Archive for January, 2008
Allergies in Arizona
Thursday, January 10th, 2008 | General | 3 Comments
I feel like I’ve come down with a cold. But, it has to be something in the air. I feel like I do when it’s the middle of June in Portland. It totally sucks!
Meanwhile, flight to Az. was good. It was a packed flight too, but it was nice having an under 2 hour flight which has been rare.
It’s amazing how the landscape never ceases to enable my jaw to drop. It’s as everthing has been put under a “matter mass increaser mojulator”. The roads are wider, the highways have about 8 lanes, the theatres are massive I even saw about 7 hummers in one hour. It’s ridiculous. We can blame the melting of our ice caps on Arizona….really.
There is no recycling here, there is no water conservation that I can see, the water tastes like dirt (even the filtered) but I have to remember to look at the bright side.. I got to embrace the Arizona sun today. It felt about 20 times hotter here than in Portland, that’s for sure. I got to sit with mom at a Starbucks (no surprise) and it was double the size of the usual Starbucks in Portland.. but we sat outside in the sun and mom fed cute little chickadee-like birds her cinnamon roll.
We just got done seeing Sweeney Todd. The gore was riveting, Johnny was his best ever and has the perfect voice to sweep you into his story, feel his pain and Helena was just perfect. I truly recommend this to all of you.. yes even you singing in movies haters.. it was absolutely captivating. Nothing like sweet vengeance Tim Burton style.
Next on the list of things to do (as my mom loves to announce whatever we do, she is THE most task oriented person I know with lists and lists of to do’s… uh oh.. I’m seeing a pattern.. Yikes this is SCARY!). She wants to see the Golden Compass on Saturday. Tomorrow we are going “mall” shopping as she needs to pick up things and hates shopping alone and really she does love the “mall” shopping ( I have since grown to more or less loathe it) but I’m happy to be here and spend the time to help her. She’s limping quite a bit and wears a brace as she is still healing from the knee surgery. I see her impatience and diligently take a mental note to work on that myself ( I obviously get a lot quirkisms honestly).
What an eye opening experience this has been thus far. Getting up at 7am to Folgers is quite the sacrifice I know, but well when it’s provided with pure love and joy how can you criticize. Besides my mom’s roomate Barb is an amazing cook and has an herb garden here and she made Teriyaki Salmon with dill and it was pretty amazing which says alot coming from me since Salmon isn’t one of my favorite of seafood choices.
I just wish this sinusy headache accompanied by extreme fatigue would go away so I could enjoy the time to its fullest.
Away to Arizona
Monday, January 7th, 2008 | General | 2 Comments
Wednesday, January 9th I fly down to Arizona. I’ll be staying with my mom and giving her company while she continues to heal from knee surgery. I’ll be there from the 9th and fly back the afternoon of the 14th.
Mom likes to plan anything and everything (yes this is where I get it from ) so, the plan is to see Sweeney Todd (which I am particularly thrilled about) shopping at the mall (mom always had a tradition of taking us girls to the mall for shopping, I’m not overly thrilled for the mall, but heck if mom loves it then why not) she wants to buy me something (which is very sweet, unnecessary of course, but sweet) and just plain have some time together.
I know she is waiting for a “big” check to which she will use to buy a new car, but good heavens I am the wrong person to provide advice on that front, unless she wanted to by a Scion of course.
I haven’t see her since her first knee surgery which which was in 2005, so yes it’s about time I see my mom and see Arizona, where I grew up. Smell the distinct desert air. It’ll be around 60 and sunny. I’ll say hello to the sun for all my Portland friends. 
Golly is it really 2008 already? What the hell has happened to the time?
I’ll miss being here but honestly it’ll be nice to have another distraction from the Job search ambiguity that seems to haunt me on a daily basis.
I’ve got three prospects that I’m awaiting in anticipation to hear back from. Maybe while I’m gone something will actually transpire. I mean I did have a phone interview when I visited S&C in NJ ???
It really has been nice having the “new” hobbies to focus on. I’ve been able to take time to practice my violin and I’ve got a new painting set and so I’ve been learning how to paint sunflowers. This only helps me so I can have a relatively structured day, which I function well on. The more unstructured I am the more I seem to languish over the day and the expected accomplishments for the day. I focus so much on what I’m actually accomplishing in the day and measuring my productivity, which is nill and extremely disatisfying, but with violin to practice and pictures to paint, there is tangible evidence that I have had a productive day.
So Here’s to a few days of sun, fresh dew on the desert flowers in the morning, gorgeous pink sunsets, brown hills and valleys, prickly plants, pools and pool sides to sit among and read in peace.
If I’m lucky there will be an awesome desert thunderstorm where the crooked fingers of lightening are immediately followed by the booms of thunder resonating through the air.
I loved those desert rainshowers, nothing quite like the smell of the desert air after a monsoon storm.
Here’s to Arizona.
“Veritas” my very first violin
Thursday, January 3rd, 2008 | General | No Comments
More than a few of my Christmas wish list items materialized this year. Clearly with no expectation of my very own, considering this was supposed to be a “small” Christmas.
Bless R’s heart he gave me everything and more than I could ever want, ESPECIALLY, my very own and very FIRST Violin. I had to name her and Veritas fit her perfectly. She is beautiful and, unfortunately for RY, will play truthfully, which might require a few earplugs for Ry. But he can always shut his office door and turn up CofDuty 4 real loud.
Anyway, I had my very first violin lesson yesterday. I found the instructor on Craigslist and she is perfect. Sweet, patient, kind, non-judgemental, about my age, fantastic player and just overall, I felt we clicked and felt so lucky to find such an awesome instructor. She has her own studio in NW, so not as if I’m going to anyone’s house, which is an added bonus. As a kid I went to my Piano teacher’s house everyweek, she was the sweetest lady on the planet and had like 7-8 Dachsunds, hilarious, but also distracting.
I will be channeling my grandfather (accomplished violinist) on my dad’s side and my great grandmother (Big Nanna, my grandmother’s mother who taught herself to play the Cello at 60 years) to help me with the initial stages of learning. It’s nice to have the music fundamentals as my background because starting from scratch.. . well would make this an even BIGGER task to accomplish.
I’m thrilled and the first few lessons will be learning the left hand placement on the neck and posture and those basics while plucking the notes and learning the right finger placement for the notes. I know a lot will be identifying the correct note through pitch since it is a fretless instrument. But, I’m dedicated and thrilled to have something wonderful help fill up my days.
Thank you R. Now maybe I might be able to contribute at the Moon gatherings on Monday nights… but then maybe not or at least not until about at least a year or two of committed time and practice!
Happy New 2008
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008 | General | No Comments
In Blogasphere fashion I could do the ceremonious 2007 re-cap, considering 2007 was pretty life changing, I figured oh why bother really. I mean sure why not honor and bless it and move on to brighter pastures in 2008, but I would prefer not to be labeled as “Debbie Downer”.
So! Let’s re-live the FANTASTIC Moments of 2007!
Jan - T&N V ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!
S&C ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!
H&A ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!
(who isn’t having a baby?)
Feb - Our Arthur Guinness got his manhood re-moved so not to produce more evil felines Not that it’s a “FANASTIC” memory, but really that was the big news for Feb.
March - Nothing “Fantastic” to report for this month…. St. Patty’s Day is in this month though and we like that! Purchased my Sweet Mac Machine! “Mozart”
April - High tailed it to London to escape the real world - Now that was “FANTASTIC”
May - Birthday- excuse to eat and drink whatever I want!
June - S&C visited Portland- enjoyed the best Thai and the best wine while they were here and the best time with friends I don’t get to see enough! Threw a Baby Shower for C.
July - Fixed up Bike!
Aug - Wedding Anniversary- Enjoyed delicious Thai at Siam Society (yum). Weekend trip to Lincoln City, had fun at the beach. HENRY WAS BORN! DEVON WAS BORN!
Sept. - VISITED S&C in New Jersey and got to walk around NY, see amazing Art and stroll through Central Park, again enjoyed fantastic food and wine there with them!
Oct - Celebrated Ryan’s birthday. DUNCAN WAS BORN!
Nov. - Learned how to Knit!
Dec. - Met Marcie’s little Girl Elizabeth and celebrated her very 1st Birthday Celebrated Christmas! Hosted a very mellow and relaxing New Year’s Eve Party! Drank too much wine, ate too much and will now have to work on a better health regime to get back to fighting fit form, I’m just a lot more squishy now!
So there you have it! The really Fantastic times of 2007! We’ll look forward to more life changing and challenging adventures in 2008!