Sunday April 29th

So, this morning I got up with the dog, we walked a little and then I stayed up to watch my favorite Sunday morning program CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. Unfortunately out here it comes on from 7am-8:30am which is a little early when you want to sleep in. However, I watched it, then snoozed while watching the Food Network Channel. Then, a couple pieces of toast later I decided to start to rearrange some things in the apartment. Tim called to say he would be home in time to take Elphaba to obedience school and I said I would go with him. After Elphaba was done, we went to Red Robin for a burger and then headed home. Tim had a lot of fish to package and freeze and he had brought back 2 crabs, which he cooked up. Then he was pretty much done for the night. I worked on some more arranging. I have company coming on Thursday so the apartment needs cleaned by then!! Here are a couple of fish Tim caught. I believe he caught 10 sea bass and one link cod (sp?). So now we have a lot of fish in the freezer!!

Saturday without Tim

So today I got up to take care of the dog. Bright and early at 7am, went back to bed for about an hour and got up about 8:30am. I decided to catch a movie and do some hiking at the Riverfront Park downtown. I saw IN THE LAND OF WOMEN, which was really good at the pre-noon matinee, about the cheapest you can see a movie these days. Then, I went walking through Riverfront Park and stopped in at the bookstore downtown to have a little late lunch. About 3pm I got home to get Elphaba and we went walking in Manito Park. I was reading a little, but there were so many people to look at and watch. There were several people in the Japanese Gardens doing pole fighting, bonsai tree shaping and letter writing. There was a lot of high schoolers coming to the park either for prom, or to get prom pictures taken near the wall of flowers. There were tons of dogs with their owners and families on picnics. Elphaba managed to control herself pretty well with all of the crowds.

Later, I got home and decided to watch the ULTIMATE COYOTE UGLY contest on CMT, don't ask, I guess it was a train wreck and then I got sucked into it. I also read some more. Only one more night and Tim will be home. He called to say he caught some fish!! And, that he would be home early tomorrow (Sunday). I ended up falling asleep pretty late, after midnight.

Day One

Okay, Tim left this morning, Friday AM, for his fishing trip on the coast. So, what to do while he's gone? Well, Elphaba our dog (see photo) had a very strange hacking sound that woke me up in the middle of the night, and it didn't stop...I was very worried. Tim said that it happens sometimes. But, it kept going all day. So, I did take her to the vet and got her some benadryl, turns out it is a reverse sneeze and it could be seasonal allergies OR something caught. So, we will see how she is by Monday. I also took several loads of sheets and towels to the laundry. While I was there, I looked at maps and information about Portland, OR. We are taking the Amtrak there and then trying to find transportation without renting a car while we are there. I also drank a pepsi, which tasted really really good for some reason. Then, I went to get Elphaba and we walked at Lincoln Park. It was really nice there. One had a clear view of Mt Spokane off in the distance and the weather was perfect. Sunny, warm, but not too warm. I got back to the apartment about 5:30pm and decided to make leftover messy guisseppes (sp?) I got the recipe from Rachael Ray...it is SOOOO yummy. You make a herbed butter with parm cheese and spread it on a crusty roll and add slices of fresh mozz and toast that in the broiler then add the topping a mixture of mushrooms, lean beef, peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes. It is really good. And I made myself a fruity drink to top it all off. It was good. I watched High School High on Disney and the Ghost Whisperer, yep, what a nerd. I was in bed by 10pm (so I don't revert to my late night ways) reading Little Children and my new Cottage Living mag. What a day. What does tomorrow hold? Tim called me and we talked. He said the drive out was magnificent. But, on the coast it was cold and foggy. Hope he has better weather for fishing. I am dreaming of sea bass and cod, and he promised salt water taffy and crab. I can't wait for him to get home.

Holding a slug

Here I am holding a slug. EWWWWWWW. I would NEVER EVER hold one normally, however, on my trip to the Pacific Northwest, Olympic National Park, Hoh Rainforest, I decided to be a volunteer. No one would volunteer, so I said I would as long as I didn't have to hold the slug, well, you can see where that got me. I am still holding it. Of course I was horrified, but there was a little girl in our group that seemed more horrified than I...when it was all over, the park ranger assured me that the slug goo would harden and just flake off...okay, still gross, thankfully one of our other hikers had babywipes on hand and offered me one. Thank goodness. I still had to scrub my hands a few times afterwards to recover. Of course EVERYONE in the group had to take a photo of me with the slug. YUCK. BTW this was Sept 2006.

A New Place to Visit

Well, I had my second job interview today. I don't know what to do. I am sure I will figure it out over the weekend. But, while I was downtown today I discovered an AWESOME book store. For those of you in Cincinnati I would compare it to a cross between JosephBeth's and Duttenhofers or maybe The Dust Jacket. I would definately compare it to The Book Loft in German Village in Columbus, only not so many twists and turns. Anyway, I could have been there all day. Next rainy day maybe....or this weekend while Tim is gone. Today has been a little cooler but nice...trying to rain here and there, not sure if it actually succeeded or not. Also, did my laundry this morning at Bubbles or Bubbleland, something with Bubbles in it. Nice facility although laundry is more expensive here than in the 'Nati! I had to do comforters and quilts and blankets. I will probably go back tomorrow to do sheets in the double loaders! Also, had a slice of freshly made bread with butter this morning from the Great Harvest Bakery. YUMMY!! Every day, they offer fresh stuff for free....so good! Well, need to get dinner started or something.

A walk in the park

I have pictures from this park we went to last night, the one with all of the roses is from September, and the one without is from yesterday. The whole park is on the brink of blooming. There is a huge lilac section, the Japanese gardens already have cherry blossoms and azaleas. Yesterday was so beautiful so when Tim got home from work I asked if we could go walk in this park. Manito Park has several gardens in the park and I really can't wait to see how it looks this weekend. I am planning a return trip so I can see what has come out since Monday. A guy proposed to his girlfriend in the Japanese gardens with friends watching, it was sweet. There were several dogs out for walks with their owners and kids with bikes. The duck pond had been taken over by some rather large seagulls. They were making SO much noise. The ducks didn't seem too pleased. I kept thinking of Alice in Wonderland, the Disney version with small Alice's conversation with the flowers, what did they say? Here is the song from the movie, I had it going through my head throughout my walk last night. I want to give credit where credit is due, and I didn't write this, someone else did. Artist: The Flowers Lyrics Song: Golden Afternoon Lyrics

Lily:Laaaa...

Violets: Mimimimi...

Marguerite:Lalalala...

Snap-dragon:Hahahahahahaha...

Marigolds:Poem, poepoem, poem, poempoempoempoem....

All flowers: Little bread-and-butterflies kiss the tulips, and the sun is like a toy balloon. There are get up in the morning glories, in the golden afternoon. There are dizzy daffodils on the hillside, strings of violets are all in tune, Tiger lilies love the dandy lions, in the golden afternoon, the golden afternoon. There are dog and caterpillars and a copper centipede, where the lazy daisies love the very peaceful life they lead... You can learn a lot of things from the flowers, for especially in the month of June. There's a wealth of happiness and romance, all in the golden afternoon. ... All in the golden afternoon, the golden afternoon...

Alice: You can learn a lot of things from the flowers, For especially in the month of June. There's a wealth of happiness and romance, oh...Flowers:...the golden afternoon!

[Thanks to zestykat@aol.com for lyrics] Some of them aren't exact, but close enough!

If you haven't ever seen the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland, I recommend it. I would also recommend reading the novel by Lewis Carroll as it is really good. One of my favorite Disney characters is the Cheshire Cat!!

Well, have to get on with my day. Take some time and walk and enjoy spring! Take some pictures of the flowers and take in their fragrance.

Books I have Read

Here are a few of the books I have read or listened to in the last year or so. I would recommend reading them.

HOUSE by Frank Peretti - this is CREEPY...and it kept me hooked. I personally found the ending kind of hoaky, but the rest of it was great...takes the dark and stormy night thing to a whole new level

MONSTER by Frank Peretti - this was REALLY CREEPY and interesting. Especially since I moved right to the area that this book talks about. Modern day bigfoot story with some great twists

HANNIBAL RISING by Thomas Harris - loved this latest edition to the story about Hannibal the cannibal. Shows how he became who he is and leaves it open to another book, which, I hope happens.

HOW TO RENT A NEGRO by Damali Ayo - this book is a real eye opener. It is funny and dark but much of what the book talks about made me look at how I talk about other races, not just African Americans. Just when you think that you aren't prejudice or racist, read this book and learn more about how what you say and do can effect someone in a less than positive way.

LET ME GO by Helga Schneider - just when you thought you have read every book about the Holocaust, you read this one. This is about a woman's struggle to find something human about her mother, a Nazi during the Holocaust and even in her old age, still embraces that time in her life. The daugther struggles with knowing this about her mother and trying to find a way to love her, because she feels as a daughter she should. Really short but great read.

THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE: 365 DAILY INSTRUCTIONS FOR HYSTERICAL LIVING by Benik - this book is so funny. Many of the 365 instructions would cause one to get into all kinds of trouble. But, it definately made me look at life a little differently. There is also a sequel will 365 more ways to change your life.

BLACK GIRL/WHITE GIRL: A NOVEL by Joyce Carol Oates - the story of a "friendship" between two girls in college during the civil rights era. One of them dies and the other struggles to find out what she could have done to save her.

THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak - A book that takes place during the Holocaust and is narrated by DEATH. About a little girl who likes to steal books. I don't want to say too much else about it as I don't want to give anything away.

NATURE GIRL by Carl Hiaasen - if you ever hate the phone ringing during dinner, you need to read this book where one woman decides to avenge her meal being interrupted by a salesperson. In the usual Carl way there are tons of great characters and twists and turns. Very funny, and if you haven't read Carl, you should start.

HALF ASLEEP IN FROG PAJAMAS by Tom Robbins - If you like lots of interesting characters and a story that does come to an end eventually, this is the book for you. I loved the characters and their quirks. Reminded me a lot of Carl Hiaasen or A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES by John Kennedy Toole, also a great read.

MIDDLESEX by Jeffrey Eugenides - given to me by a friend and recommended by more than one person. What happens when you have been raised your entire life as a girl but find yourself feeling more like a boy and then you find out that you were born with the sexual organs of both sexes. This is an incredible book!

Book Recommendation

Okay, this is for my friends back home who were in the book/movie club.

Please read THE 64.00 TOMATO by William Alexander, it is about gardening with a little twist, and to make things even more interesting, there is a chapter entitled, yep you guessed it Christopher Walken. That alone makes it worth the read. If that doesn't snag you, then consider reading about a man's battle with nature, trying to grow things naturally and keep his sanity.

Also, I started reading SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS by Martha Pessl, and plan to finish it when I can buy it Tuesday in paperback. So, you can join me or wait for my verdict.

Updates about jobs, pods and my day

So, today went by without too many hitches. The delivery of the POD went off great. The guy called me and we met, this was the easiest part of the whole POD process. I brought back to the apartment 2 bookshelves and 2 chairs. I spent most of the day rearranging and sorting things. Tim and I will be spending the majority of the weekend unloading the POD so, I wanted to make some room.

I received a call today from one of my job prospects, I have an interview on Tuesday at 2pm. I am excited. I was thinking that this would take a little longer. So now, 2 interviews next week and a deadline for another application. I really didn't get to work with that today.

So, I unpacked some of my totes and tried to organize as much as possible. I made a HUGE mess and then tried to get most of it cleaned up. It is so hard to make the adjustment from house to apartment. So, we'll see how this goes. The cat and the dog were giving each other the staredown. Perdita, the cat, LOVES her tower, she barely came down to have some tuna that I saved back for her. She has been spending most of her time up in the top and if I come in to look at her, she likes to show off and jump, climb and weave in and out of the tower. It is cute.

I am now left with a table full of things to try and clean off in the next hour or so.

With my Sweetie

Here I am with my sweetie! This was taken around Thanksgiving...we had a really fabulous burger at Thurmans in German Village in Columbus, OH. Met some friends for breakfast after a fun weekend with Tim's parents and brothers at Ravenwood Castle near Hocking Hills area in Southeastern Ohio.

Busy Busy Busy

Well yesterday and today it was all about being busy. I want to make sure that I am doing the right amount of rest and relaxation and still working on things so I don't go nuts. Yesterday I got up by 8am and did some unpacking. Then, I headed downtown to drop off my application and resume at the library. Then, I went to the Valley to find another Target store. I took the long way and saw lots of interesting things along the way. I will have to return to that area sometime soon. Once I got back home Elphaba and I went on a walk. I scrubbed the refridgerator and worked on another application. When Tim got home we went for a walk, had dinner and then headed to PetSmart to get a tree/climbing thing for Perdita, who LOVES it. She is so cute. I thought she'd be a little old to enjoy it. But, she loves it.

Today I was up again at 8am showered and breakfast, then laundry. I am also trying to get my stuff out of the POD and into storage. For those of you thinking about using the POD. There are lots of good things, but several annoying things about it. One, you can't just go get stuff out of your POD when needed, they aren't open during hours that one can get to with a job. Two, the 3 hour window of delivery time is very arbitrary...and I guess I will wait and let you know more after my experience tomorrow. I am also waiting for Fed Ex to deliver something and I am trying to break down boxes to make some more space. Ephaba was barking at something earlier. She seems to be more comfortable with me being around but is still very fascinated by the cat, who wants nothing to do with her. I did get a call today about an interview next Wednesday, it is part time, but it will get me out of the apartment. I am waiting to go rent a storage unit for the stuff in the POD and I am trying what else I can fit in before I need to leave to run errands. I am really excited about Grey's being on tonight!

Final Day of Travel

Today is the last day, by tonight I will be in Spokane. It is Saturday April 14th. Mom and I got up and had breakfast in no real rush. We have had such a good time together and have seen so much, it is hard to see it end, and yet, I am anxious to see Tim. We got on the road about 9:30am after breakfast and a great stay at Microtel, which I had never heard of, but they were great!! We stopped in Butte, MT to see if I could find a comforter for our bed in WA as Tim only had one, and we had two beds. This photo was taken from a mall parking lot. We were successful and found a great comforter in Herbergers. Loved the snowy peaks in the background. We were out of MT and into ID before we knew it. Tim called to see where we were and how soon we would get there. We stopped at Wallace, ID just to see the little mining town. We didn't get out, but it looked like a great place to stop and visit sometime. Then, once we got past Wallace, the heavens opened up and we experienced our first rain, it rained all the way to Spokane. We got to the apartment about 4:30pm or so. It was great to finally arrive.

Deadwood

Well, we left Wall, SD and I really wanted to see Deadwood. Mostly because when I left Cincinnati I had a regular patron of the library who loved the HBO series and I thought it would be neat to take a picture of the sign going into the town. Well, my mom and I discussed it and decided that we might as well go in. It would be about an hour or so out of the way but we would be able to drive through part of the Black Hills National Forest. It was beautiful. We saw more snow, an eagle and we thought Deadwood was a cute little town. Rich with history of the gold rush, I would love to return when I have more time. The town was nestled in a valley between two large cliffs and had a combination of old buildings and new buildings made to look old. It was a great side trip. Well, once back on the road we headed to Wyoming...then Montana. It was amazing to see the changes in the lay of the land and the different animals. We saw more antelope, deer ( much larger than our OH kinds), horses, birds, and an elk. We also saw a lot more trains and working train tracks. The trains were hauling people, livestock, grains, and coal. The mountains were beautiful and the sunset was breathtaking!! We arrived in Bozeman, MT tired but happy about what we had decided to do for that day. We plan to get up leisurely Saturday.

Badlands and Wall, SD

Well the next morning we were excited to see that it was another sunny day, perfect for checking out THE BADLANDS. So, we headed back east down the interstate to get off at the small loop road that would take us through the badlands and back to Wall, SD. It was beautiful and very different. We could see tall stacks of sand, or what looks like sand all over. It was lots of colors and there were prairie dogs and antelope and meadow larks all over the place. There weren't a lot of people, but we met a couple from Pennsylvania who were driving through as well. We stopped at several of the overlooks and watched the prairie dogs for a long time, they were so cute. After we were done going through the badlands, we headed to Wall. This little town has a very interesting history. Rather than go into detail, look it up. The short of it is that you can get free ice water and 5 cent coffee. There is a drugstore that is HUGE and sells nearly everything. We had lunch and split a milkshake and then thought we should head out as we needed to get to Bozeman, MT for the night and it was nearly 1:30pm. The drive was incredible.

Continuing West

So my mom and I headed West on Thursday April 12th. We got on the road about 8:30am and planned to sleep in Wall, SD that evening. We had one stop that I desperately wanted to do. I wanted to stop at the Ingalls Homestead in De Smet, SD. The weather was lovely. Much better than when leaving OH. We didn't see snow until SD. In Sioux Falls there was about 4-7 inches and then we left the snow, as we traveled to find the Homestead we ran back into the snow again. We drove back on a road labeled Travel at your own risk...it was full of snow and mud. I put the truck into 4wd and we did okay. It was a large area with replicas of places Laura Ingalls Wilder once lived and some of the land that her father owned in SD. We went on into the town of De Smet and took a tour of the surveyors house where her family stayed during their first winter there. Then we learned that this area was where Laura based her By the Shores of Silver Lake and The Long Winter in the series. I decided to purchase the series. I hadn't read it since 6th grade. After leaving De Smet, SD we saw the largest pheasant in Huron, SD and met the Schwanns man, and purchased some ice cream sandwiches from him. We saw a variety of wildlife. Several types of cattle, horses, ducks, geese, turkeys and other birds. We were back on the highway about 3:30pm and headed to Mitchell, SD to see the Corn Palace. Back in Cincinnati people were making fun of me, saying there wouldn't be any more corn on it. Well, I am happy to report that there was plenty of corn left on the palace. There were also plenty of pigeons trying to eat the corn as well. Turns out there was a shriners circus performing in the palace (which is a community event place as well) so we had to sweet talk a shriner into letting us in. It was interesting, how it is designed, what the previous 2 palaces looked like. Then, we headed to Cabella's (mom had never been) and then back on the road to Wall, SD for the night!

Easter Flowers

My mom and I arrived in Exira, IA on Friday April 5th and stayed until Thursday April 12th. We did a variety of things. We visited with my grandparents, did some shopping, watched some movies (Eragon, One Night with the King, and Casino Royale), went for tea in Audubon, had some great Danish pastries in Elk Horn, IA, had a birthday dinner at Mr. C's in Omaha, NE with my great-aunt, made popcorn, sang with my mom and grandma, and a variety of other things. Pictured here are the lovely flowers my husband sent to me for Easter. I attended my first sunrise service at 6am...I had to get up at 5am, not something I would repeat although the service and breakfast was great!

Iowa Rest Area

My mom and I got up a little later than we planned on Friday April 5th and headed to Bettendorf, IA to visit with my cousin, his wife and kids for a little while before continuing on to Exira, IA. This rest area is in Iowa, Johnson County. The entire rest area is fashioned around books, education and corn. There were stacks of books that served as columns and along the walls there were books as shown in this picture. The picnic areas were fashioned after old time school houses.

Truck is Loaded

Well, April 4th at about 4:30pm I set out with my mom, my cat and a truck load of stuff. The weather had just changed from very warm to VERY cold. And the temperature was still dropping. We planned to make it to Galesburg, IL, just outside Peoria. Then we would resume travel the next morning. The trip was pretty uneventful except for the incredibly hard winds (which made it difficult to steer) and when we got out it was A LOT COLDER with the wind chill being BONE CHILLING! We arrived in Galesburg, IL about 11pm or so.

Moving West

Well, my husband decided to take a job in Washington after searching fruitlessly in the greater Cincinnati area. It had been 5 years since he had a steady job only finding contract work...which can be stressful. Anyway, he moved here in July 2006, I sold the house, quit my job and have joined him. I am excited, nervous, scared, elated, etc, so many different emotions. I had to leave behind my friends my family and it was hard. But, I have wanted to leave the state of Ohio for over 20 years. I did try for a brief moment, but I ended up back in Ohio. For the next few days I am going to recap my trip west with photos. I hope this is a way I can keep those I left behind informed about what I am doing and in turn, somewhere for them to write to me, I know email and snail mail can be time consuming.