Making up for lost blogs

I'm obviously trying to catch up by posting numerous times in one day...

This is a warning to guys: This segment is going to be filled with girlie information that you might not want to know. You've been warned.

Last night I was brushing my teeth, getting ready for bed and I looked in the mirror and saw my hair parted down the middle and thought, "It's my mom's hair." (No offense Mom... but you wouldn't want Grandma's hair, would you???) So I rinsed my mouth, wet my hair, grabbed the scissors and cut bangs. Not even straight. Slanted bangs. And I like them. Ahhhhhh.

Now for the really girlie stuff. It's that time of year and I have insurance, so I made an appointment for *shudder* THE PAP. But, being the freak that I am, I decided to give the doctor a little chuckle. So I drew this on the bottom of one foot:



As drawing is not my forte, I will tell you that it's a bunny.

Then on the other foot, I wrote this (I think it's legible enough):



Yes, the doc got a chuckle from it and told me he would remember it and that I had to do something to top it next year.... Hmmmmm....

I found my camera

So just in time before I hit the road again, I found my camera. Let's take a look at another hotel I stayed at, shall we?

This was in a little town called Kerby, Oregon. It's between Cave Junction and Selma, where we were working at both locations.



It was actually a really cute place... My co-worker's room even had a kitchenette in it! However, I couldn't find the light in the bathroom to save my life... That is, until the morning when I was leaving. The light switch was in the main room, just outside the bathroom. Of course. Perfect sense.



And the television set and stand were classic. I'm almost tempted to get this set-up for my own place...



And just in case you missed that glorious wallpaper in the first picture, here's a close-up because words fail me. (I really did like this place though...)

Ooh-ooh!!! I almost forgot!!!...

My BF's birthday is on International Talk Like A Pirate Day!!!! How cool is that?!?

And coming soon, the long awaited list of "good words" and "bad words". No, not like four-letter words or whatever, but words that I like or dislike. For example, I can't stand the word "coif". What a horrible word. It's on the bad list of course!! But the word "brigadoon" is a great word! I've been compiling the list for a little while now. I can't wait to see them all together!!!! (I'm such a nerd.)

GASP! A POST!!!

I would waste time apologizing about not posting and excuses and blah, blah, blah... but who's really interested in that? Nobody!

However. I will finally divulge a little information about myself that not too many people know yet... Then again, not too many people read this!! (Yes, it's a lack of friends, thanks for rubbing it in.)

Are you ready for this??? (Okay, I realize the only people that read this blog are the people that already know this tidbit of information, but I'm posting it anyway dang it!)

I got a boyfriend! I'm not sure how I tricked him, but I'll have to make note of it when I figure it out! He's really sweet. Not too sweet, but just really good to me. But he doesn't take any crap from me either - I gave him the stink-eye once and he didn't like it... He told me. Duly noted.

He does nice things for me though. On his way to my place, he stopped at a yard sale and got me a clothes dryer and a lawn mower for $5!!! And they work!!! I just had to get a new blade for the mower! He even put gas in it for me! And he bought me an electric weedeater! Hey... I sense a pattern here...

Anyway, since he's my first boyfriend in forever, I thought I should make a special post about it. Yay for me!! Oh, and I took him to the family get-together and he did great. He was talkative and everybody loved him. I'm so proud.

Camera?

Update on the motel picture thing... I've lost my camera. It might be here somewhere in my luggage or whatever, but for now I can't find it. It's too bad because I had some good hotel pictures!

ARRRRGG!!!

Motels, Hotels and Inns, Oh My

I wish I would have started taking pictures of hotels and stuff earlier, but I was in a Best Western and I think they all pretty much look alike. I think Ruben and I are going to start staying in some odd places, especially in the smaller towns, so I'm happy to report that I'll be taking pics of the places we've been.

In Crescent City, CA we stayed at a place called the Curly Redwood. It was apparently made from a giant redwood... but just the walls, etc. Being there was like being transported to the 1960's - it was soooo retro! It was all obviously the original furnishings.



I don't know if you can see this awesome lamp in enough detail.



I like this light over the bed. You can see the cord coming down the wall to that round thing which is the switch. Nice.

More Construction

Today was great. I got to cut stuff with a circular saw! I was a little intimidated by it, but didn't back down when I was told I would be using it. It wasn't bad! I was pleased that they trusted me to run the saw rather than the older (but not much older) fella that we're working with. Unfortunately, they also trusted me to run to Home Depot for supplies. Three times. I was getting tired of that, but it's all part of the job I suppose. Oh, and that's the same fella who had never heard of "Arrrrg, Matey!!!" He's the ANTIPIRATE!

Yesterday I pinched the tip of my finger between some wood and hard plastic and I actually watched it fill up with blood. I knew it was going to get ugly and painful if I didn't do something about it, so I took a screw and poked a hole in it. It bled for a while, so I got a little piece of paper towel and some electrical tape and plugged it. It's still a little sore, but at least it isn't a huge blood blister.

I'm having so much fun, I'm actually considering telling the boss that I would rather just do what I've been doing (including the construction) instead of going to be a tech. I haven't really decided yet. If I do that, I might have to consider getting a roommate so my cats aren't neglected. Hm. Not sure.

If I had a hammer

Yesterday was my first day at the construction site. For those of you who don't know, this week I'm part of the construction crew building the pharmacy I'm going to be working in. I'm actually really excited about it. I had the choices of having a week off (unpaid), working in a pharmacy somewhere else, or doing construction. I chose the latter obviously.

I have been trusted with a saw.

Sure, it's only a jigsaw, but still! I got to cut several pieces out of shelving! It was awesome. Since I knew I would be doing this kind of stuff, I went out and got an inexpensive tool belt, a hammer and measuring tape. I've used them all!!! Today I'm wearing my cammie pants because they'll be a little more comfortable I think. It's great not having to iron my clothes or anything. Oh, and yesterday I stunk at the end of the day. I was dirty and sweaty and stinky. Woo-hoo! I'm looking forward to another stinky day!

Happy Memorial Day

I know I'm a little late, but I was on the road for Memorial Day. So on that special day, I took this picture out of the back of my Jeep while driving on the coast... Happy (belated) Memorial Day everybody!

Drivin' Along

On my way back to Brookings this last Monday, I had a sudden urgency to... Stop. Potty Break!!! Thankfully, I was blessed about a mile later with a small, dead end road leading to this:



It was a great little pit stop - very pretty!







self portrait:

Travels

On my way to Brookings one Sunday evening, I went through an awesome hail storm. In fact, just before I went through it, I saw the clouds and the color reminded me of tornado weather. Greenish sky - very spooky! It was hard to get a good picture, but here you can see that everybody has actually either pulled off the interstate, or they are going about 5 mph. Even the semis pulled over!



The hail was coming down so hard, I actually got a little nervous. And I could feel rain on my face coming in from the sides of my Jeep (I guess) where the half-canvas doors were being blown around. It was pretty cool.

On a totally different note, I was at WalMart and I saw this:



You just take any CD, scan it under this machine, and it plays clips from that CD! How thoughtful! You don't have to listen to the ones that they have plugged in, you can just pick an album and listen! Ahhh, the joys of technology!

Home again

***YAAAAAAAAWWWWNNNNN***

Well, I'm back at home! I slept a little over 9 hours last night and it felt GREAT. Yesterday we were in the parade in Brookings. I thought it was going to be a little silly, but I ended up hearing a lot of people talking about us and stuff. It was awesome exposure! While I won't post pictures of our truck and trailer from the outside (because it has the name of the company I work for, etc. - yeah, call me paranoid), I DO have pictures from the inside! Keep in mind that our trailer is actually 53 feet long!!! 53 FEET! It's monstrous!

This is the view from my desk.



And here is my desk from the other side. You can't see my chair, but I have a cushy chair... and I might be getting something even more comfortable! Hehehehe!



It's a pretty good setup. I really enjoy it! Driving for 5 1/2 hours every Monday and Friday sucks, but oh well. And being away from the cats sucks. Speaking of the cats, they're doing ok. I think they still fight once in a while, but Buddy was downstairs yelling at me in the window as soon as he heard Roger pull up in the driveway. So I think they're almost back to normal.

Well, I have to get ready for church, so this is it for now. I'll try to post more later - I want to tell you about the storm I went through just north of Eugene. No biggie, but it's something to post!

My Sweater!

So I finally finished my sweater (my very first!) while I was in Brookings - the last time. It was cold and foggy and I needed it. :) It's WAY too big... I made a man's medium and apparently I should have made a small. But live and learn. So here it is. I didn't put a collar on it because I kind of like it like this... It won't mess up my hair when I put it on! :) hehehe



I told you it was huge.

May

Well, it's the weekend and I'm finally back home. It's weird being gone all the time. I'm starting to forget which light switch does what if there's more than one switch on a panel. I flick one on for light and the fan turns on. Oh well.

This coming weekend is pretty packed. I want to do something with Joel for taking care of the cats (and they've been horrible!), mow the lawn, go to Jeff's and install my new valve cover,go to church, do all my laundry and iron it for next week. This week is different because they need us down there over Memorial Day weekend. So I'm going to be gone for two weeks this time. I feel bad for my cats. I know Joel is looking in on them, but they're my babies and I can tell they've missed me. I just gave them Advantage, so they're even more angry. I guess Buddy and Grace have been fighting all week, and this is the cake topper. But it has to be done! Hopefully they'll forgive me.

On my way into Brookings last Monday, I had left early to be there early. I wanted to be able to get some coffee, fill the tank, do whatever. Well, they have construction going on. At that point, it was at the beginning of town, but the traffic was all the way out about 2 miles from town. I was in that flippin' traffic for over AN HOUR!!! There was enough "sitting-around" time for the trucker behind me to check something out in his engine compartment:



I rolled into work 15 minutes late, to see the owner of the company there talking on his phone. ARG! Other than that, things have been going along pretty well. The construction is now right in front of where we were working, but we're moving the trailer down to Harbor this coming week, so maybe we'll have a little more peace and quiet and better smells. Not that the smell of fresh blacktop isn't great.

Now that I'm back at home, I've got to tell you about my strange neighbors across the street... again. They've apparently got some company. And they drive this:



Can you see the cow skull on the top? And chained to the back is a lovely pitbull, or whatever breed it is... It's scary!



I've been online long enough - time to get my chores and errands done! I'll try to figure out how to blog from the road, but until then - see ya!

The First Week and Another First...

So my first week was great. I really love my job so far! I know I already posted that, so I'll try not to be redundant. I had a request from Jim (hey Jim, let me know if it's okay to make a hyperlink to your site... you can email my work address or comment here) to post pics of Brookings, so Jim, this is for you:

This was a pretty windy day - nice waves.



I can't think of what street this is on... I think it's Oak Street.


There are a couple for ya anyway. :)

Now for something new. I was stopped on my way home and given a present. Some of you might recognize this gift:



That's right Ladies and Gentlemen. I got my very first ticket. I don't know how much detail you can see, but the fine is $242!!!!! My first offense!!! Good night! Well, I guess it was bound to happen. I'm thirty... something... and I suppose it's about time I got my first ticket. *sigh*

Okay, enough. I'm pooped. Time for some rest and whatnot. :)

On the Road Part 1

Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to finish the post about the trip to Ashland, but I'll try... Later.

I'm in Brookings - again - but this time for work. So far, it's been going great. The work is laid back and the people are awesome. I really like the people I work for and work with. What a difference it makes! I don't have any pictures right now because I'm at my friend, Marie's house, and I don't have my camera with me. But I'll try to get to all the pics later.

It's been pretty nice in Brookings. The weather is awesome (a lot nicer than when I lived here) and the people have been cool too. I'm doing new things and learning things. But it's pretty calm and fun.

We've been eating dinner at Marie's, which is great because she's a great cook. Yesterday was steak, potatoes and a vegetable medley. Today was twice baked potatoes and meatloaf. Tomorrow is meatloaf. We are spoiled. No doubt.

I've been a little concerned about Buddy and Grace, but I just have to remember that they're not that helpless and they'll be fine. Plus Joel is looking in on them, so they aren't totally alone.

I'll try to take pictures of the hotel and whatnot, but for now this will have to do. Gotta go for now...

Training in Ashland Pt. I

Yesterday I drove down to Ashland for some training for my new job. I actually rented a car (an Elantra), as I mentioned previously, and it was great.



I got to hear the music I was playing, it had a sunroof, and it apparently liked to go fast. Automatic vehicles are like that!



Welcome to the Mid-Valley or Willamette Valley:



Here's a common sight.



And more to follow....

American Idol

Well, with Rayleen busy at the moment, the American Idol review falls to me. I'm not going to be nearly as colorful or lengthy as Faythe or Rayleen, but here it goes...

They went through the normal blah, blah about what Randy, Paula and Simon thought about the performances last night. I didn't actually watch last night's show, so I can't comment. And I have to admit, I was at my computer listening, so I don't know how they looked. I hang my head in shame for Rayleen and Faythe.

After the initial boring "this is what happened last night" stuff, I was surprised at how fast they started "safing" people. I thought they were going to draw it out and make groups and whatever, but I suppose with only five left, you can't really draw it out much.

Taylor: safe.

Chris: safe.

Paris was the first to be in the bottom two. She sang Prince's "Kiss". Eh. It was okay. I wasn't impressed by it and I don't really think it's a song she should sing. I think she should sing songs with a little more... I don't know, but a little more.

Kathryn (am I spelling her name right? I don't think so.) and Elliott were the last two... and Kathryn.... is safe.

Elliot sang "On Broadway", a song that I am sick of. I think it's over-used for commercials, movies, whatever. And yes Faythe, he was "goaty". He must have been pretty nervous, poor guy.

I figured early on that it was time for Paris to leave and my assumption was correct. She got to sing one last time after watching her travels through the show and she didn't sound very good, but I think it was because of emotions. I think she's great, but I agree that it was time. If I were bold enough to make a prediction for next week, I would have to say it's Elliot's turn. Not because he was in the bottom two, but just because I think he's been low-key, hiding-in-the-back long enough. But I could be wrong!

Oh, and I'm really getting tired of that freakin' song, "You've Had a Bad Day", or whatever it's called! I used to like it, but come on!!! Arrrrrrggg!!!!

Random

I finally got a picture of the front of the courthouse without anybody standing in the way! Not that I don't want people in my pictures, but I feel like a freak taking their picture when I don't know them. I had some more pictures of really pretty flowers, but they came out blurry - dang it!



This was nice - My boss got me flowers for Secretary's Day:



It's not the best picture, but I was in a hurry and Buddy was trying to eat them. He loves flowers. And grass. And ferns. And thinly sliced cucumbers.

Speaking of work, today was my last day!!! She gave me my paycheck 15 minutes before I was supposed to leave... And then gave me some work to do so that I left 15 minutes late! AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

I'm driving to Ashland tomorrow - about 4 hours of driving - for some training. I actually reserved a rental car as soon as I got home because Roger is leaking a little oil from the back of the valve cover. I think the gasket squished out a little and it's spurting out a bit. There's even a little oil on the BACK of Roger! So I'm giving him the day off since I don't want him bleeding all over the freeway... And I want to make it there and back. I love Roger and all, but I must admit I'm looking forward to actually hearing music on the long drive. If I make good time, I'll try to take some pictures...

Get-A-Date April 2006

Well, seeing how well it worked to give myself a deadline to find a new job, I tried it on my love-life. The deadline is May 1st... and it doesn't look good.

I mean, miracles never cease, but I'm being realistic here. It's tomorrow. So today I'm going to church and then I think I'll grab some sushi or something... and then I'll most likely go home.

Where are all the guys hanging out? I don't know! Somebody told me to hang out at a golf course. But that's the only place people can think of for me to go a-guy huntin'. Well, I've heard "bowling alley" and "library" too, but... How pitiful is this?!? I suppose I should have looked in the yellow pages for good ideas.

Maybe a gym? Of course, I'll need a membership to hang out there more than once. And honestly, I was hit on once at the gym and I was very annoyed. Not only was the guy a creep, but I was trying to work out!!!

My mom tried to set me up with a guy at church ("He's really rich!!"), but I could see right away that he and I wouldn't match. He was probably around my age (give or take 5 years), but looked much older. Not older like wrinkles and stuff, but older as in no fun, no silliness, no adventure.

I could go hang out at a coffee shop, but I'd probably get all loaded on caffine and then meeting some guy could be disasterous! I wouldn't be able to shut up and I'd be all gittery! Of course the people that worked there might call the cops on me for loitering. Hm. I suppose I could meet a guy in uniform that way...

Well, we'll see what happens today and tomorrow. Maybe I'll get inspired to go somewhere and I'll get a date!!! Maybe at the grocery store! Maybe a park! Maybe a Harley Davidson shop!... Oh, well, maybe not there...