What Next?

As most of my faithful readers probably know, (hello? mom? are you the only one out there?) our beloved Cascade College will be closing after this Spring Semester 2009. If you are not in the loop with all things Cascade-related, there is information about the closure on our website: http://www.cascade.edu/news.asp?newsid=317&cat=0.

Now that the shock and frustration related to this decision have started to fade for me, I am faced with the fact that I am going to have to eventually move-on. I feel like I have a lot invested in Cascade - 4 years (and so many great memories) as a student, and now over 3 years as an employee. I love this place and I am not ready to say goodbye! Granted, I was expecting to take a 3 month hiatus for maternity leave starting sometime in April, but I planned to have a job to return to! Now EVERYTHING is up in the air!

I've started praying, brainstorming, researching, and dreaming about what might be next for me. Will I be an astronaut, a racecar driver, or a professional chef? I certainly have big-time skills in all those areas, but not a lot of experience. Maybe I should stick with something in the business field...

Here are some options I am considering for my home-based business:

- Selling cosmetics. Forget Avon and Mary Kay, I'm going to develop my own line of make-up for "the woman who only takes 2 minutes each morning to put on powder and mascara." I'll name it Rudimentary Beauty and it will feature (you guessed it!) only powder and mascara products. I'm sold already!



- Professional book reviewing. I really know how to read books, and generally I can offer my opinion of them afterwards. My prices will be competitive, but I will have some limitations to the projects I will accept: only fiction novels, must be fewer than 500 pages (pictures are a bonus), love stories or drama preferred, nothing related to war or violence, and can only make me cry a maximum of three times in its entirety. Oh, and if it sucks, I don't have to finish it. Also, I will not be writing actual reviews, I will just tell my clients what I think - it's more personal that way. As a bonus, I can do the dirty-work and actually select the book I read for you - AT NO ADDITIONAL COST!



- Organization wizardry. I don't do windows, but I'm pretty good at tidying/straightening-up/putting things away. Got a stack of papers? I can put them in folders for you (maybe with labels, maybe even sorted.) Got stuff on your floor (like toys, clothes, etc. - NOT dog messes, baby messes, and the like)? I can pick those things up and put them somewhere else for you (maybe someplace you'll be able to find them later.) Sound too good to be true? Well, for the right price, it could be a reality - especially if you have chocolate chip cookies I can eat while I work!



Well, that's all I've come up with so far. Please let me know if you can think of other ways I can turn my talents into profits. Oh, and if you need any of the above services - don't hesitate to give me your credit card information and we can discuss it further!

Baby Season

There must have been something in the water or some strange planetary alignment at the end of Summer 2008, because it seems like there are a whole lot of babies due to be born in the next couple of months. With a quick count on my fingers, I can think of 6 friends who are expecting between February and April of this year - it's madness. Baby madness. ... and I love it!

I went to a baby shower for one of those friends this past weekend and it was so wonderful to be surrounded by receiving blankets, cozy little outfits, and tiny socks. Granted, all these gifts were pink, but it still made me wistfully imagine how fun it will be to dress our snuggly little guy in such presh items - in manly colors like blue and green and yellow, of course. =)



We have our next doctor appointment this Wednesday and we'll hopefully be able to confirm our due date. We were pretty sure about April 22nd but then baby Rude decided to be larger than normal (growth spurt?) so they moved us up to April 10th. We'll find out how we've been progressing this past month and get a better idea about when he might make his appearance. I'll keep you posted!

Running on Fumes...

Does anyone else ever feel like this little guy?



Yeah... I'm glad it's Friday! Happy Weekend to you all!

It's a Jungle in Here!

I still feel like there is a LOT to do in preparation for the arrival of our little bundle of joy in April. I'm trying to research and read everything I can about pregnancy, labor and delivery (oh dear), caring for babies, etc. Boy, there is a lot of info out there!

One of the exciting (and low-pressure) decisions we got to make as we embark on this journey toward parenthood is the nursery theme. We considered several options before deciding on Baby Jungle Animals. Who doesn't love a chubby little elephant or snuggly monkey? My mom found us a cute crib set and we're trying to find creative (read: thrifty) ways to coordinate the rest of the room.

Wouldn't you sleep well surrounded by these precious jungle friends?



My mom (being the crafty-type) is crocheting a set of animals to match the ones on the blanket. How awesome is that?!

My Christmas Belly!

On Christmas Day I was in my 24th week of pregnancy (or maybe my 25th or 26th - depending on which due date I use to calculate it...) and we snapped a pic to capture my growth. I'm about to the point where I'm going to give Santa some competition, but I'm not sure it's ever going to shake when I laugh "like a bowl full of jelly."





Perhaps the growth has less to do with little Rude and is correlated more closely to the amount of Christmas candy I consumed this year...

The Rudes enjoyed a low-key Christmas at home this year. David woke me up at 9:00 on Christmas morning and asked if I was EVER going to get up so we could see what Santa brought us. Although we forgot to leave him cookies and milk this year (oops), the fat man was kind enough to fill our stockings and leave a few things for us under the tree.

How did Santa know we needed a wall sconce for our dining room?



A hand-carved spoon from Wales.



David tries on some baby booties made by his sister.



To keep him busy while the "grown-ups" opened presents, Santa left a nice pig ear for Tucker to chew on. I won't include any pictures, because honestly, it's kinda' gross.

Thanks for letting us celebrate your birthday Jesus. (although it's strange that we gather around a dead tree and eat things out of old socks to do so...)

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, from the Rudes!

Baby Rude's (Almost) 1st Christmas

The holidays are a time for family and I'm excited that our family will be growing in the near future! David and I had an original "three-year-plan" when we got married. We wanted to wait until we had been married for three years before we had children. Well, three years turned into four, and then we started really talking about it seriously. I think he was ready long before I was, but I just wanted to be SURE that it was the right time. I mean, having a baby is a huge life-changing event in my mind.

There were so many things to consider, but when it came down to it, what were we really waiting for? =) ...and now it seems like all I'm doing is waiting - I am so excited to meet our little guy! This will be the last Christmas for just David and I. Next year, we'll have a tiny Rude crawling(?) around, chewing on ornaments(?), and trying to sneak a peek at the presents. It will be such a joy! His due date is sometime in April (originally the 22nd, now the 10th, we'll see what they pick next...) so he'll be born just before our five-year anniversary. I'm looking forward to enjoying these last couple of months alone with David as we prepare to welcome little Rude into our family.

I'm convinced he's adorable already!


Merry (almost) 1st Christmas Baby Rude!!!

More Fluffy Precipitation

It seems like the snow has been a permanent part of the landscape around here. On Monday we felt that we had been cooped-up in the house for long enough and decided to venture out into the arctic chill. I'm a chicken about driving in the snow (or even being a passenger, for that matter) so we decided to take advantage of TriMet. We walked to the MAX stop near our house to find that because of frozen switches, the train was not in operation this far north. We took a shuttle bus to Gateway and then caught the train to Lloyd Center. There were a surprising number of people there - doing last-minute Xmas shopping and probably just wanting to escape cabin-fever!

We are ready to be out of the house!


We're not taking a car out today!


I can still see my feet!


Making my way to the MAX station.


Outside Lloyd Center.


Waiting for the MAX to take us home.


We're happy to be back to our cozy home!

Mrs. Domestic for a Day

Sometimes I wish I was a bit more of a "Martha Stewart" - type. It would be fabulous to take out fresh-baked desserts with homemade oven mitts in my perfectly organized kitchen. I would feel grand to be surrounded by the scent of my custom candles as I wrote in perfect calligraphy on my personally-designed Christmas cards while snuggled under my hand-stitched quilt. My guests would be impressed by my whimsical decorations and various craft projects, as much as they would be in awe of my perfectly landscaped yard and abundantly productive garden. Alas, I guess that's just not me...

However, I was pretty proud of myself earlier this week. I managed to get all my store-bought Xmas cards addressed and sent out, and included a cheesy photo in each one that I forced David and Tucker to take with me. I also felt pretty clever and domestic when I made some fun treats to take to my office Christmas party on Thursday. I found a picture of some "candy sushi" online and thought I might give it a try. It was fun!



Filling the tray with goodies.


The finished product!

Sniz-oh!

I'm sure everyone in the Portland area is sick of hearing about the snow (I know I am!) I just have to share my report though, and maybe some pictures. I think we are on day 10 now of the Winter Wonderland, but at least we haven't been stuck at home for all of it. David is always excited to drive in hazardous conditions and he says our little Hyundai actually handles pretty well (good thing we bought those new tires!) I don't really mind staying home and doing indoor stuff but David gets a little cuckoo after awhile. As long as we have electricity and can stay warm, I'm content!

Yesterday we took Tucker to the big field near our house to get some exercise. He bounded through the snow and ice and had a jolly good time. As far as dogs go, he's actually kind of a wimpy one (he is mostly poodle, afterall.) He's often startled by harmless noises and will get spooked by things such as his own tail. For these reasons, it was a bit surprising to us that he took such a liking to the snow. He goes crazy in the stuff! Young Tuck has been running and pouncing and eating the beautiful fluff. When we finally make him come in to defrost, he sits by the back doors and wistfully watches the flakes falling in the yard.

David with Tucker at the field.


This pup is ready to run!


Look at his energy!


Time to thaw-out!

Zoo Lights

It is truly a Winter Wonderland here in Portland this week! The snow is beautiful and I enjoy observing it from an indoor location. I'm not a fan of driving at any time, but when there is even a chance of slickness, I'd rather just stay on my couch with a cup of cocoa and a good book. Unfortunately, my job cannot be performed from my couch, so David must be my trusty chauffeur. I will regale you with more about the snow in a later blog (and share some pics when I get them off my camera.) Now, back to the title topic...

Last Friday we had the treat of going to see the Zoo Lights for the very first time with our friends Shaun and Jessica. We bundled-up and drove out to the Westside with expectations of a small crowd. I was surprised how many people were out in the snow/rain/cold at night - many of them with small children! Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable time strolling through the zoo and pondering how high the electric bill must be. They had some great displays and it was a swell way to get into the holiday spirit. Here are a few pics from the evening...

There was a pleasant glow along the pathways.


These are some of the "animals" on display.


There's nothing quite like a hug from a person dressed in a semi-creepy Polar Bear costume!

You Mean I'm Supposed to Shop BEFORE Christmas?

So I guess Christmas is just next week. 10 short days away... I thought I was prepared for this! We got our tree and lights up weeks ago, and the snow is here now, but I really thought I had more time! Guess who hasn't purchased a SINGLE Christmas gift yet this year?

To be fair, it is important to note that David and I agreed to have a scaled-back Christmas this year. With David only working part-time for now and the loss of my job looming in the future, it just makes sense to be frugal. Plus, we've never really been ones to break the bank over "stuff." We've had the opportunity to make donations to different charities and to volunteer our time with some great programs (that have been really fun) so I definitely feel in the holiday spirit. It's just kinda' weird that our tree has a big empty skirt underneath (if you don't count the dead pine needles.) I've told my family that we're just going to do small (read: inexpensive) gifts this year, and we don't feel obligated to send something to every half-cousin or nephew-in-law, so that makes things simpler too. I guess I should have planned ahead a bit more and devised some creative homemade gifts to knock everyone's socks off with my cleverness and skill. I guess there's always next year. ...or is it too late to take up needlepoint?


For your holiday enjoyment, here is a picture of Tucker (our dog) supervising David as he decorates the Christmas Tree.

Preggo Pic

I'm not exactly waddling yet, but Baby Rude has bumped me out of most of my normal clothes. Here we are at 21 weeks...

Stretchy Jeans and Citrus Fruit

You may have guessed from the title of this entry that I am going to write about pregnancy. It really is the strangest thing - being pregnant I mean. Currently, I am enjoying every moment of it, but some of the early stages have not been so fun. Allow me to reflect a bit...

The day I found out that we were expecting, I couldn't contain my excitement! We had only very recently decided that we were finally ready to entertain the possibility of adding a new member to the Rude family, and then it was suddenly a reality! I took the at-home test during my lunch break and already had a feeling that I knew what the results would be. Sure enough - the line was definitely there! I hid the evidence in the bathroom and planned to surprise David that night. So much for that idea... He got a cut on his hand and went digging around for the antibacterial ointment and came across the test. I heard him in the bathroom ask confusedly, "um...what does this mean?" I raced into the bathroom and said, "it means we're going to have a baby, and it was supposed to be a surprise!" I was really too excited to care about him finding it, and we could talk about little else that night besides the fact that WE were going to have a CHILD - crazy!

As my pregnancy progressed, my excitment never faded, but sometimes my joyfulness did. Morning sickness really stinks. I know I didn't have it as bad as some women do, but basically I felt like I was a helpless seasick blimp for several weeks. Although I only actually vomited on a few occasions, I felt like I was in a continuous state of nausea for days on end. I would generally make it through my workday without serious incident (eating saltines and drinking water like a madwoman) and then immediatly crash on the couch for a nap each evening. I had to eat something every 2 hours to avoid feeling miserable but not many foods sounded good. My sense of smell was crazy-sensitive (helping trigger more nausea) and my digestive system was all messed up too. The fatigue was what shocked me the most though. I could hardly stay awake at my computer, driving, hanging out with friends, - anytime really. Thankfully, these symptoms started to decrease around week 15 and by week 18 or 19 they were gone.

The second trimester has been wonderful! Sure my body is feeling uncomfortable and none of my clothes fit, but I get to feel the baby moving around now and we've been able to experience the wonder of ultrasound. It was hard to distinguish "baby" movements from other bodily movements early on, but around Thanksgiving time I was sure that those jabs were coming from tiny fists and feet. Now I've got a regular little party animal. It doesn't matter what time of day or what I'm doing - there's a lot of movement going on in there! We had two early ultrasounds at the doctor to confirm the pregnancy and check the heart, but our 20 week ultrasound was really something amazing. First, we found out that we're going to have a boy! He really is the most precious thing I have ever seen. He was making little chewing motions with his tiny mouth, he waved his fingers for us (and gave us the thumbs-up sign - cool kid already), he streched his legs, and tapped his little foot. We got to see all his vital organs and I'll admit that I cried as I watched his beating heart. It is so small and fragile, but it's beating strong in his tiny chest. I can already tell that I'm going to be one of those super-protective moms, sorry everyone. *sigh*

Time is already going so quickly, I just know this little boy is going to arrive before we know it. I'm trying to enjoy every moment while I can, and very much looking forward to welcoming him into my life. In the meantime, I'll wear my stretchy jeans with pride and ignore the jokes about how many oranges and grapefruits I manage to consume! =)

She's Ba-ack!

I recently had the urge to start writing online and remembered that I had this long-lost blogger account chilling on the web. Well, here I am back at it again! We will see if I can remember to update this thing regularly (or if I have enough excitement in my life to warrant those updates...)

For now, I think I will work on fixing-up my page, and then I'll focus on the content. 15 Days Until Christmas! (in case you don't have a countdown already.)

Oh yeah... I have this Blog...

Ooops, sorry guys. I guess MySpace has taken over my life. This is where I am these days:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=61457509

Hope that works. See you on the flip side!

The Month I Like to Call "April"

Phew! It hasn't been a month yet since my last post. I was a little worried when I logged in... I don't want to be one of those people who just leaves an old outdated Blog just rotting in Cyberspace.

Well, it's April now. To me, it's sort of a ho-hum kind of month. Spring is still trying to drag along but it's not as new as it was last month, and summer isn't really trying to make its appearance yet. All the college kids around here are excited because this is the last week of classes. Next week is finals week and then the lucky seniors get to Grad-u-ate. (*sing-song voice*) Nothing like that for me though, I'll still be working after they're gone and the new freshies make their way here. The old 8-5, though consistent and good for paying bills, does get a bit dull and monotonous at times. (..redundant?)

What's new in my life, you ask? Let's see if I can come up with a few tidbits for you. Well, I forgot about April Fool's so I didn't play any sneaky tricks on any of my loved ones. Also, I am happy to report that I did not have any pranks pulled on me. (I'm not big on practical jokes, so the 1st of April isn't one of my favorite days.)

My guinea pig Rufus seems to be doing much better. After 3 trips to the vet and $300 worth of medical attention - he'd better be! I thought rodents were supposed to be low maintenace! His little neck infection seems to be reduced and he isn't scratching all his fur off, so I think that's a good sign. Plus, he is pleasantly plump now, and that's really the way that all pigs should be. =)

Easter Sunday was nice. Our church put on a special program for the kids and we had an egg hunt after services that David and I helped with. Our friends Shaun and Jessica invited us over for dinner which was nice since we didn't have any plans. (Side story: It's the night before Easter and as we're going to sleep I suddenly remember in a panic that I didn't get an Easter gift for David - not even a mushy card or chocolate bunny or anything! I try to act casual and whisper, "Hey sweetie...did you get me anything for Easter?" There is a long pause before he responds, "Why?" - he takes a good approach there. I hesitantly answer, "Because I didn't get you anything..." I am relieved when he confirms that he too is a bad spouse and neglected to buy me a gift. We're perfect for each other!) Back to Easter dinner now. It was delicious! Jessica is a wonderful cook and she went all out with a Thanksgiving-type spread. Her pnut butter pie is practically to die for!

Let's see... upcoming adventures for me... We are going down to Malibu for the Bible Lectures at Pepperdine University during the first week of May. I think we might make a stop at Disney's California Adventure. I'm such a kid, but I love theme parks. Also, our 2 year wedding anniversary is coming up on May 15th - crazy. I can't even believe it's been that long already! And yet, it kind of feels like I've been married forever. By the way, at what point do you stop being a newlywed? I kind of feel like I'm past that point now, but 2 years isn't that long when you consider people that make it to their 50th anniversary. Hmm...maybe about the 2 year mark is when you make the transistion into oldlywed.

Almost Spring...

Did you know that Spring arrives in just 2 weeks? I am so ready for it, and that means that summer will be just around the corner! I guess I haven't posted since Christmas, and well, that was awhile ago. I do have to apologize to my adoring fans. I'm still alive, I just am not on the Internet very often. So sorry. I haven't even been reading other people's blogs, so I'm gonna' have to go get caught-up after I post this!

To be honest, I really don't know what has happened since December. Lots of stuff I suppose. I'll give ya the highlights I guess... David got a job back in January, and that was a giant blessing. He's working for CrossCut Hardwoods in NW Portland. He started there as a temp, got hired on officially, and then got promoted to warehouse lead - all in a matter of 2 months! Basically his job entails receiving and shipping loads of wood, driving a forklift around, stocking their supply store, and helping customers. He's always exhausted at the end of the day, but he's having fun, and I'm glad he's doing something he enjoys.

My job at Cascade is still going really well. I feel a lot more comfortable with everything now and have been able to reduce my "To Do" pile considerably. It's sort of a slow time of year for us right now, but things will pickup again this summer. We just had a recruiting weekend on campus during February which was a lot of fun. About 30 high school kids came to it and we toured them around Portland, took them rock climbing, spent an afternoon up on Mt. Hood (no Christy, I did not snowboard - I chickened out and played games in the lodge), and basically gave them the Cascade experience.

David and I got a guinea pig! (I know, I know - it's not a chinchilla, and it will never replace that place in my heart that I reserve only for chin chins, but we love him just the same.) The Wagner family purchased Rufus (the guinea pig) and then quickly discovered that their dog was not very compatible with him. Their terrier kept trying to hunt him and it became a stressful situation so they offered him to us. Of course I jumped at the chance to own an adorable little rodent! We have lots of fun with him, but we think a vet visit will be in his near future (more on that in a future blog perhaps...)

I turned 24 last month. It's a big one, I know. My birthday was nice. I honestly can't remember the details - it's been awhile (and I'm getting old, as I mentioned, hee hee) My mom came up and took me scrapbook shopping which is always enjoyable. David threw me a little shindig/Superbowl/birthday suprise thing. (Christy - you were a pleasant suprise!) The ice cream cake was super yummy too. =) Speaking of birthdays...David is joining me in the 2-4 category tomorrow. Happy Birthday Davey! I know, I totally robbed the cradle - a month and 2 days difference. Sheesh.

Okay, what else? Oh Valentine's Day came and went. We neglected to make any dinner reservations so we just had a nice candlelight at home. I think it was better than braving the crowds though. =) I got a nice pot of beautiful purple flowers at my office and a card and chocolates. Nothing too mushy, but just right. =) David just got chocolates and a card, I guess he scored more romantic points than me, but I made dinner so I think we're even.

We took a little weekend break to Seaside a couple weeks ago. We got a nice room on the beach (didn't really matter since the weather was pooey...) It had a nice fireplace, balcony, cable TV (a luxury for us), and a giant jacuzzi tub - so sweet! It was a relaxing mini-vacation, and we took advantage of the great shopping on the promenade and the outlet mall.

Phew, well that's the highlights clip for now. I should probably get back to work since I'm being a slacker this morning. I'll go check out what the rest of you have been up to and then get back to the files. Thanks for faithfully checking my site (despite the fact that I have been letting you down for awhile!) More later, I promise!

Merry Christmas!

I hope that everyone who reads this blog had a very Merry Christmas - I know that mine was really great! Last week David and I went up to Spokane and visited his family. There was still some snow on the ground up north, but no new flakes fell while we were there. The boys all went skiing one day during our stay, but I'm glad I didn't join them because it was rainy and slushy the whole time. Besides, I got to spend some quality time with my mother-in-law. We went and ate at the Mongolian Grill and did some window shopping together.

David and I spent Christmas morning at our own apartment. He was just like a kid and woke me up early to open our presents to one another. I didn't get the new car and new bedroom set I really wanted, but I was pleased with all of my gifts. (note: I really did not expect those large presents anyway...) We then went to the Christmas service at our church. The kids put on a really cute performance (they all did so well!) and David and I had a reading part during the program too. After church we made some yummy omelets for brunch and then took a long winters' nap. (just like the Christmas poem says we ought to do) We then played with some of our presents and had Eric and Niki over to watch Eight Crazy Nights and play games with us.

On Monday, we braved the malls to exchange some gifts and take advantage of all the great clearance deals. (In case you're curious, we are stocked with Xmas wrap and ribbons for the next several years!) Later this week we will be going to visit my family and will join in our annual Christmas party with all of my extended family too. Man, it really is nice to have such a long holiday break!

So About that Movie...

I'm gonna' have to go see The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe again because I only got to see the first half of it. It's a funny story really...well, at the time it wasn't so funny...

David and I took the youth group to see the flick on Sunday evening. We got to the theater and David was waiting outside for one of the kids who was going to be late. I took the other five teens inside to get seats. We entered the crowded theater and found 4 seats together. A couple of us sat in the those while the others searched for more seats. One of the kids went back out to get some nachos and I thought that another kid, we'll call him "Gus," went along with him. Anyway, the previews started, most of the teens had seats, and the one kid returned with his liquid-cheese-covered chips. A little bit later, David and the last teen came into the theater and joined us. We were ready for the movie to start! Except for one small problem...no one knew where Gus was.

Our group looked through the theater and then David left to search the whole building. I stayed in my seat and tried to watch the movie, but I started getting distracted when Gus' parents arrived and started looking for Gus in the theater too. Then I noticed security personnel roaming about and finally several police officers patrolling the aisles. At this point, I gave up trying to watch the film and joined the search party in the lobby. We were really worried because no one knew where Gus was. They started reviewing the security tapes and I was imagining all the things that could have happened to him. I started feeling guilty for not keeping better track of the kid. Did he get abducted? Was he hiding from us? Where the heck was he?

Well, we waited in the lobby and kept searching all the theaters until our movie ended. We searched the crowds of people as they exited, and suddenly we saw Gus making his way out! Get this, the kid had been in the front row the whole time! He didn't even know that we were looking for him and didn't notice the search party that kept walking past him (not to mention the fact that we never noticed him!) *sigh* So at least the story had a happy ending. Although, I really need to go see the movie again - this time without any kids!

Month-long Summary

I wasn't too quick with that Thanksgiving update I guess... We did have a great time visiting both of our families though. We spent three days with David's family first. His parents moved to Spokane, WA and we got to see their new house and help them unpack a little. Then we went and stayed at the Elkins Resort in Priest Lake, ID for Thanksgiving. His family (extended family - grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, nieces, nephews, etc.) got together in a big cabin to celebrate the holiday. (And when I say cabin, I use the term loosely because this thing had 7 bedrooms - it was so beautiful!) Lots of good food was had and we even saw a little snow. We were a bit disappointed though because we brought all of our snow gear and there wasn't enough to go out and play in. No snowmobile fun for us...

After our Idaho trip, we drove down to Philomath to visit with my family. They are currently remodeling their house (okay, so they've been working on it for years and years...) so things were in an upheaval, but we had a nice relaxing time. My mom went crazy baking pies and various types of bread and we played lots of games. David went with my brothers to watch the new Harry Potter movie, but thankfully they let me stay home and hang out with my sister. (I apologize if I offend any HP fans, but I'm just not really into it that much.)

Now it's December and I can't believe that it's only 2 weeks until Christmas! That means I only have 14 days to get all my Xmas shopping done. (Yeah, that's right, I haven't started yet...) I'm excited that I will have a week and a half off for the holidays. David and I are planning to have some time with both of our families and also to continue some new Christmas traditions of our own. We got our tree about a week ago and had a fun time putting up all of our decorations. We still don't have any presents under it, but I'll work on that in the next couple of days.

My new job is still going well. I think I am done with weekend training for awhile, and I'm relieved that I will be able to catch-up on some things now that I know how to do them. The stacks were getting pretty large for awhile there... Speaking of work, I got to hang out with some old co-workers last week (not that they are old, but it sounded better than saying ex-coworkers, for some reason.) We had Chinese food at a restaurant near the old CU branch when it was downtown, and then saw Walk the Line. I would recommend the movie - I thought it was really good. I had seen a documentary about Jonny Cash awhile back and it seemed like this film was a pretty accurate portrayal of his life. And Joaquin and Reese can really sing - I was empressed! Tonight we are taking the teens to see The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and I'm excited about that. I really liked the book and the film looks very well done. I'll let you know what I rate it!

The New 8-5

I know that I haven't written in awhile, but I have an excuse! ...At my new job I don't have hours and hours to spend on my blog, ebay, Craigslist, etc, - like I did at my old job. I am really enjoying working at Cascade though. It's a little bit weird to be back after being a student here for 4 years and then being away from this environment for a year and a half. (although I just live down the street from the campus...) Anyway, I think it's fun to be back and my co-workers are great! (That's a shout-out to all of you that read my blog, and for the FTCU homies - I do miss our fun times...don't think I have forgotten about you! ...and I'm still up for the tattoos if you are!) I still haven't learned everything in my position yet, but I'm working on it and having a good time. Yeah, enough about work...

I am very excited that it's Thanksgiving time! I get a five day weekend which is fabuloso. David and I are driving up to Spokane to stay with his parents tonight (they just moved there last week) and then we are heading to Priest Lake in Idaho to spend a few days at a big cabin there with all his relatives. We are hoping for lots of snow 'cause we are bringing all our gear and there is rumor of snowmobiles. After some fun in the Spud State, we are driving down to Corvallis to see my family too. (There will not, however, be any snow or rumor of snowmobiles there...) I'm sure we will have fun nonetheless. I'll give y'all a full report when I get back!

This Just In!

I almost forgot to share this tidbit of information! I will be starting a new job next Friday. Cascade hired me to be the Office Manager in the Admissions Department. I am really excited to start and will share more about it when I have actually begun.

Yard Work, Animal Print Clothing, and Wet Seats

I had a "vacation" last week that was fun. David and I drove up to Couer d'Alene, Idaho on Saturday after I got off of work. We stayed there until Wednesday and helped David's grandparents get ready for winter. We took in all their yard furniture and ornaments (seriously they have more fancy crap in their yard than anyone I know!), pulled up all of their seasonal plants, recarpeted their boat trailer, and chopped some wood. Then we went and helped them out at their cabin on the river. We brought in their boats and dock awning and then repeated the chore of dragging in all their yard knick-knacks. After all the work was done we got to have a couple days break there.

Halloween has come and gone yet another year. David and I joined a couple of parties, carved a crazy pumpkin, and ate our share of candy. We decided to dress up as cave people, and David crafted us some costumes out of a furry leopard fabric. I wore a bone in my hair and he wore a nasty long black wig. It was pretty stone-aged.

It seems that some theives decided to celebrate the holiday by trying to steal my car. When we went out to leave for work this morning we noticed that my passenger side window had been smashed-in. It was raining really hard and the inside of the car was getting pretty soaked. The meanies ripped out my stereo, took apart the steering column, emptied the glove compartment, and threw stuff around in the trunk. Thankfully, it doesn't look like they took anything (not that there was anything worth it in there anyway...) And I have the bestest husband ever, because he took care of all the mess and replaced the window all himself. He's pretty awesome.

Google Fun

Jamie had a brilliant idea (as she generally does) and I have decided to copy her...I went to Google and typed "Carrie needs" into the search bar. These are my favorite results:

Carrie needs more than deep-breathing exercises. (from the book Sharks, Jellyfish, and Other Deadly Things)

Carrie needs a nice, hot bath. (from a discussion about the Stephen King novel, "Carrie")

Carrie needs to change and adapt to a more adult style now. (Isn't that true!? - from an American Idol debate regarding the infamous Carrie and Bo.)

Carrie needs to get to the hospital, but they're blocks away. (from an episode of Sex in the City)

Carrie needs to return too. (according to 44% of those surveyed about Days of Our Lives)

Carrie needs to go home. (Mmm-hmm, that one is true - from another website about the American Idol star, but I think I should personally take this advice - I'm out!)

Day Off Excitement

It's such a treat to have a day off in the middle of the week (even if you have to work a Saturday in exchange.) I had Friday off and it was such a beautiful day! I had a dentist appointment in the morning - yay no cavaties! Then David and I wandered around Lloyd Center for awhile, but we didn't find anything to waste our money on. We stopped at an Asian place and had pad thai noodles and bubble tea with tapioca for lunch. mmmm I had an eye appointment in the afternoon and was told that I have perfect vision and healthy eyes. That was a relief 'cause you know I look like a libraian when I put glasses on. (No offense to those of you who wear glasses - I think they are cute, just not on me. I've tried on several pairs just for fun, and no matter the style, I really just look like I belong in a library. Not that there's anything wrong with that either, 'cause I like libraries and I used to work in one. Anyway...)

In the evening, we drove out to Banks, (it's a city off 26 past Hillsboro) for my brother-in-law's football game. David's little bro Ben plays for Astoria High School and they had a game out this way so we decided to go cheer him on. The game was tied in the last minute, but then the Braves snuck in a touchdown. Sadly, the fishermen did not go home with a win. It was fun to watch though, and I hadn't been to a high school game since, well, back when I was in high school. Those were the days...

Another Checkmark on my P-town List

I enjoyed another new Portland experience this weekend. It was my brother Ben's birthday last Sunday and he wanted to come up and celebrate with us "in the big city." (My family is very small-town.) My mom drove up on Friday with Ben, one of his friends, my other brother Jeremiah, and sister Alyssa. We gave him his presents that evening and then put them to good use. He got a couple fun card games and a nerf foam dart gun from us. (His friend gave him the exact same gun, so our apartment suddenly became a friendly battlefield.)

On Saturday we rode the MAX down to Saturday market. My siblings were wide-eyed at the many characters that we saw while downtown. (I guess our little hometown doesn't offer that much in the way of diversity...) We enjoyed elephant ears and a greasy lunch while there and I bought my mom some earrrings made from ash from Mt. St. Helens. She loved them.

Afterwards we went to the Avalon for video games. (This was the new experience that I made reference to before.) We loaded up on nickels and then tried to accumulate as many tickets as we could. I kicked Jere's booty on Dance Dance Revolution, but David totally beat me on one of the racing games. I got addicted to one of those games where you shoot your nickel and try to make it push others over the edge. (Jamie knows what I'm talking about.) Oh, and I found that skeeball is great for a few quick tickets and requires minimal skills. In the end, my efforts paid off with a large deck of cards, a cheap plastic bracelet and several tootsie rolls. I can't wait to go back again.

*Sniff, Sniff* Story

This has been a quick week for me. I've had loan training the past couple of days, and that has actually been pretty cool. I'm looking forward to being able to help our members in a new area. David has been working with his dad in Astoria, which is good because it helps us pay the bills, but it's bad because it means that I have to stay here without him.

I have a funny/weird story from earlier this week to share. I thought I was burning our apartment down - seriously! I was getting ready for work on Tuesday and turned up the thermostat before I got in the shower. I was almost done when I smelled a really strong plastic stench. I thought maybe it was the hot water pipes or the shower curtain, but it was a really bad smell and I realized that it actually smelled like something burning... I was freaked out so I jumped into action! I turned off the shower, grabbed a towel and raced out of the bathroom trying to find the fire so I could put it out. (I had this terrible image of myself running around outside our apartment in the freezin' cold in only a towel trying to find someone to help me - eek! So I was hoping that this would be a job that I could take care of myself... I also was imagining David saying, "I TOLD you not to turn on the heaters in the morning..tsk, tsk," while we looked upon the rubbish pile that used to be our home...) But none of those things happened, so you can relax a little. The burning plastic smoky odor was coming from our dining room, and upon closer inspection, I noticed that there was some kind of leaf in one of the baseboard heaters. After I opened all the windows and let the heating elements cool down, I extracted the leaf with a couple of pencils. It turned out to be a pink petal from a freakin' fake flower! It had totally melted and filled our apt with a horrid stench. Where this mystery petal came from - I have no idea. We have lived in this place for a year and a half now and it was never in there before. I honestly don't remember that there has ever been a time when we have owned plastic pink plants, so it's a big mystery. At least the story has a happy ending. ...and I think the smell is almost gone...

Food and Fun Makes a Girl Happy

No way, I can't believe that the weekend is over already! It went by really quickly - funny how that always happens... I had to work on Saturday and then had training for an hour and a half in Beaverton after that. Danny had a bunch of friends over for a "house warming" party that evening. How long have they lived there already...? Anyway, it was fun and Daniel was an excellent host. (It was good to see you too Jamie.)

Today at church wasn't particularly inspiring for me. I think I was just tired or crabby or something. David shared some pictures and stories from his Mississippi trip which was cool, but that was the only part when I felt really engaged in the service. We changed our worship format recently which has been refreshing, but I just wasn't feeling connected for some reason...

We had Shaun, Jessica, Eric, and Niki over for lunch (Jessica made a killer lasagna) and then went to check out the new addition to the Portland Art Museum. It's worth the trip! (It was also fun to run into lots of people we knew there.) Tonight we hosted the youth group at our house. Picture 9 rowdy teenagers crammed in our tiny apartment for a couple hours. They're good kids, but it's always a bit of a relief when it's time for them to go home. I know I've said this before, but I am always impressed with how patient David is. Oh and an update on David's job hunt...he found out that they hired someone else for the delivery job in Vancouver that he'd been interviewing for. So it's back to the hunting for him. Let us know if you have any connections!

Day Off Favorites

Aaaahhhh....(to be read as a content sigh, not as yelling...is there a better way to type that?) Anyway, I had the day off today and it was very pleasant. I got to sleep in until 10:00 and then David made me waffles for breakfast. We just stayed home most of the day and I worked a bit on our scrapbook. This evening we went over to Eric and Niki's for dinner and now David is at Cascade "observing" the initiations activites there. (I think he just wants to pick on all the pledgies.) For those who care, I heard that Deltas have 22 pledging right now. Whoop, whoop - go DEP!

Now, please enjoy a list of my favorites and not-so-fav's (as related to my day):

Fav - triple chocolate brownies and cherry ice cream Not - oatmeal raisin cookies
Fav - sunny days (like this afternoon) Not - dreary drizzly days (like this morning)
Fav - waking up and realizing you can sleep as long as you want Not - waking up to a buzzing alarm
Fav - sound and smell of clothes washing Not - smell of clothes left in machine several days, oops
Fav - completing a scrapbook page Not - gluing all the stinkin' pieces down (with a cheap glue stick)
Fav - wearing comfy old sweats Not - wearing toe socks (they are super-weird)
Fav - listening to 104.1 the Fish Not - listening to cheesy sales CD for work
Fav - taking care of houseplants Not - finding millions of tiny bugs in plants and trying to kill them
Fav - enjoying a long hot shower Not - paying the bills for it later
Fav - ravioli from the can Not - pnut butter mixed with syrup (David eats that sometimes...)
Fav - days off! Not - having to work Saturday instead

Midnight (Blogger) Snack

Well, it's past my bedtime and tomorrow is a work day, but I am breaking all the rules and updating my site rather than going to sleep. I'm just not tired yet. David is staying with one of the teens from our youth group right now. The kid's mom took his dad into the hospital because they think he might have had a small stroke. David was asked to stay with their son until his mom was able to come home. I just talked to my hubby and he was in the process of alphabetically organizing the family's DVD collection. It might be a long night... I hope Paul is okay and is able to come home without any complications.

After church this afternoon a group from Central went and helped one of our neighbors with her yard work. Our friend Shaun is organizing a RAK group (Random Acts of Kindness) that will be going out and helping people around our church community. Today we visited a woman named Pamela and helped her with debris and cleaning around her house. She was quite the character, and she gave us a bunch of information about organic gardening as we helped her put plant mulch around all her vegetation. It was nice to get a bit dirty and help someone out. She kept thanking us and said it was such a miracle that we got so much work done. I felt like we hardly did anything, and it made me realize that I should be doing more. (I also realized that it would be a lot of fun to have my own yard - I enjoy plants and it would be nice to have my own little piece of earth to work with. Someday I suppose...)

David and I were watching the movie Twister tonight, but had to stop it in the middle when he had to leave. He bought it during his trip down to Mississippi - ironic huh? He's weird like that. Anyway, I kinda' want to go watch the end of it now, 'cause it's been a long time since I've seen it, but now it's after 11:00 so I really should just go to sleep. blah... Is it really the beginning of another week already!?

Hello...

Whoops! I haven't updated this thing in awhile...sorry folks...I guess I was just so excited when David got home and then I've been a bit busy since then too. He got home late on Monday evening and I was soooooo happy to see him. They drove straight through from Tulsa and were a bit tired when they reached OR. He was glad to be home too, but said it was a good trip. He's got pics and stories if anyone is interested in hearing about the work they did sometime.


So what else has been going on? I've been working a lot and also attending sales training for my job. I got to go to Lori's wedding - it was really sweet. Tina was in it and bawled the whole time. hee hee I went to Tabitha and Coleen's dread party. It was my first experience dreading hair and it was pretty fun. I went to Amanda's house for dinner and she was a fabulous cook as always. David and I looked at some brand new apartments that we were interested in, but then we found out that they aren't allowing pets anymore. We really want a doggie, so that won't work for us. I had a dinner meeting for work and then went to Eric and Niki's to hang out. I had Friday off which was so nice! I needed a day off... David had a second job interview in the morning (he hasn't heard anything about it yet...) and then we went shopping downtown in the afternoon. It was nice to just relax and spend time together. We had dinner at Troy and Shauna's and then watched Sahara. Sadly, I was not able to keep my eyes open through the whole thing...

A Couple Katrina Pics

I got a couple more pictures from Long Beach (where David and his dad are now.) Just click the link: http://www.xanga.com/private/home.aspx?user=CRudey if you want to see them.

One Week Report

Well, David has been gone for a week now. I got ahold of some pictures from the area that they are working in. I have one of the pictures of the roof of the church building they are repairing on my Xanga site. http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=CRudey David said that this building has become the central distribution site for supplies to the city.

Two or three semi trucks drop off supplies there every other day or so. David and his dad have been going to the Red Cross tent nearby to get their meals, and the Salvation Army has set up showers for everyone to use. They have met other volunteers from Colorado, Chicago, and the surrounding southern states that are using the same facilities.

David said that one lady with a home in the neighborhood decided to go live with some of her friends and GAVE her house to another family whose home had been destroyed by a falling tree. David and his dad helped fix up her house for them. It's so incredible how generous the people are being down there! Oh, and David's oldest brother Don, who lives in San Antonio is bringing a truck load of wood over to them this evening since usable lumber is scarce where they are. Hopefully they will have enough to finish the work they want to accomplish while they are.

He and I

David's Update: He and his dad have been in Long Beach, Mississippi since Friday and they are staying in their camper there. They found a church in the area that is hosting work crews and is handing out food and water for at least 100 people daily (3 meals per day.) He says that people are starting to return to their homes and the work crews are helping them put things back together. He and his dad are starting by repairing the roof to the church where the food is being served. He says it has been really hot and muggy down there but he is doing okay and is enjoying helping people out.

Carrie's Update: My life hasn't been nearly as exciting... On Friday I had Coleen, Niki, and Shauna over for a girls' night. (Much easier to host without a husband around. ) On Saturday I had to work and then went with Jamie, Amanda, Roni, and a few other friends to the Sausage Festival in Vancouver. I did in fact eat a weiner, and also an elephant ear. No one would ride on the Zipper with me and I was bummed, but Jamie won me a stuffed pig at the Super Payloader game!

8 States in 3 Days!

A quick update about David's travels... He and his dad made it into Kansas on Wednesday night and then last night they were camped out near the Texas/Louisiana border. They should be in Baton Rouge today to start working, but I haven't been able to talk to David yet. I am excited to hear about the work they are doing.

My Good Man

Good thing David is unemployed right now. (Never thought I would say that!) The break in his employment gives him the chance to help out with the Hurricane Katrina destruction which is really exciting (and scary.) He and his dad left yesterday morning to drive down to Baton Rouge, and they will be spending a couple/few weeks down there helping with the relief efforts. It sounds like they will be mainly clearing debris, helping with rebuilding efforts, and handing out supplies. Several of our friends, family, church members, and the teens at Camp Yamhill this weekend made donations to help them fund their trip. Thanks so much to everyone who contributed!

I talked to David last night and they had made it into Utah. They were stopped at an RV park to spend the night. (They are taking Jim's truck and camper filled with all their tools and supplies for the trip.) They were both tired but looking forward to the work ahead of them. Please keep them in your prayers/thoughts/etc.

Changes

I am sorry to report that we did not make it to the top of Saddle Mountain this weekend. It was a three mile hike to the top and we made it just past halfway. It was a beautiful hike and lots of fun, but one of the girls in the youth group wasn't feeling well and we had to keep stopping for her. If we would have had more time, we might have been able to go up farther. The views on the the hike were amazing though, and I want to go back sometime and do the whole trail!

David has an interview for a job in Vancouver today. A friend from our church is a manager at a specialty gas company and David is applying to be a delivery/sales guy. Please say prayers/send happy thoughts/etc on his behalf! (For those of you who may not know, his youth ministry job with Central is ending this weekend after Faith Quest. They let him know about a month ago that financially, the church wouldn't be able to pay him after the summer. We were pretty bummed about it at first, but we plan to stay there and volunteer - we have really enjoyed working with the teens there and I think the group is finally starting to grow.)

David and I are also looking for a new apartment right now. The ghetto just isn't cutting it for us anymore. If you know of a place in the Mt. Tabor/Gateway/Central area that has two bedroom apartments at a decent price - let us know! (Oh yeah, and they have to have a washer and dryer hook-up, dishwasher, deck/patio, and allow small dogs - 'cause we really want to get one!)

I Wanted to Say Something...

I was on the MAX the other night after work and I overheard some teenage girls who were chatting near me. (No, I was not really eavesdropping, but it's hard not to hear what other people are saying when they are standing right next to you in a crowded car.) They looked to be around 14 or 15 (maybe younger...) and they were talking about how their summers had been going. One of them declared that she had made out with SO many guys already since school had been out. She said it was lots of fun. One of the other girls declared that she had probably made out with more boys than the first girl had. The first girl responded that this was probably true, because the second girl "got around" more than she did. The second girl defended herself by claiming that she didn't really f--- many of them, just messed around. The first girl agreed and said that she hadn't f---ed a whole lot either. She added that she wasn't a slut like so-and-so's girlfriend. The third girl was silent during this conversation, and I wondered if maybe she, like me, wished that there was more purpose and worth to each of our lives than her friends seemed to think.

The whole thing made me sad, and I wished I could have said something to them, but I was just a stranger on public transportation who wasn't supposed to be hearing them anyway. Unless of course, their conversation was for the benefit of those who were around them - maybe we should have been impressed by their "scoring" stats. I just felt sorry for them. I don't know what I would have said anyway, but I wish I would have said something...

Weekend Update

Well, I missed hanging out with Suzie and Tasha while they were in town this weekend, but that was because my time had already been booked. (Darn busy summer schedules!) I went to Erin's wedding on Friday evening with Laurie - it was so beautiful! It was held at the Columbia Gorge Hotel and the ceremony and cocktail hour took place on a cliff overlooking the river. Erin was a gorgeous bride and she looked stunning in her dress. (whistle, whistle) It was fun to see Peter and Jessica there, and also to watch all the action on the dance floor during the reception. hee hee

On Saturday I helped out with the youth group rummage sale that was held at our church. The teens made about $1,000! There was quite a collection of junk there though, and it wasn't so fun cleaning up afterwards. During the last hour of the sale, it was declared that everything was free in the hopes that people would start clearing out the merchandise. It worked pretty well - several people walked out with armloads of full bags and boxes. David scored a couple of tools and I got a CD called Ambiance (spa-style relaxing tunes.)

David is gone again. (This is the reoccurring theme of my summer.) He and the youth group are in Astoria this week. They are building a prayer garden at the church where his dad works during the day and seeing all the sights of the city in the evenings. I am joining them on Thursday night when they are going camping at Saddle Mountain. We are supposed to be hiking to the summit on Friday. We'll see who can make it to the top! =)

Sweet Songs from the 80's!

Hey! I just took a fun test with lyrics from sweet 80's songs! If you have some time on your hands, you should check it out!

http://www.yetanotherdot.com/asp/80s.html

Final Score: 56.15
Can you beat me?!

Bundle of Joy

I have some exciting news! I know that you will all share in my joy as I announce that I had a chinchilla sighting last night! David and I were shopping at Lloyd Center after work and I dragged him down to the pet shop for a glimpse of the puppies and other small, furry critters. Lo and behold, there in the front display was a cuddly bunch of four baby chinchillas! I was ecstatic!

They really are the most adorable creatures of ever! David said that he didn't mind if we got one, so now the wheels in my head have been turning. I have already done considerable research about these rodents, but I think I have a little more to do. Anyone have $100 they can spare?

Fun and Games

Update time! What has been happening in Carrie's life? you ask. Well, not a whole lot, so luckily you won't have to read very much. David was gone this last weekend for a youth retreat at the beach. I went downtown to The Bite on Friday evening with Coleen and we met several other friends there. It was super crowded so we ended up sitting in a cramped group on the grass and couldn't really see the bands from where we were. We could hear them though, and I guess that's the important part.

I had to work on Saturday and then I tried to spend the rest of the day indoors because it was so hot! I don't know if I've mentioned this before in my Blog but they are painting our apartments right now and so we've had our windows sealed up. Thankfully, they weren't all sealed up at one time, but it makes airflow difficult when one end of your residence is blocked-up. blah. And with this weather! - it's crazy! David came back on Sunday from Coos Bay and I was happy to have him back at home. We played several rounds of UpWords, Mancala, and Rummikub. I don't care if that makes us sound like an old couple - I love playing games!

TGIF

I have a spring in my step because it's Friday, and that's one of my favorite days of the week! Nevermind the fact that I still have to work tomorrow - it's still the weekend, and that's the important part. On Wednesday, David and I went to a free concert in Washington Park. It was a group called the Buckles and they played country music from the 50's and 60's in their green sparkly jackets. It was fun to see little kids dancing everywhere and some older couples showing off their moves too. Our friend Eric predicted that one of the ladies on the "dance floor" was an ex-cheerleading-coach because she was very intense and had a really unique style. It was funny.

Last night Danny had us over to his place for dinner. He impressed us with his culinary skills, but I had to turn down the Stove Top Stuffing because it is my very least favorite food in the world. (there's something about soggy bread crumbs...) We got to see a lot of his cool photographs and then he and David "entertained" us with several rounds of Dr. Mario on classic Nintendo. whoop whoop

Check One off My List!

I got to experience The Pied Cow for the first time last evening thanks to Niki and Coleen. How did I make it through four years of college in Portland and never stop by the place? Crazy. Well, the dessert and the company were enjoyable, and I look forward to future "girl's nights" and possibly learning to knit. (Coleen promises that I won't get addicted...)

Yamp Camhill

I am back at work today ending another enjoyable weekend. David and I went out to Camp Yamhill on Friday after work for a weekend retreat with our church. We stayed until Sunday afternoon and had a really great time! The weather was beautiful (although a little bit toasty) and the grounds of the camp are always lovely. We got to climb the rock wall on Saturday, and I made it about half way up - scary! Of course David made it to the top in 2 minutes - he's so competitive!

We also went swimming on Saturday since it was so HOT! I tried wading in slowly, but seriously the river felt like it could have ice cubes in it. brrr... So I went off the rope swing instead. I could hardly breathe when I hit the water. It was freezing! We played slip n'slide baseball later that day and ended it with a campfire complete with smores and stove-top popcorn. My wildlife sightings for the weekend included several newts, an abundance of dragonflies and gnats, several small fish, and a dead squirrel on the drive home.

Someone Needs to Get Out More...

Happy Belated B-day to A-Rae! (Who, by the way, totally needs to update her Blog! Hello? We want to know what's going on with you!) To celebrate another year of Amanda's life, Anna organized a suprise get-together at Hoyt Arboretum. I had never been there before, and it looks like a really nice place to go hiking - lots of trails, trees, small woodland creatures, etc. We had a picnic on the top of a hill with a gorgeuos view and then played a bit of badmiton and frisbee. We also stopped by the Rose Garden, but it was after nine so it was a little difficult to see the flowers. They smelled really delicious though, and I told David that he needs to take me there sometime during the day. I feel ashamed to live in Portland and never visit all of the incredible places that the city has to offer. Maybe I should start a list of "must-see" locations!

Wilson-fest 2005

August already! My summer break is almost over! (Yeah, I wish I had a summer break - those were the days! *sigh*) I did take Monday and Tuesday off of work though, and that was nice. David and I went camping with my family in Florence for the weekend. It's an annual event for my relatives to reserve a campsite by the dunes and we always have a great time. This year a couple of the families weren't able to make it, which was a bit disappointing, but I guess that's what happens when a family gets bigger and everyone is going in their own direction. Our fun activities included an afternoon at Honeyman Park (all the younger kids and David were swimming while the rest of us huddled in the sandy wind), foxtail throwing, several rounds of whiffle ball, a rousting game of sardines, making Smores over the campfire, suffering through a game of Risk where my cousin Steve took over the known world, and learning to take an 8 minute shower (you know the coin-operated type - ew.)

Oh yeah, and my cousin Jeni had her new little baby there and I got to hold him. His name is Malachi and he is 7 weeks old - how precious! I got to feed him too and the little oinker ate two whole bottles - whew! I hope that babies aren't contagious because two of my other cousins are pregnant right now too. (hmmm...or do I secretly hope that babies are contagious....? hmmm)

Keep Me Outta' the Gutter!

I almost had a turkey! Can you believe it? I was only one pin away! That's right folks - I'm talking about bowling. A group of my co-workers took a trip over to Hollywood Bowl last night and had some friendly competition on the lanes. It was gals against guys, and we both ended the night with with a win. On the ladies' side: Laurie, Shawn Marie and myself dominated the first game. I got a 137 - my highest score ever! It must have been the luck of my swirled-green 11 pound ball. On the mens' team: Danny, Gabe, and Heavy V beat us in the second round. I had two strikes in the last frame and thought I was going to pull-off the third, but one of the pins refused to submit to my forceful throw. So close...

Sunday Splash!

Oh, I forgot to report about the rest of my weekend - it ended with even more fun. Coleen invited us to go swimming with her after church on Sunday. We went to the Sandy river in Troutdale with Eric, Niki, Jon, and Tabitha. The water was freezing and there were so many people there! It took me a long time to get in the water since I am a big wussy (in a totally cool way of course) but I finally mananged to get out there and have fun. There were kids everywhere just jumping right in without a second thought - I guess they have thicker skin than I do. The river was really broad, but it wasn't very deep. I could walk across the entire thing! The water was all nasty brown and had a funky smell to it - gross huh? Supposedly this is one of the cleaner rivers around - way to go Oregon.

Look at them now!

Another brief weekend. *sigh* David came home on Friday evening and I was glad to have him return after another week of being gone at camp. I don't know how people can maintain long-distance relationships - I was just glad that he was able to call me everyday and that it was only for a week. I just miss him so much when he's gone. Seriously, how do people manage it? Let me know if you have any insights.

On Saturday after work we drove down to Philomath to celebrate with one of my high school friends. She got married in May in Birmingham, and her parents were hosting a wedding celebration for her here in Oregon. It was really great to see a lot of my high school buddies - I hadn't seen some of them in years! It was interesting to also see how different our lives are now that we have gone separate ways.

When looking at the lives of the five of us friends who were at the party this weekend, it is hard to believe that we all came from the same tiny town. The variety includes: My recently married friend who just bought a new house in Alabama, sports a HUGE diamond ring, has an English Bulldog named Sherman, and complains endlessly about people and events from years ago. Another friend who has gone to 3 different colleges (with no degree as of yet to show for it), gets paid big bucks to be a nanny for two girls, writes a column for a local newspaper and lives in Corvallis with a guy with a very jealous girlfriend. Yet another of the friends went to a local community college to study photography, is living in Philomath with her parents, has a 1-year-old daughter, and works part-time at a local thrift shop. Finally, one of the gals is working on her Masters in economics at U of O, works for the state of Oregon in Salem as a legal assistant, and has a very mellow social life. Oh, and of course there is me, and I am the coolest of them all!

Weddings, Babies, and other such nonsense

I swear something exciting happened... I just can't remember what it is right now, so I guess I'll have to write about the mundane stuff until I think of it. Hmmmm... Last weekend was pretty pleasant. On Friday I went to Shaun and Jessica's wedding rehersal. (David was the best man for the second time this summer - sheesh!) Saturday was their wedding which was nice. It was pretty small and simple, but I enjoyed it because it was very sincere and suited them very well. Her dress was very beautiful and Carly and Amber made lovely bridesmaids. David knocked over a candle at the reception and got hot wax all over his suit (and he only had one glass of sparkling wine!) Joey and Crystal stayed with us for the weekend again and we had Jon and Tabitha over to watch a movie with us after the wedding. (Crystal picked "The Pacifier" - what a cheesy flick! And I didn't realize that Vin Diesel was such a lousy actor! I guess it had some funny parts...)

On Sunday after church we went to Red Robin for lunch. (David had already left for yet another week of couseling out at Camp Yamhill.) Heidi and Dustin Merritt joined us and Desarae Smith (I think that's how she spells it...) came with her 3-week-old son Ethan. I got to hold him and he was so adorable and tiny. Of course it just made me want to have one of my own, even though he cried almost the entire time I had him. It was because he was hungry though - not because I am a bad baby-holder!

At least it's not a broken heart...

Is it bad luck to break a dish? I ask because our set of 12 glasses has been reduced to a sad 11. I closed our dishwasher door with a bit too much enthusiasm last night and demolished one of our precious tumblers. David assured me that they were just cheap glasses and that we could probably even find one at a garage sale, but I still felt bad. I was responsible for breaking our first dish! (Although, aren't you impressed that we didn't break any dishes at all before our 1 year anniversary? I've been know to drop a few plates and bowls in my years...)

The other blog

I have another blog.
It's name is Xanga.
It is nice.
You can go there if you want.
It is a lot like my blog spot.
They are friends.
Its home is here:
http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=CRudey

Follow-up

Since I promised in my last post...I will let you know how the banana bread turned out (oh, by the way, it had walnuts so it was no ordinary banana bread!) I thought it was pretty decent, David raved that it was delicious (although he ate his warmed in the microwave and spread with butter - NOT the way it is intended to be eaten, mind you) and one of my co-workers proclaimed that it was like a piece of heaven. He/she told me that I should try selling it on the Internet, and then proceeded to eat over half the loaf! Jeepers!

Now for my movie review:

I give National Treasure "one thumb up and one thumb sideways." I had high expectations for this flick and the storyline was pretty decent. It promised action, and I think it delivered. Nicholas Cage and the other dude were great, but the female lead - played by Diane Kruger, was a little weak. I think that if they would have cast Julia Roberts, the film would have been much improved.

The film Something's Gotta Give gets only "one thumb up" from me. It doesn't get the other thumb because it creeped me out that a 60-something playboy was hooking up with ladies younger than 30. bllrrrrlllrrrr! (sound made by sticking out your tongue and shivering) Diane Keaton was really swell and I imagine myself being a bit like her character when I am more "mature." (except for being divorced and sleeping with the aforementioned playa', of course.)

The Paparazzi should have been a clue.

Celebrity sightings! Well, not exactly...but it was cool to see Gayleon (sp?) and Carly on the MAX the other day after work. I also talked to Mary (Randy's girlfriend) on the MAX one morning on the way to work. Perhaps weirdest of all, we saw Chris West at the Salt Lake City airport on our way to Tulsa. Crazy! Why are all these people following me?!

In other important news. I baked some banana bread last night that looks super delicious. I haven't tried it yet, but I will be sure to let you know the results!

OK was better than okay!

I'm back, and let me just say that it is great to be back in Oregon where I can walk outdoors and not immediately be covered in a fine layer of moisture and sweat. That's right folks, Oklahoma was hot and humid! But more about OK in a moment...first an exciting tale of daring and adventure...

I had someone arrested on Friday! As far as my life goes - that is pretty exciting! For reasons of confidentiality I can't really go into details, but someone tried to pull a fast one on me at the CU and I snapped my fingers in his face and proclaimed, "I don't think so busta'!" Well, it wasn't quite that glamorous, but he was taken away in cuffs nonetheless, and it was found that he had fraudulent materials and drugs (gasp!) on him. Phew!

After all that excitement I was certainly ready for a vacation! David and I flew to Oklahoma on Saturday and returned yesterday. It was a really great trip and it was nice to meet a lot of his extended family. We stayed with his second cousins Paul and Tammie who live in a beautiful 4 bedroom, A-frame cabin with their three adorable children (our third cousins?! - I don't know how that works!) The only downside is that they had a clawfoot tub rather than a shower with this hand-held spout thing - it was kinda' weird. Plus we were bathing several times a day because of the sweat-factor.

The 4th of July party his family threw was way totally rockin'! Several of the relatives live on a 40 acre ranch with several ponds, an orchard, horses, etc.; and that is where the extravaganza was held. They had a catered BBQ buffet, a country/rock band that performed through the evening, thousands of dollars worth of fireworks, and several inflatable structures for the kids (and adults) to play on. I climbed all the way to the top of the air-filled rock wall - go me!
By the way, I take back any comments I made about Oklahoma being flat and ugly. The area outside of Tulsa that we visited was really beautiful. It's still flat though.

Let's see if I can come up with something...

Nothing eventful has happened since my last entry, but it's been a week so I figure I should come up with something. David is still gone this week, so I've been a little lonely. He returns this evening though, and I am very excited about that! Oklahoma here we come!

This last weekend I went home and visted my family. After church on Sunday we walked around downtown Corvallis and visited all the neat little shops. I wasn't in a money spending mood - it never seems that I am these days - so I didn't buy anything. Oh wait, I did have a milkshake, and it was carmel flavored goodness. On Monday I got to hang out with my little bros and sis (both Ben and Jere are taller than me now!) We went to a playground and played kickball and frisbee and "lava tag" - you all remember that game right? My mom made a couple of her infamous pizzas while I was there too - so good!

I don't think I have any stories to tell about the rest of the week. Let's see...last night I went to Eric and Niki's house for dinner and games. Shaun and Jessica were there too and we enjoyed Niki's homemade lasagna. I've been thinking - I really need to learn how to cook. I need a signature dish. Right now that would probably be Hamburger Helper or something else pre-made and equally unimpressive. blah.

Well don't worry faithful readers, I will have some exciting stories to share when I return from the land of tumbleweed and dust....at least I hope I do.