Bienvenidos de Argentina

Learning to play the harmonica

2011-04-13T18:02:00.001-07:00

I know I haven't written in almost a year, but I could not contain my excitement. I am learning to play the harmonica!!! I have wanted to learn for several years now, and contacted a gentlemen by the name of Joe Powers to teach me. About a year after contacting him, all things fall into place, and I am now taking a class from him.

He plays around the world, and boy does he know how to be silly. He played 'Oh Susanna!' for us with his nose while drinking water.

I am giddy with excitement. If you want to watch Joe you can find his stuff at Joepowers.com

July 2009

2010-06-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Daniel and I went to Eagle Creek.

catching up

2010-06-02T01:01:00.000-07:00

Spring 2009:
Danny and I headed to Bend for a long weekend to celebrate my graduating from OSU. First night we snow camped in the Newberry Caldera within the Deschutes National Forest (20 mi south of Bend). 24 degrees F, 30mph winds, and 4in of snow that night... brrr. Surviving that we stayed at the Cabin Creek Bed & Breakfast for the next 2 nights exploring bend, spelunking some local ice caves, and visiting the High Desert Museum.

I just realized I already wrote about this. Oh well...

People Care!

2010-04-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

Hey, as you know, I haven't been writing lately. Maybe a bit of being lost in the fog, and some just having too many things pull at my time. I didn't realize anyone actually read this anymore, I figured a couple, but I didn't know it would be missed if I stopped. I got 2 comments encouraging me to continue, people care!

I think it would be good for me. I've had a lot going on lately, and haven't been writing in my journal, so maybe this would be a good place to process my thoughts.

I am in a contemplative state, which is not unusual. I have been wondering what to do with my life for the last year or so, and I still haven't figured it out. I am working, but it's not what I want to be doing. Part of me thinks that if I just live my life that I will cross paths with some great opportunity, and I will suddenly know what my career/life purpose is going to be.

Just writing that much got me motivated to contact an equine therapist! I did meet with an art therapist last week to talk about the details of art therapy. It was a really helpful meeting, in many ways. I think I would really enjoy therapy, but I would like to spend more time looking into what types of therapy exist. So, that's what I am going to do.

Rainy day blues

2009-11-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

I've got the rainy day blues. It's getting dark so early here. I missed out on this part of the season last year, and didn't remember how early the darkness arrived. It kind of sucks the energy out of me.

I've been working, as you know. Danny and I took a trip to Colorado. It was my birthday on October 26th, and Halloween happened. I am sure I'm missing out on some things.

Yankees won last night.

I just watched this Johnny Cash video, so it's adding to the Blueness. I watched it years ago and loved it then too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go

Games

2009-10-06T12:44:00.001-07:00

Not much is new with me. Just adjusting to the working life =) My sleeping patterns have improved greatly. I love the structure.

My shifts have all been 6am-2:30, but tonight I have my first closing shift. Wish me luck. It can be kind of brutal, as I remember. The thing that I am not looking forward to is that I have to work at 6am tomorrow morning, so I am going to have to run home and run straight into bed.

I've been playing a lot of board games. We've been having board game nights lately, it's been fun.

This post isn't too exciting, just regular life stuff. Hope you're doing well.

First day on the J-O-B

2009-09-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

I am slacking again. Catch up: I went to Bellingham, Washington for a few days. We rode Amtrak, which is a fun way to travel. My friend, Angie, and I went together to visit her sister and nephew. We had a lot of fun. We even got to ride jetskis!!!! I loved it.

For the last couple weeks I've been applying to jobs, and as you can see by the title of this entry, I GOT ONE!!!! That's probably part of why I haven't been writing. It's kind of an ego-killer to go job hunting.

Today was my first day, and I enjoyed it. I am really grateful to have a job. It felt good to be back to work.

My fellow employees are nice, and there is always something to do. It wasn't as intense as it might have been if I were fresh to this particular company, Zupan's, but I have worked for them before, so I know a few people.

I am kind of impressed. People who work for Zupan's tend to stick with them for a long time. For example, the manager of the store I work at has been working for them since he was 16 years old. Now he's in his late 30's early 40's. A lot of people know each other at different stores and some transfer or just cover shifts at other stores when they need help. It's kind of a fun little community.

A lot of people who are related work here too. I met three people today who are related to people I used to work with, and I met a father and son today who work at the particular location I'm at. That makes it feel cozy to me.

I am just getting over being sick, but it didn't really effect my working. I think I was running on adrenaline. Luckily I got off at 2:30, so I've had a chance to rest some. My shifts this week will be 6am-2:30pm. Pretty good, except for the waking up at 4:45, that was pretty brutal.

It was Danny's birthday yesterday. He really enjoyed it. Our present to each other for our birthdays is/was plane tickets to Colorado.

I'm too stinkin' excited for that. We're going to visit our friend Todd, and play around there.
Well, I'm off to fill out my W-4 form.

should be in bed

2009-09-10T00:42:00.001-07:00

Can't sleep. Still applying for jobs. There is not much reward involved in looking for a job (unless of course you get the job). There's not much of anything. Not even rejection. There's just the unending questions in the back of my mind, "Are they going to call me back? Should I call them? Have they already hired someone?" I've followed up with some of them, but I should follow up with more places tomorrow. I can tell this is going to be a long process, or at least it's appearing to be that way.

I went rafting for Labor day. Really fun. I will show you some pictures. I'm going to bed now.

I am doing it!

2009-09-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

I am doing two good things:

1) Keeping to my commitment to write more often, but keeping it short.

2) Applying for jobs.

Heck yes! I had my first job interview yesterday for Andina. It's a Peruvian restaurant in the Pearl. There were gobbs of people attempting to get the same position.

We all showed up at 1pm to put our name on the list. The list was quite long, but you had a general range(within a half hour- hour) of when your name would be called to interview. So, there were about 30 people waiting in the same seating area, and needless to say you could cut the tension with a knife.

I found it to be quite humorous. A good study in human behavior.

I enjoyed Jels, the gentleman who interviewed me. I enjoy everything about the place and would love to work there. I really am happy to have had the experience to interview there no matter which way the ball rolls.

Yard again

2009-08-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to show you the progress it making. I am so proud of these little guys. My mom always said the green thumb would catch me one day, and I think it's starting.

I found out some good tips on tomatoes. Danny was reading this and sent it to me. It's short. http://farmerdonkruger.blogspot.com/

We're going out to Sauvie's Island today to pick some peaches and make a peach pie when we get back. I'm pretty excited!

Too long

2009-08-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since I've written. I have thought about it many times, but haven't put in the time. I realize I can write short entries, but feel too much pressure to fill you in on every detail. So I am going to attempt to write more often with smaller entries.

I went to California for a week, about a week ago. I went to a conference for Celebrate Recovery. It's the Christ-centered twelve step recovery group I am a part of. It's not just for recovering alcoholics -it's for basically everything. Just dealing with the pain that life brings. It [pain] manifests itself differently in each of us, whether it be food addiction, codependency, anger, or sex addiction... the list goes on. But it does come out in one way or another. I say these things because I think sometimes people don't like to think they have problems, but the truth is, we all have problems. I think the quicker we admit it, the quicker we can have the opportunity to get healing.

It was a really uplifting time. There were amazing speakers, and really practical skills I learned.

I am going on a job search this week. I am scared. I am going to bring in my application to places I want to work (restaurants- I want to be a server) that aren't necessarily hiring.

I like to avoid rejection, not seek it out, but this will be a growing opportunity for me.

Here's to keeping it short. Wish me luck on my restaurant hunt. If you have any tips or hints or any information I would gladly listen. Thanks!

2009-08-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

2 year anniversary!!!

2009-08-05T13:38:00.001-07:00

I didn't mention it yet, but it's Danny and my 2 year anniversary today! One of the things I wanted to complete before this day came was our (very) little garden area. I planted some lettuce earlier in the year in the really bad soil left here before us, so I decided to invest in some good soil from Concentrates. (A really great place by the way. I will attach my Concentrates review to the bottom of this entry.)

I told you the plants I planted in the earlier entry from Pistil's Nursery. They are still little babes in the ground, but I am still a proud momma. Our tomato plant is growing strong. We had BLAT (Bacon, Lettuce, Acocado, and Tomato)sandwiches two nights ago, and they were the most scrumptious BLAT sandwhiches I've had. We used our first tomato from the garden. It was a proud moment. I don't like raw tomatoes, but it was good enough to eat raw. The best tomato I've eaten.

Only one tomato was ripe enough to eat. I am waiting in anticipation for the others to ripen. I got a hanging basket as a present for leading step study, and I love it. It adds a lot of life to our deck. The sun's coming out :)

Concentrates Review:
Oh my word. Urban gardeners, and heck, every gardener I am yelling out to you. THIS PLACE HAS WONDERFUL DEALS! They sell in bulk, and also in smaller sizes.

For instance I got:
-A box of 4lb Black Gold organic fertilizer and
-2 cu ft (56.6 L) Black Gold waterhold cocoblend potting soil (OG)
That's what I mean by small

They've specialized in organic agriculture since 1938. Here's the website list of some of the stuff they carry: soil amendments, meals, fertilizer, compost, livestock feeds, supplements, chicken supplies, pet foods, and a wide variety of salts.

They aren't the type of place you buy a trowel.

They are very helpful. I will warn you, it's intimidating when you first go because it's a warehouse, but there's a little side off to the right. You don't have to know much. Just go, talk to the person behind the counter and they will help you out. If you don't know specifically what you want, they are more than happy to help you. They had great recommendations for me.

You tell the woman/man your order, he/she writes it on a paper, than you take it to the (usually) dude who's loading stuff and he will load it in your car for you. The minus one star is for this whole transaction. It wasn't explained well and there was some wait time, but I just stood outside my car with my book and read while I waited. It wasn't that long, but this process could be optimized.

Chicken videos

2009-08-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

If the picture wasn't enough, here's 2 chicken videos. That's Ingrid feeding them. I know I filmed it sideways, but I wanted you to see their cute purple house in the background. I really liked their place.

Gamenight last night

2009-08-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

We went to Brad's house for game night. He and his wife, Ingrid, have chickens. As you can see, I have been having some chicken exposure. Danny and I have wanted chickens for a while, but know it's not real practical, or useful, in an apartment, so once we move to a place with a yard than chickens will be joining our lives.

The look on this chickens face is wondeful. I love it! The other picture is of Brad (left) and Omar (right) battling it out in Grid Lock.

Deer sighting

2009-08-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

I followed this momma deer with her two babies. They were on a cliff above us and saw them coming down. There were different bends and I happened to time it just right to where I thought she might come down. It may not be that exciting to you, but the whole thing was very exciting to us, as you will be able to tell by my enthusiasm.

They were right on the trail. Someone could be walking up and just run into them. How great would that be? Anyhoo, I like deers.

Eagle Creek

2009-08-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

We hiked Eagle Creek, two weekends ago, I think. Great spots to swim. It's a fun hike. 14 miles round trip. We camped out at 7 1/2 mile camp (but it's really 7 miles to get there.) There were a ton of people there to swim around Punch Bowl Falls, and a ton of hikers. I have never been on such a crowded trail before.

Once you get further along it mellows out, but in the beginning I was a little weirded out by all the people. I hike to get away from all the noise, hustle and bustle, so having a whole bunch of people is not my cup of tea, unless I intentionally go with a big group of people.

I've heard about Tunnel Fall, but this is the first time I experienced it. You walk through a little tunnel under the Falls, hence the name, Tunnel Falls. Oh, we saw deer. I will put the video on.

Pistil's Nursery

2009-08-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

This place is wonderful. You know how you go in a place and your soul can't help but sing? This is that place for me. They have everything to please your senses (with the exception of taste, but we got our fill of that by stopping at Monsoon Thai aka Thai Laundry as the local Mississippians call it).

The ladies at the front know their stuff and are more than willing to impart their wisdom on a listening ear (or two). I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just a few plants and some edibles. She asked very specific questions about where we were planting, the sunlight exposure, the type of soil I was using, fertilizer etc. I loved how much she cared. She genuinely seemed like she wanted to help me find the right plants. She encouraged using organic soil, fertilizer, etc. (which I already do), but she did it in a way that wasn't forceful or shaming, and I really appreciate that. Both that she encouraged the use of organic products, and did it in a way that was helpful, not forceful.

Soap box second: I believe in being nice to the earth too, but there is no need to shame people about it. That seems to be a lot of peoples tactic and I don't know about you, but when I feel guilt or shame I want to resist it, not go along with whatever message they're trying to sell.

Back to the review: We came out with a few kale, a couple lavender, some swiss chard, and two autumn sedge plants (or beach grass-as I like to call it).

We almost got out of there with a free chameleon that hitched a ride in on one of their plants. Danny and I are not ready for a reptilian commitment. But if you're wanting a free chameleon I'd give them a call. It was four days ago, but they might still have him/her.

They have chickens walking all around, inside and out. They are so fun and entertaining. They're all different types of chickens too, some of the funniest chickens I've ever seen. They do a great job with upkeep, while maintaining a creative environment. What I mean is it's the perfect balance of creativity and organization. The two rarely go hand in hand in my life. The organization doesn't like to stop by for visits often enough.

Here's Patricia!

2009-07-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would show you a picture of Patricia. She's my British friend I met at the beach.

If you want to know about good places to visit you should visit Yelp.com
It's a website that reviews businesses, mostly restaurants, and it's a great resource. You can become members, and give reviews too. I'm on there too, so you can become my friend.

I'm going on a walk through Forest Park. Enjoy the sunshine!

Facundo Maldonado campeonato Codobes de baile de Tango

2009-07-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

We took tango lessons from these two while we were in Argentina! Danny worked with Facundo, (the bald man pictured) at Intel. We both danced with him, and he taught us how to tango. If you can't read Spanish, he is the Tango champion in Cordoba. I love it! The woman he is dancing with is the most sassy woman I've ever met. She's hilarious, and one heck of a dancer, and of course he is too. I am so proud of him!

Went to the beach

2009-07-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

I went to the beach this weekend with some ladies from a small group I lead. You want to know what my favorite part of the trip was? I met an older English woman in a store/cafe called Java Depot, named Patricia, and she was fabulous! I loved everything about her. She was honest, sassy, loved food, had a great sense of humor...she just seemed to enjoy life. I got my picture taken with her. At first she was shy about it, but then she got into it, it was cute.

I bought a present for Danny from Patricia(I can't tell you what it is because sometimes he reads these entries, so that would give it away), but she gave me this free container of Applewood smoked salt. You open it up, and it is like you just built a campfire. It smells so good. It was so sweet of her because she knew I liked it so much after we talked, and she snuck it to me, and said, "Now take this, it's just for you." I told her I thought she was an angel. She was so sweet. I love meeting people that are a breath of fresh air.

The beach we went to was Neskowin, it's near Lincoln City. I had never heard of it before this trip. Everyone in town had a certain demeanor that I enjoyed. They all seemed comfortable and real, it was refreshing. It was my first time going to Grocery Outlet there, so I told the cashier chick that I loved the store, and that I was a Grocery Outlet virgin, so she gave my friends and I each a $5 off coupon because it was our first time in there. They have SUCH great deals. There's a type of hand soap my mom usually gets that's organic and smells wonderful. She pays $6.99 for it, and at Grocery Outlet it's $2.99. I bought her some it, and I am going to let her know where she can get it cheaper for the future.

I would highly recommend it for bathroom products. They have Jason products and Alba Organics. I didn't think they would have organic products, but they do, as far as body products go, I didn't look through other stuff. My husband got home from his trip this weekend, so I am going to go greet him.

St. Paul Rodeo

2009-07-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

We went to the St. Paul Rodeo with some friends. It was Danny and my fifth year attending. This year they had two buffalo come out and steal the show! It was so funny. There's arborvitae (small tree) planted all around the stadium, and the buffalo were on a mission to knock it all out. That part wasn't scripted, everyone had a good laugh.

The picture might be fuzzy, but it's of the buffalo ontop of a trailer with the one armed bandit on the horse (named because he was in an accident and his arm was amputated, but he still rides.)

Herman Creek

2009-07-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

I've been having fun times lately. I went backpacking with some friends two weekends ago to Herman Creek in the Gorge. It was the longest stretch of the Gorge I've seen.

The trip was really relaxing. We weren't really expecting much because the reviews of the place weren't that great, so it was better than we were expecting. We had a great lookout at Indian point (pictured). Danny and I walked carefully around the big body of rocks to the backside, and sat and took in the beautiful view. It was an amazing drop off that kind of made your stomach flip if you look down.

The campsite was better than we were expecting too. We found some unopened Japanese beer and shared some of it. It was 22% alcohol, and not tasty.

Bathroom's done

2009-06-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

I thought, while I am at it, I'd show you the bathroom I painted too. It's amazing what a little paint can do to liven things up.

I think this is a cute little bathroom.

The room completed

2009-06-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

I finished painting this room a while ago, but I forgot to put the picture on here. I also had to put a picture up of my dad opening presents on Father's Day. He reverts back to being a three year old sometimes, and every once in a while you get to capture it on camera.

Rattlesnake

2009-06-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

My mom stumbled upon this picture in Danny's Flickr account. She freaked out. I guess this guy was pretty big. I thought you might like to see him.

*BTW-This is the rattlesnake we saw, that I wrote about when Danny and I hiked the Tom McCall Preserve, near Hood River. The entry was May 13th. This is not a zoom lens, Danny was that close when he took the picture, now you might no why I felt so stupid about the way we handled the situation.

still haven't finished up the trip summary :)

2009-06-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

I love how long this trip summary is taking me. I still won't finish today, but I am making progress. Maybe I'll try to make them shorter, so it goes quicker, we'll see.

Day 3: We drove from the old growth redwood forest to China Town in San Fransisco. Those trees are spectacular, by the way. They seem to hold wisdom. That may sound funny, but when I look at them, I think of their wisdom. I tend to personify inanimate objects, because that's the way I am, I can't help but feel that way.

San Fran was fun. I always enjoy driving over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a foggy day, which was a nice relief from the heat we drove through. Neither Danny or I have air conditioning in our cars, and that can get to you after a hours of sweating. I looked up in the sky as we crossed the bridge and it looked as if it was never ending because you could see the top of the bridge. I told Danny it looked like it was going up to Heaven.

SF (I am abbreviating more and more) was a little chaotic for the mood I was in at the time. I couldn't help, but think, 'what's the point?' When I looked up at all the huge designer store buildings. 'When all these people are struggling is it really that important to have a louis vuitton handbag?'

I'm not without my flaws, but these thoughts do come to mind.

I enjoyed looking in the shops in China town, and noticing most carried the same merchandise. We headed on, looking for a place to eat, and were very strongly urged by several Chinese women to eat at their restaurant. Heads up: I don't tend to respond well to being pressured into something, in fact, it makes me want to steer clear of the source of whatever is trying to pressure me.

So, again, we headed on to find a more gentle Chinese women who encouraged us to eat at her restaurant. We looked at the menu, and chose to eat there. We had been eating camping food minus the steak, so this was a huge treat for us. We ate pork buns, Chinese broccoli and beef, and string beans with prawns and steamed rice. I thought it was wonderful, and Danny thought it was good. We differed on what we liked best. He really enjoyed the pork buns, which don't really do it for me. They're a little to much bun and not enough pork. I loved the prawns with string beans. I don't get prawns that much because they're expensive, but boy do I love them!

After SF, we drove to Santa Cruz, where my parents were staying, and arrived at 10pm. We took a shower and slept on the ground of the motel. That shower sure felt nice. We were thankful to have a place to shower in the middle of our trip.

Every year my parents stay at Terrace Court in Santa Cruz. It's right on the board walk, and it's cheap, so they keep going back. My mom loves that you can fall asleep listening to the ocean. It really is in a great location, but I would not tend to revisit year after year. Who knows, maybe I'll feel that way about a place someday.

Day 4: We drove to Big Sur with my parents, and took a short little hike there. The main hiking spot was closed off due to a fire. There was a beach cove that was blocked off to people going down, to preserve it, but you could look at it from above (pictured). Danny and I thought it looked like a fun spot to live, we could use the waterfall as our shower. We would just have to get rid of all the tourists :)

We went to Los Palmos for dinner, a small Mexican joint right by Terrace Court. The food is good at a good price. We ate outside, and enjoyed everything, including the questionable behavior of local Santa Cruzer's. By questionable behavior I mean, people walking slowly in the middle of the street yelling about this and that. Ummm...I'll actually stop there because I am not sure who all reads this, and some things would probably not be appropriate to say.

Danny hadn't been downtown Santa Cruz since he was younger, so we drove there. It's within walking distance, but we have had encounters with people at night, so we chose to drive at night from now on.

By the way, the "Keep Portland weird," bumper stickers started in Santa Cruz. Except theirs said, "Keep Santa Cruz weird." And they have.

We got out of the car and a tall white guy with a glazed over look came up to us, and asked if we had a cigarette. We said, "no." And he replied, "Is it because I'm Asian?" and walked on. His dog followed behind him with a leash tied to his neck dragging the man's luggage on the ground. We all couldn't help but laugh. One he's white, not Asian, and two, there was just an oddness of watching a dog dragging the mans belongings on the ground.

We perused the Santa Cruz bookstore, which has to be one of my favorite bookstores, if not my favorite. It's titled Bookshop Santa Cruz. They lay the books out in a way that invites you to read them. There are recommended books by the staff that give little summaries from a real person's perspective. What I mean by real person, is that you know they're standing right behind the counter and if you want to clarify something you can ask.

They actually have places to sit. Fun places to sit. Being from Portland, we have our beloved Powell's, but there is almost a discouragement from sitting and reading for an extended period of time. Which is understandable because they're trying to SELL the books, but I am thankful for the bookshops encouragement to read.

I think that will be it for today.

It's official

2009-06-14T22:41:00.000-07:00

Part of me wanted to erase my last entry, but this is me, and I am not all good, and not always in a good mood, so I am letting it stay.

Something great that did happen was my graduation! I LOVED IT! I had so so so much fun. I sat by a big Samoan guy and one of my really fun art friends, and all the people around us were fun too. We kind of brought other people into our silliness.

I brought a pink umbrella in case it rained, which it did (lightly), and it ended up being so helpful. My parents, Danny, and my friend Renee came and they spotted me right away. I loved having them there. They were so fun to have in the stands because I could tell they were so excited too. So we just threw up our arms together and made dancing movements back and worth, it was really entertaining.

The energy in the place was more than I expected. It was a great crowd of people. That's why I love going to sporting events, because it's a group of people being brought together for one common purpose. The majority of the time people seem to set aside their differences and become a community.

One of my favorite parts was the ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) standing up and getting sworn in. ROTC produces officers in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces except the U.S. Coast Guard. Everyone gave them a standing ovation. Those men and women are amazing. I am so glad they got a little chunk of appreciation about their future service to our country.

The speakers were pretty concise, and some were even a little funny. all around, I just loved it. I received my diploma, shook every persons hand that was willing to shake my hand, and did a little dance because I was so excited about it. It was such a great day. I am so thankful for the people I sat next to, and the folks who supported me, that's what really made it.

We went to my grandma's for a party afterward. I made/bought some yummy food, we talked, played games, and hung out. We had a lot of fun. Kira, Ben, My aunt and uncle, and my grandma were there, along with the others who came to the ceremony. My brother stayed up until 5am the night before, finishing up a paper, so he didn't come to the ceremony.

We sat outside and ate. It is so peaceful there. It's just a bunch of big open space, and fields with our own special little enclosed yard with flowers and a garden. There are certain places where time slows down, and that is definitely one of them. It's one of those places where I can go and take in the beauty around me.

We went inside and it started raining shortly after. We left the door open and played board games while it rained outside. It was so great. It was one of those tropical rains, where it's still really warm outside. I was just a contented cow all day. The one silly thing is that I never got a picture taken of me that day. Everyone assumed Danny would have his camera, which he did, but he forgot it in the car, and then we got to my grandma's we just sort of forgot about that part of things.

So, I am going to dress up in the cap and gown and get pictures with people this week, and pretend like I did it on the official day. I got a digital camera for my graduation present from my parents, so now I can be sure to take my camera with me. I took a couple pictures of Danny and I today with it. That's the picture you see. Goodnight.

Totally MAD!

2009-06-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

I drove to Corvallis today with a friend after watching an art therapy presentation at Marylhurst University. We have 2 opportunities to pick up our art work (for the senior show) one of them being today at 6pm. There was traffic between Portland and Corvallis and I got there at 6:15 and the guy was gone. There is no one to open the gallery besides him, and he is gone. I am so angry!!!! My work is in a room right next to where I am sitting and I have to make a special trip and spend 3 hours driving just to pick up my work on Monday. This is SO maddening and there's nothing I can do about it.

Been Busy

2009-06-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hello. I have had a little anxiety about not writing for a while but I have been busy. I will write some more about our trip.

Day 2: We woke up to the beautiful sunrise and explored around the rim. We weren't wearing snowshoes, and I was running up a snowy hill between a tree and a boulder, and my hole leg fell through. I grabbed onto the boulder, so I didn't fall all the way through the hole. My knee smashed against the rock, and Danny came and helped me out. I was so freaked out. I started crying, partially from the pain of hitting my knee, but I was scared of falling through a big snow hole.

I didn't really feel like exploring after that because my knee was hurting and I was a little shaken up, so we snowshoed back to our car, and headed down hwy 101 toward the Redwoods. We stopped at The Oregon Vortex. "The Oregon Vortex is a spherical field of force, half above the ground and half below the ground. The word "vortex" simply means a whirpool of force... It is an area of naturally occurring visual and perceptual phenomena, which can be captured on film." I am not going to go into detail about it, but it's worth visiting if you near the area. The quote and more information can be had at their website: http://www.oregonvortex.com/

After that we drove to the Redwoods and camped at Del Norte Campground. We grilled steak and corn on the BBQ there. It was delicious. When you're out camping food tastes immensely better than normal, but this still was an amazing steak...To be continued again. It's my brother's birthday, so I am going to go spend some time with him.

:) Danny looks so little next to that Redwood.

Car troubles

2009-06-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

My car broke down on the freeway today. The clutch crapped out, and the car lost power completely. I had to wait for an hour to get it towed. I think today I have had serenity because I did not get mad at all (which is abnormal in that situation). In fact it was almost an exciting experience. I got to practice my Spanish with the tow truck driver, and I got to ride in a tow truck for the first time and see how it works.

As I told you before, I have my art reception tonight, so I am just thankful that it didn't happen later in the day. Danny came and picked me up from Isa's Auto Service in West Linn. My car is still there. The repair cost is more than my car is worth. My car is blue book valued at a whopping $500.00. They estimated it would be $650.00. We figure I can't get a car as good as mine for $650.00, so I think we'll just look around for estimates elsewhere and see if we can get it lower. I know that Isa's is usually reasonably priced, but I have nothing to lose by looking around elsewhere.

I better get to work, and earn me some car repair money :)

I thought I would have time to write about the trip today, but considering the circumstances, it will have to wait.

Crater Lake

2009-06-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

I probably won't be able to get through the whole trip recap, but I will get started on it.

Disclaimer: My brain is a little iffy right now because I busted my butt painting all day, and didn't really take any breaks. Then I came home and made dinner, so I am pretty tired. Danny and I made cherry chicken lettuce wraps for the first time, and they were delicious.

Day 1 (Saturday): Danny and I drove a little over 6 hours to get to Crater Lake. It was so beautiful. A little Crater Lake background: It was once Mt. Mazama, which erupted, imploded on itself, and is now Crater Lake. It's the deepest lake in the US, and the 7th deepest in the world.

In the beginning of the day we were at the rim village at Crater Lake (where there's a lot of people), and not a single person spoke English. This was a common theme throughout our trip (to a lesser extent elsewhere). It was odd, we were the minority. The majority were composed of Indians (people from India, not Native Americans), and Asians.

We snowshoed along the rim of Crater Lake, and set up our tent overlooking Wizard Island. We ate dinner on a fallen tree branch (as pictured). It was really peaceful. We had the whole place to ourselves. We did not see a single other person once we passed the road barrier.

K, that's about as much as I can handle right now. I have my art reception tomorrow in Corvallis. I am pretty excited about it. It will be nice closure. I will add more tomorrow.

To check out more of Danny's Crater Lake pictures visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvarner/

Road trip

2009-05-31T19:40:00.000-07:00

Danny and I went on an 8 day road trip. This is our first day back and we have been zombies today. I think you guys probably know how it is. You come off that high of being on vacation, and enter back into reality. I am going to have a busy day tomorrow, but I will do my very best to get an entry in on Tuesday- along with some pictures of how our trip went. I hope all you Oregonians are enjoying this beautiful weather.

Paint process

2009-05-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

I am currently painting my parents bedroom. I am not done, but I wanted to show a few pictures of the process. I will put pictures on when I am done. I am going on vacation for a week, starting this Saturday, so I won't put the finished product on until the beginning of June.

Love the weather

2009-05-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

This weather has been wonderful! I woke up early this morning and read out on my deck. It was so peaceful. I know it's been said before, but when the weather is nice in Oregon it is one of the most beautiful places to be. This weekend was pretty mellow. We went to a potluck picnic at Barton Park. We had a lot of fun. Afterward we went with a friend to Stepping Stone and had breakfast at 10pm at night. We stayed until a little before 1 am playing board games. Good times.

Past weekend

2009-05-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a good one. We went on a hike around Hood River, around the hills of Mosier. It was a great little hike. There was Balsamroot, which look just like miniature Sunflowers. Other plants include: Desert Parsley, Purple Vetch, White Yarrow, Blue Bachelor Buttons. Everything is in full bloom. I wrote a haiku.

The Gorge
Indelibly Etched
cornucopia of Life
Hills of majesty

We saw pigs run into the street on our way up. It was so entertaining to see the farmer attempting to round them up, and encourage them to go in the correct direction. The eventually got out of the street and ran in and out of the trees in the orchard. The pigs looked like they were having a blast.

As I was walking along the path I heard a frightening noise right by my foot. I jumped and screamed, and then looked to see what it was. It was a rattlesnake! Danny and I were not very smart about how we handled the situation. I just think we both were so caught off guard because we were not expecting rattlesnakes to be in the area. We stood around it and looked at it for a little while before we figured out it was a rattlesnake. Danny took pictures, and I just stood there still in shock. It was coiled up and we didn't think much of it. Now I know this is the position they are in before they strike. Man, I feel pretty stupid looking back. I also feel very blessed that nothing happened.

Danny and I are going camping in a couple weeks, and I know we are going to continue hiking and camping for many years, so I think it would be wise for us to educate ourselves on what to do when encountering different reptiles, animals, etc.

Mother's Day was fun. We got to spend it with both our moms at different times. It was a nice relaxing day, and both our moms seems to enjoy their day. I have to get back to work.

Paws

2009-05-07T00:47:00.000-07:00

I went to an animal shelter today, Paws, in West Linn, to pick out a kitty because my mother in law, bless her pea pickin' heart (That's what my hick family says, I don't know what the pea pickin' is about) went to this animal shelter and found out they had kittens. They are a little over a week old, so they have to stay for about a month more, or so, but I guess we are coming into kitten season now.

I could really use a cat for some cheering up. To be perfectly honest I have been having kind of a tough time lately. I mean it's not tough all the time, but in spurts. I am in a twelve step recovery program and I am on my fourth step. If you know the steps, you will know that the fourth step is widely considered the hardest step (there are a lot of disclaimers I want to add to this comment, but I will leave it at that). I am not going to go into the specifics of it, but it's a long process to work on your fourth step, and there is a lot of pain involved in it. When you are finished there is freedom and a better understanding of yourself, and a lot of the history behind what makes you you, the good and the bad. But you have to go through the muck first. Well, I haven't reached the freedom part, and I am still in the muck. The freedom part comes with step 5.

Back to the animal shelter. There was one orange cat, named George, with cerebral palsy and he had no control of his muscle function and he was flopping around, and falling over, attempting to take himself from one place to the next. It broke my heart because he looked like he was suffering (but I found out he's a very happy kitty). I broke down and started bawling right in front of the lady. I could not stop crying for the longest time.

Shockingly, I wasn't that embarrassed. I was mostly confused at why I was reacting so strongly. It's an odd feeling to react so strongly to something and not even know why you feel the way you do. I am practicing accepting not knowing what's constantly going on with me emotionally. I have a feeling this too while take a while.

You have to see this cake

2009-05-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

As I told you last night, it's Angie's Birthday, and one of our friends, Adri, is crazy about birthday's. She is amazing about the efforts she goes to to make someone's birthday magical. As you might have guessed she made the cake you see before you. The flowers are decorated muffins. She has a true talent for making fun cakes. I have to run, but I thought I would share the wonderful creation.

game night

2009-05-06T00:57:00.000-07:00

Fun night tonight. We played games at the Lucky Lab Brew Pub. It was fun times. We had 10 people and we hung out for about 4 and a half hours and played games. I loved it. I am so happy to find people in my life who love to play games. Most the people were from Danny's work and they have such fun games that I've never heard of before. I am going to go to bed. It's my best friend's birthday tomorrow, and some friends and I are going to wake up early and make breakfast together, so I better get some shut eye, it's pretty late. Feliz cinco de mayo!

Kali the cat

2009-05-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

I got a new phone, not new, an old phone, new to me. I broke my other one, so a friend let me have an old one of his. Anyway, I evidently can't send messages through Bluetooth onto my computer anymore. But I looked up her picture on their website. The pictures does not do her size justice. She is a Russian Blue and she is very sweet, but so large.

I also reached 200,000 miles on my car and I took a picture of the odometer, but that too is on my phone. It was a really exciting moment for me. The funny thing is now my car is starting to make a funny smell. That car has been so good to me. His name (yes, it's a he), is Isigio. He's a Geo Prizm, and he is wonderful. All I have ever done for that car is take it in for oil changes. Amazing. I am grateful for his service to me. Well, I better get to work.

check this out

2009-05-04T23:19:00.000-07:00

I thought this was cool, so I put it on here. Pretty amazing. I don't know this person, I just read the article and put it on here, in case you were wondering.

"A design student made a battered old Skoda "disappear" by painting it to merge with the surrounding car park.

Sara Watson, who is studying drawing at the University of Central Lancashire (Uclan), took three weeks to transform the car's appearance.

She created the illusion in the car park outside her studio at Uclan's Hanover Building in Preston.

The car is now being used for advertising by the local recycling firm that donated the vehicle."

This is an article from BBC News England

cat search update

2009-05-04T22:58:00.001-07:00

I forgot to tell you, we went to another place, The Pixie Project to look for cats, but no luck again. It was a great place to look for cats though. They all had pretty good temperaments, but none of them were quite right. I am really going off of gut instinct here in finding the right cat and none of them have hit the spot yet. If you're wanting a cat fix or you want a nice adult cat, then I would highly recommend The Pixie Project. It's on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd on the East side of Portland.

The cats are all in one open room and you can just sit and hang out with them. There was just one girl that comes every once in a while and just hangs out there because cats make her happy. It was funny. There was a cat in there that had an eating problem (overeating) and when it came into the place it weighed 30 pounds! I didn't know they could get that big. She went to her food dish and had an eating session 5 or 6 times while we were in there. I felt bad for her, but she was pretty sweet. Actually I took a picture of her with my phone. I put her picture on here tomorrow.

Long time, no write again

2009-05-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I am just writing to write. I have been sick. Danny's keyboard is messed up, so I am going to keep this short. Oh good, it's working again. It's been glitching lately. I am going to write some tomorrow to fill you in on the weekend. It was fun times. Sometimes I get stressed out about not writing for a while and just have to jot a little tid bit down to make myself feel better.

Hola Diego! Danny just told me you still read the blog, so cool. I miss you man. I have not been practicing Spanish that much, hardly at all actually. I feel sad about it, but I am not really doing much to stop it. I will study Spanish again. I will, I will. I need to get your e-mail address from Danny so I can write to you instead of leaving you this message on the blog. Sorry to all of you who are not Diego :)

blah to perfectionism

2009-04-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Tuesday (going to Corvallis) was good and bad. The good: seeing old friends and YUJI! Yuji is the printmaking teacher at Oregon State and he is the greatest teacher. He's native to Japan and he has the funniest sayings. Like, "Happy Accident," "Looks good,"... k, I realize these aren't funny because you can't hear him or me saying it, but trust me, it's funny.

The bad: I worked for about 10 hours and did not like anything I made. REALLY. Some of it was okay, but I went with the intention of creating work for my senior show, which I am feeling quite insecure about. I think I am putting too much pressure on myself. I've been discovering that I am a perfectionist (Only with certain things, my car, and many other things are not examples of this).

I am pretty hard on myself, and I want to learn how to go a little easier on me. And other people close to me for that matter. I was listening to a CD (Cloud and Townsend Resources) on perfectionism and my eyes were opened. I highly recommend listening to CD's by Cloud and Townsend.

http://www.cloudtownsend.com/

Dr. Townsend is a clinical psychologist and marriage and family therapist, and Dr. Cloud is a clinical psychologist. These guys are relationship and life gurus. They are so knowledgeable about what it means to live fully.

I have to take off and get started with my day.

Printmaking

2009-04-19T22:19:00.001-07:00

I am super excited. I get to go to Corvallis on Tuesday to work all day in the printmaking room. I am going to bust out whatever it is that I am going to do for the senior show. The senior show is one piece of artwork put up in the Fairbank's Gallery at OSU by graduating art majors. There's a reception on June 3rd Wednesday, at 6:30 with food, family, and friends. I have a pretty good idea of what I am going to do, but I am sort of flexible to change some things. I have already ordered the frame and the matte board and arranged the layout of what goes where, but I have not made the actual pieces to go in it yet. It cost $135 for the whole thing. Wowzers. That's a lot of dough. I had major buyer's remorse after I did it because I never make quick decisions when it comes to buying things that cost more than $5 or $10. And even then, I usually take my sweet time.

I am so happy that I get to do printmaking again. It hasn't been that long and I already miss it. I am a little scared that I won't get an opportunity to do it again in the future, unless I take another class, because it's not like there are a lot of printmaking presses around to use. Or at least not that I am aware of. I should go to bed. Goodnight!

Today

2009-04-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day. Danny and I looked for a kitty at the Oregon Humane Society, but had no luck. We are hoping to find a kitten, I know, I am sure that's what most people want, but they mostly have adult cats. We didn't really jive that well with any of them anyway. There was one potential one, but she shed a little too much and needed to be brushed a couple times a week, and realistically that's not going to happen. If she was a great fit for us I would put up with the extra work, but I just don't think she was the right cat for us.

So, the search continues.

I planted my lettuce today. I probably should forget about it for a little while or else I'll probably check on it every other day, and wonder why it's not growing faster. I am going to plant some mint after I eat my dinner.

I better go eat or else my food will get cold. Wish me luck for the kitty search, and if you hear anything about kitties for sale let me know.

Mannequin Collaboration Installation

2009-04-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

I am finally putting this on here. This is the collaboration piece with the mannequin. You can click on the image to make it larger. Here's a little snipit of what the thought process is behind it:

The woman’s fears are coming alive. Her view of herself is distorted. In the fabric beneath her there are distorted breasts and rolls of flesh. Each member took on a different area of distortion. In every woman there is a desire for beauty. With that desire comes questions and doubts.

The strings that bind her are significant because she is powerless over this obsession. She is a puppet to what she takes in through her senses. She compares herself to the beautiful women she sees, and she feels she is not enough.

Can't sleep

2009-04-15T00:17:00.000-07:00

I can't sleep, but I am tired. I wanted to say, Happy Easter. I hope you had a wonderful Easter. I really enjoy the added perks of being married, one of them being that we have two different Easter celebrations. It's fun spending time with both families, and just hanging out.

Holy Moly. I ate too much delicious food that day. Gurdy was at The Varner's house. Gurdy is a 170 pound some type of Mastiff (a dog). She is so cute. In fact...dang. Danny hasn't put the picture of her on his computer yet. I would love to have a big dog like her one day. K, I am real sleepy now. Nos Vemos!

Obsessive

2009-04-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

I started to get obsessive because Auntie Weanage (AKA auntie Kathy) asked me to put the mannequin photo on and I was going to do it, against my better judgment because it's after midnight, but I can't find the stupid CD-ROM on Danny's computer and my laptop doesn't have one, so I have to ask him in the morning. I will post it though.

I got to speak Spanish today!!!

2009-04-14T23:21:00.000-07:00

I got to speak Spanish today!!! I know a woman, named Sarvia, and she is from Mexico, and we talked a little bit (in Spanish) before I left for Argentina, and this is the first time I have seen her since I have been back, and I had so much fun talking with her (in Spanish). In English too, but it was fun actually practicing Spanish again. I forgot about how much fun it was. I loved it!

She speaks some English, so my brother and I taught her some slang words. Well, not slang, just words that have double meanings. Por ejemplo: My brother wanted was trying to explain that someone is rusty means that they haven't practiced something for a while, AND it is the word used for oxidized metal, etc...

We had a lot of fun.

I made potato pancakes this morning. I really enjoy potato pancakes. I went for a run!!! Woohoo! I set out to do all the things I wanted to do today (all of which are not mentioned, and I will not bore you with those types of details, because they're not really all that exciting.)

Today was a good day. I drove over the bridge (which one? you ask. I don't know. It was in Portland. I really should figure out which bridge is which. I think Freemont is the rainbow arched one. I remember it because I think since it's a rainbow shape, then it's "free," for Freemont. I really hope that's right or else my little remembering tool is useless.

Anyway, driving over the bridge, and I was blown away at the beautiful sky!!!! I was so thankful, and was just in awe of the beautiful creation before me. I love the skies we have hear sometimes, they are incredible.

I got lettuce and mint to plant in my garden, which is a trough-like garden, that hasn't yet begun, but will very shortly. I don't know if I told you guys about the lettuce and mint, but if I did, please forgive me.

I am just so excited that I am going to plant things I can eat!!!!! What a wonderful idea. I know it's not a new idea, but it's a great one, and just because it's common does not take away the fact that it's a great idea, at least not to me.

I am going to ZZZZZZZZZZ land. Hope you all have a good night sleep!

Went to Bend

2009-04-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

So, for my graduation present Danny and I went to Bend. The first day we went snowshoeing to Paulina Lake in the Newberry Caldera and camped out. It snowed 2 inches while we slept and that was on an already 3 feet of snow. There were 30 mph hour winds, and it was cold! We had fun, but I don't think we'll be back to camp in the snow anytime soon. It was a learning experience.

The second day We went snowshoeing back to our car and headed to Cabin Creek Bed and Breakfast. I cannot say enough about how much I loved this place. The word perfection has been tossed around many times when describing this place. The hostess, Melody, makes homemade cookies for you every night, and superb breakfasts every morning. This woman needs to be cloned. She even has a movie collection, well, for me it's a collection, I don't really buy movies, so it seemed like a big selection.

It's decorated with sort of a modern western motif, and the rooms could not be more cozy. She has kept everything impeccably clean. I could go on and on. Okay, I will a little more. There was a king-sized bed with silk sheets, a hot tub outside, a gas fireplace that can be seen from both sides. It kind of acts as a divider between the room, and where the hydrotherapy jacuzzi is. So you can see it from the jacuzzi and from the bedroom. We stayed in the room called, "Cabin Romance," and I would highly recommend it if you want to try it out.
http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/oregon-bend-cabincreekbedandbreakfast-reviews.html

The first night we ordered in from China Doll, and their Beef Lo Mein is delicious, and extremely cheap, and they have really big portions. It lasted both Danny and I two meals.

The third day we went to the High Desert Museum. If you're in the area, I would recommend it. Danny and I thought we would spend an hour or so there, but we ended up staying for 4 hours. There was so much to see. If you like history at all it's filled with lots of it!

We went to some hidden ice caves afterward. That sounds cooler than what they are. We went to two of them, one (Boyd) was vandalized with spray paint and someone built a campfire in it. I have been to ice caves before, but this one I did not feel that safe at. Ice caves are dark, you have to bring a head lamp, lantern, or flashlight (or some other source of light). Boyd was a lava tube, basically a pathway formed where lava used to flow. They are cold, and the ones I have seen have really cool icicles coming from the ceiling.

The second ice cave we went to was called Arnold cave. It's not really a cave though. It looks like someone through a few grenades or dynamite somewhere and blew a big hole in the earth. It's where people used to get there ice 100 years ago, before those fancy freezers came along.

That night we went out to a very nice dinner at Zydeco. Another place I would highly recommend. It's a bit spendy, but worth every penny. There bread is the best bread I have ever eaten. It's from the Village Baker. It is amazing. Danny got Baby back ribs, and I got the red fish with dungeness crab. Both were excellent.

I have to go to a meeting. I hope you Portlander's enjoyed the beautiful day today!

100th post!

2009-03-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

I want to put a couple pictures on. One is a close up picture of two kids, a girl and a boy that I sewed into fabric for my art project. And close ups of each of them.

One is a pic of my family.

There's a wall display of my encaustic paintings. Encaustic is painting with hot wax and fusing each layer together. It's really fun. Each square is 6" X 6".

I will show you more later. I am going to visit my grandma today. She lives in Lebanon, so I should head out. I will probably write again tomorrow.

contemplation

2009-03-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

I graduated!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness. I have so much to fill you in on. Unfortunately I don't have any time right now, but I just realized that I didn't even tell you that I graduated yet. I have to post our installation pictures on here (my art collaboration with the mannequin). And my other installation, oh, and I guess I could take some pics of my printmaking from this term and put it on here too. I just checked my grades and I got all A's. Holy Moly!!!! I am really happy because it feels like such a great way to end my college career. I felt like this was a last great term to have. I worked hard, and I enjoyed my classes and the projects I had. I enjoyed my classmates (for the most part), and phew, I am finished.

My friends and family gave me a surprise graduation party to top it all off. I felt really honored and loved. I will share more details later. I have to go to my meeting pretty soon. BYE!!!

When to buy organic

2009-03-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

I just got the newest Shopper's Guide to Pesticides from the Environmental Working Group. It's a really handy list to help me remember what to buy organic. I thought you'd be interested in downloading it, too. Check it out at: http://www.foodnews.org

I don't know if you guys are like me, but I attempt to buy organic produce most the time, but sometimes I go to other places like Trader Joe's or elsewhere where there is not always a full selection of organic produce. Plus it's nice to pay a little less money every now and then. So the link will give you a heads up on when to go organic and when it's not as harmful to go without it.

There a printable wallet-sized version. HEALTH TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES TOO! I just made that up and I like it.

PS

2009-03-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

My chicken pot pie turned out to be SO tasty. It's going to be in the regular rotation from now on. I loved it!

Hey All!

2009-03-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I've just been finishing up with school. I feel so excited and sort of sad that this chapter of my life is coming to an end. What next? I have been looking for jobs, but have not yet applied. I am going to do that once I graduate. I plan on going on a little vacation at the end of March and then starting work after that. I am so nervous.

I have not worked for someone else besides my parents for like 4 years. I like working. I need to be around other people though.

A lot of people around me have been getting sick lately. I am nervous I am going to catch something, so I am trying to stay low today and rest. I felt a little bit of a sore throat coming on last night so I took some Welness Formula. That stuff works well for me.

I have been exploring new places in Portland lately. Like North Portland. I went to Gravy. Such a good restaurant on Mississippi. They make their own corned beef at the restaurant. If you know me you know I love corned beef hash. It was delicious. They are spendy, but they have HUGE portions. I got three meals out of my one order. So, the price is worth it.

I went to Mississippi again yesterday to go to the hardware store, the ReBuilding Center, and ¿por qué no?.

If you want to work on some fun home projects, and you need inspiration go to the ReBuilding Center. Oh my word! I love it there. I thought of so many fun ideas, but I only bought what I went there for and that was a couple slabs of wood for my current project for my class.

I plan to go back after I graduate. I would love that. I want to learn how to weld. I should take a welding class. That something on my list of things to do before I die. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

This whole almost being done with school thing has a lot of excitement. There's so many directions in which my life could head. I know I need structure. That's really important for me, because I don't know how to create structure for myself. I'll write again, and maybe I'll still be sorting through the same questions again, and maybe I'll have some answers. We'll see.

Jimmy Mak's and Cafe Nell

2009-02-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 21st was my mom's birthday. We went to Cafe Nell for breakfast. I believe it's on 10th and Kearney in NW Portland. It's a little pricey, but cozy. Especially when they have the fire place going. The servers were all very helpful, and even the bathrooms were cozy. They had a nice candle burning in each of the bathrooms with a fresh flower, and very nice throw away paper towel to wipe off your hands. You know those really thick, good quality ones?

Later that night we went to Jimmy Mak's. Linda Hornbuckle was playing and she rocked the house. She's the woman singing in the two video clips. I would have showed her singing for longer, but I have had trouble in the past with longer videos. We had a lot of fun. Danny and I got the 100% lamb burgers, and they definitely cook it more 'well' than what you ask for, but it was still good. I would highly recommend going to Jimmy Mak's for some feel good music. There's a cover charge. I know it varies, we paid a $10 cover to see her. The shows start at 8pm. They have Lebanese food, Cajun, hmmm...I can't remember the other two. There were 4 different types. Bottom line: good, fun jazz club.

Danny and I have been realizing how much we like jazz since we went. We didn't even know how much we liked it until now. It's nice because Danny and I don't typically have the same taste in music. Now we can both agree on jazz.

Oh, speaking of Lebanese food...Danny and I went to Nicholas' Restaurant and man, it is good. I am even going to post the address, in case you want to go. 318 SE Grand Ave
Portland, OR 97214. It has very good ratings, and very affordable prices. This is the second time I have been there, and I am going to continue going back for more.

I should go. I have to do some grocery shopping. I am going to make a chicken pot pie tonight. Danny had a craving for it, so I thought that would be a nice thing to make. Wish me luck, I have never made chicken pot pie before.

Blazer game

2009-02-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I ever told you this, but the Blazer's won their game. I wanted to post a pic I took of the Rose Garden with my cellphone.

Mannequin show and tell

2009-02-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

Hey guys. This is a picture of the mannequin I got for my art project. I am so happy about it. I am working on a collaboration installation project with two other students in my class and I am pretty pumped for the final result. It's fun to look at peoples faces when I load this mannequin in and out of my car. I wish I could take pictures of peoples reactions.

Guess what Danny gave me for a Valentine's gift. He made my blog into a book, and added in pictures from our trip to Argentina, so we would always remember it. I thought it was such a great idea.

I never told you, the Blazers won when they played Oklahoma. I love going to sporting events. Even if it's not a sport I am particularly interested in. I love the energy. Oh, and I found my Blazer finger at my parents house a couple days ago, so that's pretty cool. You know, those foam fingers?

I am sort of looking for jobs. I have to focus on school, so the search isn't too intense, but I will rev up the intensity this weekend. It's a scary process. For me at least. I am not really a fan of rejection, in fact I really really don't like it. It's good for me to put myself in a place where I am going to get rejected from time to time, because often times it's not as bad as I thought it would be.

This is sort of a weird phase of life where I need to figure out what career path I want to pursue. I am not expecting to figure that out in the next month or so, I will be happy to just have a job right now. Danny is really good for me with the whole job search thing. He encourages me to look for jobs that I think I am not qualified for. He is really good at not worrying about the rejection part. He sees a job he wants and he sort of just goes for it.

Danny and I went skiing on Monday. He had the day off for President's Day. I love skiing!!! I used to play volleyball competitively for like 8 years, and I miss belonging to a team or being involved in some sort of competitive sport. I miss the positive self-talk involved. Where you have to continue to push yourself further and further, and continue to improve. I also miss the accountability of having a team. You can't just flake out of practice if you're too tired, you go anyway. I can find all sorts off excuses to not work out.

Speaking of working out, I am going to go right now- while I am motivated!

Garlic is Amazing!

2009-02-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

I have been reading for hours about the beneficial properties of garlic. It is amazing! I love garlic and knew of some of the beneficial properties, but it has got me to the point of wanting to eat raw garlic on a daily basis. Danny probably won't like the smell, but maybe I can convince him to take it too :) Probably not, he's hard to sell on those sorts of things.

My friend mentioned that she has not been sick ever since she has been eating raw garlic toast at her work. This has been for a few seasons now, and she usually gets sick at least once a season.

Garlic can be used as a cure for everything from treating the common cold to fighting skin fungus. It's better to eat it raw rather than cooked, but both will work.

Dr. Tariq Abdullah, a prominent garlic researcher stated in the August 1987 issue of Prevention: “Garlic has the broadest spectrum of any antimicrobial substance that we know of — it is antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiprotozoan and antiviral.”

Health benefits of raw garlic:

(1) is a powerful immune system enhancer. Eat two to three cloves of raw garlic the first sign of a cold.

(2) helps lower blood pressure.

(3) helps reduce high cholesterol.

(4) helps reduce plaque within the arterial system.

(5) helps to regulate blood sugar.

(6) helps to prevent blood clots from forming, thus reducing the possibility of strokes. reduce platelet clumping and clotting (thus reducing strokes)

(7) dramatically reduces bacterial infections.

(8) expels intestinal parasites & worms.

(9) is a potent natural antibiotic and, while far less strong than modern antibiotics, can still kill some strains of bacteria that have become immune or resistant to modern antibiotics.

(10) has anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.

(11) helps to prevent cancer, especially of the digestive system, including the esophagus, stomach, and colon.

(12) has anti-oxidant properties and is a source of selenium.

(13) cures athletes foot. Rub crushed raw garlic on the affected area. Then cover or wrap the area leaving the pieces of raw garlic and oil enacted. Leave on overnight if possible. Repeat process until fungus is gone.

(14) helps to remove heavy metals, such as lead and mercury from the body.

(15) improves cardiovascular health.

(16) removes warts. Crush a clove of garlic, apply to wart, tape in place for 24 hours. The wart may blister and fall off in a week.

(17) heals boils & infected sores including cold sores.

I got this information from:
http://www.greenze.com/2007/08/17-benefits-of-organic-raw-garlic-how-it-can-improve-your-health/

I know this was a nerdy entry, but I like sharing this sort of stuff.

Argentina Night!

2009-02-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

We had Argentina night on Sunday, and it was a lot of fun. Danny's family and my family came over for dinner. We played traditional Argentine music and ate beef and chicken empanandas. Our families tried morcilla (blood sausage), which most everyone was skeptical about. My brother was unable to come because it was his girlfriend's birthday, but I sent some food home for him and he loved the blood sausage. It was actually the best morcilla I've had. I don't know what was different about it, but it was very good.

Danny was our asador. We had chicken, steak, and grilled red pepper with egg in it. For an appetizer we had bread, cheese, and salami. Everyone got a chance to try Fernet, that was a mixed bag as to whether people liked it or not. We had already introduced everyone to mate, so their familiar with that. It was really fun to get everyone together and share a bit of what we learned in Argentina. I am so thankful for the experience.

When we finally cleaned up, I realized I never took any pictures. That was a little sad. I wanted a picture to capture our time together :(
I have to go finish my project for class. I get to go to a Blazer game tomorrow. I am pretty excited about that. I should bring my camera with me. I need to get some pictures up.

PS- The other project I procrastinated on turned out pretty well. I finished it. I am going to make some alterations, but overall it turned out nicely. Maybe I'll put a picture of that on here. Hmmm...

Totally procrastinating

2009-02-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

I am just finding excuses not to do my homework, so I thought I would take a couple shots of our apartment. I also wanted to take another shot of Mt. Hood because the other one was pretty dark. I am sure I will end up taking a million shots of Mt. Hood from our deck. I didn't clean up the apartment so excuse the messes. It's a fun layout, I really love living here. Everyone around is nice, and there are great shops and restIt's a beautiful sunny day today. I love it restaurants within walking distance.

Missing Argentina

2009-02-04T13:18:00.000-08:00

I am really missing Argentina today. There have been several things that have reminded me of it lately, and I can really feel the pangs of sadness today. I looked at a picture of the place I used to sit at school, Facultad de Lenguas. I miss Laura, Fanny, Flor, Pablo, and just the random people I would see and talk with there. I liked it there. I am missing speaking Spanish, but I need to focus on school too. I need the discipline to practice on my own. I have been listening to the Spanish station in my car on the way to school. I can understand some of it. I plan to take classes somewhere after I graduate.

I keep thinking that me graduating is some really far off thing, but I graduate in 5 weeks, that's not that long. WOW!!!! I haven't even thought of what I am going to do to celebrate. I am getting kind of excited for it.

Danny and I are going to have both our families over for Argentina Night this weekend! We will have Fernet, asado, salami, cheese, mate, medialunas...So delicious! I am really looking forward to it. I was going to attempt to make empanadas, but I might wait for a different time to try it.

I have midterms this week, and I am supposed to be working on my project that I have to have finished for tomorrow. Instead I want to curl up with a soft blanket and sleep for a while. Ahhh!!! Procrastination, an unending battle.

Mr. Raccoon

2009-01-30T17:24:00.000-08:00

So funny. Danny was going outside to start the BBQ and there was a raccoon just hanging out on our deck. He has to climb up some pretty steep stairs to get to our place, but lo and behold he was there. Our deck connects to the deck of the people below us, so after Danny went outside he just hung out cleaning himself on the deck below. It was so funny. I guess I have never seen a raccoon behave the way he did. He was just so mellow, and not the slightest bit scared of us. He saw we were there and just was like, 'whatever.'

I know they can be aggressive, but this guy seemed pretty calm. He was like a cross between a cat and a dog. I ran inside to get my camera, but my memory card was in my computer, and then I ran into to get that, and by the time I got it all set up he was gone. But take my word for it, he was a funny raccoon.

Ski Day!

2009-01-26T21:11:00.000-08:00

Danny and I went skiing at Mt. Hood on Monday and it was a blast and a half. I haven't been skiing since I was a kid. I absolutely loved it. What a fun sport. It was Danny's first time skiing and he picked it up pretty quick. We had lessons before we started, which were very helpful.

We had a great weekend, lots of fun activities. We got to see our friends, John and Haley, with Ezra, and their newborn baby Levi. Levi was born while we were in Argentina, so this was our first time seeing him. I am become more and more scared at the thought of giving birth to a baby. I am debating whether I should use drugs or go drug free. My natural pull would be to go drug free, but man, I am not looking forward to the pain. I sound like this is a near future thing (to have kids), but I am planning on having kids around 28-30 years old. I don't really take any decision lightly, so I want to start thinking about it now. Because this will be one of the biggest decisions of my life.

We went to Danny's cousins fiances going away party because he is leaving for Iraq for a year. I couldn't help but cry when she gave her toast because I could feel how sad she was, knowing that he would be leaving in a few days. I would want to cherish every last second with him. What a hard thing to have to go through. The awful thing is that she got her car stolen out from in front of their house. What an uneasy feeling, not knowing if it was a random thief or something planned. The fishy thing is they just got new brakes, detailing...the works the day before it was stolen.

Well, I have to go to DEQ to renew my tags, so I better get going.

One month anniversary

2009-01-23T09:48:00.000-08:00

As I posted the last post I looked at the date and realized it's Danny and my one month anniversary of being back in the US. It feels like longer than that. We have done so many things since we have been back, it's crazy to think it all happened in a month. I am currently looking for a job to start when I graduate college, which will be in 7 weeks!!!! Oh my word. I want to take Spanish classes in between my time of finishing school and looking for a job. Oregon currently has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and I can imagine that finding a job right now will not be easy.

Good quote:
"It is not what life offers up to each one of us that truly matters, but rather, how we respond, that determines what we become."

A couple questions

2009-01-23T09:34:00.000-08:00

I wrote an e-mail to some people, and then I thought, "Hey, why not put them on the blog too." So here's my e-mail:

I was reading these questions this morning, and I thought they were good things to ask ourselves, so I thought I would share them with ya'll.

"What do you appreciate most about yourself?" STOP, and really think about that one.

"What are you doing best right now in your life? What needs your attention? What deserves more energy and focus?"

I was also reading a something separate, it was about organization techniques, but I think it can apply to many areas of our lives. This is not a direct quote, but the gist. "You have at least one system, task, thing etc. that works well. Figure out why and build on that."

That's all for today. Hope you guys enjoy your day.

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T21:27:00.000-08:00

Today, as you all know was inauguration day. I can't begin to imagine how exciting it must have been for the people who got to witness it in person. I was in my car driving to school listening to it on the radio. I had to go to class, so I didn't get to hear the whole thing, but thanks to technology I can watch it later on the internet. I am writing to give you the picture of Mt. Hood from out apartment. We have had the most beautiful weather lately. Cold, but beautiful. It's been clear, crisp, and sunny. I love it!

Long time, no write

2009-01-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,
I apologize for not writing in so long. I don't know if anyone reads this anymore, but if not it can just be a little journal between me and me. So, we have moved into our new place, you know that already. We got most of our stuff set up this weekend, we just need a bookshelf, which I am going shopping for today. I am going to the Sellwood Antique Mall. Sellwood is apparently the best place for antiques in Portland, so I am pretty excited about that.

We went to Ikea to get some stuff, and it's wonderful for cheaper things, but not so wonderful for quality items, so we are going the antique store route. I love how unique each piece is. A lot of it is hit or miss. Some stores just smell like mold, and look like they really need to be scrubbed down, and others are just fresh, unique, and delightful.

I gave my testimony this Friday, which I believe went well. I was so nervous, and crying beforehand, but once I got up there it wasn't that hard. I think it's easier when you know that the people listening to you love you, even if you mess up. I took a picture of the view from our place. You can see Mt. Hood in it. I don't have a card reader on this particular computer, so I will put it on later.

I started leading a step study group with another woman from Celebrate Recovery last Monday night. We meet every Monday 7-9ish. I have to go finish my homework. I will be writing more often from now on. I just had to get through that time of being really busy.

Most stressful week ever!

2009-01-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

I liked the simplicity and laid back pace of Argentina. I need it right now!!!!! I am going crazy with the stress. I need to go back.

First day of school

2009-01-06T11:49:00.000-08:00

Oh my word. A lot has happened in the last 5 days, that is why I have not written for so long. We moved into a new place...I don't know if I told you this before, but it's different then the place I originally talked about. It's really a great place. It's in NW Portland. We don't have internet yet, so that's another reason why I haven't written on the blog lately. This week is going to be crazy. I have SO many things I need to get done. One of them being my testimony. It's basically my life story and it is around 13-15 pages, so I need to get cracking on that. I have 2 pages so far. I was sick on Sunday and all day yesterday, so I was unable to work on it for very long. I am still sick today, but functional sick. Before I was the type of sick where you need to stay in bed.

I am not going to write very much more because I should get some lunch and stop procrastinating. I want to fill you in on my life, but I should be good, and do my work. I hope you all are doing great! If you're reading this from Argentina, I miss you greatly. I have not had many opportunities to practice my Spanish because I have been so busy, but I am going to join a Spanish speaking club. I have about an hour and 45 minute drive to school, so I practiced a little in the car today. I was just talking to myself, but at least it was something. K, I really should go now.

PS

2009-01-01T01:42:00.000-08:00

I never told you this before, but thanks for your prayers for our flight getting in safely. I was really SO happy with how smoothly that worked out. And, we have made a pretty good adjustment to the weather. I think the gray doesn't affect me as much when I am hanging with my family and friends. When I have community and love it doesn't seem to affect me as much-it's when I get lonely that I think is the problem. OR that could all be bogus, and my body just has so much built up sun love from Argentina, that it's like, "I am not going to get pissed yet, you still have sun reserves." I am sorry, it's late, and I start to speak gibberish when it's late. I love you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-01T01:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you all! 2008 was an amazing year for Danny and I. I think it's been probably the best year of my life. It seemed like it was 5 years packed into one. It was a tough year, but so rewarding. One of the most rewarding parts was the awesome opportunity to live in Argentina-meet the lovely people, experience an exciting new culture, and just live it up in a different country.

The start of this year brings some excitement for Danny and I. On Monday, Jan.5, he starts his new job (it's still with Intel, but it's his first day with the final placement he chose.) Tuesday, Jan. 6th, I start school. It will be my last term and Oregon State University, and then I will graduate. Woohoo!!! I am giving my testimony on January 9th, and co-leading a women's small group that will begin on January 12th. I am going to be a busy lady in the next couple weeks.

Something a little more immediate is this Friday, Jan. 2nd, we will be moving into our new place. Can you believe it? I am highly anticipating it. So, the place we decided to live is different, but a good different. It's in NW Portland, on 26th...so, that's a fun, safe, and quieter neighborhood with really good restaurants, and cool shops all around the area. I'll tell you more about it later. I should get some rest. Goodnight, and I really wish you a happy new year!

I think we found a place to live!!!!!!

2008-12-29T18:38:00.001-08:00

We searched for houses in Portland again today, and found three great prospects. I didn't realize that there were such great places out there. We looked in NW and SE Portland, but I think we decided on a place in SE near East Burnside, Stark, and Belmont. If you're not familiar with that part of Portland it's basically a great little area with funky coffee shops, great restaurants, and lots of character. Our place is a mile or less away from everything...grocery stores, movie theaters, bookstores, cafes, restaurants...all the places you need.

Oh my gosh!!!! I am so excited to show you guys pictures. We are just about to send the application in. My computer is tweaking out, so I am going to post this, but I will post more later.

Here's a picture of Danny's and I with Marcus and Angie at Vivace.

The snow has melted

2008-12-28T09:47:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,
It feels pretty good to be back. With me being me there is always reflection. And with that comes some feelings of loss and feelings of thankfulness.

I miss the excitement people get when they haven't seen you for a couple days. I miss hearing Castilian spoken everywhere (when I first arrived in Cordoba I never would have thought that would be something I would eventually miss). I miss their passionate spirit, their grace, patience, Cordobes really know how to have a good time, and take life easy. There's not much anxiety. I miss their generous hearts. Their willingness to take a risk (even when they might look a little silly), and just their all around love and affection they have for one another.

Christmas went well. It was cool, because I felt like this year it was less about presents, and more about family. I like that. There were several contributing factors. The weather- a lot of family members were unable to make it to their desired destination because of the snow, so people became more thankful if their loved ones were able to be there. There was a new level of gratitude to be with our families this year because we haven't been with them for almost 4 months. It seemed like most people got a little more creative with gift ideas this year because of the economy taking a bite out of people's bank accounts. Several people just eliminated giving gifts all together, and some made their own gifts by hand. I like the simplicity.

Danny and I got a chance to hang out with our best friends Marcus and Angie last night. It was great to see them again. We would have seen each other sooner, but the snow wouldn't permit it. We got to see their adorable cat, Wilson. I think he is the cutest cat I have ever seen (Cover the ears of all the other cats in my life, so they don't hear that). We went to Vivace on NW 23rd, and had their amazing crepes. We had the number 7, which has nutella, chocolate, whipped cream, bananas, and toasted almonds on it. It was pretty amazing.

Danny and I were looking for apartments and we were in Portland all day, so we ate out 3 different times in Portland, and I could not believe how much I missed the food here. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant on Hawthorne, Cha cha cha. I had the Big Mama Burrito with their special enchilada sauce, and freshly sliced avocados...mmmmm. There is so much variety. I can understand a little more about part of the reason why Americans are obese. We have such easy access to food, it's incredible. It's so simple to get food here, with little effort on your part.

I like looking for apartments. It's sort of sad when you get see one that's amazing, and you fall in love with it, and then someone else gets it before you do. That happened to us a few times already. I guess a lot of people are out shopping for places to live right now. I know we'll find a place that suites us. We saw one place that was incredible, but it was a little out of our price range. We might be able to cut a deal with the guy. Since being in Argentina the highest priority for Danny is good grill/BBQ access so he can start having more asados. He's so thrilled at the idea of retrieving our grill from storage and firing that baby up!

Well, I better get going. I have to help make Christmas dinner for our extended family. They were unable to make it here before Christmas because of the snow, so we are celebrating today.
If you're in Argentina reading this- I am giving you an imaginary hug right now. There was a guy at Cha cha cha who was speaking in Spanish, and I got the biggest urge to go up and hug him, because it reminded me of being in Argentina.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-25T08:20:00.000-08:00

We made it back safely, and with no problems. It was amazing because SO many flights were canceled. We had a 30 min delay, but that's nothing. We sat next to a lady that had been waiting for a flight back to PDX since Sunday.

There was snow everywhere when we got back, so we built this snow goblin.

Flight number

2008-12-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

This is for the Varner's and my parents, but our flight number is AS 563 from LA to PDX.

It is totally weird. We are in the airport in Chile, and I think about how far I have come since I was here last. I remember crying the last time we were here- from the culture shock, and the humiliation of not being able to order a sandwich. Now, most people are ordering their food, speaking English, and I am feeling really sad that I am not forced to speak in Spanish. We will still speak in Spanish to other people until we get to LA. And, I guess if there are Hispanic people in LA, we will talk to them in Spanish too. I want to really find a group of people to speak with.

It's funny, I was just in Cordoba today, and when I was there with people from Intel I spoke in English. I am sort of regretting that. I am getting bugged with how much English I am hearing. Everyone is talking in English. Why am I bugged with this? I speak in English. That doesn't seem fair to my own language. I am still in Chile though, I feel like I should be hearing Spanish.

We met a friend on the plane from Peru, and it was really fun to chat with him (in Spanish). I cannot tell you his name, I have never heard it before. He wrote it on a piece of paper for us, but I can't remember because it was long and very different.

I love how people we meet want to continue to keep in contact with us. I love to be relational with them. When we meet people here, and talk for 20 minutes- it feels like I have known them for a really long time. The depth is reached quickly. I hope, as a culture, that will always remain the same. I am going to head out now. I am excited to see you guys, and go sledding. We are still in our summer clothes, so we have to adjust quickly!

Alberto

2008-12-22T07:48:00.000-08:00

I guess I am posting a lot today. We just say adios to Alberto, and his son-at the butcher shop. Here's a picture of him and Danny.

Please pray for us

2008-12-22T07:18:00.001-08:00

I know I asked for it before, but please pray for us for a safe flight and to arrive tomorrow- as scheduled. I would really love to spend Christmas with our families, not in the airport :)

If we got stuck it would be in LA, and the bright side of that would be that we could say 'hey' to our friend at the Venice Beach Hotel. Remember, the Bas Rutten look alike? I bet he would be happy to see us again. As much as we would love to see him too, we would rather spend Christmas with our loved ones.

Leaving today, a little reflection

2008-12-22T06:38:00.000-08:00

I have a list of all the different nuances about Cordoba, and I have intended to post them on here, but just haven't done it, but now is the time. I apologize in advance if anyone gets offended- it's all in good fun.

-There's a bomb that goes off at least on a weekly basis from a protest. People protest here ALL the time because their wages are so low. For a few days the garbage men protested, and it was not pretty. Everyone puts their garbage in bags and places them on the sidewalks, it's not just like that 'on garbage day', everyday is garbage day, but they don't have bins, so when the garbage men protested it got really stinky.

-They mop their sidewalks every morning. When I walk to school people are outside of their business mopping their section of the sidewalk, what a novel idea. Along with this one, they are very fastidious about cleaning their windows.

-There's always a fresh pile of dog doo on the sidewalk everyday. Well, lots of them. The sad thing is, you know pretty soon there is going to have a foot print in it. Which is something you see quite often. They don't have laws about cleaning up after your dog, or even having your dog go someone besides the side walk, which leads me to the next nuance.

-There are stray dogs everywhere-hence the dog doo. Danny and I had never seen a dog with testicles before we came here. All the dogs we've encountered in the states are neutered, but it is rare to see a dog that is neutered here. Bob barker would have a hay day!

I have more written down, but I should go pack some more. I will write more when I get home. I am sad to leave, but happy to see people at home. Just to let you know I am going to continue the blog to let my Argentine friends know how things are going for Danny and I in the states, and for people in the states to know as well. I still have more to write about our last weekend here, and of course, the rest of the nuances. We are so thankful for the opportunity to come here, and for the people we have met along the way.

I have built relationships with our laundry lady, Pablo-the man we bought our glasses from, our butcher-Alberto, and his family, our house cleaner, The maintenance man in the building, people from Danny's work, Sergio and his friends-from the bookstore, teachers, and students from school... Each one of those people have changed and effected me. They all will be missed.

The city of Cordoba (nuances and all) will be missed. Even the people I didn't know. I walked to school, and I would pass by a security guard every morning, the people washing their sidewalks, I would look in the window of a meat shop called 'Angus', and see what the guys were up to in there, the men waiting for their van to fill with passenger (I never knew what the van was for), the people who would stand in the doorway of their shops and look out at the passersby. They were my regulars, and they gave me comfort. I knew I could count on them being there each morning. I will miss my path to school.

We are going to finish with all of our tasks here, then swing by Intel to drop off our keys, and say bye again. We will be on our way soon-and I still can't believe that we are leaving. I cried when I arrived, and now I cry as I leave, but for very different reasons.

View of Cordoba

2008-12-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

We hung out with our friends yesterday, and this was the view from the pool area of their apartment. Absolutely gorgeous, we never knew Cordoba was so huge, you should have seen it. I will tell you more about it later.

Leaving tomorrow :(

2008-12-21T10:12:00.000-08:00

Here's our itinerary again.

We'll be taking off from Argentina on December 22nd 6:35pm. We leave Santiago, Chile @ 10:35pm and arrive in LA @ 7:05am. Then we arrive in Portland @ 1:20pm on December 23rd.

Please pray for us. I heard the airport closed down yesterday, so I am a little nervous. And the flight from L.A. to Portland was canceled today, and that's the same flight we're going to in two days. Please pray that it goes smoothly. Thank you! I am excited to see you all!

*This is Sergio, my friend who owns the bookstore. My stupid camera is broken again, so my pictures are taken with the my phone.

Flor y Fanny

2008-12-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of both my teachers. Florencia is on the left and Fanny is on the right.

Intel Party

2008-12-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

Today was the last day of class for me, and the last day of work for Danny. I shared my feelings about this yesterday, and it was kind of the same thing today. The great thing was that I got to see Florencia again before I left. She went to Brazil for vacation and I didn't think I was going to see her again. So, I got to say goodbye again. My current teacher, Fanny, made earring for me for a Christmas present. I thought that was the sweetest thing. Both Danny and I are a little mopey tonight. We can't believe we are leaving. There's a possibility that we will return. Oh, how I would love that!

We went to the end of the year party for Intel. It was a lot of fun, of course. Some of the people who work at Intel performed some live music for us. I don't think I have mentioned this previously, but there are a lot of musically talented people in Argentina. Especially in the province of Salta. 'Folklorico' is there passion, and there is typically a guitar in every household. Evidently, everyone in Salta knows how to play the guitar.

We left the party at around 2:30am, and I felt like we were 'retiring early.' I am constantly amazed at how late people can stay up here. It's been over 3 months, and I still cannot wrap my head around how they can continue staying up so late. We arrived home a little before 3am, and more people were out on the streets at 3am then there are during the middle of the day, or at least in our neighborhood. I guess right now I am being very Argentinian. It's after 11:30pm and we have still not eaten dinner. We will go out pretty soon.

Today, we went out for some beers and appetizers after Danny got off work, as a final send off. We tried cow tongue, that was descent, but I probably won't eat it again anytime soon. Danny tried cow stomach, but that was too far for me. I have seen that hanging in the market, and wondered what it was, and felt squeamish just looking at the texture.

Apparently they eat/use every part of the cow except for the colon. We were sitting with a guy that lived in a farm area 'el campo', and he has eaten every part of the cow. If you are someone who gets grossed out easily- don't read the next line. In the farm area they cut of the cows head, skin it, drill a hole in the top of the scull and wrap it in aluminum foil and cook it over hot coals. They actually bring the whole cows head to the table! Oh my word. We better head out to get our food.

***I recorded the Intel band playing, but the sound quality on my camera is really bad, so I didn't put it on here, but I put a little clip of everyone enjoying themselves, and dancing. Sorry, for the sound. BUT...The good news is, my camera works again!

Goya y Dalí

2008-12-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

I forgot to tell you. I went to the museum yesterday, Mueseo Provincial de Bellas Artes Emilio Caraffa.I have told you about this museum before, they have rotating exhibits. They were showing the work of Fransisco de Goya, and Salvador Dalí. How cool is that? I have seen the most famous artists in the shortest period of time, it's crazy. It's my favorite when I see work that I recognize. It's so much different to study a work of art in a book compared to seeing it up close and personal.

The work was mostly Goya's printmaking prints, and their were a few pieces of Dalí's work, but it was a new take on Goya's prints. So, it was essentially the same thing, but with minor alterations. He added 'Dalí' flare. I cannot remember the name of that, I think it starts with a 'D'. That's going to bug me. It might be 'appropriate.' Anyway, it was a really great thing to be able to see. I know some people from Argentina read this, so if you like either of those artists, or art in general it will be showing until January 3rd at Mueseo Provincial de Bellas Artes Emilio Caraffa.

Revelation

2008-12-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

So, I was at school today, and my class ended and it finally hit me FOR REAL that we are leaving, and tomorrow will be my last class. I decided to journal about my feelings after my teacher left, but in Spanish. I was trying SO hard not to cry because I knew someone could walk in at any moment, and it's hard for me to talk in Spanish (all the time, but especially) when I am caught off guard or really emotional.

For instance, today, I was walking to class and a truck started backing up and a women was standing with her back to the truck and the truck wasn't paying attention, and I could see that he was about to hit her, and all I could do was yelp out a loud noise and throw out my hands. No words came to my mind. The truck ended up hitting her but it wasn't going that fast. I don't think she really got hurt, just mostly startled, and angry that the driver wasn't paying attention.

Anyway, back to the classroom. I wanted to take pictures of the school to remember it, but my camera is not working- so, I had to use my phone to take pictures. ***Side story***Danny and I went out to have drinks and empanadas with my library friend Sergio two nights ago, and I wanted a picture with him, but my camara stopped working right then. But, Danny took a picture with his phone, so at least I have some image of him. Bad timing, huh? ***end of side story*** So, I walked out of the classroom into the patio area where I like to sit and watch the birds during my break, and I just burst out crying. There are so many memories I have, in such a short amount of time. It really breaks my heart to think I might never see these people or this place again. How can that be? They are now a part of me, and I am a part of them. I want to figure out a way to take it all with me.

I don't know what our future holds, but I hope we can return here one day. This is going to be hard. We have to say all of our goodbyes in the next couple days. I am going to be a wreck. We are going to a Christmas party for Danny's work tonight. I am excited about that.

The picture: This is where I sit and watch the birds. They live in the avocado tree in the middle of the patio. They fly down all the time to pick up fallen sticks to make their nests. They have brought me a lot of comfort and fascination.

Weather challenges

2008-12-16T08:04:00.000-08:00

It is SO hot here! It is supposed to be 96 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius), and it feels like it has reached that point. I was eating lunch with Danny and I was sweating underneath my eyes. The pit of my elbows were dripping sweat-that's how hot it is. Now I am indoors with the air conditioner on, all the lights off, and the shades pulled. I had plans to go visit different places around town today, but I am going to lay low for a while.

So in 6 days we are going to be returning to the United States. I am super sad, but also excited to see my family and friends. I feel like the time has gone by so quickly. The weather is drastically different there. It's forecasted to be in the mid-90's all week here. In West Linn, Oregon it is currently 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and snowing. That's over a 70 degrees difference. How crazy of a transition is that going to be? Honestly if you have any tips for how to acclimate to different climates in a short amount of time- please let me know: My e-mail: liz.varner@gmail.com.

So, I thought of a fun little idea. I am going to take pictures of some of my friends I have met, and post them on the blog. Like our butcher, my bookstore friend, our house cleaner...I want to remember them. I know they will be in my heart, but it's always fun to look back on them in a picture too. I might do that today. I am trying to figure out a way to not be as affected by the heat. Maybe I can dump water over my head before I go out. Oh, I got it. I remember this trick from volleyball. I'll put ice in a Ziploc bag and place it on my veins. That usually helps.

Can you believe Christmas is 9 days away! I don't know how it feels (festivity wise) in the states, but it does not feel like Christmas here. I felt more festive when I made cookies and Christmas cards for people. I had a lot of fun doing that. K, I am going to head out. Chau!

One week left :(

2008-12-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

Friday night:
We both LOVED The Nutcracker. It was really lovely. Whenever I go to those sort of events I always get amazed with what the human body is capable of. Bending, twisting, twirling around endlessly on the tips of ones toes. I now know why I am not a ballerina. They sure do look beautiful though. Graceful and elegant. My favorite part was when the dancers acted like dolls. That was amazing. I couldn't stop laughing when they carried them off stage-they looked just like dolls.

Saturday: Chill out day

Sunday: We went to Alta Gracia to see the 'Che' Museum. Ernesto “Che” Guevara. People here are crazy about 'Che.' I won't go into the long history about Che, but he was an Argentine Marxist Revolutionary and a guerrilla leader as well (among other things). He worked alongside Fidel Castro in his 26th of July Movement. You may have heard of the famous movie (and book) titled “Motorcycle Diaries.” It's about his journey through South America. He was a well traveled guy-it's kind of amazing actually. He rode 4000k all around South America on a road bike with a little motor. That was his first journey, but his second one is the one the movie is about, and that's on a real motorcycle, but it broke down along the way...Okay, I am rambling on about it. I always find it fascinating when people are so fixated on the life of one particular person.

It's late. I better head to bed.

I made chocolate chip cookies today. A whole lot of them. I didn't know what to give people for presents. I wanted to give them something different from what they already have in Argentina, and then I thought, 'chocolate chip cookies!' I have not seen them here, and they like sweets, so I figured that would be a good present. I made little Christmas cards too. I had a lot of fun doing it.

I heard it snowing in Portland! How fun. Go sled for me!!!!!!!!

The Nutcracker

2008-12-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

Hey. Well, I am super excited because Danny and I are doing our first Christmasy event. We are going to see the Nutcracker. I know it's a ballet, and somehow Christmas is involved...and that's about it. I am assuming a nutcracker will show up at one point as well. Apparently, I saw it when I was a little kid, but I don't remember a lick of it. I suppose it has to be good because they keep playing it over and over again every year at Christmas time. Nevermind, that theory just got flushed away. They bring fruitcake back every year, and we all know what that tastes like.

I hope you are getting in the Christmas spirit. Man, can I just say that I miss Christmas music. I haven't heard it here. I heard something that could have resembled it in the mall, but it wasn't anything I have heard before. I know people can get tired of Christmas music really fast, but I just love it. It's so upbeat. I even worked in a deli where they played the same music everyday, and I didn't tire of it. I think I have a high tolerance for repetitive music. I used to make my brother so mad when we were kids because I would buy a CD and get obsessed with one song, and I would play it through out the house continuously. My dads the same way as me. I just can't get enough of a song if I really love it.

Here's a picture I took at our hotel (in Iguazu). Butterflies are called 'Mariposas' in Espanol.

Cataratas III

2008-12-11T16:17:00.000-08:00

I decided to chose writing to you guys, instead of doing my homework this time. I will be brief because I should do my homework soon.
Saturday: We arrived and checked in a hotel called, 'Rio Tropic.' I would highly recommend this hotel. It was beautiful, and intimate in the set up. Only ten rooms, a beautiful pool, and breakfast every morning with fresh squeezed orange juice from their own orange trees. They have a various types of oranges trees, so every morning you get to try orange juice from a different type of orange. The owner, Remy, is super nice and helpful too. So, during the day we went to The national park in Iguazu, Cataratas del Iguazu. This is the home of the widest waterfall system in the world. It consists of 275 falls that stretch for 1.67 miles. We saw a monkey, lizards, a family of coatis, and of course tons of beautiful waterfalls. We took a speed boat to view the falls. It was exhilarating.

Sunday: We went back to the park, because it definitely needs to be viewed in two days. We went on a jungle walk, and saw a toucan. Sadly, I was unable to get a picture, but it was still great. We saw a raining tree. Have you ever heard of raining trees? It rained continuously- I know this sounds weird. It wasn't raining anytime that day, it continued on for hours, and it was only a specific type of tree that did it. We can't figure it out. At the end of this trail was a hidden waterfall with a little swimming hole. We took turns standing underneath it. It was amazing, we felt like we were in our own little world. The most breath taking of it all was The Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo). It measures 490' by 2300'. The video is of Garganta del Diablo. I have to go get to my homework now. Love you!

Cataratas II

2008-12-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

We took a boat ride to see the falls.

Homework and library friends

2008-12-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

I am going to be good and do my homework instead of post about the falls. I want to, but I know I should do my homework now. I talked to my library friends again. We talked for about 3 hours. Some in English, but mostly in Castillian! Choppy of course, but still fun. Sergio (the guy who owns the bookstore) gave me a present. He gave me a book to practice Cordobeses. Which is like the specific words and sayings that people use in Cordoba. Certain provinces have their own way of saying certain things, and this one was about how Cordobes speak. I was so happy to receive it! I had so much fun talking with them again. I got to meet Segio's sister, and Rene (the guy from before) was in there too. There was a new guy who lived in Detroit for a year and half, but is from Argentina who was shopping for books, and he overheard us talking and he translated a little bit. We laughed a lot, and had a great time. Need to do homework! Chau!

Cataratas

2008-12-10T05:51:00.000-08:00

I like this verse:

"If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done."
-Ecclesiastes 11:4

I tend to want to wait for the perfect conditions, but they rarely ever come. This was a good verse for me to hear.

Speaking of perfection. Here is a picture of Iguazu. I will, of course, be posting more later, but for now, I am going to go have lunch.

We're back

2008-12-09T16:35:00.001-08:00

We got back from Puerto Iguazu earlier today. It was a 21 hour bus ride, so long! I have to go run some errands, but I wanted to post this little guy. He came up to us while we were sitting on a bench.

The falls were amazing! I will catch you up later. There's a lot to show and a lot to say. I start classes tomorrow with a new teacher, and I am super nervous. I got to a really comfortable spot with Flor and I liked how we did things, but it will be good to have a different teachers perspective. Hasta Luego!

***The video is not uploading. I will look into it tomorrow.

Sentimental

2008-12-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

I am feeling really sentimental today. I have been sentimental for the last few days, but this is the first day I have let myself cry about it. I am really going to miss it here. I had to say goodbye to a friend today, Diego. He has been a good friend to us here, and I am really going to miss him. He's going to visit the states next year, so I really hope we get to see him again.

I got sad when I was doing my laundry because I like doing my laundry by hand and hanging it to dry on my little rope. I took a picture of it to remember it. I know our time is not over yet, but I am preparing myself for it. We have 18 days left :(.

Tomorrow I have to say goodbye to my teacher, Florencia (Flor). She is going on vacation and will be back after I finish classes with a different teacher. She has been my teacher from the beginning, and I am going to miss her too.

I am not very good at goodbyes. I get really attached to people/things in my heart and it's hard to let them go sometimes.

The exciting news is, we are going to Iguazu Falls tomorrow. The falls can be seen from an access points in Brazil, Argentina, or Paraguay. We, of course, are going to view it from Argentina. Two thirds of the falls are within Argentine territory, so that's fortunate for us. I have seen the falls in pictures and in the Planet Earth dvd's. If you haven't seen Planet Earth you need to. It's an amazing BBC documentary series about different places and species all around the world. It's filmed and captured more beautifully then I have seen before. You can check out clips of it on Youtube.com.

Watch this clip of Iguazu to see what it's like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L8845utZI4 (This is not a Planet Earth clip, in case you were wondering.) I didn't watch very much of it because I don't want to spoil it. There's a Coldplay song to go along with it, so that always makes everything more enjoyable. I better start packing. Love you guys!

Mosquito war

2008-12-01T06:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we saw 007:Quantum of Solace. I would not recommend it, but it was okay. I left sort of feeling like it wasn't over, and there wasn't really much of a message to it. I am not a movie critic, but that's my opinion. I like the Bourne Series much more. After the movie we walked to the Artisan's Market, and strolled around. It's always fun to see the things people create. I love marketplaces.

I know I am a Varner now, but I still have Griswold blood. And this is a type of thing a Griswold would do:

Mosquitoes absolutely love me here-it's ridiculous. I wake up with a new bite on me almost every morning. In Buenos Aires I woke up with 10 new bites. We have the most powerful repellent you can buy, but I haven't used it when I sleep because I am not outdoors. I started to get the hint that it doesn't matter where I am- the mosquitoes will find me. Apparently, you're not supposed to spray it indoors anyway, and it has all these rules (none of which I was aware of before using it). So, last night a mosquito kept buzzing around my ears waking my up. (BTW- I am a more sensitive sleeper here. A mosquito would have NEVER woken me up before. If you know me, you know how hard I am to wake up.)

Anyway, I get out the repellent and spray myself and go back to bed. He returned for another visit later and I sprayed the repellent on our sheets (which I also find out you're not supposed to do), and then I crawled back in bed to go back to sleep. He was back again, by this time it was about 3am, and I was so frustrated! I didn't turn on the lights, I thought I would spray myself even more with the repellent, just to get the stupid thing to leave me alone. I felt where the hole was on the sprayer, in order to avoid spraying myself in the eye, and turned it away from me (or so I thought). I ended up spraying A DIRECT SHOT into my left eye!!! I screamed in shock and pain, and ran to the bathroom. It stung so bad. I freaked out Danny, and he woke up in a panic and thought something was seriously wrong with me. I had to flush my eye with water for 15 minutes while Danny read the bottle to make sure I was going to be okay. I felt like a spaz-especially since the thought went through my head, 'point it away from you, so you don't spray it in your eye.' It was a lot of hassle, but I will say that the mosquito never bothered me again.

Buenos Aires completed

2008-11-30T14:54:00.000-08:00

Saturday night we ate in Palermo Viejo at Sarkis, which serves Middle Eastern cuisine. I have missed Middle Eastern food, it was so delicious! We ate hummus, meat stuffed grape leaves, tabouli, baba ganoush, and pita bread. This was the appetizer, and we planned on splitting a main course dish, but we were so stuffed, we couldn't eat anymore. It was amazing food.

Sidenote: So many people speak English in BA, it was rather odd for us. It seemed like the majority of people we would hear speaking were English speaking.

Danny and I were walking home from dinner, talking about how it's a regular occurrence to walk by an apartment building and get sprinkled with some type of liquid. Most of the time it's condensation from peoples air conditioners falling, but every once in a while you will see people dump things out of their apartment window or shake out a rug, without looking below. Coincidentally, Danny mentioned that a few days ago someone barely missed him when they threw some water out their window. Immediately after, I felt something pour on my shoulder and splash on my clothes. I thought that someone had thrown water on me, but when I looked down it was a brown substance. A bird pooped on my shoulder! It was SO gross. I felt SO dirty. I was thankful that this happened after we ate dinner.

Sunday:
We walked by a church in the morning and it was the sweetest sound to hear people worshiping. We haven't been to church for so long and I am craving it. We felt so much comfort hearing the people singing.

We caught the subte to Recoleta and went to Feria Artesenal, an artists market-the biggest artists market I have ever seen. It made Portland Saturday Market look small. I personally like the feel of Saturday Market more, but it was fun to experience this market. I wanted to stay for longer, but Danny insisted we go to our next destination, the art museum. Can you believe he was the one insisting we go to an art museum? He's been more into art lately than I have been. It was the most amazing museum I have ever been in. It's called 'Museo Nacional De Bellas Artes'. Almost every famous artist I can think had their work in this museum. Pollock, Picasso, Rodin, Cezanne, Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir...The list goes on.

Sadly, we were on a tight schedule, so we only got to see the first floor of the museum. We headed out to see La Recoleta Cemetery. It contains the gravestones of the most influential people in Argentina. We didn't get a chance to see Eva Peron's (Evita's) burial place because we were in too much of a hurry. There is a picture of the cemetery on Danny's Flickr page as well as some others taken in Buenos Aires (http://flickr.com/photos/dvarner/).

We ate the fastest we've ever eaten and raced back to the subte and raced to our hostel from their to make it in time for the futbol game. We were late and got scolded by the women waiting to drive us to the game. Ooops. The game was Rivers vs. Agentina Jrs. Unfortunately, our team lost (the Rivers), but the fans continue to cheer for them-it's really cool. They cheer DURING THE WHOLE GAME. I knew they were seriously crazy about futbol games, but I didn't realize the extent until I sat by a lady from Buenos Aires and she gave me the scoop.

The opposing teams wait for each other outside the stadium after the game and fight each other. She told me that people kill each other. I don't know how regular of an occurrence the killing is, but we had to wait for a half an hour or more after the game was over to leave because it's too dangerous to leave right away because of the fighting. The security guards have the visiting team leave first. They don't serve beer at the games (because they are crazy enough without alcohol) and security guards are everywhere. It's very different than any game I have been to before.

Monday:
We arrived back home at 7:30am. We had to hurry home so Danny could get ready for work, and I had my final exam for my group class to study for. I had my last group class on Monday, it was kind of sad. I am going to miss my classmates and my teacher, but my brain is really happy about it. I was taking classes for 5 hours a day with about an hour or two of homework. I think it was too much for me. I really felt like my Spanish speaking abilities decreased because my brain shut down.

Now, I can think clearly again. I didn't realize how much of a strain it was on me until I completed the class. I feel more free now. I am still taking classes for 2 hours a day, but that's a pleasant amount. Learning a new language is really hard. I would love to be fluent one day, I am SO FAR away from that, but I think I can do it. I need to find a way to use it when I arrive in the US. I am kicking myself now for not taking classes in college. Oh well, you live and learn. Danny and I have talked about having our kids go to a bilingual school. I think that it is a wonderful skill to have. Then our kids can teach us!

Tango video

2008-11-29T14:07:00.000-08:00

This is a little shot of of some of the people dancing at Tsunami tango.

Lazy Day

2008-11-29T10:25:00.000-08:00

I am being really bad and not writing about Buenos Aires yet. I am procrastinating. We tangoed last night until 3 am, and it was so fun. We both loved it.

We have been pretty lazy today, watching movies. We were going to go paragliding, but the weather is too bad. We'll see if it clears up for tomorrow. There has been thunderstorms the last two days. Today it shook the doors it was so strong. It also brought us this HUGE grasshopper. I put a dime next to it to show you its scale. I didn't know they could get this big.