Monday Monday

Well, I can't say it wasn't good to me. Three jobs, two canceled billable, one very long nap. Now to forage for dinner. I hear the grocery stores are not to be contended with today. This week, millions of dollars will be poured into "the perfect meal." I love almost every part of that meal...minus the stuffing. I guess me being hungry has me reminiscing of the good ol days with lots of sisters in the kitchen preparing the turkey, baking bread and pies and all sorts of goodies like green bean casserole and yams topped with marshmallows. Ahh...yes I'm hungry...OH! Not to be side tracked! There was a reason for this Monday post! I am expecting a box of books, 100 copies, to land on my door step December 11th...that is exactly 3 days before I fly home. They are $8.99 apiece. So IF you are an Oregonian wanting copies for Christmas, please let me know via my phone between now and then and I will make sure you get them before I leave! Cheers!

A Stellar Weekend with the Girlfriends!!!

Well this weekend proved to be rather interesting, new and different...oh yeah and tons of fun. Started with a hike on Sauvie Island with my good friend Cindy. It was a nice brisk walk and of course I had to take a picture, we kept going but couldn't find Bud Dog. We ran around clapping and calling and it wasn't till I went back to where I had taken that photo did I hear yelping from down the bank. He had dove down the steep bank after some exhilarating scent only to find that he couldn't get back up to the trail. Obviously my dog does not know his limitations! Cindy crawled through all the brambles to hand him up to me. I was very happy to have him back but now ever time he dives into the bushes my stomach lurches. Later on the trail, Misla and Buddy started chasing birds and then this little mouse that was doing it's darndest not to get stepped on but illuding all snapping jaws. It was quite the funny little scene until Buddy stepped on it. Cindy screamed, I reached down to pick it up by the tail and toss it in the bushes when it came alive again. It was just playing possum and didn't like it's tail being pulled. It jumped up and hid under my foot. The dogs just looked at me then the mouse between my feet, and me again. It was like a stare down, the mouse climbed my leg, then did circles around my leg, over my foot and eventually just decided to stay between my legs till the danger had passed. I asked Cindy to take the dogs down the trail and maybe he would head for the bushes. I tried to take a picture of him but he didn't like the flash so much...he did head for the bushes and the heavens opened up and poured buckets upon buckets on our heads. We hurried as fast as we could but the trail was flooding and our jeans were soaked to the bone within minuets. We arrived soaking wet and laughing hysterically...never has a hike at Sauvie Island been so eventful!!! I ran home dried off and got ready to go out dancing...yes I said dancing. Saamanta decided to have a spaghetti dinner at her place before hand and we all brought something. Julie, Camille, Abby, Jen F., and a few girls I didn't know, her roommates and Amy and Yvonne. Everything was so yummy! After apple pie to top it off, 7 of us headed down to Holocene. There really weren't tables to sit at, it was all dancing floors...so after grabbing a drink, they headed out to the floor...I can't tell you what it's like to see 6 of your friends not caring about anything or anyone dancing together, it's like something switched in my head, and I wanted to join them. So I did. They couldn't believe it about as much as I couldn't, after a while, I couldn't figure out why I had never gone out dancing...my sisters love it, but I never understood why. Anyway, it was a great night. I slept till almost noon! Missed my hike with Cindy but had a good time playing music "who is this" games with Jeremy online. Cindy came over and we made dinner before heading to Kennedy School to soak in the spa pool. It was still raining hard but so fun to be in hot water while it was raining big cold drops on our heads. From there I went down town to listen to a free Jazz concert with Saam's friend Alex. When he was done working we met up with some friends at Good Foot to listen to JUJUBA- 11 piece funky afrobeat and juju led by master talking drummer, nojeem lasisi (king sunny ade)!! I re-met Amy which was fun and the band was awesome! The beer was terrible and I was pretty tiered so I headed home around 1am...(second night in a row!) If you want to know what good music is going on, just ask Alex. So here it is Sunday, I'm doing laundry and trying to get caught up before the last day of a non-stop entertainment weekend! Today, maybe some waffles from the little stand down the road, and then another hike, and then meeting up with more girlfriends to watch New Moon at Lloyd Center then dinner and finishing with the pinnacle: Trans Siberian Orchastra Concert with Jacquie at the Rose Garden. This has been one crazy fun packed weekend...what's next?

Them Boots were made for walking...

I had a great weekend: lazy, relaxing, inspiring...I stayed at the Garrett's with Liam while Coleen and Pat went on a mini vacation to McMinville for wining and dining. Gus and Buddy were very entertaining since they are always playing tug of war or wrestling each other to the floor. I caught up with friends online and watched movies and the history channel with Liam; Unfortunately, while we weren't looking, Gus ate my leather shoes and that left me in desperate need for some work shoes. I woke up Sunday morning uninspired to go shopping but my dear Aunt Coleen had just gotten home and was about to put on something a little more comfortable when I suggested a shoe shopping trip...her eyes lit up and her face glowed...shoes? really? I love shoes! Let's go! So we started out on our little adventure. We stopped at my house to show her the new pad and then headed to the mall. This shoe shopping adventure was a whole new experience for me. Boots are obviously the in thing because first stop was Macy's and I swear they had over 60 kinds to choose from ranging everywhere from $80 to $400. After grabbing some knee socks to purchase and try on boots with, Coleen started picking up boots and carrying them around so I followed suit. Soon we had 6 pairs, and the trying began. The lady measured my foot since I had no clue what size except in European sizes and she didn't know how to translate "40" (size 9.5 btw). One pair was okay but mostly it was a no go. Next stop (Cinnabon) JC Penny's and it was mostly a no go too. Three more stores later I was ready to quit. It was obvious that boots were made for looks and not comfort and I wasn't about to pay an arm and a leg for shoes that are going to hurt. Right before we hit Nordy's, we stopped at Shoe Mill and the gentleman there too me back to when I was a kid and we used to go shopping once a year for THAT pair of shoes. They seat you and ask questions about your feet, put the metal measuring unit under your foot and have you stand up, run to the back to find your size, come back and sit on a stool and unpack the shoes carefully and methodically then gently lift your foot into the shoe and any amount of effort on your part is phoo phooyed. First pair was horrible, second two pair fit like a glove and felt like they were made for me. They had support in the arch and were tall and no heel and I felt like a million bucks in them. I went for the pair that would look better with skirts. Brown riding boots-triumph! I wore them today and I must say I got a lot of looks, "she's got legs" went through more than one mind today. It was a very blustery day but I stayed nice and toasty in my boots and knee socks despite my choice of skirt rather than pants. They do need broken in though, my little pinky toes are complaining tonight but I'm content with my riding boots that were made for walkin'!

Eagle Creek for Veterans Day

It was a great day, and after wishing all those vets and their families and the civilians that work for and with them a happy veterans day, I set out with a group of friends to hike Eagle Creek Trail. It was all very last minuet, when Tuesday night you realize that all your regular jobs are canceled tomorrow due to a federal holiday, what do you do? Why sleep in of course, and then pack up the dog and a day pack and take off for the Gorge. Yes it was raining, but I had wool socks and my ski pants and a NOLS fleece to keep me warm and dry. Cindy, Austin and Lola went with me. We drove out to exit 41, parked and headed up the trail. It was fun just walking and talking or rather signing till we got to the cliff part, okay so that was most of it, it's just a scary trail to be signing on but we all lived through it. The trail hugs basalt cliffs warn away by the mighty Eagle Creek. Since it had been raining the water was just pouring off the cliffs and onto the trail, one part was literally a waterfall you had to walk behind. We arrived at punch bowl and the river was so high you couldn't actually see the falls. We all sat down to have a picnic lunch and I kicked off my shoes and socks, rolled up the pants and waded out into the rushing river to some logs stuck in the middle. Climbing out I took some quick pictures with my phone then contemplated the return forge. I waited for the feeling and color to return to my feet before jumping back in and making my way back to the shore. It was such a nice day for the hike. I had been on this trail before in summer, 90 degrees, barely a trickle in the river, after 30 miles of hiking, we by-passed punch bowl, heads down one foot in front of the other just trying to get out and back home...nice to have finally arrived :)