hello from raleigh

My first mobile post

2009-10-05T18:32:00.001-07:00

This could be annoying.

I made it!

2008-05-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

Nine states later (beware of my geographical skills kids) and I am in North Carolina. No furniture, no dogs, and no Jim. I have a huge empty house. Its all part of the journey I guess. Just cross your fingers that our house sells fast.

The area is nice. The house is in a great neighborhood... errr... subdivision, and there is easy access to everything. I guess I did not realize Raleigh was so flat. No Indiana flat, but flat. Living in a river basin kind of flat. It is very green, and there are lots of soft deciduous trees as opposed to the scraggly sharp firs in Oregon. It feels like the southeast. It smells like the southeast. It has allergens like the southeast. I'm happy to be back.

Friday the guys from work took me to lunch which was very nice of them. It makes me a little less nervous about Monday. Today one of them invited me to a craft market which would have been awesome, but alas... I had to wait for the guy to come and fix the downstairs toilet.

The house is good. It is a little worn. The landlady said the family that lived there before had 3 little girls. That explains the marks - both crayon and other - all over. They didn't paint the interior, which is okay. It is less pressure on us. Plus the living room is the full 2 story height. Painful to paint. I'm sorry folks, but kids are WAY harder on a house (and a car) than dogs. Sherman and Muldoone may rub down the sides of the wall, but they never do it with a crayon in their mouth. I also think the previous tenants had a pet or two. You can just tell. I'm waiting to find some pee. All a part of the renting game though. Really... moving into a bachelor's 1950 rundown bungalow is quite nastier. I forget that. I also forget the nasty horror that our last rental house was. I tend to block stuff like that out. So this is a cake walk. Plus I am easily freaked out, so I have to re-clean everything. Too bad mom isn't here to help.

Happy birthday, kinda

2008-04-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

I made it through Oregon and Idaho (no... Udaho!). I was going to stop just inside the Wyoming border for the night the first day. I got to the first town and all the hotels were full. I got to the next town, and all the hotels were full. So I asked what was up, and the lady said they had been booked for months in advance... she said it was the "oil boom". Huh? She asked which way I was headed, and when I said east she just shook her head. Crap. I ended up going almost to Colorado for the night which was far further than I had intended. I got to sleep at 1am mountain time. That pretty much put me off kilter for the rest of the trip. I made sure I called ahead to find a place to sleep each night, which meant I either went farther than I wanted or not far enough. The second day I got up late and went down through Colorado. Apparently I missed a big storm by going south. I had never been to Colorado (save the airport) before, and I wanted to see Pike's Peak. I got off the interstate at Trinidad CO and nosed around. That is such an interesting town. I ended up in Las Vegas New Mexico for the night.... also a neat town.

The next morning I got up really early, determined to make it to Jim's parents house, or at the very least Little Rock Arkansas. It was my birthday. My 35th birthday. So I was wondering what wonderful things the day would hold. Ha! About an hour into my journey I lost a tire. I had no idea where I was, except I knew I was on I-40 in New Mexico. AAA was good to me. Jim was good to me too... finding the nearest Nissan dealership since there was NO way there was an Infiniti dealership for hundreds of miles. The nearest Nissan dealership was i Amarillo TX, which was not close. My car has a very odd size tire on it, so there aren't many places that would have one. I could not get to my cheater tire without unloading a completely full trunk. I couldn't even drive the several hundred miles to Amarillo anyway. A nice guy came and towed me to Amarillo. It was actually nice to have someone else drive for awhile, and to have someone to talk to. Of course it was kinda like hiring a date. He was not a cheap travel companion. When I got to the Nissan dealership, they ordered the tires (yes I got all 4) and worked me in.

Needless to say. I got a ride with a crazy tow truck driver and 4 new tires for my birthday.

North Carolina Bound!

2008-03-28T18:34:00.000-07:00

So things have been CRAZY lately. I don't know if you guys even check this anymore, but...

I have taken a job in Raleigh NC. My last day at my current job is April 11th. Jim and I are going to visit Heather in California the 16th - 21st, and then I am going to drive out to Raleigh. I have to get a rental house, which is stressful, but poor Jim has it much worse. He is staying here in Portland with the house. He is finishing up some of the work and putting it on the market.

This happened very fast. Much too fast, but I think I have made a good decision.

Burning Off Bad Karma

2008-03-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

When faced with unfortunate circumstances, a person’s true nature comes out. I think I have the upper hand on some. A) My true nature is actually pretty nice and caring – contrary to popular belief. B) I am a seasoned flyer, and although things can frustrate and inconvenience me, I don’t get freaked out or anything. I’m not saying it isn’t anxiety inducing, but I know that it will just become an adventure and all work out in the end. I know my last post reflected my fatigue and frustration, but really the whole experience was very interesting. People who freak out, cry, scream, and act as if they will never see their home again are pretty entertaining to watch. I do however feel very very very sorry for the people having to deal with these idiots. Its funny how the gate agents remembered me when I came back from another cancelled flight needing help. They greeted me with an exuberant “Hello Ms. Reed!”

One thing that is pretty great is how people sort of rally together. I met so many nice people from all over the place. When you have nothing but time, you might as well get to know each other, right?

The most interesting person was an incredible woman from DC that I met in the bar on the second day in the DC airport. She was such a strong loving person. She has helped over a dozen transsexuals go through the sex change process. She was not herself transgender. She gives them a place to live when necessary, stays with them through the agonizing transitioning process prior to their operations, and she travels with them and gives them moral support when they have their surgery. She said she had been to Portland several times to a notorious doctor that used to live here. He was pushed out when the hospital he was in was sucked in by a religiously affiliated hospital conglomerate. We hit it off and spent several hours chatting and laughing. Oh and there were some bloody marys involved, but that is beside the point.

I also met a cool girl from LA that lives part time in Rochester NY. She works for Kodak as a designer. We had an hour to get to know each other while we waited in the freezing rain for the hotel shuttle. One woman I met when I was finally on the plane to Syracuse. She was a retired writer for a horse magazine, and she had traveled all over the world following equestrian events. And then there was this outgoing little boy who, after hours and hours in an airport, had worn on his mother. He struck up a conversation with me. I do not like kids as a general rule, but I don't mind them when they act like little adults. He have a skateboard, and he promised me I could ride it. So I did… badly. It was crowded as all get out in the terminal, so there I was making my way through the people. I wasn’t really skateboarding as much as pushing people over to keep from falling off as I hurtled down the concourse. The kid really enjoyed that… he was behind me squealing all the way, and I was laughing so hard I could barely see through the tears. At that point I was hysterical from the lack of sleep and the stress.

I also met a guy my age from Maine who was trying to get home because his dad was just put on life support and not expected to make it much longer. He was trying desperately to get there to see him. Funny…. he was calm and respectful despite the circumstances. We were chatting and sitting across the way from a woman screaming obscenities to the customer service person about how she was going to miss her daughter’s birthday. Bitch. That’s why they make “happy belated birthday” cards. I don’t recall Hallmark making a “sorry for not being able to tell you I love you before you died dad” card. Hum… Finally, after what seemed to be hours of her yelling, I could not take it anymore. So I of course had to say something to her. Not enlightening her on just how much of a bitch she was, although it was hard not to, but I told her she was in fact not the center of the universe, that there were people there who had real problems, and that she should apologize to the customer service lady because it is completely inappropriate to talk to anyone like that - ever. Of course I said it in my sweetest southern “love your heart, but…” sort of way.

Happy Leap Day

2008-02-29T22:01:00.000-08:00

I got my bag at 3am Thursday morning. I was just in time to sleep in my pjs for a couple of hours before going to work. I had somewhat boring meetings all day, and after work I drove to Rochester to stay the night at a hotel by the airport. I was afraid of the driving conditions on the way… you know… since it was 8 degrees F. Everything was pretty clear though. Before I got to the airport I called to see if the hotel had a shuttle because I was going to go ahead and turn in the car, Well the hotel was on airport property, It was actually at the end of the departures drop off, and right next to the rental car return. It took me literally a minute to cross the road and get to the hotel. Oh that was the best bed ever. Well at least the best in a few days. I stayed up way too late, but it was nice for the 4 hours I slept, and the 4 hours I watched tv, drank my green tea, and played on the computer. At 5am I rolled out of bed, rolled over to the United check-in desk, and rolled through security slick as a ribbon.

So I think I am noticing a trend. This morning an old couple sat down next to me and pulled out some bananas. Just like the situation in the Las Vegas airport, I asked them where they got them – you know sometimes they actually sell fruit at newsstands and starbux in the airport. Well the old man said they brought them from home. He said they had an extra one, and he pulled a banana from his bag. I of course took it. Mom said never take candy from strangers, but she never said anything about bananas.

Both my flights were on time coming home. And I guess as payback, I got bumped to first class for my 4 ½ hour flight from Chicago to Portland. Does it fade the nightmare of futilely switching flights over and over again all day Tuesday and part of Wednesday? Does it make me less grossed out about spending several days in the same clothes (I did shower however)? Does it forgive the fact I missed a day long workshop? Does it lessen the anxiety of breaking out of my normal travel routine? No… but it REALLY helps.

Hello Mr. Bag.... I missed you

2008-02-28T09:10:00.000-08:00

Oops... can you see my underwear?

My Brief Life in Washington DC

2008-02-27T13:22:00.000-08:00

AKA... my life without clothes, toiletries, and cell phone chargers... not to mention my work computer.

I have had the worst 2 days. I flew from Portland to DC. Once I got there my flight to Rochester was cancelled. The next (and last) flight was cancelled, then uncancelled, then cancelled again. I tried to get standby on the last 2 flights to Syracuse. They were over sold by 15, and there were over 40 people ahead of me on the standby list. I tried Albany... anything. I found out today that the 2 flights to Syracuse actually took off, got to Syracuse, and could not land so they came back. I could not get a flight with a confirmed seat until 1pm today... it was to Syracuse. I knew last night that my bag was placed on the last flight to Rochester, and got there about 1am. I got here in Syracuse this afternoon, and I have been trying to get my bag ever since. I'm getting some call center with a bunch of people I can not understand. They are supposed to bring my bag to my hotel between 6pm and 10pm eastern time.

The problem is I have to check out of this hotel at 7am tomorrow. I have meeting all day, some of which I am running. I don't have my materials, computer, nothing. I bought a notebook tonight. Where the hell is my bag going? Tomorrow night I am heading back to Rochester to fly out the next morning.

They have 10 minutes.

What? What?

Viva Las Vegas!

2008-02-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

Friday morning I am embarking on a "girl's weekend" in Vegas. A bunch of us (friends from work, friends of friends) are going to paint the town red. I am looking forward to not sleeping, losing money, seeing the Chippendales, and probably consuming too much food and drink. I am getting back Monday. Then of course I am turning around and flying to New York on Tuesday morning for the week.

I'm not sure if you should expect photos... they have threatened to make sure there is no record of our antics. Yeah right!

My Pussy Willow is Blooming

2008-02-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

Rainbow

2008-02-13T20:13:00.000-08:00

We had some weird, inconsistent weather today.... oh wait. It IS oregon.

I'm being published!

2008-02-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

Well kinda. I have a photo being put in a book called "Weird US". They are using one of my photos from my trip to Tulsa. How bizarre, eh? Well I'm pretty stoked. It is my second photo to be published. Back in the summer some of my photos from Liverpool UK were published, but it was in one of their regional tourist booklets. This is much more exciting.

If I did all that with my little camera, imagine what I could do with my new one! Maybe I give up my life in the corporate world and become a professional photographer. Okay... that might be going a bit too far, but you know what I mean!

Matildamesh the Velvet Pig

2008-02-01T21:51:00.001-08:00

Today we had to have Mattie put to sleep.

When we lived in Tennessee, one day Jim and I went for a hike to Andrew's Bald at the base of Clingman's Dome in the Smoky Mountains. It was then we decided we wanted a dog. We scoured the papers, and decided to go and "just look" at a puppy. We went to Morristown to a scary house in the boonies. There she was in a muddy pen in the backyard. She was maybe 6 weeks old and the only one left. She was the runt of the litter. Her ears were way too big for her body - that never changed. We could not leave her there. So we ended up back at our apartment with a little brown disease bag. Her registered name was Matildamesh the Velvet Pig. Matildamesh was Jim's car in high school. Pig was what she looked like and how she acted. Velvet was the way hear ears felt.

She had everything worm and parasite know to dog. She cried. She pooped. She peed. She destroyed. She was smart, sneaky, and manipulative. She was also prickly and definitely not a cuddler. You had to force her to be affectionate. I can't say how many times Jim and I sat on the kitchen floor crying... asking why we did this to ourselves.

We took her to obedience school right after she was spayed. She was the youngest by far. She taunted the other dogs - the rottweilers, german shepherd... She was the teacher's pet. We of course would leave with exercises to practice, and we never would. We would stand there nervously, knowing when it was our turn she would do nothing. No... she pulled it from her butt. Perfect every time.

She loved things that squeaked. In fact they drove her crazy. She would jump and squeal and bark. She would destroy her toys, dig holes in the yard, and eat cat poop. She let the cats chew on her, attack her, and ride her like a pony. She loved kids, and she was very protective of them. She was also an excellent judge of character. She was never wrong. Never. We always joked if Mattie liked you then you were good people. I remember Jim had a friend that came over one night. Mattie would not leave him alone. She chewed on him, attacked his shoes, and showed us she did not like this guy. She did this every time he came over. She was so right. He didn't last long.

By the time she was 6 months old the three of us had come to peace. She was affectionate. She was potty trained. She did not dig in the yard. She no longer chewed. She was a smart, sweet, pretty girl - still with ears that were too big for her body. She was our baby.

She was so patient with the boys as they came into the house. She put up with each puppy, making sure they knew she was the boss. She would not show them affection either and would not mother them, but sometimes we would catch her snuggled up with them. She always looked so guilty when we caught them. As she got older she got more and more cranky. She would bark at the mailman, do her mean voice when to doorbell rang, and once she even try to attack a ground hog. We took her often to Nags Head, NC in the winter to play on the beach. She would eat the nasty things you find on the beach, and dig in the sand. She remained queen of the house up until a few months ago.

We found out a few months ago that she had cancer. We didn't want her to suffer, and Jim and I had "the talk" when we found out. After that she was allowed to do anything she wanted. She ate as many of mom's homemade dog biscuits as she wanted. She slept where she wanted, she got to dig in the yard... she got all of the special treatment. She is the first dog we have ever lost. We loved her, and we are glad we had the strength to keep our promise to her. She will be missed. 8/7/1995 - 2/1/2008

Jim on the Tractor

2008-01-28T22:45:00.000-08:00

Jim got home tonight from a trip to Jackson to see his parents and sister over the weekend. They now have all the tractors at the house, so they got in a little play time. They took some video, so I'll try to get some of that up. You can hear the cool tractor sounds.

The house was nice and quiet - except for Mattie's snoring, but I sure am glad he's home.

Snow? What Snow?

2008-01-28T12:27:00.000-08:00

We apparently had some awful weather last night. There was ice and several inches of snow. Seems like North Portland didn't get hit. There was barely a dusting (the red car makes it more dramatic) here at the house. The roads around the house were completely clear. Good thing I am off this week. Over the ridge at my office it was a mess. Ahhhh.... dogs, pajamas, and wool socks.

The Wonders of Tulsa

2008-01-24T06:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, so Skaneateles NY has the cleanest lake in the country. Toronto has the tallest structure in North America. Santa Fe NM has the oldest house in America. San Jose CA has the Winchester Mystery House. Quinault WA has the largest spruce tree. Oregon has the shortest lighthouse in America.

But.... Tulsa Oklahoma has the Center of the Universe. Yes. It is true. 2 people stand across from each other and one can hear the other person's voice echo, but not there own. Well Tiffanie and I got excited! It took us awhile to figure out how it worked, but a nice little passerby told us. If you stand there by yourself you hear the echo, but no one else does. It was in a very unassuming place downtown. They have built a bunch of pedestrian bridges over the railroad tracks as part of an urban renewal project. The center of the universe was on one of those bridges right next to the Tulsa Union Depot.

Overall I think Tiffanie and I took in the wonders of Tulsa, and we don't need to go back anytime soon.

Such a Mix of Architectural Styles

2008-01-24T05:58:00.000-08:00

Boston Avenue Methodist Church

2008-01-24T05:57:00.000-08:00

Hey! I'm at the Center of the Universe!

2008-01-24T05:56:00.000-08:00

Impressive, huh?

2008-01-24T05:55:00.000-08:00

This is it.

Center of the Universe, Oklahoma Style

2008-01-24T05:53:00.000-08:00

Google maps never lies. Well... almost never.

Oral Roberts University

2008-01-22T23:49:00.000-08:00

So I know it seems like Oral Roberts University is weird place to visit when you go to Tulsa Oklahoma, but it was kinda cool... and kinda weird. I had heard there was some pretty cool architecture there, and there was for sure. There was lots of "Sunsphere gold" on the buildings. We were fortunate that we got there late in the afternoon because the setting sun intensified the golden glow. I don't know what was cooler, the prayer tower or the praying hands.

The Praying Hands

2008-01-22T23:09:00.000-08:00

The hands were VERY veiny - creepily so.

The Prayer Tower

2008-01-22T23:01:00.000-08:00

It looks like a spaceship crossed with a carnival ride.

Oral Roberts University

2008-01-22T23:00:00.000-08:00

I'm an Oklahoma Queen

2008-01-22T17:49:00.000-08:00

Tif and got into Tulsa this afternoon. But unfortunately my luggage did not. We flew from Portland to Denver, then from Denver to Tulsa. Apparently there was not room for my luggage (as well as several other people's) from Portland to Denver, so they sent it from Portland to Chicago, and then it was going to be in Tulsa when I got there. Ummm. No. The flight it was supposed to be on was cancelled. Then the next one they put it on just landed. Grrr. Several of the guys from NY that are meeting us here were on that flight, so I got the inside scoop.

I just heard that my friend Jill in Knoxville is getting married!!! Yay! I'm so happy for her!

Sherman and his babies

2008-01-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

We've started buying them at Ikea. They last longer and they are machine washable. Oh and they are his favorite. He loves carrying the octopus around and hitting things with the tentacles.

Me!

2008-01-19T19:02:00.000-08:00

Well I have been doing the 365 project. I take a picture of myself everyday. This is number 19. It is getting hard to keep being creative with it. I have only so many ideas.

Bucky sent me this... bless him...

2008-01-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

"Baby Got Back" covered by Jonathan Coulton.

I've been poked!

2008-01-08T18:18:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I had acupunture for the first time. The woman I went to was really nice and made me feel really comfortable about it, I was scared to death when I went in there. She was a licensed acupuncturist, and she had a degrees from Portland's Oregon's College of Oriental Medicine. She also had an MFA in Photography from Arizona State University.

The whole process was kinda weird, but it made some sense. It didn't hurt at all... in fact it felt really good. It was very relaxing, too bad I had to get into my car and drive home in traffic afterwards.

Kitty Wigs

2008-01-05T22:35:00.000-08:00

We just saw a bit about Kitty Wigs on the Graham Norton Show. Holy crap.... just when you think the world is an awful, scary, mean place you find something like this. People who have such an imagination are amazing. Please check out the website. It is worth it. The wigs are $50, but they give 20% to the ASPCA. They even have a Flickr photo pool of animals wearing the wigs!

On another note... things are going fine here. My first travel of the year is next week. I leave for NY on the 13th. I'm so excited I could make some lemonade {sarcasm}. I just hope there is no snow. At least this time Tiffanie will be joining me for part of the week. Then I will be home for a few days the it is off to Tulsa Oklahoma. I've never been there. Tiffanie and I are super excited. Please see lemonade comment above.

New Year's Resolutions

2008-01-01T18:27:00.000-08:00

I don't normally do this, but...

Be nice to Jim (see previous post).
Be better about blogging. I need to do this not only for you guys, but I need to do it to keep a sort of history of the things that I do. Hey, I have a bad memory.
Concentrate more on my health and wellness. I'm not getting any younger... get off my ass.
Work diligently to keep up with people. I am horrible at this. I have lots of people I love that I have let fall completely from my life, or I have very little contact with. This makes me sad.
Take more pictures, and keep up with them better. Yes. I know I take alot, but I just got a new fancy camera!
Take part in the 365 project. It is where you take a photo of yourself everyday for a year.
Get my website and portfolio together. I need to be able to have a reference for my professional accomplishments.
Expand my mind. This may be as simple as reading more or as complex as pursuing another degree. We shall see.
Get a tattoo and/or additional piercing. Calm down. I'm pretty conservative about these things. I'm just entering a rebellious phase. Heaven help my mid-life crisis.
Work more on the house. I don't want to repeat "the Bexhill experience" which was live in a state of construction and finish the house right before putting it on the market - unable to enjoy living there.
Spend more time exploring Portland. It is a great city, and I should take advantage of it when I am not traveling.
Push my comfort zones. I'm too old to be afraid of things - I just need to roll with it and enjoy whatever situation I find myself in.
Not be so hard on myself. It is okay for me to not be perfect all the time, right?

I think this list might be a bit ambitious, but according to the last resolution I will try not to be too hard on myself about it. I feel pretty confident about it though. A) I have blogged it.

2008: The Year of the Jim

2008-01-01T15:03:00.000-08:00

In 2008, Jim's birthday is falling on 08/08/08. So this has been dubbed "Jim's Year".

What does this mean for me, since it is ultimately all about me? Let's put this in perspective, shall we?

1994 & 1995: The years of being nice to Jim

1996 thru 1999: The years of weekly alternating between nice and cantankerous to Jim

2000 thru 2002: The years of being mediocre (mostly nice... debatable) to Jim

2003 thru 2005: The years of being completely hellish to Jim (grad school... it was hard for all of us)

2006: The year of downgrading to just being mean to Jim

2007: The year of not being mean to Jim (that was hard)

2008: The year of being nice to Jim

So far... keep in mind it is day 1... I am doing pretty well, but it is seriously creeping Jim out. What does 2009 hold for poor Jim? I think I will break him in slowly and just not be mean again.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

Last night was spent roasting marshmallows (gelatin is not so vegetarian, but...) and tofu hot dogs which was kind of a disaster - they did not cook very easily over the fire. We had a roaring fire, some Newcastle, and plenty of babies. Poor Muldoone did not really like the fire, but you know he is the wimpy one. We watched South Park until about 2 and slept in front of the fire. All in all it was a nice, quiet evening.

I still have to finalize my resolutions. I guess I have all day to do that!

Goodbye 2007

2007-12-31T10:38:00.000-08:00

As I look back on 2007 it has been a pretty tumultuous year:

spent 80k miles in a plane, and how many in a car?
traveled to New York, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Washington, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Illinois, Toronto, and even to England and Scotland
went back to Knoxville
explored Portland
explored the West coast
got to spend time with Mom and Dad
visited with family
visited with old friends
made new friends
moved
bought a house
started fixing up a house, hey landscaping is traumatic!
kayaked for the first time
had sick puppies
learned to get past some of my phobias
had to say goodbye too many times
learned alot about myself and my limits

I don't usually do new year resolutions, but I think this time I might.

Holidays with the Family

2007-12-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

Bucky and Holly came into town from San Diego Friday night. We had a good weekend together. They came up and spent the night Sunday night. We drank some spirits and played some cards. It was really fun. I spent Monday and Tuesday night down at mom and dad's. We always open presents on christmas eve. Jim had to work, so we waited until he came down to begin the festivities.

We lounged around christmas day. I was feeling a bit icky. Dad, Bucky, and Holly went up to Portland to go to Powell's books. I thought it was crazy, but they are open 365 days a week. Mom and I rested up for the big after christmas shopping. Jim came down and we had our official christmas dinner that evening. Bucky and I started to go to Spirit Mountain Casino christmas night, but the roads had been wet all day, and it had turned to ice. We were bummed... nothing like gambling on christmas!

We got up early on Wednesday to join the madness. We concentrated on the outlet mall, which was a good call. We shopped for 3 hours straight and came home with my trunk stuffed to capacity with our purchases. There was a big threat of snow for Thursday, and Bucky and Holly were afraid that they would not be able to get to the airport from McMinnville if it snowed, so I took them up to stay at a hotel by the airport. We had a great visit, and I was so happy they got to come up for christmas.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a great day! I'm just glad to have the week off.

Winter Wonderland

2007-12-21T18:58:00.000-08:00

I flew to Skaneateles the 16th (Sunday) to spend the week. I had meetings all week, and I planned to leave Thursday afternoon. There was a ton of snow. They had been dumped on all week, and it continued. I got to the Syracuse airport just fine, but Hertz didn't have any 4 wheel drive cars left. I opted for the trusty Camry. I decided to take the I-90 (NY State Thruway) thinking it would be clearer than I-81. I think I made a pretty good choice there. Snow was coming down really hard, and I was driving pretty darn slow because it was still slick. The salt trucks and scrapers were having a hard time. No matter which way I had taken I eventually had to get off onto small roads to get to Skaneateles. I got off I-90 at Weedsport and freaked out. The streets were bad, and the snow was coming down harder. I creeped along, got honked at, and battled horizontal gusts of snow. I got to the hotel very late. It is a boutique hotel so there is no one there. You just let yourself in. Well I had trouble getting into the drive. I had to ramp up onto the snow bank made by the snow scrapers to get in. I just kept putting it in drive and gunning it, then putting it in reverse and gunning it over and over. Finally I busted through the snow bank and luckily did not hit the side of either of the houses that flanked the driveway. I had a little freak out moment there. I went around back to park and basically slid 360 degrees and left the car where it stopped. Luckily I was the only one there. Overall I think I did pretty good. Hey people.... I'm from Tennessee! I think there was almost 2 feet of snow. You better believe I made poor Paul drive me around all day the next day, but by Tuesday I was fine. Tuesday night I ventured out for dinner. Since the hotel is in "downtown" Skaneateles I could walk to everything. I walked around for a long time. It was so pretty. Wednesday it was sunny for a bit, but of course the snow stayed. It sort of snowed off and on until I left Thursday afternoon.

Today I had hoped to stay home from work, but of course I ended up going in. It was good that I did though. I got to see everyone before christmas.

Sunny New Mexico?

2007-12-10T22:59:00.000-08:00

No. Not too Sunny.

Tiffanie and I landed in Albuquerque a little after noon on Thursday. We got settled in and then explored Old Town Albuquerque. It was pretty touristy... and cold. We walked around, got some souvenirs, and headed back to the hotel. The next morning we met up with one of the guys from work who had flown in from NY. We went to a cardiac center to do some observations and interview some people. That night Tiffanie and I went to the Nob Hill district (yes... there is a Nob Hill in San Francisco and in Albuquerque - oh and Tiffanie lives in the Nob Hill neighborhood in Portland) to get dinner and shop. Nob Hill is along Central Avenue, which was once part of Route 66 so there are several crazy old motels in that area.

The next morning we left early to go to Santa Fe. We were staying until Sunday afternoon so we could spend the weekend in Santa Fe. We drive up the Turquoise Trail in search of jewelry. It is called a scenic byway, and that it is. The hills were beautiful. We drove through several mining towns, saw some old churches and "ruins". We drove through alternating rain and sun. We went to some of the shops in Midrid, and used the cleanest port-a-pot I have ever seen in my life. That is all we saw that day... port-a-pots. And let me tell you... they varied widely in quality! Our next stop was Cerrillos. I was all excited about the petting zoo-rock shop-museum combo. Their port-a-pot was permanent... just a cold deep deep deep hole in the ground with a port-a-pot sitting on top. I won't even go into detail about the general store. There was a cool church there. Wow... Cerrillos was SCARY. Their claim to fame is that Young Guns was filmed in the area. We also stopped at a place called "Tiny Town" which was uber creepy. I don't know how to describe it - click on the link. I made poor Tiffanie turn around to go back to it. Holy cow!!! When we got to the end of the Turquoise Trail I was cold and sniffly, had a heightened toilette phobia, and was covered in a variety of cactus spines.

When we got to Santa Fe late in the afternoon, and we checked into our Hotel which was located in the historic Santa Fe Plaza. We went over to Canyon Road, which is the arts district. We had an late lunch at a tapas restaurant that was recommended to us. We went back to the plaza and walked around until most things were closed. It was very cold, rainy and then snowy. We walked to dinner in the snow. The next morning we woke up to a sunny day and shopped some more in Santa Fe. Then we went north of town to a flea market. There was light snow on the mountains - it was beautiful. The flea market was pretty sparse. It was the next to last weekend they were open. We still found some good stuff. Afterwards we drove straight to the airport to fly home. We ended up getting in pretty late, but it was worth it.

Santa Fe was pretty cool. Because it was the christmas season there were luminaries on almost all of the buildings. It really was pretty. There were some neat historic buildings, and they really did a good job of keeping the adobe feel to all of the newer buildings.

I left my heart in San Francisco

2007-12-07T06:05:00.000-08:00

I had a meeting in Palo Alto CA Tuesday, and I had to be in Albuquerque NM today. So I planned to fly into San Francisco and spend some time with Heather and the Bald's on Monday. My plans changed when I found out there was a Pineapple Express coming to the West coast Sunday and Monday. It was slated to bring very high winds which would make flying difficult, scary, and maybe even impossible. So I "took one for the team" and went to San Francisco on Saturday. I don't know how Heather and the fam felt about me just inviting myself for such a long time, but I was happy to be there!

I got to spend some time with Corey, Susan and Bryn, the kids, Ron and WIllie, and Brian. It was fun. I flew into SFO in the morning, and Heather and I explored the Sutro Baths and then had breakfast at Cliff House. We messed around in downtown San Francisco for the day and went shopping in Japantown. Awesome! We met Corey at Canteen, which was a tiny diner turned snazzy restaurant in Nob Hill, and then we went on to the Tunnel Top for drinks. The next day I went on a hike with Susan, Bryn, Willie, Ron, and the kids in the Stanford Foothills to the Dish - a radio telescope built in the 60's by the Stanford Research Institute. The views were amazing, and the kids were so cute! I spent some time in Sunnyvale/Santa Clara with the Bald's, and that evening had dinner and hung out with Brian. He is hysterical!

I then had some work meetings in Palo Alto Monday (I got to drive the old ciivic - it was like riding a bicycle!) and Tuesday. I hung out with Heather while she worked. Her work is a long story, but it is something analogous to pole counting. It was great to just drive all over the place and talk and giggle. I was so happy to get to spend time with the kids too. They are so cute and growing so fast.

The time flew while I was there, and Thursday came too quickly. Thursday morning (insanely early) Heather took me to the airport to go to Albuquerque NM. I flew to Denver where I met up with Tiffanie and we flew on to Albuquerque together. I was soooo sad to leave Heather. I have been spoiled seeing her so often the past 6 months.

3658 miles and Home!

2007-11-24T23:58:00.000-08:00

Today I spent a little time in Salt Lake City. The city was okay, but I was more interested in the lake. I found a little place on the map I knew I had to go to - Antelope Island. It was well worth the side trip. I spent 3 hours on the island. It was really early in the morning, and there were bird watchers and fishermen everywhere. I think I was the only "tourist". I met a couple of really nice guys who were bird watching, and they were really excited about showing me the birds they had been watching. I drove all over the island. I think I hit all the public roads. I saw not a single antelope, but there were buffalo everywhere. I went for a hike, and I was walking among the buffalo. I got a little freaked out when I passed a coyote on the trail, so I turned back. Jim told me I should have been more afraid of the buffalo than the coyote. Whoops.

Once I left Salt Lake City I headed toward Boise ID. I was driving along the Snake River Canyon, and I decided to check it out. I went down to Shoshone Falls, which initially I thought was a mistake.... off the highway, off the main road, off the side road, off a smaller side road, and then down a nearly single lane windy, icy road. What the hell was I thinking? Well when I got to the bottom of the road I saw it. It was awesome. It was a weird combination of ice and rainbows.

I was tired and ready for my own bed so I high tailed it home to see Jim and my babies.

800 miles

2007-11-23T23:45:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving with Holly's family was really nice. It was a full house and a huge meal. We have a pretty small family, so it was kinda weird, yet nice to be in such a hectic environment. It was awesome to spend time with Bucky. I'm so glad we are able to hang out more. Yay he and Holly are coming up for Christmas!

I left out this morning to start the trip home. There is not a direct way to Portland from Tucson, but I decided to go the wiggly way so I could go some places I had always wanted to see.

I went to the Little Colorado Canyon and the Grand Canyon and took a nice little hike (I was assured that it had been to cold, so the rattlesnakes were in until spring). When you pass through the indian reservation on the way to the Grand Canyon, there are lots of roadside vendors - I can only image what it is like in the summer! I stopped and bought some jewelry. Afterwards I passed through the Painted Desert... which in my opinion was not as cool as the Painted Hills in Oregon... sorry kids. I also went to Zion UT. I wanted to go to Brice Canyon, but it had gotten too dark at that point. Holy crap it was COLD.

Well I did not mean to do quite that much today, but the traffic was so thin I felt I should take advantage of it. Of course once I was ready to stop I had a hard time finding a hotel with interior corridors. I have a thing against them. I found a seemingly okay place earlier, but there were 5 or 6 semi trucks parked out front and a bunch of guys standing outside smoking so I went on. I finally stopped in Payton UT at a nice hotel.... well nice for Payton I guess.

Shock

2007-11-23T23:36:00.000-08:00

This was the temperature around Panguitch Utah this evening. What a shock to my system.. Yesterday in Tucson it was 78.

San Diego!

2007-11-21T22:59:00.000-08:00

Bucky and I left San Diego today to go over to Tucson AZ to spend Thanksgiving with Holly and her family.

While I was in San Diego I had a great time. Bucky had to work most of the time, but I had great fun hanging out with Holly. One day she and I went to Legoland which was sooo fun! The next day we had brunch and wandered around the Hotel del Coronado - it was beautiful. We also hung out, shopped, and got our nails done. It was so fun - Holly is great! Bucky is a lucky guy!

Holly went to Tucson ahead of us with their dogs, and today Bucky and I ambled our way over. We went to the east coast of the Salton Sea. Last year I had gone to the west shore, but after seeing a documentary about it I really wanted to see the other side. It is sort of like a ghost resort town. It was eerie, and very different from the other side. Bucky and I also stopped buy the Date Oasis. We sampled the different types of dates, bought some date souvenirs, and got a yummmmy date shake. We got into Tucson pretty late and headed for bed.

San Francisco!

2007-11-18T22:41:00.000-08:00

I'm en route to San Diego to see Bucky and Holly, so of course I stopped in San Francisco! I got to spend a couple of days with Heather,the kids, and the fam.

Saturday Heather, Brian, and I went over to Pescadero. The drive to Pescadero was pretty. We went there for the anniversary lighting of the Pigeon Point lighthouse. It was awesome! We got there early and got a spot to see the lighting. It was so crowded. And cold. I felt like such a dork. I was standing there with my little canon camera, using an empty coffee cup as a "tripod". Everyone else had these huge cameras on tripods, stood there talking camera talk, and tweeking their settings. We stood there and watched the sunset and the fog roll in... it was soo pretty. We stayed at this cute little "Bed and Biscuit" in Pescadero.

This morning we headed back and dropped Brian off, and I left for San Diego.

Early Adopter or Just Plain Crazy?

2007-11-14T21:44:00.000-08:00

I ordered a Chumby. I got the email that I was eligible, and I ordered it. It should be here tomorrow. Bad thing is... I'm leaving tomorrow for California for Thanksgiving vacation. So I won't get to play with it until I get back! I'm such a gadget freak! Check out the Chumby friend's website, they look pretty cool.

ps - I got the "latte" color

$700 chocolate bar

2007-11-12T20:20:00.001-08:00

I take my car in to get worked on, and they think this will take my mind off of the price.

Okay. It worked. I ate it on the way home, and once the sugar high kicked in, I was happy driving my nicely tuned, flushed, belted, and washed car.

I love my car. Really I do, but...

2007-11-12T20:07:00.001-08:00

There are those little things that you never think about when you buy a car. Do the windows in the back roll all the way down? Does the stereo have speed sensitive volume control? Does it have weird sized tires that are only made by 2 companies? Does the back seat not fold down? Well what about - can you change your own headlights? What about the battery?

I love my car. Really I do, but... I have accepted (begrudgingly) that I have to take it to the dealership to get the headlights replaced, and I have even accepted that they are ridiculously expensive. But this weekend I discovered I have to take it to the dealership to get the battery replaced. They basically have to take the front of the car off to get it out.

I guess that's what happens when you own a "luxury" car. Right now I'm realizing it was actually a "luxury" to be able to get all dirty and change my own headlights.

Corn Maze Movie

2007-11-09T21:01:00.001-08:00

From A Plane

2007-11-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I think I should learn more about geology. I see things from planes and on the ground that make me wish I knew how they were formed. I don’t know… in Tennessee and especially in Indiana I never really had that sort of curiosity, but since I have lived out here and have been traveling more, I really have begun to wonder about it. I think it is because the rock formations, mountains, etc. are so dramatic, and I have at least the basic understanding that a lot of it is related to all the volcanic activity and plates moving. When I fly over the rockies or strange land formations I try to picture what happened to create it. I think some of that curiosity too is fueled by the shear pattern of it all.

I seem to have this “eye through the lens” mentality. I have started to realize that I have always been like that. I am so visually stimulated and so attuned to patterns. Mom can tell you stories of how I irritated her when we would go clothes shopping, looking for fabric, or carpet, or wallpaper. I’d always have some reaction to the pattern of the supposedly random. It just leaps out at me. I try to make patterns of everything. When I am seeing something either casually in my field of view or looking directly at it, I always try to make it align or create a pattern. I know many of you by now are shaking your head and saying “OCD”. Yes that’s probably true (actually I have had that confirmed by some very reliable sources).

All this said, I really think that is why I have an interest in learning more about geology. I have the base obsession with patterns and visual arrangements, and when that is combined with my need for understanding how things work its only natural I guess.

The whole OCD/pattern/alignment issue also fuels my interest in photography. I really would like to learn more about that too. If only my travel schedule was not so erratic… I could take some classes in all of thee above. When I was younger I tried painting, crafting, and sculpting. When my inability to finish things I start didn’t kick in, I actually produced some kinda good stuff. Several things in my mental state have changed to squelch that sort of creativity, but I think my “eye through a lens” mentality might just let me use photography as my creative outlet.

I love Paul

2007-11-08T17:03:00.000-08:00

Paul and I were having coffee together this afternoon, as per usual when I am in Skaneateles. We were talking and he said he wanted to build a windmill in his backyard. He asked, mostly to himself, how do you build a windmill? Then he got a faraway look in his eyes and deadpan said, "I wonder if I could use ceiling fans?"

I thought I was going to die. After we stopped laughing he told me it was not a faraway look, but he was looking at the ceiling fans in the coffee shop mulling over the idea.

He's a riot.

My Current Hair Color

2007-11-07T20:24:00.001-08:00

Snow is for Bunnies

2007-11-06T17:34:00.001-08:00

Snow? Okay I saw it on the side of the road in California when we were on vacation, but seeing it falling from the sky? No accumulation expected, but I hope it doesn't jeopardize my return flight home. I hate O'hare airport.

I'm staying in this really old house that has been converted to a boutique hotel (aka small - 5 rooms, but nice). The wind is blowing so hard that it sounds like someone is running up and down the side of the building. Kinda creepy.

Happy Halloween?

2007-10-31T21:26:00.000-07:00

I have been in upstate NY for the past 4 days for work. Tif and I got up at 3am eastern time (which =midnight at home) this morning to get ready to leave for the airport. It was a long day, but we made in back into Portland about 10:30am. Yay for timezones. Thankfully I really don't get jet lagged anymore. I have to head out (by myself this time) to go back to NY this Sunday for 6 days. Ahhh... after 2 months of no work travel I think the travel has begun again. I hope my luck for missing the snow storms holds up!

Kitty, Me, and Heather

2007-10-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Kitty was the prettiest bride ever!

Kitty Got Married!

2007-10-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

I met Heather in Memphis TN for our friend Kitty's wedding. I had not seen Kitty for years.. I guess since college days, but it was so nice. Heather and I met Friday night in the airport, went shopping early Saturday morning, and then went to the wedding Saturday afternoon. Kitty (I guess Katherine now) was a gorgeous bride. The ceremony was a long Catholic wedding. The church was beautiful, and they had it decorated with these unbelievable orchids. The church was across the street from the FedEx Forum. That night we went to the reception at a neat art gallery. There was lots of food, lots of beverage, lots of cake, and lots of people I didn't know. We did see someone from college - Jessie. It was nice catching up with him. After the reception, Heather and I went down to the Peabody Hotel downtown. We wandered around, had dinner in one of the fancy restaurants there, and then sat in the lobby enjoying a drink. It was really cool, but no ducks!

Sunday we got up early to do some touristy things before I had to get on a plane to Skaneateles. I originally was supposed to stay in Memphis with Heather until Tuesday morning, but duty called - insert whiney sigh here. We went to Graceland which was kind of anti-climatic yet cool. Let's just say I was not moved to tears! We also went to the Memphis Pyramid, which is the 3rd largest pyramid in the world. That was creepy. it used to be a sports arena. According to their website they are still an active arena, but it looked as if there had not been a person there in months and months. There were cobwebs, spiders, and trash accumulated around the doors and windows. There was not a soul there, and when we were leaving there were 2 police cars with their lights on booming through the parking lot... thankfully not at us. After the Pyramid we went to Mud Island. That was cool. There was almost no water running through the scale model of the lower Mississippi River, but it was awesome. Heather and I poured through the museum and steamboat replica.

We had just enough time to have lunch with Kitty and catch up. It was so nice to see her. I am so happy for her! She really seems happy. She deserves all the best, she is such a great person. Unfortunately I had to catch a plane, so Heather took me to the airport, and I was sad.

Memphis. Wow. It was not what I expected. Downtown was disappointing - it was dirty, kinda scary (I found out afterwards it is actually pretty unsafe), and unimpressive. Heather and I were glad we couldn't get a room at the Peabody. We probably would have been wandering around down there more. Beale Street was flashy, but just not what I expected. Alot of the buildings in Memphis were empty, and not for sale or lease - just empty. It was really depressing actually. Once you got into the suburbs it was nice and pretty, but it was sort of like you could imagine the ick just oozing out of town and swallowing it up.

I guess if I ate BBQ I would have enjoyed Memphis more, but I sure did LOVE spending time with Heather!

Oil?

2007-10-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

Well we broke down and had our oil tank filled.

Backstory:
When we first started looking at houses, we noticed alot (most) of the homes the age we were looking at had oil heat. Huh? Coming from the South East that was just weird. Weird. We had considered replacing the oil furnace with electric or gas (which we would have had to have run from the street - yikes), but we just thought we would try it for one winter to see. The quandry now is that we would have to replace the furnace anyway to have air conditioning put in, and the furnace is about 7 years old (on a 30 year life). Either way... having oil heat (since it is soo common here) will not impact the future sale of the home, and neither will the lack of air conditioning. So... we will experience oil heat this winter. We had 194 gallons put in. Apparently the company we used get their oil from Canada, so that was a double wammy. Oil prices are so high, and the value of the dollar is so low. Either way, getting the bulk of your heating expenses paid in one lump sum is pretty nice.

So far so good. We are warm (er). One drawback though - the dogs aren't so cuddly.

Action Packed

2007-09-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Today we left the good ol' Virginia Settlement and headed down to Mono Lake and Lee Vining. We wondered around in Lee Vining for awhile and then walked along the shore at Mono Lake. The tufa towers were amazing! I had been there once before with Heather a long time ago. After leaving Mono Lake we went through Yosemite, had a little hike, and then headed back down into San Francisco for the evening.

Our Cabin at Virginia Creek Settlement

2007-09-24T23:17:00.000-07:00

Jim Laying in the Road

2007-09-24T23:15:00.001-07:00

Us

2007-09-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

Lots of Barbed Wire

2007-09-24T23:14:00.001-07:00

View from the Bodie Road

2007-09-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

Caskets

2007-09-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

Old Pool Table

2007-09-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

The School House

2007-09-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

Bodie

2007-09-24T23:06:00.001-07:00

2007-09-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

2007-09-24T23:05:00.001-07:00

Bodie

2007-09-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

The Mine

2007-09-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

Sheep on the Bodie Road

2007-09-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

Heading to Bodie

2007-09-24T23:02:00.000-07:00

Topaz Lake

2007-09-24T23:01:00.001-07:00

Fire outside of Lake Tahoe

2007-09-24T23:00:00.000-07:00

Us at Lake Tahoe

2007-09-24T22:59:00.001-07:00

Playing on the Rocks

2007-09-24T22:58:00.001-07:00

My Sweeties at Lake Tahoe

2007-09-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

Blue

2007-09-24T22:57:00.002-07:00

The water was so blue and so beautiful.

Beautiful Lake Tahoe

2007-09-24T22:56:00.001-07:00

Ahhh Nevada

2007-09-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

Power Twizzler

2007-09-24T22:55:00.001-07:00

imajellidonut

2007-09-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

Hazy Morning

2007-09-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

Yay! Going to Bodie

2007-09-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

We left out - not too early to make our way to Bridgeport and Bodie. It was another beautiful day, we have been lucky. We left Reno and went to Lake Tahoe and Topaz Lake, which were both beautiful. We explored the tiny town of Bridgeport then drove the long rough road up to Bodie and rambled around a bit. It was really cool. Heather and I filled some memory cards on our cameras for sure. Afterwards we checked into our night's accommodations in Bridgeport, a place called Virginia Creek Settlement. They had cabins and coverd wagons for people to stay in. I nixed the covered wagon idea... cold evenings + seperate shared bathroom = no way. Plus they are only meant to house 2 people. So we got a cabin. It was a funky little place with bunk beds and a futon couch. We ate dinner at the little restaurant there, and retired to our little cabin - totally exhausted.

Bathroom group photo

2007-09-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

We are such dorks! But fun dorks I guess.

Waiting for the elevator

2007-09-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

Heather in the big chair

2007-09-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

Mike's winnings are none too shabby

2007-09-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Playing the Slots

2007-09-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

Jim is not convinced, but he's a trooper. He mainly enjoyed watching the game Heather was playing - Texas Tea with the dancing armadillo.

Heather & Mike

2007-09-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

Lovely Moon

2007-09-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

Our Winnings - $310 & change

2007-09-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

The View of Reno

2007-09-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

Our hotel room had a good view

2007-09-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

Silver Legacy

2007-09-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

The hotel we stayed at. It had a gold rush sort of theme going on. If I'm ever in Reno I'd stay there again. I highly recommend.

Reno

2007-09-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

Jim and I got into Reno a few hours before Heather's plane was due to arrive. We found our hotel... with much effort. Well, no. We found our hotel very easily, but we finding the entrance to the parking garage was a major endeavor. It was in the cluster of other older casinos, sort of downtown.

We checked into our somewhat fancy hotel - the Silver Legacy, dropped our stuff off in the room, and headed downstairs to find some food. After a weird meal we headed for the slots baby (video slots - I'm not hardcore). Jim is NOT a casino guy. Mom and I go a bit to the ones in Oregon, but Jim is generally opposed. We played for awhile and won a couple hundred dollars which was nice! Then we headed off to the airport to retrieve Heather and meet Mike for dinner.

Mike is an old friend that Heather met while she was in California working at Bodie, a California State Park. This was prior to the great Baldry migration to California in the 90's. We met him for sushi at a restaurant that was located on one of the crosswalks between the casinos. It was great to see him! He is doing well and seems very happy. He is a science teacher - which totally fits him. At one point after leaving California he led these wilderness survival trips for troubled teens. He's just an awesome person. The four of us went down to the casino in our hotel and played around a bit. He of course plays the tables. All in all it was a great evening.

Nice

2007-09-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

I think this is quite possibly the best photo I have taken - and from the car no less. Of course it was easy.... It was a phenomenal view.

Little Butte

2007-09-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

What a nice morning

2007-09-23T18:18:00.000-07:00