight. Brrrrrrzy rabbits! Luckily I have an
electric blanket, down comforter, and a space heater to keep me warm.

Apathetic flakeyness

2008-12-14T19:29:00.001-08:00

So, my house is really bothering me lately. Struggles of shared
living. We were supposed to have a house meeting this evening, which I
stayed home for. Normally it is me that has been organizing the house
meetings, but this one was calledby Andrew.
Well, here it is sunday evening 730pm and we were suppused to have the
meeting at 7. I'm sitting down on the couch but no one else is down
here. Thing is, everyone else is home. Andrew came up, wasnt bothered
by not having the meeting, went back downstairs to watch tv. I sent
texts to Nicole and Dylan, neither of whom replied. VERY frustersting.
I feel like I am the only one to care about a functioning house and
living situation. Grrrrr!

UPS elf

2008-12-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

For the past week I have been working as a driver helper for UPS. It
is just seasonal work for the month of december and the holiday rush.
I am really enjoying it and wish that it were more than just seasonal.
I get a call at 7 every morning asking if I will be available for the
day. If I am, the driver called me later with what time I will start.
It has been about 1030am start all week. My driver picks me up right
infront of my housey and at the end of the day drops me off at home
so, no commute! The job is a toooon of walking and up and down stairs,
but I really like it. My driver is really cool and we have fun during
the day.
This week I have been getting done at 430-530, which is way early for
the season...poor economy- less packages. Though, next week is
supposed to be much busier with day going intil 7-8.
It was nice weather and dry all week until yesterday when I got poured
on. But for dec in Oregon, that's pretty awesome. I have to wear the
brown uniform though, which is all cotton, so not so great for the rain.
Anyway, the job is very enjoyable (minus sore feet) and I deliver to
all different sorts interesting people and businesses, which I quite
like.

Painted

2008-12-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

This is the room after a coat of the paint. Our house now kind of
looks like an Easter egg because of all the pastel colors. It was
supposed to be a more greyed out blue, but the ladies at fredy's had
never done the paint mixing before..and weren't exactly all with it.
Ah well, at least it's a change and lightens the room up a lot.

Priming

2008-12-08T08:51:00.000-08:00

Our housey decided we wanted to paint the bike room. I forgot to take
a before pic, but this is it with the primer on. The dark showing
through is what it was..dark purply maroon that made the room really
dark.

Cape lookout

2008-12-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

Riding home from the coast Sunday morning. It was such a buitiful day
for being nov 30th! It was blue skies and decemtly warm all day! I
didn't need my rain jacket the whole weekend, how amazing!! This pic
was the sunrise as we were headed out sun morning.

Cape lookout!

2008-11-29T23:09:00.000-08:00

I biked out to the beach today to meet the cyclewild groupy. It was a
beautiful ride and rain free!! I arrived, set up camp, went on a
hikey, skinny dipped in the ocean, then hung out around the fire. It
was a pretty great day :-) Tommorow we are heading back to Portland at
7am. It's so great to have a group of fun people to go with!

Oh yes, and we had a swarm of raccoons around us allnight making
ferocious noises! And they ate all our food out of the panniers
wochewing through them, damn they are smart and scary little suckers'

Turkey day!

2008-11-27T20:38:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving at Aprils!!

Bath time!

2008-11-22T17:55:00.000-08:00

Carlo and Adriano after their first bath in the new housey!!

Moving time!

2008-11-22T17:53:00.001-08:00

Helping April move into her AWESOME new place!!! I couldn't have been
a more perfect day, sunny and warm!

Job Search

2008-11-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

In the past couple weeks I have finally gotten a little more serious about job searching...funny what a low bank account will do for motivation.

Anyway, I went to an interview with UPS last Thurs. I know, I said I wasn't going back, but this is for DAYtime hours! Though, it's just temp. I start Dec. 6 as a driver helper for the busy xmas season. It only pays min (with a couple possible bonus options) and is only part time for the month of Dec. Better than no job. Though with bills and rent sneaking right up I am still looking.

I saw on craigslist that USPS is now hiring. I called, found out I have to order study materials, take some test, then apply for fiercely competitive jobs. On an impulsive whim I paid the $110 to order the study materials...which are supposed to come in the mail any day now. It would be great to get a gov't job, but now that I am realistically thinking about it, I may have just wasted $110. Hopefully not!

I also just called about a very vague craigslist posting and now have an interview set up for next Tues, and a possible job opening that Thurs. It is at some wholesale company distribution center. It would be a full time M-F 9-530 job. I found it under the general labor section so at least it won't be a sitting desk job. I will take it if I'm offered a position...and cancel with UPS.

I'm currently thinning down my possessions and making a little extra money by selling stuff on craigslist. I have been meaning to sell this stuff for quite some time now...again-what motivation a low bank account is!

Skydiving!!

2008-11-15T20:35:00.000-08:00

I went skydiving today!!! It was really awesome, but not as scarry as
I thought it would be. It was out near Estacada and a beautiful day.
The plane ride up was amazing...I could look out and clearly see 5
different snowy peaked mountains! And mist in the valleys that looked
like the sea. Free falling was a great feeling...just that- free. We
jumped out at 11000 ft and free fell until 4500. Then floated down
with the chute.
I can see why people get hooked on it...very fun!

I've been hit!

2008-11-15T00:16:00.000-08:00

I was hit by a car tonight! I am fine, it was barely a hit and both
going slow. I was turning left onto Harold from 52nd. A car swerved
around my right side and turned left as well. He barely clipped my
front. I didn't fall or anything. But then he had the nerve to slow
down, not stop, and start yelling obscenities at me! I was clearly in
the right when considering a bike a vehicle, which by law they are.
He was then on my right and going my speed so I couldn't get away from
him. If I sped up he did and if I slowed down he did. He then started
going faster, me being behind him. Then quickely slammed on his breaks
so I nearly rear ended him! I tried to get his plate numbers but it
was dark and I only got first few numbers: 412 blue OR plates. It was
a middle aged dude with facial hair in a little royal blue sporty car.
I'm furious and just so annoyed that there are idiots such as him out
there.

My housey!

2008-11-10T17:25:00.001-08:00

So this is where I live! I'm excited about it because I have been
desperately trying to clean it up since I got back from the bike trip.
I wish I had taken a before picture because it doesn't look all that
special without a comparison. Ever since I moved in there was this
awful porch fort that took up half the porch. It had a tv in it and
was used to smoke in, neither of which do I partake in so I had no use
for it. We had a housey meeting last night and I brought up the porch
fort issue. We worked it out and it was taken down today!! The house
looks SO much better and we now get light in our living room during
the day!
Also, a couple weeks ago I started getting into yard work. I ripped
out the weeds in the flower bed area and replanted it with a few
plants April gave me. I have been trying to keep on top of the raking
but I filled the green compost barrel with leaves on wed, and it
doesn't get picked up for 2 weeks. So I don't have anywhere to put
them after I take them!

It's nice to start feeling good about where I live and to see that
change is actually happening instead of the usual just talking.

Rainbow!

2008-11-08T16:57:00.000-08:00

Saw this on my way home biking down Hawthorne

Pretty November day

2008-11-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

I got up thismorning to pouring rain. Now at 4 in the afternoon it is
dry and very pretty. I've been biking around town, hitting up Powells,
the bike gallery, and anything else that is a potential adventure.
I spent yesterday searching and applying for jobs. Today is my fun
day. I'm sitting down at the waterfront and am going to read and
people watch for a bit.

Candy!

2008-11-01T13:58:00.001-07:00

Yepp, I went trick-or-treating! I decided that since I was in a
costume and with my little nephews it was just find to get candy too!
The houses we went to seemed to think so as well because I got a lot
of candy!
The best part, though, was seeing how excited Carlos and Adrian
were! I must say, it was a pretty fun night.

Obama pumpkin!

2008-10-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin carving session número tres! The pumpkins we carved a week ago
are a lump of mush already. My roomie Nicole needed one to take into
work for a contest today. So, we carved more thismorning at 630 am.
Fredy's was mostly out so I got a tiny one with no stem. The Obama is
a bit too big for it, but I like it.

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Paint

2008-10-31T02:00:00.001-07:00

I was cleaning (deep cleaning) my room the other day, when I came
across my art supplies. I reallized I have quite a few supplies but
have not used them in years. I couldbt sleep tonight and decided to
test them out. I took a piece of card board, an exacto knife, and my
acrylic paints. I pieced together and painted this random piece. It
was pretty fun.
One of my roomates, Andrew, is an art student at PSU and seeing him
work on projects all the time has inspired me to start doing a bit more.
I like to draw a lot but think I need to work my way back into it with
simple things....such as this.

Slide!

2008-10-28T11:04:00.001-07:00

This is the craziest slide ever! Carlo and I spent the day together
doing fun stuff for his birthday present. I took him to go ice
skating, which he refused to try, but had a blast playing on this
crazy slide at one of the parks we went exploring. It doesn't take
much to please this kid!

Let's go fly a kite!

2008-10-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

It was a blustery day so we took the boys to the park to fly a kite!
They didn't quite get the concept of flying a kite, but had a ton if
fun chasing it!

Roomie pumpkin carving

2008-10-26T09:32:00.001-07:00

Second carving session of the day!

Family pumpkin carving!

2008-10-26T03:26:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin carving over at April's thismorning!

Carlo and me

2008-10-24T19:02:00.001-07:00

Snuggle time with my cute lil nephew Carlos!

Carlo

2008-10-24T18:53:00.001-07:00

Out for a scooter ride with my nephews on a beautiful fall day in
Portland!

Adriano!

2008-10-24T18:50:00.001-07:00

Tearing into his bday present from Grandma!

Sicky

2008-10-24T13:31:00.001-07:00

I made it back to Portland and to class on time wed. Then woke up
yesterday morning really sick.
I'm feeling a bit better today, but not great. I'm going stir crazy
from laying in bed all day yesterday. I should take it easy today too
but it's beautiful ouside and I must get out and do something.

Amtrak

2008-10-22T16:58:00.001-07:00

Thought this was a cool pic I got leaving Vancouver thismorning.
I'm on the train now and will get back to pdx just in time for bio
class tonight.
The trip was really fun and I already want to go back. It feels good
to know I can go and make it on my own (and have fun doing it) in
places I have never been.
Camping in the fall is pretty great. My only expenses of the trip were
food, $1.50 for a shower, $28 for the hostel in Canada, and $45 for
the amtrak ticket home. If it had of been summer camp sites I stayed
at the 4 nights would have been $19 a night. Though the downside is
there is a much smaller window of day light to ride in.

Canada finally!

2008-10-21T21:20:00.001-07:00

I slept in a bit thismorning (didn't sleep well bc of the scare
raccoons-thanks to everyone I called while scared!) then got up and
payed the $1.50 to take a shower...for the first time in 4 days. Then
this really sweet couple at camping next to me, from Vancouver, made
me breakfast and coffee. It was great.
I finally headed out at 11to successfully cross the border. Shortly
after crossing the border I lost cell service. This presented some
difficulty bc I have been using my phone as navigation. I have a map
but it doesn't have the small roads, which are the ones I try and ride
on. Also, for looking up hostel/amtrak locations. I managed to make my
way the 40 miles to Vancouver, at which point I started hostel
searching. I tried to get a coffee so that I could use the wifi
there...but I only had American money. I spent several hrs searching
out hostels and had a small breakdown. I can't imagine traveling to a
dif country with a dif language! I, luckily, passed a bike shop where
I asked about hostel. They gave me directions to the place I am now. I
made it by 6 pm. It's way awesome and there is so very much to
explore, but I leave via amtrak at 8am.

My ankle is even more swollen and rubberbandish and sore. I also now
have a fever as well as a stuffy nose...I was just sick, how can i be
sick again already! Grr!

Well, beddy time!

More of Vancouver

2008-10-21T20:43:00.001-07:00

It is really pretty here with the huge (the pics don't do them
justice) mts jutting up just beyond the city. Vancouver is huge! And a
lot like Portland, just bigger. I could see myself living here. And
who knows, if Obama doesn't win the election I very well just might.
This is a place I will definitely be coming back to for more
adventuring and exploring.

Vancouver BC

2008-10-21T20:34:00.001-07:00

This is the bike path crossing into down town Vancouver, with the mts
in the background.

Canada!

2008-10-21T20:31:00.001-07:00

This is right after I crossed the border.

Raccoons!

2008-10-20T22:42:00.001-07:00

Ok, for any of you who do not know, my biggest fear is raccoons. No
laughing! Now this event I am about to described has not been
dramatized or exagerated.
I got all settled in the hammock, ready for bed. I read for a bit then
turned out my light. Not too long after I hear this really scary
snarling sound. Sort of like a cat fight only much louder and
fiercer. Then there it was again followed by a gurgling whimper.
I trying to figure out what animal it was, when it happened again.
Then more gurgling. I thought it may have been some sort of cyote
eating a raccoon or something.
Then there was some scuffling and it got closer and closer to me! Then
right, directly, underneith me!! The awful scary snarling noise and
the gurgling and tossing about, all under me. They were even bumping
into me! I have never been so scared in my life! I finally got the
courage to move (I had been frozen with fear) and make noise to try
and scare them off. That didn't work. There were also some in the
trees my hammock is attached to. Finally they moved about 5 feet over
and were no longer fighting. I shines my light in their direction, out
of curiosity and trying to scare them off. They were all just
raccoons...about 8 of them...staring at me. They finally slowly moved
off into the woods. At which point I started calling everyone I could
think of that might still be awake. I though about making a run for it
and heading fir the raccoon free bathrooms but am afraid of one
jumping out for my ankles as soon as I step out of the hammock.
Any way, that was my very scary night. Hopefully I will be able to get
some sleep with out anymore raccoon ordeals. I have decided I don't
like to do these crazy adventures of mine alone.

Owy

2008-10-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

I woke up thismorning (3am) to my hammock being tossed about like I
was at sea. It was a wind storm that lasted the rest of the morning. I
got up at 630 to discover that it was still dry, and I had a front
tire flat. Luckily the rain held off long enough to change the flat,
pack up, and get on the road. All day it rained and drizzled on and
of. But it was still a fairly decent day.
After about 10 miles into the ride my right ankle started reallllly
hurting....uh oh! Tendonitus. I give Blairsy props for riding so much
this summer when BOTH her ankles hurt! I barely made it through today
with one painful ankle! I made it 90 miles-10 south of the border, and
decided to stop for the day. My ankle sounds and feels like a rubber
band, and is bright red. :-( looks like I will be taking amtrak
home....after I cross into Canada that is.

Deception Pass

2008-10-20T12:35:00.001-07:00

Crossing deception pass off of Whidbey Island. It was really beautiful
and the water soo green!

Pretty Mts

2008-10-19T21:02:00.001-07:00

Along the ride thismorning. It was a hilly ride today...my legs are
even a bit sore. It's amazing how fast a person can get out of shape!
And it's not like I stopped riding altogether after the xc trip!

Great day :-)

2008-10-19T17:38:00.001-07:00

Today was much better. The main reason being I knew where I was
going. Also, I saw other cyclists, a few touring, a couple on a blue
santana tandem that looked just like my parents, and some day riders,
all who waves and cheered me on- bikers are great :-) I passed by a
couple bike shops too. Though they were closed, most likely bc it is
Sunday. I have had great weather considering it is the pacific NW in
late Oct. It was partly sunny and dry again today. Though it is
chilly, I'm fine with a jacket and good ol spandex.
The pic is of the 2mile bridge I rode over today. It is so beautiful
in WA.
Right now I am on the ferry crossing to Whidbey island where I will be
camping tonight. It will be a 90ish mile day and hopefully crossing
into Canada tomorrow.

Long day

2008-10-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was. I did 110 miles and the last 10 was in the dark on a
rollercoaster road. I was really frusterated about finding my way. I
kept ending up on the freeway and had to keep checking my phone for
where I was. I wouldn't have been able to do this trip wo it. I got to
camp set up, made hot chocolate, and went to bed...to be woken up
several times by raccoons scudfling about and digging through the
garbage cans.

Freeway riding

2008-10-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

Fast and not too bad of hills but very loud and anxiety provoking.

Hennesy Hammock

2008-10-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

My tent for the trip...I love it! It's great as long as there are
trees around to hang it from. This was taken thismorning.

Centralia, WA

2008-10-18T12:09:00.001-07:00

I was woken this morning at 625 (my alarm was set for 630) by Blairsy
darling. Also, strange bc my phone showed no signal. It was still dark
out so I snuggled up for another half hour. I headed out by 8ish and
am shooting for a 95 mile day today. I-5 freeway riding again until
Olympia, WA where I will split off and take 101 north, hopefully to
potlatch state park for the night. I'm looking forward to getting off
the freeway to 101. On my lunch/phone charging break.

Yesterday

2008-10-18T12:00:00.001-07:00

I rode a total of 80 miles. Not as much as I was hoping for, but
decent after the hold ups I had. It's amazing how much harder it is to
navigate in an unfamiliar area via bike...especially with only one day
of planning. And with out adventure cyclings turn by turn maps.
I ended up riding on I-5 for a ways. I finally got to Castle Rock, WA
where I had to ride 5 miles up hill to seaquest state park. I arrived
at 5ish.
It took me a bit to pit up the hammock (I'm guessing it would be a
quicker process with practice). It was way cool! I have got to get me
one! It started raining at about 11pm and rained until about 6am. And
I stayed dry and slept well.

Llama farm!

2008-10-17T11:29:00.001-07:00

30 miles into the ride and it's beautiful and sunny out, riding
through the rural farm land.

WA

2008-10-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

Riding out of the morning fog.

Everyday Adventures

2008-10-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

I have decided that I like the whole blog thing. It will be fun to
post pics from all my random little adventures as well as other day to
day bits in my life. So, this will be a random collection of my day to
day life.