Love,
your camera happy oregonians.
Ps. I have a couple of videos as well, but I haven't figured out how to post them yet, but as soon as I do I will!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
on december 5 & 20 fum fum fum, x2
Okay, so I apologize for the delay, but here are the pictures. We took about 150 total but I picked out the best. They aren't really in any kind of order... but Enjoy!
Love,
your camera happy oregonians.
Ps. I have a couple of videos as well, but I haven't figured out how to post them yet, but as soon as I do I will!
Love,
your camera happy oregonians.
Ps. I have a couple of videos as well, but I haven't figured out how to post them yet, but as soon as I do I will!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
on december 5 & 20 fum fum fum.
Wow. What a Christmas! So the pictures will be posted tomorrow. I was lacking the patience and energy, to get them all up tonight. In the meantime, here is our post.
Our flight into Richmond was a little bit tough having it be overnight. But it was ideal to get as much time in Richmond as we could, without taking extra time off of work.
We got into town about 11am and slept as much as we could to make up for the time we missed Thursday night. My sister, Bill and Delaney all arrived shortly after dad returned from the airport with mom. The 7 of us went to eat and then Rick and I went out with our friends. I met up with a friend that I haven't seen in years and years but have known since preschool and a few of our other high school friends. It was really fun to catch up and talk about the olden days, because yes I am apparently old enough to have nostalgic thoughts about my short life. (Doesn't that make you feel old! :)
Saturday, my parents took Rick and I shopping to pick out our new winter coats, which we both love. It is a really good thing this is what my parents got us for Christmas because it was snowing in Portland when we returned. That afternoon, my mom and I went shopping without the boys and had a blast, as usual.
Mom cooked me stuffed shells for dinner, well she cooked enough for everyone, but she really cooked them for ME. (This meal was requested about 3 weeks ago!) Because my sister & co. weren't going to be in town for a normal Christmas eve gift exchange, we had it after dinner Saturday.
I also acted like a grandma too and took tons of photographs of my niece! What you see is not all that was taken, I just tried to pick out the best ones. I even took a really cute video of Delaney playing and giggling, but I haven't figured out how to post it yet.
We also went to see a play at the Firehouse Theater. It was called "The Christmas Story according to Uncle Daddy" and sort of made fun of Christmas, but it was hilarious. It featured 2 Richmond bands, one being Special Ed and the Shortbus.
Lets see... Saturday night, Matt had his Christmas Party, which was a blast! And by blast I mean about 15 - 20 people, all that knew each other very well, drama-free and lots of food & drinks! I mean it might be one of the best parties Rick and I have attended. We also got to see some old friends that we haven't seen much, especially since the move.
Sunday we spent the day with Rick's family at his nanny's house. We did an elephant gift exchange that was brutal, but very fun. They have no shame about stealing each other's gifts, which made the whole process that much more fun! I won Yahtzee and Candyland, but the Candyland I have to our nephew, Tristan.
That night we were pretty tired, but went over to Matt's for the Redskin game. We ended up only staying for the first half so I could play Yahtzee with my mom. And although I was really excited, I realized very quickly I forgot all the rules. But mom quickly taught me and beat my butt both games!
Monday was the busiest of all of our days with it being Rick's mom, sister and nanny's birthday AND Christmas eve!
My dad and I picked up Bryan from the airport. Rick and I, then, went over to Lynn's house for our Christmas with her and Rick's dad. We had a lot of fun playing in the front yard and of course taking plenty of photographs. Lynn spoiled us with all sorts of stuff, including a nice new knife set, which we needed terribly! We also went and hung out with Rick's mom for her birthday as well as nanny's for hers. That evening we had dinner with my parents and brother and then went to church for the midnight service.
Our last day in Richmond, Christmas day, we got up at 530am and went over the Rick's mom's to unwrap gifts. Cheri even made us breakfast! Most of us went to sleep but Tristan and I played with all of his gifts from a Crayola Airbrusher and moon sand to pirates and hot wheels. We had a blast! I think eventually Tristan wore me out too and I fell asleep on the couch. By the time Rick and I woke up again it was time to go pack our suitcases.
Dad cooked us steak and eggs for lunch. We had to borrow a suitcase, because the 3 we brought (one being empty upon arrival) did not fit all of our gifts.
Our flights were pretty terrible. We had really bumpy rides, but Rick "terrified of flying" Rice did an outstanding job! He had to wake me up a few times for moral support but aside from that he left me to snooze.
We got back to our apartment around 10pm last night. Both exhausted and very hungry. But were able to get to bed at a decent time so we could make it through our day today!
Things we learned while in Richmond:
1. Sleep. It doesn't matter how many places you have to be or people you have to see it is important to sleep, because we didn't sleep much at all.
2. Nothing beats your mom's home-cookin'. Whether it is the meatballs nanny makes or the stuffed shells your mom cooks, moms always do it better. Although my dad's steak and eggs were pretty good, but guess who cooked the steak... mom the night before!
3. Rick is crazy about babies. After a long night out with friends, the first thing he did at 8am in the morning was take a shower so he could feed her one last time.
4. The Redskins are going to the play-offs, well we hope, as long as they win on Sunday against Dallas... so we will see.
5. Do not to cram 2 familes in 4 days because it is almost impossible, and if you finally accomplish it, you will be disregarding #1.
Love,
your exhausted and happy to be back in pdx oregonians.
Our flight into Richmond was a little bit tough having it be overnight. But it was ideal to get as much time in Richmond as we could, without taking extra time off of work.
We got into town about 11am and slept as much as we could to make up for the time we missed Thursday night. My sister, Bill and Delaney all arrived shortly after dad returned from the airport with mom. The 7 of us went to eat and then Rick and I went out with our friends. I met up with a friend that I haven't seen in years and years but have known since preschool and a few of our other high school friends. It was really fun to catch up and talk about the olden days, because yes I am apparently old enough to have nostalgic thoughts about my short life. (Doesn't that make you feel old! :)
Saturday, my parents took Rick and I shopping to pick out our new winter coats, which we both love. It is a really good thing this is what my parents got us for Christmas because it was snowing in Portland when we returned. That afternoon, my mom and I went shopping without the boys and had a blast, as usual.
Mom cooked me stuffed shells for dinner, well she cooked enough for everyone, but she really cooked them for ME. (This meal was requested about 3 weeks ago!) Because my sister & co. weren't going to be in town for a normal Christmas eve gift exchange, we had it after dinner Saturday.
I also acted like a grandma too and took tons of photographs of my niece! What you see is not all that was taken, I just tried to pick out the best ones. I even took a really cute video of Delaney playing and giggling, but I haven't figured out how to post it yet.
We also went to see a play at the Firehouse Theater. It was called "The Christmas Story according to Uncle Daddy" and sort of made fun of Christmas, but it was hilarious. It featured 2 Richmond bands, one being Special Ed and the Shortbus.
Lets see... Saturday night, Matt had his Christmas Party, which was a blast! And by blast I mean about 15 - 20 people, all that knew each other very well, drama-free and lots of food & drinks! I mean it might be one of the best parties Rick and I have attended. We also got to see some old friends that we haven't seen much, especially since the move.
Sunday we spent the day with Rick's family at his nanny's house. We did an elephant gift exchange that was brutal, but very fun. They have no shame about stealing each other's gifts, which made the whole process that much more fun! I won Yahtzee and Candyland, but the Candyland I have to our nephew, Tristan.
That night we were pretty tired, but went over to Matt's for the Redskin game. We ended up only staying for the first half so I could play Yahtzee with my mom. And although I was really excited, I realized very quickly I forgot all the rules. But mom quickly taught me and beat my butt both games!
Monday was the busiest of all of our days with it being Rick's mom, sister and nanny's birthday AND Christmas eve!
My dad and I picked up Bryan from the airport. Rick and I, then, went over to Lynn's house for our Christmas with her and Rick's dad. We had a lot of fun playing in the front yard and of course taking plenty of photographs. Lynn spoiled us with all sorts of stuff, including a nice new knife set, which we needed terribly! We also went and hung out with Rick's mom for her birthday as well as nanny's for hers. That evening we had dinner with my parents and brother and then went to church for the midnight service.
Our last day in Richmond, Christmas day, we got up at 530am and went over the Rick's mom's to unwrap gifts. Cheri even made us breakfast! Most of us went to sleep but Tristan and I played with all of his gifts from a Crayola Airbrusher and moon sand to pirates and hot wheels. We had a blast! I think eventually Tristan wore me out too and I fell asleep on the couch. By the time Rick and I woke up again it was time to go pack our suitcases.
Dad cooked us steak and eggs for lunch. We had to borrow a suitcase, because the 3 we brought (one being empty upon arrival) did not fit all of our gifts.
Our flights were pretty terrible. We had really bumpy rides, but Rick "terrified of flying" Rice did an outstanding job! He had to wake me up a few times for moral support but aside from that he left me to snooze.
We got back to our apartment around 10pm last night. Both exhausted and very hungry. But were able to get to bed at a decent time so we could make it through our day today!
Things we learned while in Richmond:
1. Sleep. It doesn't matter how many places you have to be or people you have to see it is important to sleep, because we didn't sleep much at all.
2. Nothing beats your mom's home-cookin'. Whether it is the meatballs nanny makes or the stuffed shells your mom cooks, moms always do it better. Although my dad's steak and eggs were pretty good, but guess who cooked the steak... mom the night before!
3. Rick is crazy about babies. After a long night out with friends, the first thing he did at 8am in the morning was take a shower so he could feed her one last time.
4. The Redskins are going to the play-offs, well we hope, as long as they win on Sunday against Dallas... so we will see.
5. Do not to cram 2 familes in 4 days because it is almost impossible, and if you finally accomplish it, you will be disregarding #1.
Love,
your exhausted and happy to be back in pdx oregonians.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
back to RIC we go.
Both Rick and I are all packed and ready to go. Rick is going to pick me up at work and we will gather our things, do some last minute packing, and hop on the public transportation in order to make our flight at 10:10pm this evening. This entails getting on the streetcar by 7:30pm because it takes at least an hour to get to the airport, so we just want to play it safe.
We put all the Christmas presents in a carry-on just in case something should happen to our luggage. But our luggage was lost last flight back into Richmond, so our luggage won't get lost again for two more years.
We get into Richmond at 10:48am tomorrow morning. And we plan to flight out on Christmas day around 4pm.
Mom gets back around 7pm tomorrow night. Bryan will be taking a red-eye flight into Richmond over Sunday night so he will be arriving Monday morning. And I assume Kaira and Bill will be in town on Friday evening with Delaney but I am not sure what time.
Love you all and if I don't get to see you- Merry Christmas!
Love,
your very-excited-to-be-in-richmond! portlanders.
We put all the Christmas presents in a carry-on just in case something should happen to our luggage. But our luggage was lost last flight back into Richmond, so our luggage won't get lost again for two more years.
We get into Richmond at 10:48am tomorrow morning. And we plan to flight out on Christmas day around 4pm.
Mom gets back around 7pm tomorrow night. Bryan will be taking a red-eye flight into Richmond over Sunday night so he will be arriving Monday morning. And I assume Kaira and Bill will be in town on Friday evening with Delaney but I am not sure what time.
Love you all and if I don't get to see you- Merry Christmas!
Love,
your very-excited-to-be-in-richmond! portlanders.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
brother update.
Just wanted to give everybody an update on Bryan, in case you don't hear from him or my dad.
His surgery went well. Mom said they had to put 3 screws, 2 pins, and a metal plate to reset his wrist. He has been in a lot of pain but slept most of the afternoon and he was given some good pain killers so hopefully it isn't too unbearable. He texted me this evening and he seemed in good spirits. He has to go back on Thursday to make sure the incision is okay and everything looks as it should.
The plan is that he will go back in a week and get a hard cast which he will have for 4-8 weeks, I believe. And then after that he will be in physical therapy. Mom thinks it will take about 6 months for everything to be back to almost normal. (Bryan correct me if any of this is wrong!)
Of course, I had to ask my mom if he is going to forever go off in metal detectors and the answer is yes... for some reason I think that is kind of neat. But, that means flying will kind of be a hassle... but something I'm sure he will get used to like people who have metal knees and plates in their head...
Anyway. Keep him in your prayers. Especially on the selfish note that he makes it to Richmond on Friday, so I can see him and our family can be together for Christmas, since Kaira, Bill and Delaney will only be in Richmond for the weekend.
Hope this finds everybody well!
Love,
us.
His surgery went well. Mom said they had to put 3 screws, 2 pins, and a metal plate to reset his wrist. He has been in a lot of pain but slept most of the afternoon and he was given some good pain killers so hopefully it isn't too unbearable. He texted me this evening and he seemed in good spirits. He has to go back on Thursday to make sure the incision is okay and everything looks as it should.
The plan is that he will go back in a week and get a hard cast which he will have for 4-8 weeks, I believe. And then after that he will be in physical therapy. Mom thinks it will take about 6 months for everything to be back to almost normal. (Bryan correct me if any of this is wrong!)
Of course, I had to ask my mom if he is going to forever go off in metal detectors and the answer is yes... for some reason I think that is kind of neat. But, that means flying will kind of be a hassle... but something I'm sure he will get used to like people who have metal knees and plates in their head...
Anyway. Keep him in your prayers. Especially on the selfish note that he makes it to Richmond on Friday, so I can see him and our family can be together for Christmas, since Kaira, Bill and Delaney will only be in Richmond for the weekend.
Hope this finds everybody well!
Love,
us.
Monday, December 17, 2007
long day.
Well, not for Rick. He was done his loads by 3:30 this afternoon.
I, on the other hand, had a long and eventful day.
We had a meltdown during nap. The poor child just wasn't happy and all he could do was wail. Unfortunately for him, it was during nap and it just isn't acceptable to be that noisy so he had to go to the office which made his mood much worse.
We had two nap-time accidents, one of which had to be mopped up it was so plentiful and a biting incident. The bite marks were pretty bad, they almost broke the skin. (For those of you that don't know, biting isn't very common in the 3s/4s classroom, but usually in the 2s room, so it sort of threw us for a loop.)
This is not a normal day though. It was basically everything that could go wrong in one day. This just means tomorrow will be much calmer. But, I only work 4 days this week since we are leaving Thursday night to fly back to Richmond.
All in all it wasn't too bad. The worst is definitely over for the week. Maybe everybody has been eating a lot of sugar because of the holidays so they are being crazy.
Next week, I will be the only teacher in my room, but our numbers are so low it should be a piece of cake!
Rick and I can't wait to be home and see everybody. Seems we already have a packed schedule for our 4 and a half days in town! We will be busy little bees! Well it is dinnertime so I gotta go!
Love,
us.
I, on the other hand, had a long and eventful day.
We had a meltdown during nap. The poor child just wasn't happy and all he could do was wail. Unfortunately for him, it was during nap and it just isn't acceptable to be that noisy so he had to go to the office which made his mood much worse.
We had two nap-time accidents, one of which had to be mopped up it was so plentiful and a biting incident. The bite marks were pretty bad, they almost broke the skin. (For those of you that don't know, biting isn't very common in the 3s/4s classroom, but usually in the 2s room, so it sort of threw us for a loop.)
This is not a normal day though. It was basically everything that could go wrong in one day. This just means tomorrow will be much calmer. But, I only work 4 days this week since we are leaving Thursday night to fly back to Richmond.
All in all it wasn't too bad. The worst is definitely over for the week. Maybe everybody has been eating a lot of sugar because of the holidays so they are being crazy.
Next week, I will be the only teacher in my room, but our numbers are so low it should be a piece of cake!
Rick and I can't wait to be home and see everybody. Seems we already have a packed schedule for our 4 and a half days in town! We will be busy little bees! Well it is dinnertime so I gotta go!
Love,
us.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
sorry shannon its been 5 days.
So Shannon (my best friend for those of you that don't know) got on my case about waiting 5 days for this post so here you go.
I must apologize, but the posts may only come once a week. With our work schedule, by the time we are both home and have eaten dinner we are both exhausted and ready for bed.
But since it is Friday night, I will give an update for the week.
Work for me was great. I have already proven myself as a good preschool teacher. We had my work party on Thursday night. It was a catered party at the daycare. Really good food and company but a little bit odd to have the party at the same place we have 100 kids running around.
Tonight we went to Rick's Christmas party, well in Oregon he is known as James or Jr. Jr. (I'll let him tell you about that). We went to a southern-style restaurant that was outstanding! The people Rick/James works with are really amazing. Fun, oregon-like and very, very fun to be around. These people are just like our friends back home; it was really refreshing. Rick even got a christmas gift after being with them for a week... $50 to Outback Steakhouse, you really can't beat that.
On a different note, my brother shattered his wrist. He has surgery on Tuesday in California. Keep him in your prayers. My mother is flying to Cali on Monday to be with him for his surgery and his recovery. Hopefully, he will be flying to Richmond with her on Friday, the same day we get into town.
I hate to be brief, but that really is all we have to report at this point. Our fun and exciting life has slowed down a bit since we grew up and got jobs.
I do have a picture to leave you with...
It's too bad I didn't see that sign BEFORE my bicycling accident. The good news is that I have been on my bike since.
We love you all and can't wait to see everybody for the holidays.
Love,
your very-happy-to-be-oregonians.
I must apologize, but the posts may only come once a week. With our work schedule, by the time we are both home and have eaten dinner we are both exhausted and ready for bed.
But since it is Friday night, I will give an update for the week.
Work for me was great. I have already proven myself as a good preschool teacher. We had my work party on Thursday night. It was a catered party at the daycare. Really good food and company but a little bit odd to have the party at the same place we have 100 kids running around.
Tonight we went to Rick's Christmas party, well in Oregon he is known as James or Jr. Jr. (I'll let him tell you about that). We went to a southern-style restaurant that was outstanding! The people Rick/James works with are really amazing. Fun, oregon-like and very, very fun to be around. These people are just like our friends back home; it was really refreshing. Rick even got a christmas gift after being with them for a week... $50 to Outback Steakhouse, you really can't beat that.
On a different note, my brother shattered his wrist. He has surgery on Tuesday in California. Keep him in your prayers. My mother is flying to Cali on Monday to be with him for his surgery and his recovery. Hopefully, he will be flying to Richmond with her on Friday, the same day we get into town.
I hate to be brief, but that really is all we have to report at this point. Our fun and exciting life has slowed down a bit since we grew up and got jobs.
I do have a picture to leave you with...
It's too bad I didn't see that sign BEFORE my bicycling accident. The good news is that I have been on my bike since.
We love you all and can't wait to see everybody for the holidays.
Love,
your very-happy-to-be-oregonians.
Monday, December 10, 2007
kids christmas concert.
Rick had the day off since he worked a full day on Saturday, which was wonderful for me because he cleaned the entire apartment and had dinner ready when I got home from work!
Tonight was my school's Winter Lights Festival. My kids sang Twinkle, Twinkle, Christmas Star, Over the River and Through the Woods and the whole school sang Jingle Bells together. My kids wore big star headbands that we decorated with glitter this afternoon. They looked adorable in their Christmas outfits.
All the kids did a great job and I got to meet a lot of my parents!
Rick's work Christmas dinner is on Friday at a restaurant called the Screen Door, apparently a southern style place so we are both looking forward to that.
I think that is all for now.
Love,
your busy portlanders
Ps. Here is a picture of the big tree in Pioneer Square. I would like to also get a photo of the one at the park up the road but haven't quite yet.
Tonight was my school's Winter Lights Festival. My kids sang Twinkle, Twinkle, Christmas Star, Over the River and Through the Woods and the whole school sang Jingle Bells together. My kids wore big star headbands that we decorated with glitter this afternoon. They looked adorable in their Christmas outfits.
All the kids did a great job and I got to meet a lot of my parents!
Rick's work Christmas dinner is on Friday at a restaurant called the Screen Door, apparently a southern style place so we are both looking forward to that.
I think that is all for now.
Love,
your busy portlanders
Ps. Here is a picture of the big tree in Pioneer Square. I would like to also get a photo of the one at the park up the road but haven't quite yet.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
santa sighting.
Rick and I were laying on the couch watching tv like usually and all of a sudden we hear this really loud music playing outside. So we put on our coats and go outside to see what all the racket is about. And we spot about 100 people dressed up like santa!
Unfortunately, where we thought this was some kind of good pro-christmas statement, after a quick google search we found that it was just a drunken rampage called Santacon. Apparently it is a 12-14 hour event, involveing lots of alcohol and lots of cops, and everybody is supposed to wear a santa costume.
But that is okay. They were very friendly (obviously) and were singing carols and dancing to their huge portable boom-box. So even if it wasn't for a good cause it was still neat to watch since this is our first Christmas here.
Sorry the pictures are blurry but they were moving pretty quickly.
Love,
your santa-sighting portlaners.
Unfortunately, where we thought this was some kind of good pro-christmas statement, after a quick google search we found that it was just a drunken rampage called Santacon. Apparently it is a 12-14 hour event, involveing lots of alcohol and lots of cops, and everybody is supposed to wear a santa costume.
But that is okay. They were very friendly (obviously) and were singing carols and dancing to their huge portable boom-box. So even if it wasn't for a good cause it was still neat to watch since this is our first Christmas here.
Sorry the pictures are blurry but they were moving pretty quickly.
Love,
your santa-sighting portlaners.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
yay for day 1!
There have been many questions about Rick's job so I thought I would tell everybody!
He is running a conveyor truck. It is a little bit hard to explain but I will do my best. Basically he has to go from where the sand, rocks, dirt, etc. is and load his truck, then drive it to his assigned sites and "fling" it into the area that needs it. This is the diagram that is on their website, I think it makes a lot more sense than my words.
Hopefully that makes it easier to understand. If not, Rick will answer any questions you have because I haven't exactly seen it. It is nice because he drives a company truck all day so he is not responsible for gas. He also got a nice lookin' uniform and his short 'do looks sharp!
I, on the other hand, do not have to drive to work. In fact, it is really nice and cheap! It takes about 30 minutes but it provides built-in time to myself which is really nice. The other teacher in my room is great and the kids are wonderful.
I made dinner again tonight. DELICIOUS! But this won't last much longer because starting next week neither of us will be home until 6pm, so dinner will probably get moved back until 730pmish.
Can't wait to see everyone at Christmas! Hope everyone is staying warm!
Love,
your ecstaticly employed portlanders.
He is running a conveyor truck. It is a little bit hard to explain but I will do my best. Basically he has to go from where the sand, rocks, dirt, etc. is and load his truck, then drive it to his assigned sites and "fling" it into the area that needs it. This is the diagram that is on their website, I think it makes a lot more sense than my words.
Hopefully that makes it easier to understand. If not, Rick will answer any questions you have because I haven't exactly seen it. It is nice because he drives a company truck all day so he is not responsible for gas. He also got a nice lookin' uniform and his short 'do looks sharp!
I, on the other hand, do not have to drive to work. In fact, it is really nice and cheap! It takes about 30 minutes but it provides built-in time to myself which is really nice. The other teacher in my room is great and the kids are wonderful.
I made dinner again tonight. DELICIOUS! But this won't last much longer because starting next week neither of us will be home until 6pm, so dinner will probably get moved back until 730pmish.
Can't wait to see everyone at Christmas! Hope everyone is staying warm!
Love,
your ecstaticly employed portlanders.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
a wise man built our house upon a rock.
For all of you who saw the news yesterday and today, do not fear.
We have not floated away.
Luckily, we live in a new building on the 4th floor so we probably won't ever, but I can see why people have been worried.
For those of you that didn't see the news, we have had a lot of rain. And by a lot I mean, over 13 inches in the last 3 days. (Portland usually gets about 30 inches during the whole 8-month rainy season.) There has been a lot of flooding in Oregon and Washington, but it seems to have calmed down. Today was gorgeous! It was cool but not cold and clear and sunny. So hopefully, the worst is over.
Things seem to be falling into place for Rick and I. We are continually getting signs that Portland is the place for us. It seems that we made a good decision following our feeling that God was calling us to Oregon.
Rick got a job!
He is going to be doing something different from what he is used to but he seems very excited! The company, Site One, has a clean cut policy so he will have to keep his face clean and his hair short! So bye-bye to his beard and shaggy 'do. So you will see clean-cut Rick at Christmas.
We will be flying into Richmond Friday, December 21st around 11am (we are taking a red-eye) and will be flying back out to Portland on Christmas day around 4pm. This was the only way we could a) make our new bosses happy, b) attend our family functions and c) get back into Portland early enough to get a good nights sleep for work on the 26th.
We look forward to seeing as many people as we can while we are back in Richmond!
Love,
your fully employed and very soggy oregonians.
Ps. Chef Erin made taco salad for dinner, ALL BY HERSELF. (I speak of the chef in 3rd person because she really is a different person!) Granted the box came with very specific instructions, but HEY! we gotta start somewhere.
We have not floated away.
Luckily, we live in a new building on the 4th floor so we probably won't ever, but I can see why people have been worried.
For those of you that didn't see the news, we have had a lot of rain. And by a lot I mean, over 13 inches in the last 3 days. (Portland usually gets about 30 inches during the whole 8-month rainy season.) There has been a lot of flooding in Oregon and Washington, but it seems to have calmed down. Today was gorgeous! It was cool but not cold and clear and sunny. So hopefully, the worst is over.
Things seem to be falling into place for Rick and I. We are continually getting signs that Portland is the place for us. It seems that we made a good decision following our feeling that God was calling us to Oregon.
Rick got a job!
He is going to be doing something different from what he is used to but he seems very excited! The company, Site One, has a clean cut policy so he will have to keep his face clean and his hair short! So bye-bye to his beard and shaggy 'do. So you will see clean-cut Rick at Christmas.
We will be flying into Richmond Friday, December 21st around 11am (we are taking a red-eye) and will be flying back out to Portland on Christmas day around 4pm. This was the only way we could a) make our new bosses happy, b) attend our family functions and c) get back into Portland early enough to get a good nights sleep for work on the 26th.
We look forward to seeing as many people as we can while we are back in Richmond!
Love,
your fully employed and very soggy oregonians.
Ps. Chef Erin made taco salad for dinner, ALL BY HERSELF. (I speak of the chef in 3rd person because she really is a different person!) Granted the box came with very specific instructions, but HEY! we gotta start somewhere.
Monday, December 3, 2007
chef erin
As you all know, calling me Chef Erin is such a long shot. I am not a cook, I don't want to be a cook, and I probably never will want to be a cook. Lucky for me Rick is a cook.
BUT today I cooked my first grilled cheese. Yes, my FIRST grilled cheese. Now you all understand how much of a cook I am NOT.
But after making hashbrown/green bean casserole for turkey day and today I learned how to make a grilled cheese, maybe I am on my way to learning a thing or two in the kitchen.
We will see how that goes.
Love,
your always-trying-to learn-oregonians
Ps. This coming up with clever signoffs is getting hard, I believe I am loosing my creativity in that department, so be expecting some lame and wack signoffs (just a warning for all of our readers).
BUT today I cooked my first grilled cheese. Yes, my FIRST grilled cheese. Now you all understand how much of a cook I am NOT.
But after making hashbrown/green bean casserole for turkey day and today I learned how to make a grilled cheese, maybe I am on my way to learning a thing or two in the kitchen.
We will see how that goes.
Love,
your always-trying-to learn-oregonians
Ps. This coming up with clever signoffs is getting hard, I believe I am loosing my creativity in that department, so be expecting some lame and wack signoffs (just a warning for all of our readers).
Sunday, December 2, 2007
hell yeah!
It is official! LSU is playing Ohio State in the National Championship!
This means Rick and I will be in Nawlins on January 7th!!
Merry Christmas to us, Merry Christmas to us, Merry christmas, dear tigers, Merry Christmas to us! GEAUX TIGERS!!
This means Rick and I will be in Nawlins on January 7th!!
Merry Christmas to us, Merry Christmas to us, Merry christmas, dear tigers, Merry Christmas to us! GEAUX TIGERS!!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
we are happy tigers.
We are the good news tigers... not to be confused with the bad news bears!
1. LSU beat Tennessee in the SEC Championship. (we were ranked #7)
2. Les Miles (our current head coach) is staying with the tigers instead taking the head coach position at his alma mater Michigan.
3. West Virginia lost to Pittsburgh. (they were the #2 team)
4. Mizzou lost to Oklahoma (again! - they were the #1 team)
This is important because....
1. With the #1 and #2 teams being knocked out that only leaves: Georgia, VA Tech, and Kansas ahead of us.
2. Both Georgia and Kansas didn't play this week.
3. Georgia couldn't even win their division, much less their conference, and the tigers did both.
4. Kansas didn't even get a bid to their conference championship.
5. Both of LSU losses were in triple overtime, not overtime, not double overtime, but TRIPLE overtime.
6. We kicked VA Tech's butt in the beginning of the season and VA Tech's season has not been as tough as ours. (And by a butt kicking I mean 41 points!)
7. We beat 6 ranked teams this season.
SO what does this mean for the bowl picks tomorrow?
LSU is back in the race for the national title, with hope we could be playing Ohio State in New Orleans on the 7th. Either way we are going to New Orleans, but the question is if its for the Sugar Bowl or the National Title.
Everybody keep your fingers crossed. The bowl announcements will be out tomorrow at 5pm PST/8pm EST.
I have one thing left to say...
duuuun dun dun dun GEAUX TIGERS!
love,
your happy tiger lovers.
1. LSU beat Tennessee in the SEC Championship. (we were ranked #7)
2. Les Miles (our current head coach) is staying with the tigers instead taking the head coach position at his alma mater Michigan.
3. West Virginia lost to Pittsburgh. (they were the #2 team)
4. Mizzou lost to Oklahoma (again! - they were the #1 team)
This is important because....
1. With the #1 and #2 teams being knocked out that only leaves: Georgia, VA Tech, and Kansas ahead of us.
2. Both Georgia and Kansas didn't play this week.
3. Georgia couldn't even win their division, much less their conference, and the tigers did both.
4. Kansas didn't even get a bid to their conference championship.
5. Both of LSU losses were in triple overtime, not overtime, not double overtime, but TRIPLE overtime.
6. We kicked VA Tech's butt in the beginning of the season and VA Tech's season has not been as tough as ours. (And by a butt kicking I mean 41 points!)
7. We beat 6 ranked teams this season.
SO what does this mean for the bowl picks tomorrow?
LSU is back in the race for the national title, with hope we could be playing Ohio State in New Orleans on the 7th. Either way we are going to New Orleans, but the question is if its for the Sugar Bowl or the National Title.
Everybody keep your fingers crossed. The bowl announcements will be out tomorrow at 5pm PST/8pm EST.
I have one thing left to say...
duuuun dun dun dun GEAUX TIGERS!
love,
your happy tiger lovers.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
christmas silliness!
RIP Sean Taylor
So I feel a little shallow saying how bad our football weeks have been due to a simple loss. This week really has been the worse due to a death.
For those of you that don't know, Sean Taylor of the Redskins, died this morning due to a bullet shot wound he received during a robbery at his Miami home Monday night. (Read more.)
Taylor was also the hardest hitting player in the NFL at only 24.
Needless to say losses are just nothing compared to losing amazing players. Rick has his jersey, which he will continue to proudly wear.
Love,
your very sad redskins.
For those of you that don't know, Sean Taylor of the Redskins, died this morning due to a bullet shot wound he received during a robbery at his Miami home Monday night. (Read more.)
Taylor was also the hardest hitting player in the NFL at only 24.
Needless to say losses are just nothing compared to losing amazing players. Rick has his jersey, which he will continue to proudly wear.
Love,
your very sad redskins.
Friday, November 23, 2007
goodbye national title.
Well it is a sad sad day for Tiger fans.
LSU lost in the 3rd overtime against the Arizona Razorbacks. (50-48) I really don't like Darren McFadden.
Goodbye national title. Hello some other dumb bowl game.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
happy turkey day! x2
Here is what our turkey day festivities included...
My iron chef hard at work making our bird herby.
Our herby bird cooking (in a bag no less).
Look at that beauty!
A family tradition, green bean casserole. A new Portland Rice tradition, hash brown AND green bean casserole. mmmm delicious!
Our first thanksgiving meal!
And of course football!
Hope everybody had the most delicious meal!
Love,
your stuffed-belly sleepy-eyed oregonians
My iron chef hard at work making our bird herby.
Our herby bird cooking (in a bag no less).
Look at that beauty!
A family tradition, green bean casserole. A new Portland Rice tradition, hash brown AND green bean casserole. mmmm delicious!
Our first thanksgiving meal!
And of course football!
Hope everybody had the most delicious meal!
Love,
your stuffed-belly sleepy-eyed oregonians
happy turkey day!
For those of you that don't know. This year is kind of a big deal for Rick and I. First off this is the first thanksgiving that Rick and I were in the same state and the first thanksgiving for us in Portland. We are celebrating by cooking a big meal... and by big I mean a 5lb turkey (there is only two of us and where Rick eats enough for two people.. so I guess 3 of us, 5 lbs is PLENTY)!
Rick got the turkey ready and I picked out the wine and made green bean casserole (let me not lead you into false light, green bean casserole doesn't require cooking, it is mixing and scooping!).
On to more important things, giving thanks!
We are thankful for...
- God. For providing and blessing and loving us no matter what.
- Our families. For supporting us and having faith in us to pick up our lives and move to Portland. We love you.
- Our friends. For making us feel like home whenever we are in Richmond, but more for missing us while we are gone.
- Our country. For being able to live in a place where we can say and do and believe in almost anything we want.
- Football. Enough said.
Love,
your thankful oregonians.
Ps. Stay tuned, there will be beautiful photos of our lovely meal, from start to finish!
Rick got the turkey ready and I picked out the wine and made green bean casserole (let me not lead you into false light, green bean casserole doesn't require cooking, it is mixing and scooping!).
On to more important things, giving thanks!
We are thankful for...
- God. For providing and blessing and loving us no matter what.
- Our families. For supporting us and having faith in us to pick up our lives and move to Portland. We love you.
- Our friends. For making us feel like home whenever we are in Richmond, but more for missing us while we are gone.
- Our country. For being able to live in a place where we can say and do and believe in almost anything we want.
- Football. Enough said.
Love,
your thankful oregonians.
Ps. Stay tuned, there will be beautiful photos of our lovely meal, from start to finish!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
job search #1 ends!
Erin is officially employed!
I will be teaching a preschool class of 3 and 4 year olds beginning December 10th. The girl who currently has the job put in her two weeks so unfortunately they will not need me until then. But that gives me an extra week to enjoy Portland before joining the working force.
Barnes-Miller CDC is located right on a max line so I will have the option of riding the train or the bus. The bus stop is right outside so I will probably stick with that unless there is bad weather.
I sat in on my class today and really had a great time. The kids are great and the company is very laid back. I especially like that it runs like a school more than a daycare. I taught the kids the letter K today and we made kites!
I am very excited about this job! Hope this finds everybody well.
Love,
your half-employed oregonians
Monday, November 19, 2007
and the job search begins!
Rick and I have begun the job search. Hopefully both of us will be employed by the end of the week!
I had an interview, it went well but don't know anything as of yet. Apparently, in order to work in a daycare center in Oregon, you must be enrolled in the Criminal Registry and that will take about a week before anybody can hire me.
I am sure God will take care of everything, as he has so far. Sorry for the brief entry, but Rick cooked dinner and it is ready! Hope this finds all very well, we will keep everyone posted.
Love,
your unemployed portlanders.
Ps. Here is our beautiful bathroom (that I cloroxed last night!) So, do you feel like you live with us yet?
I had an interview, it went well but don't know anything as of yet. Apparently, in order to work in a daycare center in Oregon, you must be enrolled in the Criminal Registry and that will take about a week before anybody can hire me.
I am sure God will take care of everything, as he has so far. Sorry for the brief entry, but Rick cooked dinner and it is ready! Hope this finds all very well, we will keep everyone posted.
Love,
your unemployed portlanders.
Ps. Here is our beautiful bathroom (that I cloroxed last night!) So, do you feel like you live with us yet?
Sunday, November 18, 2007
room #2 down.
Beautiful beautiful kitchen. This what I did when I woke up this morning. I even cloroxed the floor! Love, your cleanin' sneezin' oregonians
great news!!
During our intense day of unpacking... Our digital camera has been found!! Yippee!!
Unfortunately, about 9 days late so you will still have to wait for photographs from our cross country trip.
But you can see our apartment all set up!
Out of the five rooms in the apartment including the bathroom, this is the only room finished. Between the dust and both of us already being sick it was all we could handle after a day of heavy lifting. Hopefully we can finish it all tomorrow after a good nights sleep.
LSU had a big win today! (Bama had a big loss... who loses to UL Monroe? I mean really...)
Hope this finds all doing very well!
Love,
your almost settled oregonians & very happy tiger fans.
Unfortunately, about 9 days late so you will still have to wait for photographs from our cross country trip.
But you can see our apartment all set up!
Out of the five rooms in the apartment including the bathroom, this is the only room finished. Between the dust and both of us already being sick it was all we could handle after a day of heavy lifting. Hopefully we can finish it all tomorrow after a good nights sleep.
LSU had a big win today! (Bama had a big loss... who loses to UL Monroe? I mean really...)
Hope this finds all doing very well!
Love,
your almost settled oregonians & very happy tiger fans.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
home again home again
We made it home last night around 8pm pacific time. We got to Spokane, Washington yesterday and realized we were only another 4 hours away from Portland so we decided to make it all the way home.
Unfortunately, I was nauseous all day yesterday and ended up realizing I had food poisoning at about 10pm last night. Fortunately, I was home in my own bathroom so I am really glad we decided to come all the way. It would not have been fun to be that sick in a hotel and then have to get up and ride in a car.
I am all better now, and Rick's cold is getting better as well. We have a lot of unpacking to do, and hopefully in time to watch the ole miss game, or at least have it on so we can get our updates. Man, it is going to be nice to have a TV again. It gets expensive having to watch all our football at bars!
Love you all,
your sick oregonians.
Unfortunately, I was nauseous all day yesterday and ended up realizing I had food poisoning at about 10pm last night. Fortunately, I was home in my own bathroom so I am really glad we decided to come all the way. It would not have been fun to be that sick in a hotel and then have to get up and ride in a car.
I am all better now, and Rick's cold is getting better as well. We have a lot of unpacking to do, and hopefully in time to watch the ole miss game, or at least have it on so we can get our updates. Man, it is going to be nice to have a TV again. It gets expensive having to watch all our football at bars!
Love you all,
your sick oregonians.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
trailers make everything worse
****Warning: This post is rather lengthy and lacks photographs to make it read quicker.*****
So, lets see. It has been a few days since our last post and much has happened.
We took the scenic route through the badlands and it was absolutely breathtaking. We were really glad we decided to take the 30 mile detour it required. (I do apologize for the lack of pictures, but using an analog camera we can't have immediate uploads.)
By the time we got to Rapid City, it was already dark and Rick's cold has gotten worse so we opted for a cheap hotel. We also had to get our oil changed, so it ended up working out better not to have to pitch a tent.
Yesterday, we got up early and went to Mt. Rushmore. This too was pretty amazing. We took tons of pictures and an older gentleman even offered to take a picture of both of us. But let us tell you... We have experienced the wind and the cold... And it is really not worth it to outdoor sightsee in November!!
I really can't imagine living in a place where there are 60mph winds. It is even difficult to drive, but we have seen our share of tumbleweeds!
We opted not to go to Crazy Horse because it was so cold, and vowed to come back another time in the summer. There really is a lot to do out here with all the caverns and farms and animals.
After our sightseeing, we drove to Sheridan, Wyoming where we stayed at a KOA. We had dinner at a local joint and had some Wyoming beer (apparently Wyoming has their own brewery, but nothing else.) As we were driving we realized the lights on the trailer weren't working anymore. We tried to see if he could figure it out, but we weren't successful. Unfortunately, the closest U-haul was in Billings, Mt., 128 miles away.
Needless to say, we stopped in Billings, had a guy look at it only to find out the hitch installer in Richmond not only did a crappy, rickshaw job (drilling holes that were unnecessary and ruining the interior plastic of my tailgate) but they overcharged us by about $100.
The U-haul guys in Billings were not happy and gave us print-outs of everything we will need when we call corporate to not only complain, but also get our money back, including the hassle of having to get something fixed that shouldn't have been broken in the first place. I have to say though, we really did luck out with the guys in Billings because they were really great people AND they knew what they were doing.
We continued to our destination in Deer Lodge, only to discover the KOA there had already closed up for the winter, even though they weren't supposed to until Nov. 30. SO... here we are in Missoula, Mt. at yet another seedy hotel. But, I never did realized how much I took for granted not having to wear flip flops in the shower and how nice it is to sit down on the toilet!
Tomorrow we will make our way through northern Idaho (State #33 and last of my new additions on this trip) and onto Washington. We will return to Portland on Saturday. I think the worst of Rick's cold is over but he has a terrible cough. Hopefully, a few days of rest back in Portland will do the trick.
We must apologize for the lack of telephone calls the past few days, but apparently South Dakotans, Wyomingers, and Montanans, don't believe in cell phones (but they seem to believe in Wi-Fi at every gas station and casinos and "adult" stores every highway exit! hmph priorities!)
We love you all! And we will be in touch soon.
Love,
your teeth-chattering, car-sick oregonians
So, lets see. It has been a few days since our last post and much has happened.
We took the scenic route through the badlands and it was absolutely breathtaking. We were really glad we decided to take the 30 mile detour it required. (I do apologize for the lack of pictures, but using an analog camera we can't have immediate uploads.)
By the time we got to Rapid City, it was already dark and Rick's cold has gotten worse so we opted for a cheap hotel. We also had to get our oil changed, so it ended up working out better not to have to pitch a tent.
Yesterday, we got up early and went to Mt. Rushmore. This too was pretty amazing. We took tons of pictures and an older gentleman even offered to take a picture of both of us. But let us tell you... We have experienced the wind and the cold... And it is really not worth it to outdoor sightsee in November!!
I really can't imagine living in a place where there are 60mph winds. It is even difficult to drive, but we have seen our share of tumbleweeds!
We opted not to go to Crazy Horse because it was so cold, and vowed to come back another time in the summer. There really is a lot to do out here with all the caverns and farms and animals.
After our sightseeing, we drove to Sheridan, Wyoming where we stayed at a KOA. We had dinner at a local joint and had some Wyoming beer (apparently Wyoming has their own brewery, but nothing else.) As we were driving we realized the lights on the trailer weren't working anymore. We tried to see if he could figure it out, but we weren't successful. Unfortunately, the closest U-haul was in Billings, Mt., 128 miles away.
Needless to say, we stopped in Billings, had a guy look at it only to find out the hitch installer in Richmond not only did a crappy, rickshaw job (drilling holes that were unnecessary and ruining the interior plastic of my tailgate) but they overcharged us by about $100.
The U-haul guys in Billings were not happy and gave us print-outs of everything we will need when we call corporate to not only complain, but also get our money back, including the hassle of having to get something fixed that shouldn't have been broken in the first place. I have to say though, we really did luck out with the guys in Billings because they were really great people AND they knew what they were doing.
We continued to our destination in Deer Lodge, only to discover the KOA there had already closed up for the winter, even though they weren't supposed to until Nov. 30. SO... here we are in Missoula, Mt. at yet another seedy hotel. But, I never did realized how much I took for granted not having to wear flip flops in the shower and how nice it is to sit down on the toilet!
Tomorrow we will make our way through northern Idaho (State #33 and last of my new additions on this trip) and onto Washington. We will return to Portland on Saturday. I think the worst of Rick's cold is over but he has a terrible cough. Hopefully, a few days of rest back in Portland will do the trick.
We must apologize for the lack of telephone calls the past few days, but apparently South Dakotans, Wyomingers, and Montanans, don't believe in cell phones (but they seem to believe in Wi-Fi at every gas station and casinos and "adult" stores every highway exit! hmph priorities!)
We love you all! And we will be in touch soon.
Love,
your teeth-chattering, car-sick oregonians
Monday, November 12, 2007
back online!
I apologize for the delay in postings BUT we have not had internet!
We have had a long few days since our last post. Our odometer reads about 1500 miles so we are halfway to our new home!
We began the long journey driving through Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and today Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. So far I have 3 new notches on my 50 state belt (which puts me at 31 out of 50).
We have camped the whole way staying at KOA's in Washington (PA, outside Pittsburgh), Granger (IN, outside South Bend) and West Liberty (IA, outside Iowa City). Tonight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota we opted for a cheap hotel because Rick is coming down with a bad cold.
Tomorrow we have about 300 miles to the Badlands, Black Hills, Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore and the infamous Wall Drug Store! We plan to get back to camping tomorrow night in, or around Rapids City, SD.
So far we have learned...
Iowa smells funny.
We took for granted driving on 81 because 80 is WAAAY more boring.
Scenic views in the mid-west are not scenic, it is just a higher view of the same damn farm.
"Modern rest stops" have emergency telephones (but still no RESTrooms).
Driving a 2-ton trailer ruins any chance of good gas mileage.
There is such a thing as SUPER-unleaded fuel but we still haven't learned what it is.
LSU is the best team in the nation and it is always a good day to be a tiger fan!
We should definitely be home in time to see some more tiger butt-whoopin' this Saturday against the rebels.
Hope this finds everybody well and happy and we will post again as soon as we can.
Love,
your travelin' oregonian fools.
We have had a long few days since our last post. Our odometer reads about 1500 miles so we are halfway to our new home!
We began the long journey driving through Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and today Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. So far I have 3 new notches on my 50 state belt (which puts me at 31 out of 50).
We have camped the whole way staying at KOA's in Washington (PA, outside Pittsburgh), Granger (IN, outside South Bend) and West Liberty (IA, outside Iowa City). Tonight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota we opted for a cheap hotel because Rick is coming down with a bad cold.
Tomorrow we have about 300 miles to the Badlands, Black Hills, Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore and the infamous Wall Drug Store! We plan to get back to camping tomorrow night in, or around Rapids City, SD.
So far we have learned...
Iowa smells funny.
We took for granted driving on 81 because 80 is WAAAY more boring.
Scenic views in the mid-west are not scenic, it is just a higher view of the same damn farm.
"Modern rest stops" have emergency telephones (but still no RESTrooms).
Driving a 2-ton trailer ruins any chance of good gas mileage.
There is such a thing as SUPER-unleaded fuel but we still haven't learned what it is.
LSU is the best team in the nation and it is always a good day to be a tiger fan!
We should definitely be home in time to see some more tiger butt-whoopin' this Saturday against the rebels.
Hope this finds everybody well and happy and we will post again as soon as we can.
Love,
your travelin' oregonian fools.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
sorry for the hiatus
We are back and in full force.
We had a wonderful two weeks at in Richmond, both at Kaira and Bill's wedding as well as a fun night out on the town for Halloween AND our trip to see the Tigers beat the Crimson Tide.
We have officially begun our drive back to Portland, staying in Washington, PA last night (30 miles outside Pittsburgh) and will be cutting West for the next 8 days or so.
I hate to be brief but it is time to get on the road again. Unfortunately our digital camera has been misplaced, (hopefully it will be recovered soon!) but in the mean time the pictures are going to take some time seeing as how we only have an analog camera with us.
We hope this finds everybody happy and well.
Love,
your oregonian road-trip campers.
Ps. We have decided to make a wedding website in addition to our blog, in order to keep everything organized. Be looking for the in the next 2 weeks!
We had a wonderful two weeks at in Richmond, both at Kaira and Bill's wedding as well as a fun night out on the town for Halloween AND our trip to see the Tigers beat the Crimson Tide.
We have officially begun our drive back to Portland, staying in Washington, PA last night (30 miles outside Pittsburgh) and will be cutting West for the next 8 days or so.
I hate to be brief but it is time to get on the road again. Unfortunately our digital camera has been misplaced, (hopefully it will be recovered soon!) but in the mean time the pictures are going to take some time seeing as how we only have an analog camera with us.
We hope this finds everybody happy and well.
Love,
your oregonian road-trip campers.
Ps. We have decided to make a wedding website in addition to our blog, in order to keep everything organized. Be looking for the in the next 2 weeks!
Monday, October 22, 2007
busybusybusy
Rick and I must apologize for not writing much this weekend. No excuses but our explanation is that with Nate in town and our big football wins! we really weren't home much!
Nate flew in on Thursday evening. Friday night we met Nate's cousin and his wife (Phil & Michelle, who live in Portland) for dinner and we hit it off wonderfully.
Saturday, LSU played a close but very exciting game, which ended it a beautiful victory, bumping the Baton Rouge Tigers to #3. To make the weekend even better, the Redskins also had a big win on Sunday! After last weekend, this was a great football weekend for us.
Sunday we went to Phil & Michelle's house. We went on a nice short hike in Forest Park (biggest city park in the nation). We took the rest of the night easy, ate tacos from a local place (YUM!) and watched a movie at their house. (Now we have Portland friends! YIPPEE!)
Today, we went to Powell's (the biggest bookstore in the nation) and we had Mio Gelato (the best gelato in the city!) Tonight we are going to meet up with Phil & Michelle. Nate leaves tomorrow. We fly back to the RIC on Wednesday!
So finally we have awesome shots of Mt. Hood. I know these pictures were promised long ago, but with the weather being cloudy we haven't been able to see as well as we could today. The high was 71 and so clear. So here you go finally. I kind of tried to take pictures as you could see them from our balcony to show how close Mt. Hood really is to the city. I particularly like the last picture because you can see the moon as well. Enjoy!
Can't wait to see everybody in the RIC!
Love,
your favorite ex-richmonders.
Ps. With Kaira's wedding this weekend, then Halloween, then the Alabama game... We are going to be pretty busy in Richmond. I wouldn't expect postings with any frequency.
We will definitely try and write some before we leave for our cross-country trip (around November 7 or 8). We should have our trip planned out by then with which city we will be in on what dates. If anybody is interested in meeting up with us at some point or wants to take a couple days off to travel feel free to let us know.
We plan to post daily on the trip but can't guarantee anything because we won't know when we can find internet access.
Nate flew in on Thursday evening. Friday night we met Nate's cousin and his wife (Phil & Michelle, who live in Portland) for dinner and we hit it off wonderfully.
Saturday, LSU played a close but very exciting game, which ended it a beautiful victory, bumping the Baton Rouge Tigers to #3. To make the weekend even better, the Redskins also had a big win on Sunday! After last weekend, this was a great football weekend for us.
Sunday we went to Phil & Michelle's house. We went on a nice short hike in Forest Park (biggest city park in the nation). We took the rest of the night easy, ate tacos from a local place (YUM!) and watched a movie at their house. (Now we have Portland friends! YIPPEE!)
Today, we went to Powell's (the biggest bookstore in the nation) and we had Mio Gelato (the best gelato in the city!) Tonight we are going to meet up with Phil & Michelle. Nate leaves tomorrow. We fly back to the RIC on Wednesday!
So finally we have awesome shots of Mt. Hood. I know these pictures were promised long ago, but with the weather being cloudy we haven't been able to see as well as we could today. The high was 71 and so clear. So here you go finally. I kind of tried to take pictures as you could see them from our balcony to show how close Mt. Hood really is to the city. I particularly like the last picture because you can see the moon as well. Enjoy!
Can't wait to see everybody in the RIC!
Love,
your favorite ex-richmonders.
Ps. With Kaira's wedding this weekend, then Halloween, then the Alabama game... We are going to be pretty busy in Richmond. I wouldn't expect postings with any frequency.
We will definitely try and write some before we leave for our cross-country trip (around November 7 or 8). We should have our trip planned out by then with which city we will be in on what dates. If anybody is interested in meeting up with us at some point or wants to take a couple days off to travel feel free to let us know.
We plan to post daily on the trip but can't guarantee anything because we won't know when we can find internet access.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
its been awhile. sorry.
It has been about a week, but honestly you aren't missing much. We have slowed down a lot on our touristness. In fact, I'm kind of itching for a dose of Richmond, a hug from my mother & father, and a glass of wine with the girls. But hey, only 6 days til I can do all 3.
On the exciting side, we went to a show at Doug Fir again. About two weeks ago, we met a guy, Jim, at the Black Francis show and we ended up really hitting it off. Jim told us about this gig he was doing in a few weeks for a magazine, interviewing Bob Mould. Bob Mould, the front man for Husker Du and Sugar, played a small show, did an on-stage interview with Jim, and a viewing of his DVD. It was very intimate and very cool. So cool we not only got Bob's autograph, but because we knew Jim, we also got to hang out and chat it up, about life and music.
Here is Rick with Bob.
We also have been riding our bikes a lot! Which is a good workout and an easy way to get to spots in the city that are far from the streetcar & max. Unfortunately for me, it has been over 5 years since I have ridden a bike. Needless to say, Rick has been very patient with my uneasiness on my bike, that does not mean though, that my bike has been patient with me.
Two days ago, my bike thought it would be funny to get into a fight with the wet streetcar tracks on the way home from the grocery store. The bike won, totally outfighting the tracks but more importantly my leg...
Please be aware scrolling down... Viewer discretion is advised...
Yeah, the bruise is as big as my hand. Aside from a brief break on the side of the road, I finished the ride with a little discomfort, it was cleaning it that wasn't any fun at all. I have not been on my bike since.
That is all for us now. Keep my leg in your prayers as so I won't destroy my sister's wedding having to stand in front of a group of people with the nastiness showing. Hopefully it will heal by then. :)
Love you all,
your homesick portlanders
Ps. We get a piece of Richmond with us tonight. Nate flies in tonight and is staying with us until Tuesday!!
On the exciting side, we went to a show at Doug Fir again. About two weeks ago, we met a guy, Jim, at the Black Francis show and we ended up really hitting it off. Jim told us about this gig he was doing in a few weeks for a magazine, interviewing Bob Mould. Bob Mould, the front man for Husker Du and Sugar, played a small show, did an on-stage interview with Jim, and a viewing of his DVD. It was very intimate and very cool. So cool we not only got Bob's autograph, but because we knew Jim, we also got to hang out and chat it up, about life and music.
Here is Rick with Bob.
We also have been riding our bikes a lot! Which is a good workout and an easy way to get to spots in the city that are far from the streetcar & max. Unfortunately for me, it has been over 5 years since I have ridden a bike. Needless to say, Rick has been very patient with my uneasiness on my bike, that does not mean though, that my bike has been patient with me.
Two days ago, my bike thought it would be funny to get into a fight with the wet streetcar tracks on the way home from the grocery store. The bike won, totally outfighting the tracks but more importantly my leg...
Please be aware scrolling down... Viewer discretion is advised...
Yeah, the bruise is as big as my hand. Aside from a brief break on the side of the road, I finished the ride with a little discomfort, it was cleaning it that wasn't any fun at all. I have not been on my bike since.
That is all for us now. Keep my leg in your prayers as so I won't destroy my sister's wedding having to stand in front of a group of people with the nastiness showing. Hopefully it will heal by then. :)
Love you all,
your homesick portlanders
Ps. We get a piece of Richmond with us tonight. Nate flies in tonight and is staying with us until Tuesday!!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
seattle on a dry day
We just returned from Seattle this afternoon after a great two days. At first we were a little disappointed with the city itself, but after spending all day yesterday there we found we really did enjoy it.
On Wednesday, we went to the Experience Music Project and Hall of Fame. I don't know if you have heard of it but it is basically a museum that has the entire history of music, focusing mostly on the music that has come from the Northwest region. There was also a room of guitars starting from the first guitar all the way through the electric era. They even had a sound lab where we were able to play around on many different types of instruments and even had some jam rooms where you and some friends could record your own CD. We couldn't really take pictures inside but we did take some photographs of the crazy shaped colorful
building.
Also in this area, called the Seattle Center, is where the infamous Space Needle is located! We thought about going up to the top but some of us (namely Rick) are scared of things like this so we took pictures from the bottom.
That evening we went to the waterfront and had a crab feast at a restaurant called the Crab Pot and but feast I mean, snow crab legs, dungeness crab legs (because they don't have blue crabs out here), manila clams, mussels, andouille sausage, and corn on the cob.
We called it an early night our first night and got up early for our final day in Seattle.
On Thursday morning we went to the Seattle Aquarium which ended up being a bust since we had both been to the Baltimore Aquarium the Seattle one seemed pretty lame (and small). But us being the good sports that we are tried to make the best of the situation and ended up having a fun time.
After the aquarium we went on an hour long tour on an Argosy Cruise around Elliott Bay and the Puget Sound. Although it was chilly we had a nice time and learned a lot about the city.
One side we had the Olympus Mountains...
And on the other side we could see Mt. Rainier...(the picture really doesn't do it justice, but it was pretty neat to see).
We went to see Jimmy Eat World at the Showbox on 1st street. The show was awesome and we had a great time even though it was packed.
Other points of interest:
There is a street named Virginia in Seattle so of course we had to photograph it!
This is the tallest building on the West Coast.
Pike's Place Market is where the infamous fish throwing takes place. That was really neat seeing after we have seen so many movies with this taking place. We even got t-shirts!
Seattle's hybrid buses that run more like streetcars, makes for a lot less pollution and smog.
Quest Field, where the Seahawks play. The tour guide on the cruise told us this stadium has the most number of false starts by opponents because the clam shape makes the audience noise revert straight back to the players on the field. Sounds pretty wild, huh?
And finally Union Station in Portland. I just think the train station is neat and old school so I thought I would share it.
Well I think that is all we have to share. Hope this finds everybody well. We are off to watch LSU kick Kentucky butt.
Love,
R&E
On Wednesday, we went to the Experience Music Project and Hall of Fame. I don't know if you have heard of it but it is basically a museum that has the entire history of music, focusing mostly on the music that has come from the Northwest region. There was also a room of guitars starting from the first guitar all the way through the electric era. They even had a sound lab where we were able to play around on many different types of instruments and even had some jam rooms where you and some friends could record your own CD. We couldn't really take pictures inside but we did take some photographs of the crazy shaped colorful
building.
Also in this area, called the Seattle Center, is where the infamous Space Needle is located! We thought about going up to the top but some of us (namely Rick) are scared of things like this so we took pictures from the bottom.
That evening we went to the waterfront and had a crab feast at a restaurant called the Crab Pot and but feast I mean, snow crab legs, dungeness crab legs (because they don't have blue crabs out here), manila clams, mussels, andouille sausage, and corn on the cob.
We called it an early night our first night and got up early for our final day in Seattle.
On Thursday morning we went to the Seattle Aquarium which ended up being a bust since we had both been to the Baltimore Aquarium the Seattle one seemed pretty lame (and small). But us being the good sports that we are tried to make the best of the situation and ended up having a fun time.
After the aquarium we went on an hour long tour on an Argosy Cruise around Elliott Bay and the Puget Sound. Although it was chilly we had a nice time and learned a lot about the city.
One side we had the Olympus Mountains...
And on the other side we could see Mt. Rainier...(the picture really doesn't do it justice, but it was pretty neat to see).
We went to see Jimmy Eat World at the Showbox on 1st street. The show was awesome and we had a great time even though it was packed.
Other points of interest:
There is a street named Virginia in Seattle so of course we had to photograph it!
This is the tallest building on the West Coast.
Pike's Place Market is where the infamous fish throwing takes place. That was really neat seeing after we have seen so many movies with this taking place. We even got t-shirts!
Seattle's hybrid buses that run more like streetcars, makes for a lot less pollution and smog.
Quest Field, where the Seahawks play. The tour guide on the cruise told us this stadium has the most number of false starts by opponents because the clam shape makes the audience noise revert straight back to the players on the field. Sounds pretty wild, huh?
And finally Union Station in Portland. I just think the train station is neat and old school so I thought I would share it.
Well I think that is all we have to share. Hope this finds everybody well. We are off to watch LSU kick Kentucky butt.
Love,
R&E
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