A Toast To New Chapters

I breathe a sigh of contentment. It is going to be an awesome NEW year; full of new experiences, people, places, and everything!

I begin my awesome new job on Monday.

We will be moving to Portland in the spring.

And, just... Yeah... It's difficult to explain in words all the amazing emotions and energy I am going through right now. I won't lie, there is a slight edge of fear with some of what the future will hold, but it's that good fear; that excitement you get trying something new.

By the way (this just dawned on me) Happy Belated Christmas to everyone! We had a wonderful holiday (personally, it already feels months ago... we'll get to that later); my family came over Sunday the 19th and we did presents then, and on Christmas Eve we went to Portland for "Swedish" Christmas dinner and presents with Collin's family. Christmas day was mostly relaxing; we went and saw Collin's grandma and just chilled at home. I got Collin Call of Duty: Black Ops with the Eagle Eye Converter for the PS3 (which allows him to hook up his keyboard and mouse). Collin got me a gift set with my perfume (that I have been in desperate need/want of) and he also got me a new deck for the truck!! It is awesome, we got it installed today. So yea, it was great.

Anyways, back to current events.

These last two weeks have been insanely loooooooooooooooong! Especially this last week. The whole ordeal is a positive one, but with bittersweet moments here and there. It was rather emotional yesterday especially. I was proud of myself (other than watching the Ugly Betty Series Finale at lunch), I was able to maintain my composure and not cry my eyes out... Until I got home from dropping Renee off. While telling Collin about my day and how Renee and I cried watching the last episode of Ugly Betty and how it was about Betty leaving Mode to go to London, I just started bawling uncontrollably.... As much as I loathed going to work there everyday, and despised some of the business practices one fact remains: they were like family. I worked there for over four years... That's a pretty big chunk of time for someone who is only twenty five... AND I am leaving one of my bestest and truest friends in the world behind... That doesn't really worry me though, I know her and I will always remain close friends, ALWAYS!

Seriously though, I am glad to finally be done. The last five days felt like a month... It was intense and there were some moments where I considered saying, "Screw the pay!" and be done, but I was able to work through those moments and finish it out. It was kind of therapeutic having my final day land on the last day of a not so wonderful year... 

Good riddance 2010! May we make 2011 all that we want it to be and heal from the various wounding events of the past year. We are all destined for great things in one way or another and I think this next year will be a great opportunity to start making big strides towards what we want out of life or to continue on the path that has given us contentment and joy, or even both in different aspects!

Now it's time for some New Years NACHOS!! And some movies!

One of my goals? To post at least once a week!  (^_^)

Two Down; Eight to Go

I survived Monday and Tuesday; I'm pretty sure it will all be downhill from here.

Monday was the worst of it. Actually giving the dude owner my two week's notice about killed me. As excited as I am about moving on I cried. I can most easily relate it to people with this scenario:

Imagine you have spent all your life learning how to do what your parents do, let's say carpentry. Your family has this business that they expect you to take over, but you want to be a doctor. Now comes the day when you have to tell your family, "Sorry, but this isn't what I want for my life, I want to be a doctor." And now you have hurt them immensely; their faces are reflections of someone whose favorite puppy was just shot... In front of them... BY YOU!!

Yea, that's about the reaction I got from the dude. I wrote the stay at home owner a separate letter that I hoped would help her cope. Dude was in shock for the most part. We talked and hugged and I knew it would be "okay" eventually. He left and took the letter home with him. I didn't hear anything from either of them for the rest of the day. He called in at one point and asked to talk to Renee, and then was back for a minute asking me to take the banking...

Today the silence dragged on, and when dude came into the office he didn't hardly say a single unnecessary word to me... It kind of hurt.

After lunch the time finally came, Dude told me she was on line two for me. I was admittedly apprehensive to pick up, but in the end we had a good talk. (Whether she meant it or not) She did tell me that she was happy for me and excited about the new adventure I would be embarking on, that she loved me and would miss me dearly. She told me she understood that it will be a great thing for Collin and I, and that we need to do this. It helped me feel better. I would have been even better if the conversation hadn't taken forty five minutes.... Something I won't miss too terribly much.

So, I survived these two days and only have eight more days of work left at the Agency. We shall see how these go.

Side note: When someone "you love and will miss" is leaving you, you do not ask the person who is leaving if they think "we" (meaning the office) should do something for the last day.... Yea, that happened....

I'm going to brush my teeth and go to bed... I have to work on adjusting to the upcoming change to my sleep schedule.

FRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!

What an insane week this has been....

Princess Em turned FIVE!

There was a tornado just Southeast of Salem!

In passing conversation my grandma informed my sister that her mom (our great grandma) had passed away at the end of SEPTEMBER... Not sure how I feel about it... She was in her nineties, and I think I have seen her three times in my entire life, the last time being when I was ten or twelve... But I'm still sorry for my grandma's loss (so please don't take my lack of emotions wrong).

I had a shitty interview on Monday. It was honestly a waste of a drive to Tigard...

Thursday was a different story... I had an interview in Aloha for a wonderful Data Entry/Customer Service job. It went spectacularly! And it seems like the perfect job for me. I left the interview feeling great, and felt even better when I got back to work to find my two close friends/co-workers (Renee and Tucks) whispering in Tucks' office. I poked my head in and Tucks told me they were just talking about me. Turns out the woman I had interviewed with had already called them to check my references! This news just pumped me up like there was no tomorrow. And then came the unbearable waiting....

The woman who interviewed me told me she hoped to have a decision by Friday or Monday depending on how quickly references got back to her. By mid-morning Friday I was chomping at the bit so I texted all of my listed references pleading with them that they call her back if she calls them. By about noon I was dying of impatience and almost buckled; deciding to call her and check the status. Some how I managed to refrain from that idiotic impulse (it hadn't even been twenty four hours since my interview). I finally just left my cell on my desk (watched pot never boils == watched cellphone never rings?). Around a quarter after one I heard my phone beep like it had either a picture message or a missed call. I went bounding from the bookkeeping office to my front office and snagged my phone so quickly I am shocked I didn't drop the damn thing. Sure enough, there it was, a missed call. I checked the number and my heart started pounding. I forced myself to wait for the voice mail. I knew there would be one, and I frantically checked it as soon as the "new voice mail" thing popped up on my phone. It was her! I called her back and she asked if I was still interested in the job. I responded with an "absolutely!" And she proceeded to inform me they wanted to hire me! I thanked her a million times and thought I was going to scream in excitement.

So yea, I start my new job in two weeks. The scariest thing will be Monday when I put in my two weeks notice.... There will totally be a post about how that goes... But now I need to go take care of some other stuff...

Praise Jeebus I am free at last!!! They can't hurt me anymore!!!! I am FREE!!!! And I don't have to look for jobs or go to evil interviews anymore!!!

Oh, and did I mention, this means Collin and I are one step closer to moving to PORTLAND!!! (at this point it is looking like end of March or April!) We are so excited! =D

I told you this next year will be EPIC in a GREAT way!

Shellfishness

Wow... I am still coming down off the high of the awesome weekend I had!

Friday night, my super hero husband and I finished up our Holiday shopping, and picked up a birthday present for Renee (her birthday was today). I was a little shocked at how difficult it was to locate a halfway fashionable day planner (Renee does not have a cell to remind her of everything), but we managed after two open Wal-Marts and two closed, one open Walgreen's... It was an adventure for sure...

Saturday, two of my favorite girls came over for a nice little visit. K and Em of course! I gave Em an early birthday present; a pink and purple hat and scarf that I crocheted for her. With all the crazy weather we have had so far this year I'm sure she'll use them! After they headed off on their merry way, Collin and I went out to his parent's house to drop something off, came home and had lunch and chilled for a few hours. At about 5:30 we picked up coffee and headed to Old Spaghetti Factory in Clackamas to meet up with some of his Hollywood buddies. It was fun and the food was great (and reasonably priced for any sort of Italian restaurant). We made our way back to Salem around nine-ish and decided to go to Wal-Mart to pick up a couple things... Such as a waffle iron... But, Wal-Mart sucking the way it sometimes does only had one type of waffle maker, and it wasn't the kind we wanted so we bought Wii MarioKart. I know, that totally makes sense, right?

Sunday I decided to bake, and I mean BAKE. In about four hours (and an additional thirty minutes later for the last item that will be listed) I made a batch of each of the following: -Chocolate Chip Cookies -Oatmeal Raisin Cookies -Peanut Butter Cookies -Snickerdoodles -Two types of fudge; mint and regular. I sent a platter of cookies to work with Collin (they were completely devoured in an hour and a half), and took most of the rest to the office. I also finished up wrapping presents, made lasagna, and even found time to take a shower and read the paper (separately and respectively of course!).

For a Monday, yesterday was pretty awesome. Work was pretty good. Which made the weekend prior to it feel even better.

Now for a confession:

In the last 24 hours I have committed two extremely selfish acts.

First, as I mentioned, today was Renee's birthday. This year (especially the last few months) has been extremely difficult on her and she has been rather sad. Last night after I took her home from work, in darkness and secret, I went and picked up a birthday cake for her (German Chocolate from Roth's; her favorite) took it back to the office with me and then proceeded to decorate her office with balloons and streamers. I also had the others at work sign a card for her, and left in on her desk along with a separate card from me and the above mentioned presents (day planner, journal, and a case of mochas). When she came in this morning she was pleasantly surprised and even a little emotional, but happy.

The second selfish act: Tucks has been having a really rough month. She has been battling a case of pneumonia, her husband is on his "lay off time", and things are all around tight for her. She has been juggling a million things and struggling a ton with all of it. Her and her husband get no assistance from the State and were in desperate need of groceries. Her husband had gone to get a food box today (you are only allowed one per month per family in Marion/Polk, something I didn't know) and not that they were not grateful for the help, but all it consisted of was a small roast, a frozen chunk of cheese, three cans of corn, a loaf of bread, some beans, a can of chili, and one cup'o'noodles... For a family of three. Now, I realize (as does she) that this time of year is a struggle for the food banks and they are inundated with the hungry, and the current economic climate doesn't help, and it sucks. As much as I bitch about her sometimes, I love Tucks dearly and in my heart I just knew I had to help her. Things for Collin and I have started looking very "up" and I want to be able to share that joy with others. I made up my mind before I ever left work and when I got home I told Collin that I wanted to help her and her family. He understood and indulged me, and after we had dinner we went to Costco. I bought her almost a cart full of soup and ramen and crackers and instant mashed potatoes (and I threw in a box of Oreos; she has a teenage daughter). After we were done we ran home so I could get my office keys, and I also grabbed a jar of peanut butter and a jar of grape jelly out of the pantry to go with the bread we bought. We went to the office and I decorated her desk with all the food, and left a simple note that reads: "You are loved! Pay it forward. =) "

At this point I know some might be thinking, "Okay, this chick is stupid. She must mean selfless acts, right?" WRONG! This is why: (and no, I don't know why I am like this) but I take immense pleasure in helping people, so in a way it is a selfish act because it makes me feel amazing. To see someone smile, even with tears in their eyes (hypothetically happy tears of course) because of something I did just gives me this indescribable high. Like, it gives me purpose, knowing that in this one insignificant act I made life a little more bearable for someone who is otherwise dealing with some disheartening and depressing trials. It makes me feel great. I don't know if this is making any sense, I hope it does. I know this has been a difficult year for us all, but if I can succeed in making one person smile or even just breathe a little easier then I know the struggles haven't been for nothing.

Oh, and (no disrespect meant but...) this has nothing to do with Christianity or any other religion, so please respect MY views and don't go there. It has to do with being a Human, and knowing that we all need a little help in one form or another from time to time.

Oh and did I mention there was a tornado in Aumsville today? Yea, NUTS!

I'm Still Here

The last two months, hell this entire year, have been a whirlwind and I am still spinning. Too much to really encapsulate in a single post, but I am going to try... Sort of... Okay, so I am mostly going to make bullet points of the things that stand out the most....

- Collin was contacted by his completely unknown to him younger sister, yea... Tell me about it.
- Oh, and did I mention in the same conversation Collin learned his biological father is alive and kicking it (as far as Collin knew the dude had been dead over a decade and a half...).
- My best friend's dad passed away; suddenly and unexpectedly (but then when do you really plan for something like that?).
- My dad's oldest brother (my uncle Phil) passed away the night before Thanksgiving.
-Collin and I both got new tats the day before Halloween/his birthday.
- I am fervently seeking a new job in the Portland area (if you know of any office stuff in the area let me know!).
- My in law parentals are still stupid and still piss me off...
- Crackhead neighbors? They are finally gone!!!
- And about a million other little things that don't seem as big now as they did when they happened... It's all been too much.

I am kind of hopeful as we reach the end of this jacked up year. It has been a long nightmare since January 1st (with many high moments too that I am extremely thankful for, or I would have thrown in the towel a long time ago), and I am ready for a fresh start and a new year.

There are so many amazing things ahead of us (Collin and I, and hopefully all of the people in our lives!), and I think we are all destined for a spectacular 2011! I am going to try and keep up with this a little better, even if the posts are a little choppy and scatterbrained (it's cheaper than therapy!!). I am keeping my eyes on the silver lining!

That Went Exactly As I Expected

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down... Not so much the rainy days, but definitely the Mondays, but I am working on fixing that. Also, it isnt't rainy today, in fact it's a gorgeous, crisp fall day. The bike ride to work this morning was rather chilly, but bearable (afterall, I need to enjoy it while I can before it is dark all the freaking time!) Thank goodness for scarves and warm hoodies... Need some gloves or mittens or something though....

Monday doesn't sting nearly as much when I can reflect on the awesome happenings of the weekend. Friday after work Collin and I went and did our weekly "necessity" grocery shopping (as in milk, eggs, bread, lettuce etc.). Saturday we slept in until almost 9:30! Which is extremely late for us these days, since Collin has been getting up for work at 4am. Friday was his last day working that shift. They moved him to a 9am-6pm position, so now he gets up with me, and the timing works out perfect so that we can share our one bathroom easily. Back to the weekend adventure sharing...

So, Saturday we got up, had breakfast, and then went about rearranging the bedroom and tidying up the rest of the house. It's insane how one simple change such as turning the bed ninety degrees can totally change the entire feel of a room. The bedroom now flows much better... I'll have to post pictures at some point... Downside to the change was that our current nightstands didn't fit between the walls and bed so we had to go hunt down some narrow nightstands. (We also decided it was time to invest in a bed skirt so that our whore of a bed wasn't giving away all her goods, LOL!) We went to Target, no luck; ShopKo, no luck; and then out of desperation we were going to go to WalMart (which I have no beef with, just I HATE going there on a weekend afternoon!), but then I remembered there is also this nifty forgotten place called K-Mart. We went to K-Mart and scored a cheap set of night stands that work perfectly in the corners by the bed! Phew!

Saturday night we were going to go to a party at Duffy's Hanger (a bar by the airport), but when we got there it was so overwhelmingly packed and NO parking left in like a two block radius. We figured we were dressed and amped up to do something so we headed out to Your Break (a bar with pool tables and other games) in Silverton (aka the Tron) and played some pool. It had been a good two plus years since we had played pool, and we were both a little rusty. Collin had a couple beers and I had a couple sodas (I didn't feel like drinking since I would need to drive back to Salem), and had a great time. We left just before midnight and decided we wanted pumpkin pie (I had been craving it since one of our friends had posted about pumpkin pie on Facebook) and I wanted a new sweatshirt. So, we went to the only place one can go for sweatshirts and pumpkin pie in the middle of the night: WAL-MART! I got a super warm, soft, 'n' cuddly gray pullover hoody and Collin got a navy blue one, and then we picked up a pumpkin pie and went home. We each had a slice and then went to bed... It was about 1:30ish...

Sunday morning came, we had breakfast, then we did some dinner prep for last night's and tonight's dinner. After that was done and we had cleaned up we went to SPIRIT the Halloween shop that pops up this time of year to get some new decorations. We got some awesome stuff and after we decorate next weekend there will be pictures. We watched a movie and went for a bike ride at the park, and then spent the rest of the day relaxing.

It was a great weekend. Who knows what next weekend will have in store for us.... I kind of do, because we need to do our "monthly" grocery shopping, and I want to put up all the Halloween stuff (I heart my husband's birthday!!!), and Friday night I am having my co-workers over maybe... But who knows what other antics will arise!

The Outdoor Misadventures of Him and I: Part 1

Two weeks ago we went to the park for our typical evening bike ride. When we got to Minto Brown and unloaded the bikes I made a shocking discovery. My back tire (on my bike, not the truck!) was flat! *epic sad face*

We decided to load the bikes back up and go for a walk instead. We decided to walk down to the river's edge, and once there we decided to take a trail that we had seen on the map, but had never explored (I figured it would be good since it was a soft surface trail). Mind you, it was after six, and cloudy to boot.  As we plodded along we were expecting to come across a clearing that would loop us right back to the parking lot... We kept trudging on and on but never finding the expected clearing and it was steadily getting dimmer. At one point we reached an opening in the trees and brush where some power-lines ran perpendicular to the path and out across a field. Both of us looked out across the field and it hit us... We had no effing clue where we were in the park!

Well, we sort of knew, but it was unknown to us. We kept walking through the trees and Collin was beginning to think we had walked through a wormhole and ended up in WWI Germany... Thankfully we finally found this unexpected visitor info center outpost thingy, but there was no map... At first glance. We managed to find a "map" of sorts and figured out where the hell we were, which was a lot farther than we had expected to go. To get back to the truck we had to go past a compost/old landfill that smelled horrid and then walk on pavement through the woods as it was getting ever darker and darker.

To add to the terror of the darkening parks (we have met some crazies on the paths in the park in broad daylight so dusk/dark was cah-reepy!) my poor pinkie toe on the right foot was rubbing just wrong against my sock and shoe...

I started repeating the mantra in my head, "Just make it back to the truck... Just make it back to the truck... I will not miss the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy because of this!!!"  

We made it back to the truck unscathed (apart from my raw pinkie toe) and it was only 7:20.... Thank god the dinner that night was straight forward and easy.

This is just one of our many (mis)adventures at Minto Brown... There are more to share, and I am sure more to experience!