After reading my last entry Tami spoke to me with passion and intensity (she doesn't yell) and reminded me about the sticker related to our trip to Astoria. HOW could I have forgotten?? It really was funny.
When we got to the street fair in Astoria, we naturally had to find a place to park. As with most street fairs, there were a lot of people there and because it's in the middle of the downtown area parking is at a premium. We happened upon a fairly empty parking lot about 3 blocks from the fair. We didn't see any sign prohibiting parking so Tami pulled in and parked next to a building. There was a sign on the building that said no parking, but we assumed (you know what they say when you assume) it was for during the work week and this was a Sunday. So on our merry way we went with Tami's comment "if I get a ticket, you're all paying a share" ringing in our ears.
On our return we see a *huge* neon orange sticker pasted to the driver's side window. It says, for all the world to see: PARKING VIOLATION and mentions that the license plate has been recorded. Which means, of course, neener neener -- even if you remove this sticker, we got you!
In order to see out the window, Tami had to remove the sticker. Nope. That sucker is NOT coming off! It had super adhesive. I need some of that stuff for my scrapbooking! You know the type of adhesive ... when you buy something new and try to remove the label and it comes off in tiny strips and pieces because it's clinging for all it's worth to the surface it's adhered to. THAT adhesive! She managed to get a small corner removed so she could at least see if a car might be heading directly for her door but every time she turned to look out that window she was reminded that she made a very poor choice in parking. Not our fault, of course. We were merely passengers. She didn't have to listen to us shouting, park here! park here!
Now we'll all have to wait and see if she gets a ticket in the mail!
I stayed up too late last night and you're partly to blame. It takes some time to write these things. By the time I got Ellie's blanket all cut out it was almost midnight. My poor hand is so sore. Right at the base of the thumb. I was using shears that have never cut a piece of fabric in their pathetic existence. Those of you who've done any sewing know exactly what I mean. Once you use a pair of scissors for paper, it can never be used for material. Never. At least I got the blanket all cut out and tonight I just had to tie it. I finished tieing it and then promptly fell asleep. I just woke up a little bit ago (11:00 pm) and now I have to pack.
Packing for a trip home will be interesting because all I have is my small suitcase and these two blankets will take up that entire space. I may have to use these as my underseat storage. Will I have room for my purse? Doesn't matter ... I know I can still get on the plane. Besides, Heather printed out my boarding pass. Something about not trusting me to do it on my own ... just kidding.
It's a good thing she volunteered to do that because I don't have a printer set up yet. My personal printer is at work and we're still trying to get a cable for it. I keep saying I'll just run to Best Buy and get one and Carlos insists he has one, he just hasn't found it yet. It's in one of his boxes, he's sure of it. In the meantime, no printer.
So now I must leave you because I have packing to do and I really should sweep the kitchen floor and give it a quick onceover with the mop. Carol will be here Saturday and I don't get back until Sunday afternoon. Oh shoot. I still have some stuff in her room I need to move into this one. Okay, then. Later!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Still going, like the Ever Ready bunny
Shoot, I haven't posted since the 15th and only one person has berated me for not keeping you updated. That makes me think the rest of you have already stopped reading. Well, fine. I'll keep on anyway because it's becoming my personal journal. Well, not 'becoming' because that's really what it was all along. I've just let you nosy folks read it.
Tami yelled at me (yes, yelled!) for not reading my comments on the blogs, so I just did that. Omigosh! they are great! I laughed and smiled and miss all of you so much. The comments make me want to keep going, so you're stuck with me. Woe is you. And Tami? I don't remember the sticker associated with the trip to Astoria ...
It has been nearly two weeks since my last posting and I don't remember everything I've been doing. Heather can vouch for me that I've lost at least one day each week. I keep thinking it's Wednesday and she'll say NO, it's Thursday. Which can be a good thing!
Two weeks ago I got sick. I mean, hanging my head over the bowl sick. It was so bad I was lying on the bathroom floor. After about an hour I dragged myself to bed and was fine the next day. I'm sure it's something I ate. If only I knew what it was!! It made me think of Lynda LaMagra. I still remember when she got sick on chicken enchiladas and wouldn't eat them again. At the time I thought that was so weird. Turns out she's not the only one with that affliction. That's never been an issue for me. Ok, this is waaay too much talk about this subject!
Work has been slow .. for me. I did spend last week creating a floor plan (most of you know how much I love my Visio floor plans!) with all the phone numbers that are out on the floor. The other half of the building was being 'built' last week .. putting up all the work stations. This week Avaya is putting out the phones on that side. I'm supposed to be getting a seating chart from the Tigard office so I can match people with their new phone numbers. We were supposed to have it last Friday. Still waiting.
Carlos is very busy and he's very good about showing me what he's doing and explaining everything in detail so I'll have an understanding of the process. I'm still trying to get the terminology, because what I think of as pilot number they call a VDN, and what I called a routing table they call a vector. We both use the term hunt group but it doesn't have the same meaning. I'll get it ... eventually.
My niece, Amber, came by on Saturday. She and her fiance, Steve, are my first official visitors! It was supposed to rain all weekend but we had beautiful weather that day. Blue skies, sun shining and a nice balmy 74 degrees. They did a quick tour of the apartment ... quick because it's not that big! and I pointed out the 30 steps. My sister, Joan, commented that she's been doing 3rd floor for years .. but keep in mind that she's not 70 lbs overweight!!
Steve noticed the restaurant that's on the corner across from us ... Buffalo Wild Wings ... mentioned he loves buffalo wings. I told him that I ate there last week with Heather, Tami, Dave and Heaven and Heaven LOVES hot sauce. In fact, the hotter the better. She ordered her wings with their hottest sauce (called Blazin') and she actually broke out in a sweat. Well, he got excited about that so we went there for lunch. He had 6 wings with Blazin' sauce and 6 with Asian BBQ. He claims the Blazin' was somewhat diluted and he wished he'd asked for some on the side. So we now know he's a little tetched in the head. Heck, I can hardly handle the mild!
They didn't stay long because they are on a 2 week vacation and have sights to see and people to visit and fun to be had. After they left I realized I'd not taken any pictures (Stacey where are you when I need you??) and still had a ton of stuff to ask them and get caught up on. Amber said they come this way pretty often so I hope she'll stop in again.
I spent Sunday mostly in bed listening to a book on CD, crocheting, and napping. Pure heaven! I love being a couch potato!
On Monday, Heaven met me at JoAnn's fabrics and I bought some polar fleece to make blankets for Colin and Ellie. They're easy to make but they do require some time and effort. I got Colin's done, thanks in large part to Heaven's assistance, and tonight I'm pinning and marking Ellie's. I hope to get all the ends cut so tomorrow all I have to do is tie it and I'll be done. I don'tknow how I'm going to fit them in my suitcase because they're pretty big but OH SO WARM. Yes, I realize it's summer...but it won't be summer forever. And these will be like having hugs from Nana.
I did take some time last week to check out a few stores in the area. There are stores EVERYWHERE. I went to Michaels, where I happened to come across some yarn ... be quiet Brendan. I also bought some baskets for my bathroom to store all my stuff under the sink. Then I drove to a store called Craft Mart and they have some pretty cool things there, but I didn't buy anything. I am really impressed with the JoAnn's here because the one in Dublin is kind of trashy. This one is HUGE and they have a lot of selection in so many different crafts. All I bought is the blanket fleece though. yay me
I haven't quite emptied out Carol's room and I'm running out of time. I'll probably have to just dump the stuff in my room or I'll never get Ellie's blanket done. There really isn't that much, it's just hard trying to decide where to put it because there is NO STORAGE here.
Oh! Before I forget I want to tell you guys about a cool web site that Heaven shared with me. This is for all you book readers. It's www.paperbackswap.com and that's what it's about. Swapping books! Right now it's free although they tell you they may have to charge $10 to $20 yr sometime in the future. You post the books that you're able to swap ... they must be in very good condition ... and when you've posted 10 books you get two credits, which means you can 'order' two books. When someone requests one of the books you've posted, you have so many days to ship it to them (you pay shipping) and when they receive it, you get another credit. When you order a book from someone, they pay to ship it to you. And so it goes. They even have printable book wrap (prints on 2 pages) that apparently includes the requestor's mailing address. Average shipping costs are a little over $2 for a paperback that's under 13 oz. If you sign up, be sure to say you were referred by crochetin@yahoo.com. :0 )
It's getting late and I need to go work on Miss Ellie's blanket some more. My hand was getting sore from the scissors but I think it's okay now. You all behave yourselves and I'll be seeing a good lot of you this Friday.
Until next time ....
Tami yelled at me (yes, yelled!) for not reading my comments on the blogs, so I just did that. Omigosh! they are great! I laughed and smiled and miss all of you so much. The comments make me want to keep going, so you're stuck with me. Woe is you. And Tami? I don't remember the sticker associated with the trip to Astoria ...
It has been nearly two weeks since my last posting and I don't remember everything I've been doing. Heather can vouch for me that I've lost at least one day each week. I keep thinking it's Wednesday and she'll say NO, it's Thursday. Which can be a good thing!
Two weeks ago I got sick. I mean, hanging my head over the bowl sick. It was so bad I was lying on the bathroom floor. After about an hour I dragged myself to bed and was fine the next day. I'm sure it's something I ate. If only I knew what it was!! It made me think of Lynda LaMagra. I still remember when she got sick on chicken enchiladas and wouldn't eat them again. At the time I thought that was so weird. Turns out she's not the only one with that affliction. That's never been an issue for me. Ok, this is waaay too much talk about this subject!
Work has been slow .. for me. I did spend last week creating a floor plan (most of you know how much I love my Visio floor plans!) with all the phone numbers that are out on the floor. The other half of the building was being 'built' last week .. putting up all the work stations. This week Avaya is putting out the phones on that side. I'm supposed to be getting a seating chart from the Tigard office so I can match people with their new phone numbers. We were supposed to have it last Friday. Still waiting.
Carlos is very busy and he's very good about showing me what he's doing and explaining everything in detail so I'll have an understanding of the process. I'm still trying to get the terminology, because what I think of as pilot number they call a VDN, and what I called a routing table they call a vector. We both use the term hunt group but it doesn't have the same meaning. I'll get it ... eventually.
My niece, Amber, came by on Saturday. She and her fiance, Steve, are my first official visitors! It was supposed to rain all weekend but we had beautiful weather that day. Blue skies, sun shining and a nice balmy 74 degrees. They did a quick tour of the apartment ... quick because it's not that big! and I pointed out the 30 steps. My sister, Joan, commented that she's been doing 3rd floor for years .. but keep in mind that she's not 70 lbs overweight!!
Steve noticed the restaurant that's on the corner across from us ... Buffalo Wild Wings ... mentioned he loves buffalo wings. I told him that I ate there last week with Heather, Tami, Dave and Heaven and Heaven LOVES hot sauce. In fact, the hotter the better. She ordered her wings with their hottest sauce (called Blazin') and she actually broke out in a sweat. Well, he got excited about that so we went there for lunch. He had 6 wings with Blazin' sauce and 6 with Asian BBQ. He claims the Blazin' was somewhat diluted and he wished he'd asked for some on the side. So we now know he's a little tetched in the head. Heck, I can hardly handle the mild!
They didn't stay long because they are on a 2 week vacation and have sights to see and people to visit and fun to be had. After they left I realized I'd not taken any pictures (Stacey where are you when I need you??) and still had a ton of stuff to ask them and get caught up on. Amber said they come this way pretty often so I hope she'll stop in again.
I spent Sunday mostly in bed listening to a book on CD, crocheting, and napping. Pure heaven! I love being a couch potato!
On Monday, Heaven met me at JoAnn's fabrics and I bought some polar fleece to make blankets for Colin and Ellie. They're easy to make but they do require some time and effort. I got Colin's done, thanks in large part to Heaven's assistance, and tonight I'm pinning and marking Ellie's. I hope to get all the ends cut so tomorrow all I have to do is tie it and I'll be done. I don'tknow how I'm going to fit them in my suitcase because they're pretty big but OH SO WARM. Yes, I realize it's summer...but it won't be summer forever. And these will be like having hugs from Nana.
I did take some time last week to check out a few stores in the area. There are stores EVERYWHERE. I went to Michaels, where I happened to come across some yarn ... be quiet Brendan. I also bought some baskets for my bathroom to store all my stuff under the sink. Then I drove to a store called Craft Mart and they have some pretty cool things there, but I didn't buy anything. I am really impressed with the JoAnn's here because the one in Dublin is kind of trashy. This one is HUGE and they have a lot of selection in so many different crafts. All I bought is the blanket fleece though. yay me
I haven't quite emptied out Carol's room and I'm running out of time. I'll probably have to just dump the stuff in my room or I'll never get Ellie's blanket done. There really isn't that much, it's just hard trying to decide where to put it because there is NO STORAGE here.
Oh! Before I forget I want to tell you guys about a cool web site that Heaven shared with me. This is for all you book readers. It's www.paperbackswap.com and that's what it's about. Swapping books! Right now it's free although they tell you they may have to charge $10 to $20 yr sometime in the future. You post the books that you're able to swap ... they must be in very good condition ... and when you've posted 10 books you get two credits, which means you can 'order' two books. When someone requests one of the books you've posted, you have so many days to ship it to them (you pay shipping) and when they receive it, you get another credit. When you order a book from someone, they pay to ship it to you. And so it goes. They even have printable book wrap (prints on 2 pages) that apparently includes the requestor's mailing address. Average shipping costs are a little over $2 for a paperback that's under 13 oz. If you sign up, be sure to say you were referred by crochetin@yahoo.com. :0 )
It's getting late and I need to go work on Miss Ellie's blanket some more. My hand was getting sore from the scissors but I think it's okay now. You all behave yourselves and I'll be seeing a good lot of you this Friday.
Until next time ....
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Settling in
So -- have you missed me? I've been busy over the past several days. Mostly running errands. Which I hate, by the way.
I FINALLY got a toaster! I used a gift card (thanks Christine) to buy it and since there will be 3 of us, I really splurged and bought a 4 slot toaster. Woo hoo! Toasters are handy things to have, you know. As are kitchen utensils like spatulas, stirring spoons, whisks, etc. I find a small ceramic vase with about 10 utensils for $7 or $8. Granted, the utensils are almost doll-sized but I can still use them (and have!)
I also bought a step stool so I could plug in the other light on my armoire. Every time I put something in my cart I think "how hard/easy will this be to get up the stairs?" That's a very important criteria, let me tell you. (30 steps to the top floor)
I used my egift card for Target (thanks Eric and Stacey) to buy a 3 drawer chest. Now that will be a real challenge. It's being delivered between the 20th and the 22nd and you know the darned thing will be heavy. Since I won't be home, they'll leave it at the leasing office. Not only do I have to figure out how to get it up the stairs, but how the heck will I get it from the leasing office to my apartment? I'm sure we'll figure something out.
I've already pretty much decided that for the chest, I'll open the box downstairs and haul the pieces up and put it together up there. When I leave, I'll have movers move it.
Tonight I want to go to Target and buy the matching nightstand. They had it in the store and the clerk said they'll load it on a flatbed for me. It shouldn't be as heavy as the chest so I think I can manage it on my own. My poor cardboard box nightstand is starting to sag in the middle. Time for an upgrade.
Yesterday was Carlos' birthday so I made some lemon squares. He'd never had them before. He really liked them and I had to burst the bubble and confess it was a box mix. Just add water and eggs. Whatever. With limited resources one does what one can.
I've been bringing my lunch the past few days even though we're not supposed to have food in the building (don't tell on me) -- the construction guys are eating in here all the time. I keep everything in my drawer just in case someone should come in.
I decided to run to the library at lunch today and was pleasantly surprised to find that it's very close to work! How cool is that! I had put in a request for a book online and they let me know that it was ready. I picked it up and have already started reading it. I know what you're thinking. With all the books I brought, why would I get a book from the library? Well, this particular author has written a series of books and I didn't have #3 in the series. I don't want to read #4 until I've read #3 .. see?
Thank goodness it's payday. Now I can pay my Comcast bill and get my nightstand. I may not be able to eat next week, but hey! that can't hurt!! (just kidding-I bought a large pack of chicken so I'll be fine)
Tomorrow Carlos and I have to go to Tigard for a conference call and then we're having a meet 'n greet because Adrian wants us to meet the department heads that we'll be working with. Gotta shine my shoes and spruce up my hair. I'm glad it wasn't today because I'm definitely having a BHD (bad hair day)
It's really warm today and I miss the clouds. There's no air conditioning in the building so we're really feeling it. What a whiney baby, huh.
I have more errands to run after work and the days are just dragging because there's not a lot for us to do just yet. It will all pick up next week, or so they tell me. In the meantime I'm falling asleep here.
I need to find the post office. I found one that is really close to our place but the darned thing is just a distribution center and they don't take mail over the counter or sell supplies. Shoot! So the hunt is on. Oh, I know you think all I have to do is look it up. Everything I look up just gives me phone numbers or they're businesses that do postal services. Whatever.
Wish me luck and hang in there until next time.
I FINALLY got a toaster! I used a gift card (thanks Christine) to buy it and since there will be 3 of us, I really splurged and bought a 4 slot toaster. Woo hoo! Toasters are handy things to have, you know. As are kitchen utensils like spatulas, stirring spoons, whisks, etc. I find a small ceramic vase with about 10 utensils for $7 or $8. Granted, the utensils are almost doll-sized but I can still use them (and have!)
I also bought a step stool so I could plug in the other light on my armoire. Every time I put something in my cart I think "how hard/easy will this be to get up the stairs?" That's a very important criteria, let me tell you. (30 steps to the top floor)
I used my egift card for Target (thanks Eric and Stacey) to buy a 3 drawer chest. Now that will be a real challenge. It's being delivered between the 20th and the 22nd and you know the darned thing will be heavy. Since I won't be home, they'll leave it at the leasing office. Not only do I have to figure out how to get it up the stairs, but how the heck will I get it from the leasing office to my apartment? I'm sure we'll figure something out.
I've already pretty much decided that for the chest, I'll open the box downstairs and haul the pieces up and put it together up there. When I leave, I'll have movers move it.
Tonight I want to go to Target and buy the matching nightstand. They had it in the store and the clerk said they'll load it on a flatbed for me. It shouldn't be as heavy as the chest so I think I can manage it on my own. My poor cardboard box nightstand is starting to sag in the middle. Time for an upgrade.
Yesterday was Carlos' birthday so I made some lemon squares. He'd never had them before. He really liked them and I had to burst the bubble and confess it was a box mix. Just add water and eggs. Whatever. With limited resources one does what one can.
I've been bringing my lunch the past few days even though we're not supposed to have food in the building (don't tell on me) -- the construction guys are eating in here all the time. I keep everything in my drawer just in case someone should come in.
I decided to run to the library at lunch today and was pleasantly surprised to find that it's very close to work! How cool is that! I had put in a request for a book online and they let me know that it was ready. I picked it up and have already started reading it. I know what you're thinking. With all the books I brought, why would I get a book from the library? Well, this particular author has written a series of books and I didn't have #3 in the series. I don't want to read #4 until I've read #3 .. see?
Thank goodness it's payday. Now I can pay my Comcast bill and get my nightstand. I may not be able to eat next week, but hey! that can't hurt!! (just kidding-I bought a large pack of chicken so I'll be fine)
Tomorrow Carlos and I have to go to Tigard for a conference call and then we're having a meet 'n greet because Adrian wants us to meet the department heads that we'll be working with. Gotta shine my shoes and spruce up my hair. I'm glad it wasn't today because I'm definitely having a BHD (bad hair day)
It's really warm today and I miss the clouds. There's no air conditioning in the building so we're really feeling it. What a whiney baby, huh.
I have more errands to run after work and the days are just dragging because there's not a lot for us to do just yet. It will all pick up next week, or so they tell me. In the meantime I'm falling asleep here.
I need to find the post office. I found one that is really close to our place but the darned thing is just a distribution center and they don't take mail over the counter or sell supplies. Shoot! So the hunt is on. Oh, I know you think all I have to do is look it up. Everything I look up just gives me phone numbers or they're businesses that do postal services. Whatever.
Wish me luck and hang in there until next time.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day!
So many things to tell you and so little time.
1) I think I mentioned that I have a weather blip on my desktop for Dublin, CA and one for Hillsboro, OR. It's kind of fun because it updates the forecast throughout the day and when it's nighttime, it shows a dark gray background with a moon. At 8:30pm Dublin was already mooning (LOL) and Hillsboro was still showing a sun! It stays light longer up here.
2) You know how when you travel or move anything the locals do that's different from the way it's done at "home" is wierd? Let me tell you about a few of my "only in Oregon" experiences. First of all, in the Portland airport restroom: this is just plain WIERD. There are instructions for flushing the toilet. Pull the handle up for liquids, down for solids.
Yesterday I took the entire day off as a day of rest. Sure, I had errands to run, but the couch potato in me was crying to get out!! It has been at least a month since I've been able to lapse into my vegetative state so I was well overdue. I turned on an audio book in the kitchen (using my Bose iPod speaker ... thanks E & S!) and tidied up, did dishes and organized. Sounds like work but when you're listening to a book, it doesn't feel like work.
I went upstairs and downloaded an audio book from the public library (new author and I really like the book) and listened to it while I unpacked another box and tried to get my room a little more organized. Again, with a book, it doesn't seem like work.
Then I went downstairs, revised my list for the 5 different stores I need to visit and turned on TV to watch marathon movies on Lifetime. A GREAT day.
Tami called and asked if I wanted to go to the farmers market with them tomorrow (which was today). Since I'd already blown Saturday I really needed to do some shopping Sunday so I asked if we'd be long ... I really can't go much longer without a blow dryer. She said I should know that Heather is not a Looky Lou so it will be a look quickly and go situation. No problem!
Fair warning. Should they ever invite you on an excursion, get complete and thorough details before you commit.
I got to their house about 9:30 and we headed out. I want it known we were still in Hillsboro when I mentioned that Hillsboro is a lot bigger than Dublin. Besides, the miles here are much longer, as I've already stated. We had been driving for about 45 minutes (maybe less) when I asked just where this farmers market is located. I thought it was in Hillsboro (wore a light jacket) but oh no! It's in ASTORIA, for cryin' out loud.
On the way there, we saw a sign that said "drinking water - rt 1/4 mi" That's wierd says I. Tami got all excited and said, oh let's stop! Sure enough there at the side of the road is what looks like a drinking fountain. It's actually a natural spring and people stop there and fill up bottles of varying sizes and types. Tami even dumped out her bottle of spring water (only in Oregon) and filled it up with -- spring water! Granted, this water is ice cold, but it didn't taste any different to me, although Tami insists it's the BEST water in the world. Maybe it's the thrill of filling it up yourself.
Entering the town of Seaside (we're near the OR coast) there's another sign that says "entering tsunami hazard zone" Now that's something you don't see every day! I'll tell you, I sure breathed a sigh of relief when about 2 miles later we came across the sign that said "leaving tsunami hazard zone". Again, only in Oregon.
There was another roadside sign that I found amusing. It said something to the effect that the hills block the view. We're driving in mountainous terrain. Of course, the hills block your view. I'm guessing the sign is for the Oregonians who might not realize the reason they can't see beyond the hills is because the hills are blocking their view! Alright, I know there must be a valid reason for the sign, but I was so busy laughing about it I couldn't see what it might be.
On the way I got a phone call from Eric wishing me a happy mother's day. Did a quick hello with the grandkids. Colin, sounding all grown up, wished me a happy mother's day and said he was giving his mom a good day too. Then Ellie got on and said "hi, Nana! Whatcha' doin?" I told her we were going to the farmers market to buy some vegetables. "OH! ok, bye". A minute later she wanted to talk to me again, and repeated the same script word for word. We did this 3 or 4 times. I think she'd fit right in up here. LOL
When we go to the "farmers market" it wasn't really a farmers market at all. It was a street fair. Only one or two booths out of the 50 or so had vegetables. We cruised all the booths and called ahead to the Camp 18 restaurant (I think that's the right name) and made reservations for 4:00.
We had some time to kill so we went to the aquarium. Tami fed fish to the sea lions and Dave (her son) figured out how to make one of them roll over. Cute! There were 35 (or so the sign said) fish tanks but really ... this was nothing like the aquarium in Maui. And they charge $7 per person! We got the family rate so it was more like $4.25 each. We still had some time to spare so we stopped at an outlet mall (they had a bookstore --- but I didn't buy any books!) for a bit.
It did rain today. So strange. It rained only while we were in the car. Every time we got out to do something, it stopped raining. Very cooperative! I was wishing I'd thought to bring the rain hat Barb gave me, but I didn't need it. I am going to pack it in my purse though.
Lunch at the restaurant was good. Our waiter was a cute kid and very friendly. We asked what he was doing for his mom (she lives in AK) and he wished us all a happy mother's day. The restaurant is very rustic. All mismatched tables and chairs. Supposedly like a logging camp. I didn't read the history of the site but it may have been a logging camp at one time.
A long day but we still got back in time for me to run to Target and pick up a few more essentials. I needed a lidded skillet to fix dinner and I bought a step stool and a bathroom scale. It's too easy to get off track if I don't have something to remind me where I am and where I'm going.
I got a really cute ecard from Justin that had my picture all over it! Thanks Justin! I think I told you yesterday about the cards from Eric and Stacey and the kids. Yep, Brendan, now is the time for you to feel guilty.
My apologies to Brendan! He sent an email to my Comcast email saying Happy Mother's Day to the best mom he ever had. Lucky thing my sister Joan left a comment on one of my postings here to check my email. Just so you guys know, I hardly ever check my Comcast email addy. I'm on Yahoo all the time. So if you write me and I haven't answered, you may be using that email address. I'm not really ignoring you (or maybe I am!) Joan, I'll get that check out right away, thank you.
Well, it's 9:42 and I need to throw a load of clothes in the washer and start getting ready for bed. Enough rambling for today. You take care and start thinking about when you're going to come up for a visit. I'll need advance notice so I can arrange a day or two off work. My niece, Amber, is coming through on the 24th and I'm looking forward to seeing her.
Okay, that's it! No more rambling. I've got a book to listen to and chores to do. I'll talk to you later. Take care ...
1) I think I mentioned that I have a weather blip on my desktop for Dublin, CA and one for Hillsboro, OR. It's kind of fun because it updates the forecast throughout the day and when it's nighttime, it shows a dark gray background with a moon. At 8:30pm Dublin was already mooning (LOL) and Hillsboro was still showing a sun! It stays light longer up here.
2) You know how when you travel or move anything the locals do that's different from the way it's done at "home" is wierd? Let me tell you about a few of my "only in Oregon" experiences. First of all, in the Portland airport restroom: this is just plain WIERD. There are instructions for flushing the toilet. Pull the handle up for liquids, down for solids.
Yesterday I took the entire day off as a day of rest. Sure, I had errands to run, but the couch potato in me was crying to get out!! It has been at least a month since I've been able to lapse into my vegetative state so I was well overdue. I turned on an audio book in the kitchen (using my Bose iPod speaker ... thanks E & S!) and tidied up, did dishes and organized. Sounds like work but when you're listening to a book, it doesn't feel like work.
I went upstairs and downloaded an audio book from the public library (new author and I really like the book) and listened to it while I unpacked another box and tried to get my room a little more organized. Again, with a book, it doesn't seem like work.
Then I went downstairs, revised my list for the 5 different stores I need to visit and turned on TV to watch marathon movies on Lifetime. A GREAT day.
Tami called and asked if I wanted to go to the farmers market with them tomorrow (which was today). Since I'd already blown Saturday I really needed to do some shopping Sunday so I asked if we'd be long ... I really can't go much longer without a blow dryer. She said I should know that Heather is not a Looky Lou so it will be a look quickly and go situation. No problem!
Fair warning. Should they ever invite you on an excursion, get complete and thorough details before you commit.
I got to their house about 9:30 and we headed out. I want it known we were still in Hillsboro when I mentioned that Hillsboro is a lot bigger than Dublin. Besides, the miles here are much longer, as I've already stated. We had been driving for about 45 minutes (maybe less) when I asked just where this farmers market is located. I thought it was in Hillsboro (wore a light jacket) but oh no! It's in ASTORIA, for cryin' out loud.
On the way there, we saw a sign that said "drinking water - rt 1/4 mi" That's wierd says I. Tami got all excited and said, oh let's stop! Sure enough there at the side of the road is what looks like a drinking fountain. It's actually a natural spring and people stop there and fill up bottles of varying sizes and types. Tami even dumped out her bottle of spring water (only in Oregon) and filled it up with -- spring water! Granted, this water is ice cold, but it didn't taste any different to me, although Tami insists it's the BEST water in the world. Maybe it's the thrill of filling it up yourself.
Entering the town of Seaside (we're near the OR coast) there's another sign that says "entering tsunami hazard zone" Now that's something you don't see every day! I'll tell you, I sure breathed a sigh of relief when about 2 miles later we came across the sign that said "leaving tsunami hazard zone". Again, only in Oregon.
There was another roadside sign that I found amusing. It said something to the effect that the hills block the view. We're driving in mountainous terrain. Of course, the hills block your view. I'm guessing the sign is for the Oregonians who might not realize the reason they can't see beyond the hills is because the hills are blocking their view! Alright, I know there must be a valid reason for the sign, but I was so busy laughing about it I couldn't see what it might be.
On the way I got a phone call from Eric wishing me a happy mother's day. Did a quick hello with the grandkids. Colin, sounding all grown up, wished me a happy mother's day and said he was giving his mom a good day too. Then Ellie got on and said "hi, Nana! Whatcha' doin?" I told her we were going to the farmers market to buy some vegetables. "OH! ok, bye". A minute later she wanted to talk to me again, and repeated the same script word for word. We did this 3 or 4 times. I think she'd fit right in up here. LOL
When we go to the "farmers market" it wasn't really a farmers market at all. It was a street fair. Only one or two booths out of the 50 or so had vegetables. We cruised all the booths and called ahead to the Camp 18 restaurant (I think that's the right name) and made reservations for 4:00.
We had some time to kill so we went to the aquarium. Tami fed fish to the sea lions and Dave (her son) figured out how to make one of them roll over. Cute! There were 35 (or so the sign said) fish tanks but really ... this was nothing like the aquarium in Maui. And they charge $7 per person! We got the family rate so it was more like $4.25 each. We still had some time to spare so we stopped at an outlet mall (they had a bookstore --- but I didn't buy any books!) for a bit.
It did rain today. So strange. It rained only while we were in the car. Every time we got out to do something, it stopped raining. Very cooperative! I was wishing I'd thought to bring the rain hat Barb gave me, but I didn't need it. I am going to pack it in my purse though.
Lunch at the restaurant was good. Our waiter was a cute kid and very friendly. We asked what he was doing for his mom (she lives in AK) and he wished us all a happy mother's day. The restaurant is very rustic. All mismatched tables and chairs. Supposedly like a logging camp. I didn't read the history of the site but it may have been a logging camp at one time.
A long day but we still got back in time for me to run to Target and pick up a few more essentials. I needed a lidded skillet to fix dinner and I bought a step stool and a bathroom scale. It's too easy to get off track if I don't have something to remind me where I am and where I'm going.
I got a really cute ecard from Justin that had my picture all over it! Thanks Justin! I think I told you yesterday about the cards from Eric and Stacey and the kids. Yep, Brendan, now is the time for you to feel guilty.
My apologies to Brendan! He sent an email to my Comcast email saying Happy Mother's Day to the best mom he ever had. Lucky thing my sister Joan left a comment on one of my postings here to check my email. Just so you guys know, I hardly ever check my Comcast email addy. I'm on Yahoo all the time. So if you write me and I haven't answered, you may be using that email address. I'm not really ignoring you (or maybe I am!) Joan, I'll get that check out right away, thank you.
Well, it's 9:42 and I need to throw a load of clothes in the washer and start getting ready for bed. Enough rambling for today. You take care and start thinking about when you're going to come up for a visit. I'll need advance notice so I can arrange a day or two off work. My niece, Amber, is coming through on the 24th and I'm looking forward to seeing her.
Okay, that's it! No more rambling. I've got a book to listen to and chores to do. I'll talk to you later. Take care ...
Saturday, May 10, 2008
A Day of Rest
A day of rest, and it's not even Sunday! This is the first day in weeks I've had a chance to just do nothing and I'm loving every minute of it.
I did empty 4 boxes this morning. I had cleaned the kitchen yesterday before Carlos came over for lunch but I still need to organize some things. I also need to run some errands which requires shopping and I'm not a shopaholic even though it may sound like it. I really don't like going to the store. One store a week and I'm good. I've done more shopping this week than I've done in the past 3 months. I think that's why I like shopping online so much. No need to venture out and wear out the feet. : )
I noticed this morning that we both started out with 54 degree temps ... I have both Dublin and Hillsboro weather on my desktop. Now at 1:30 Dublin is a sunny 73 degrees and Hillsboro is an overcast 59 degrees. BUT I've been here 7 days and it hasn't rained yet. Several days were bright and sunny and even on the overcast days there are periods of blue sky. It did start to sprinkle yesterday for about 10 seconds but that was it. If it has been raining it has been at night when I don't see or hear it.
I'm going to see if I can post some pictures. Tami took photos with her camera on Sunday, when I arrived. Let's see how this goes.
This is a picture of Heaven, Tami's daughter, and Heather outside my front door while they were waiting for me to arrive.
I was running about an hour behind when I'd told them I would arrive so they had to fill in their time. Part of that fill-in time was going to P.F. Chang's for dinner! without me!
I really wanted to show you a shot of my welcome banner. The story I got is they didn't have enough time to print it out or they forgot to print it out -- whatever. The end result is they wrote it out on Heaven's hand! She displayed it just as I was getting out of the car. Pretty clever, don't you think? Every time I post it the picture disappears. It shows up on my preview, but not the published post. I'll try to put it in tomorrow.
A shot of me crossing the threshold from the garage into the entrance hall. Yes, the picture is small but I'm not giving you anything closer. I have no hair, no makeup and I'm looking extremely worn out and exhausted. This gives you a general idea and that's all you need.
We're eating at Rosies cafe. I'm enjoying a French dip sandwich (one of my favorites) and the others are having dessert. Why? Oh, yes ... because they'd already eaten dinner. I told the girls that I'm feeling very proud of myself having lost 26 pounds .. when I get dressed my clothes are more loose and I can feel the difference in other ways. But when I see pictures like this! YIKES I still have a long way to go. A real balloon popper.
A shot of Heather and me. Why, yes, she does look rested! Huh.
Okay, that's it for this posting. I'm still unpacking and looking for connection cords. I do have some photos on my camera to share with you. I found my external hard drive and have that hooked up so I can upload all my photos to that. YAY Eventually I'll have Carlos help me with Photoshop so I can do things right.
I also found a cool program that came with my computer that's called Muvees (or something like that). Anyway it's a movie creation program put out by HP so I'll be playing with that in the future. Maybe I'll become a movie director like Eric and Stacey! (but not as good)
I guess I'll drag myself out to the stores and buy some more necessities, like a toaster and towels and such. It's a dirty job but someone's got to do it.
Take care until next time.
I did empty 4 boxes this morning. I had cleaned the kitchen yesterday before Carlos came over for lunch but I still need to organize some things. I also need to run some errands which requires shopping and I'm not a shopaholic even though it may sound like it. I really don't like going to the store. One store a week and I'm good. I've done more shopping this week than I've done in the past 3 months. I think that's why I like shopping online so much. No need to venture out and wear out the feet. : )
I noticed this morning that we both started out with 54 degree temps ... I have both Dublin and Hillsboro weather on my desktop. Now at 1:30 Dublin is a sunny 73 degrees and Hillsboro is an overcast 59 degrees. BUT I've been here 7 days and it hasn't rained yet. Several days were bright and sunny and even on the overcast days there are periods of blue sky. It did start to sprinkle yesterday for about 10 seconds but that was it. If it has been raining it has been at night when I don't see or hear it.
I'm going to see if I can post some pictures. Tami took photos with her camera on Sunday, when I arrived. Let's see how this goes.
This is a picture of Heaven, Tami's daughter, and Heather outside my front door while they were waiting for me to arrive.
I was running about an hour behind when I'd told them I would arrive so they had to fill in their time. Part of that fill-in time was going to P.F. Chang's for dinner! without me!
I really wanted to show you a shot of my welcome banner. The story I got is they didn't have enough time to print it out or they forgot to print it out -- whatever. The end result is they wrote it out on Heaven's hand! She displayed it just as I was getting out of the car. Pretty clever, don't you think? Every time I post it the picture disappears. It shows up on my preview, but not the published post. I'll try to put it in tomorrow.
A shot of me crossing the threshold from the garage into the entrance hall. Yes, the picture is small but I'm not giving you anything closer. I have no hair, no makeup and I'm looking extremely worn out and exhausted. This gives you a general idea and that's all you need.
We're eating at Rosies cafe. I'm enjoying a French dip sandwich (one of my favorites) and the others are having dessert. Why? Oh, yes ... because they'd already eaten dinner. I told the girls that I'm feeling very proud of myself having lost 26 pounds .. when I get dressed my clothes are more loose and I can feel the difference in other ways. But when I see pictures like this! YIKES I still have a long way to go. A real balloon popper.
A shot of Heather and me. Why, yes, she does look rested! Huh.Okay, that's it for this posting. I'm still unpacking and looking for connection cords. I do have some photos on my camera to share with you. I found my external hard drive and have that hooked up so I can upload all my photos to that. YAY Eventually I'll have Carlos help me with Photoshop so I can do things right.
I also found a cool program that came with my computer that's called Muvees (or something like that). Anyway it's a movie creation program put out by HP so I'll be playing with that in the future. Maybe I'll become a movie director like Eric and Stacey! (but not as good)
I guess I'll drag myself out to the stores and buy some more necessities, like a toaster and towels and such. It's a dirty job but someone's got to do it.
Take care until next time.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Oops
Well, I got a slap on the hand today. Carlos and I got to work about 8:00 and we had a call from Adrian shortly after (Adrian is our boss). Seems there's a problem with me making my cubicle my own. I'd put up my pictures and filled a drawer ... some of you know how I like to have lots of stuff on my workspace. Well! Farmers has not yet received "permission" to occupy the building, so even though we have legitimate business there we can't make it look like we've moved in. Adrian was really cool about it. He said he thinks it's trivial but if inspectors come through they'll call Farmers on the carpet for it and I do not want to be the one responsible for THAT.
Carlos told me about a cool web site. It's watch-movies.net. I'm watching 100 Million BC right now. Brendan or Justin had told me about another web site but I could never get it to work right. This one seems easier to me.
I just got a really nice Mother's Day gift from the Davis Contingent. They sent me an egift card for Target.com. Definitely more useful than flowers! Especially as I'm still limited in necessities. I keep making lists of things I need to get and then I sort them into HAVE to have right now and CAN WAIT until later. It seems like I'm constantly jotting things down.
I just called Carlos to see if his stuff had been delivered. They're just finishing up. I've invited him over for lunch. He mentioned this morning how hard it is to leave all his family behind and he has no one here. Audrey told me I'd have to be her family when she moves up here. I know the feeling, so the more we can support each other the easier it will be for all of us.
I've warned Carlos that I have only 2 chairs and no table. He has NO furniture at all so he can relate. At least I have food. Good thing I went shopping yesterday.
Today I need to find DMV. They have small renewal offices everywhere but I have to find the main office so I can get my car registered. I'll change my drivers license later, after I've studied the manual.
One thing I've noticed is that EVERYONE stops when a school bus has its lights flashing. If it's a 4-lane highway and a school bus has stopped with flashing lights, all 4 lanes stop where they are. We don't see too many school buses stopping on main streets at home, but here they seem to be everywhere. The trick is to leave for work before the buses start picking up the kids and to come home before or after they drop them off.
I don't remember if I told you what happened with my cable box. Paul, the cable guy, came back yesterday to swap out my box because it wouldn't turn on. He said the problem was that I didn't have the power switch on. BUT, says I, the TV works! Sure, he said, but that's because half of the outlet is always on .. for lamps. WHAT??!!! I've never heard of such a thing. Carlos said he's heard of it before. Maybe it's that way in the newer homes but not in any house I've ever lived in. If the switch is off, both halves of the outlet are off. Have you guys experienced this? Only in Oregon.
Well, I'm going to go prepare some lunch for my guest. Dinner and a movie tonight with Heather and Tami. I have such a social calendar, eh?
Take care until next time.
Carlos told me about a cool web site. It's watch-movies.net. I'm watching 100 Million BC right now. Brendan or Justin had told me about another web site but I could never get it to work right. This one seems easier to me.
I just got a really nice Mother's Day gift from the Davis Contingent. They sent me an egift card for Target.com. Definitely more useful than flowers! Especially as I'm still limited in necessities. I keep making lists of things I need to get and then I sort them into HAVE to have right now and CAN WAIT until later. It seems like I'm constantly jotting things down.
I just called Carlos to see if his stuff had been delivered. They're just finishing up. I've invited him over for lunch. He mentioned this morning how hard it is to leave all his family behind and he has no one here. Audrey told me I'd have to be her family when she moves up here. I know the feeling, so the more we can support each other the easier it will be for all of us.
I've warned Carlos that I have only 2 chairs and no table. He has NO furniture at all so he can relate. At least I have food. Good thing I went shopping yesterday.
Today I need to find DMV. They have small renewal offices everywhere but I have to find the main office so I can get my car registered. I'll change my drivers license later, after I've studied the manual.
One thing I've noticed is that EVERYONE stops when a school bus has its lights flashing. If it's a 4-lane highway and a school bus has stopped with flashing lights, all 4 lanes stop where they are. We don't see too many school buses stopping on main streets at home, but here they seem to be everywhere. The trick is to leave for work before the buses start picking up the kids and to come home before or after they drop them off.
I don't remember if I told you what happened with my cable box. Paul, the cable guy, came back yesterday to swap out my box because it wouldn't turn on. He said the problem was that I didn't have the power switch on. BUT, says I, the TV works! Sure, he said, but that's because half of the outlet is always on .. for lamps. WHAT??!!! I've never heard of such a thing. Carlos said he's heard of it before. Maybe it's that way in the newer homes but not in any house I've ever lived in. If the switch is off, both halves of the outlet are off. Have you guys experienced this? Only in Oregon.
Well, I'm going to go prepare some lunch for my guest. Dinner and a movie tonight with Heather and Tami. I have such a social calendar, eh?
Take care until next time.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Settling in?
What a day, what a day! Carlos and I got to work at 8:00 and the only ones there were the two Avaya installers who were still putting phones on the desks. No construction crew that I could see. We had a 9:00 conference call with the telephony team and that went well. 90% of what they were talking about flew right over my head. I asked Carlos what a few things meant and he didn't know either, so that made me feel better.
Carlos had to pick up his apartment key this morning and I had several errands to run so after our conference call, we left. We have no badges with key cards, nor door keys so without the constructions guys there we have no way to get back in. Adrian told us to check with the IT manager but she said she didn't have any extra keys. Adrian said he'd call her and get that taken care of.
In keeping with the little dark cloud that seems to be following me (at least it's a little one) my mattress has to be returned because it's leaking. I had hoped it was a one-shot thing and I just needed to pump it up some more but nope! I wake up 2 or 3 times during the night sinking into the mattress which causes my neck to bend at an uncomfortable angle because the pillows are now too high.
Since I had the morning free, I called Aero and they told me to return the bed to Costco, so I did. Naturally, the store doesn't carry the bed in stock so I would have to order it online. A delay of 7-10 days. Can I sleep on the floor that long without going crazy? I gassed up the car while I was at Costco and then ran home to get my grocery list and decided to order the bed while I was there. Costco online doesn't have the bed!! They only have the twin, single layer and I want the double layer so I don't feel like I'm falling on the floor when I get into bed.
I went down the street to Winco to buy groceries. Warehouse-type store (think Pak-n-Save) that's really big and unfamiliar. Took 3 times longer than it needed to but I have to start cooking dinner instead of eating out or eating just snack food, cereal and grapefruit. The shopping center where Winco is located also has a Joe's camping store. I went in there to look for a blow up bed and all they had was a Coleman that's a double-height. They don't come with a pump so I had to buy a pump too. When I got it home, it takes 10 hours to charge up the pump because it's a rechargeable battery!! That means at least one night on the floor. Darn it.
Decided to run to Target to get some kitchen utensils so I can make a real dinner tomorrow (tonight I heated up an orange chicken and rice dish that I bought at Winco). I got some measuring cups and spoons and some cutting mats, then decided to look in the camping section for a bed. They have the queen Aero mattress that's double-high but it's more expensive than the Costco one. I bought it anyway. Better to have a bed than to wait who knows how long for one to come in and then wait another week or more to have it delivered. Tomorrow I'll return the pump and Coleman bed to Joe's.
When I left Target I drove through the back of the shopping center and found a Michaels (!!), Best Buy, and Linen n' Things. Then coming up the street to go home I saw across the street a Barnes and Noble! Life is good. There is so much shopping in such a short area that I won't lack for anything. Except money.
I'm really worn out after lugging all those groceries and purchases into the house and up the stairs. I can't wait to crawl into my new bed ... once I get it made. I have a lot of reorganizing to do this weekend but tomorrow night I'm going to dinner and a movie with Heather and Tami. Then I HAVE to get the rest of my stuff unpacked, the clothes in my closet organized, and all the stuff that's sitting on top of my bathroom sink put away. If only I had somewhere to put it.
Heaven only knows how I'm going to organize my craft stuff. I'm already dreading the possibility of moving away from here and that won't come up for at least a year. LOL
I hope you're behaving yourselves and think of me often because I certainly think of each one of you every day.
Adios for now ...
Carlos had to pick up his apartment key this morning and I had several errands to run so after our conference call, we left. We have no badges with key cards, nor door keys so without the constructions guys there we have no way to get back in. Adrian told us to check with the IT manager but she said she didn't have any extra keys. Adrian said he'd call her and get that taken care of.
In keeping with the little dark cloud that seems to be following me (at least it's a little one) my mattress has to be returned because it's leaking. I had hoped it was a one-shot thing and I just needed to pump it up some more but nope! I wake up 2 or 3 times during the night sinking into the mattress which causes my neck to bend at an uncomfortable angle because the pillows are now too high.
Since I had the morning free, I called Aero and they told me to return the bed to Costco, so I did. Naturally, the store doesn't carry the bed in stock so I would have to order it online. A delay of 7-10 days. Can I sleep on the floor that long without going crazy? I gassed up the car while I was at Costco and then ran home to get my grocery list and decided to order the bed while I was there. Costco online doesn't have the bed!! They only have the twin, single layer and I want the double layer so I don't feel like I'm falling on the floor when I get into bed.
I went down the street to Winco to buy groceries. Warehouse-type store (think Pak-n-Save) that's really big and unfamiliar. Took 3 times longer than it needed to but I have to start cooking dinner instead of eating out or eating just snack food, cereal and grapefruit. The shopping center where Winco is located also has a Joe's camping store. I went in there to look for a blow up bed and all they had was a Coleman that's a double-height. They don't come with a pump so I had to buy a pump too. When I got it home, it takes 10 hours to charge up the pump because it's a rechargeable battery!! That means at least one night on the floor. Darn it.
Decided to run to Target to get some kitchen utensils so I can make a real dinner tomorrow (tonight I heated up an orange chicken and rice dish that I bought at Winco). I got some measuring cups and spoons and some cutting mats, then decided to look in the camping section for a bed. They have the queen Aero mattress that's double-high but it's more expensive than the Costco one. I bought it anyway. Better to have a bed than to wait who knows how long for one to come in and then wait another week or more to have it delivered. Tomorrow I'll return the pump and Coleman bed to Joe's.
When I left Target I drove through the back of the shopping center and found a Michaels (!!), Best Buy, and Linen n' Things. Then coming up the street to go home I saw across the street a Barnes and Noble! Life is good. There is so much shopping in such a short area that I won't lack for anything. Except money.
I'm really worn out after lugging all those groceries and purchases into the house and up the stairs. I can't wait to crawl into my new bed ... once I get it made. I have a lot of reorganizing to do this weekend but tomorrow night I'm going to dinner and a movie with Heather and Tami. Then I HAVE to get the rest of my stuff unpacked, the clothes in my closet organized, and all the stuff that's sitting on top of my bathroom sink put away. If only I had somewhere to put it.
Heaven only knows how I'm going to organize my craft stuff. I'm already dreading the possibility of moving away from here and that won't come up for at least a year. LOL
I hope you're behaving yourselves and think of me often because I certainly think of each one of you every day.
Adios for now ...
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