Sore muscles

In an effort to be in shape for my 30th birthday, or more in shape than I am now, I've brought back Billy Blanks and his Tae Bo extraordinaire! I can't say that I've committed to doing it regularly, but it's a fun workout, so it's been easy to do it at least three times a week. So the message for today is simple: I like sore muscles because it makes me feel like I actually accomplished something in my workout. Now if only I could stop walking funny because of my achy hips...

Strawberries!

From yesterday... Blogger site was down.


It's finally summer, and with the warm weather comes a whole different season... Strawberry season!  I've never in my life been so excited for strawberries, but this year I was a preparing for a new mission: jam!

Sara went out to pick the berries today while I was at work, so as soon as I got home, it was on!  My entire childhood, my mom made jam.  Every fruit we grew, and even some we didn't, went into jam.  I don't think I had store-bought jam until I moved away to college.  So I was so super excited to relive those childhood memories of good ol' fashioned homemade jam!  But I never go to help my mom make the jam, so I honestly had NO IDEA what I was doing!

Turns out, it's not too hard.  There's a little finesse that goes into it, but for the most part it's pretty simple.  Mix your berries, bring them to a boil, add sugar, (here's where the finesse comes in...) boil again for EXACTLY 1 MINUTE, then ladle into jars.  More finesse: leave 1/4 of an inch at the top, no more no less, to ensure proper sealage.  Then process them (boil them in a HUGE pot or water) for 7 minutes, and let cool.  Done!

We ended up with WAY more strawberries than we needed today, so we're going to attempt some crazy flavors in a couple weeks.  If anyone has any ideas, feel free to pass them on!  Just remember, they must include strawberries.

So, thanks Sara, for letting me savor those childhood memories, and teaching me how to recreate them myself!

Work work work...

I didn't get a chance to update the blog yesterday because of the very thing for which I am thankful!

I knew the instant I left my job in San Jose, it could be disastrous. I was walking away from what little seniority I had to possibly start over at the bottom of the totem pole. And to make matters worse, once I got to Oregon I discovered just how bad the teaching job market had become... I scoured Craig's List week after week to find anything that would make me a little extra cash, only to be continuously disappointed.

One day when I was feeling especially discouraged and desperate, I ran across a job ad for Mad Science. My school back in San Jose hosted Mad Science after school, so I was very familiar with the program. They only hire on a part-time basis, which is what I was looking for. And they pay enough to make it worth it. Plus, I get to work with elementary kids again! I interviewed, went through training, and haven't looked back since!

Now that the school year is over, I'm helping out with the summer day camps. I had a day of training yesterday to see how the summer program runs, and I couldn't be more excited to run my own camp full of kids! It was so much fun to be a little more laid back with the kids, yet still see their faces light up as we performed our experiments. I don't get to run my camp until the week of July 11th, so I still have a little more time to prepare for the chitlins!

Given that I have a few empty weeks, I wasn't quite sure how to fill my time. However, a friend of Sara's was in need of some subbing with her part-time nanny gig. By some miracle, her vacation dates coincided with my time off! I'm now helping out the family for the next two weeks, and am so excited to get to snuggle a baby again! He's 9 months old, and so absolutely perfect! I really could not have asked for a better kid to hang out with, and a better family to work for!

So today, I am blessed with work. Even in this rough economy, and for all I thought I was giving up, I've been able to find ways to fill my time (and my wallet!) while having so much fun with the little ones. I feel as though both of these opportunities just fell into my lap at just the right time. It's times like this that I need to remember that things happen when the time is right. I can't worry about the future, or how things are going to work out. Because, after all, to quote Baz Luhrman, "worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum."

Livin' in the lap of luxury

Today I experienced something I don't often get to do. Many of you hoity-toity types out there might see this as same old, same old, but this is not an everyday occurrence for me.

My friend Beth is having a baby in a few weeks, and in lieu of a "shower", a bunch of girls went down to a local spa to get foot massages and foot baths. Oh Lordy, are my feet happy!

They sat us all down in the cushiest couches I've ever sat in. They served us snacks, and we brought some beverages. Then we each got a 30 minute foot massage (heavenly...), followed by a warm foot soak of your choosing. I went with the Himalayan salt soak to soften my rough feet, but a couple chose the magnesium soak. This promised to promote, among other things, healthy bone formation, blood pressure, and bowel movements! Hmm... Halfway through the soak, they come around with ice cold water with peppermint oil and dose your feet into Antarctic temperatures, and then immediately pour hot water in your tub to warm your feet again. I don't know that I understand the reasoning behind this, and maybe you hoity-toities can offer some insight, but it certainly was surprising!

It was a perfect afternoon at the spa, pretending to be living in the lap of luxury if only for a couple hours!

Fresh, local produce

Noah and I headed out to the PSU farmer's market today get ourselves a new farmer, but evidently they were fresh out... We got some food instead. So now while lazy husband sleeps, I have to find a way to make a delicious Italian feast for two! He certainly has it good these days...

I believe our "feast" tonight will consist of fresh pesto and pasta with artichokes and bread. Anyone got any good recipes for pesto? I really wanted to try gnocchi, too, but hubbie says it's too much work... What does he care? He's sleeping!

Wish me luck!

Friends...

Noah and I used to talk about how hard it is to meet friends once you get to a certain age. You can't just pick someone up in a bar and ask them to be your friend. And when I relocated here, unemployed, I worried how I was going to find some new companionship. Duh duh duh DUH! Enter Sara Manzo!

Because of our shared love of our pooches, it was easy to instantly spark a friendship with Sara. Of course, it helped that we lived in the same building, and our husbands work together! But I'm pretty sure we would have been friends anyway! We started walking the doggies together and quickly felt comfortable sharing intimate details of our lives. Our walks became a daily routine, but I sometimes think for selfish reasons! Yes, poochies need walks, but us girls need our girl time!

Having a friend like Sara has made my transition to Portland that much easier. It's nice knowing that I have someone I can rely on who lives so close and is willing to help in any way she can. As we go through similar stages of life together, it's comforting to bounce ideas off her, vent about stupid fights, or laugh at the silliness of getting older. Thanks Sara!

Charlie the Wonder Dog!

Yet another thing I'm thankful for everyday: my puppy!

Noah and I (OK, mostly me, but he was convinced rather quickly!) made the decision to get a dog about a year and a half ago. Right about that time, a friend of mine's cousin took in a dog and her 9 puppies! We went to meet them all and instantly fell in love with Charlie's shy demeanor. While all the others ran around being crazy pups and climbing in our laps to lick our faces, Charlie would calmly sit next to you waiting for you to notice her. Her beautiful blonde fur was so striking, and we couldn't help but love her cute white paint spots! We made the choice almost instantly and a couple weeks later, Charlie came to live with us!

It's been a bit of a roller coaster ever since! She thinks she's a lap dog, even as she ballooned to 60 lbs. She learns tricks very quickly, but also has a min dof her own and chooses when she wants to follow commands. And due to some scary experiences for her as a small puppy, she has quite a bit of dog aggression. Don't get me wrong, she loves her buddies out at the dog park and meeting new friends at the beach, but as soon as you put the leash on her, BAM! Just call her Cujo! This makes for some extremely frustrating walks everyday, but it quickly passes and she's once again the adorable Charlie we all know and love!

I love showing off her tricks to anyone who cares to watch. She sits, lies down, shakes... Boring! Noah's favorite is a high five (on both sides!) and I particularly love making her dance. She only knows how to dance (spin around in a circle) in one direction, so I recently taught her to boogie, too!

Since moving to Portland, Charlie is my constant companion. We play ball all day, go for walks and watch TV together. She's faithful, loyal, loving and snuggly! I've even decided I enjoy it when she sleeps in our bed!

Dramas and sitcoms and news, oh my!

This is something I'm thankful for everyday, so it might as well be mentioned sooner than later: TV. I love getting lost in dramatic TV series, feeling better about my own life by watching other people's ridiculous "reality", and forgetting about the day in a crazy sitcom. I used to get my news on my commute to and from work, but now that I'm only a part-time mad scientist, I have to rely on Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert! ;-)

While we're at it, I love Netflix! Noah and I have "discovered" so many great shows, and been able to watch them from beginning to end on our own time. Our couch has certainly been put to good use in the last few years since signing up for Netflix!

Yeah, yeah, it's rotting my brain, ruining my vision, blah blah blah... But I like it! And to think, Darling Husband keeps trying to get me to cancel the cable!

Those bottom-dwelling, blood-sucking creatures...

So about 3 years ago (April 28, 2008, to be exact!), I was in a car accident.  I was on my way home from work, and decided to pick up some dinner from Happi House.  As I exited the freeway and proceeded to merge over to the left-turn lane, the pick-up in front of me stopped short and I rear-ended him.  We exchanged info and he showed me there was no damage to his car (meanwhile, mine was totaled...).  My mom came to pick me up, and that was that.

A few days later, I got a call from the owner of the truck claiming that the woman he was with (turns out the woman was driving his truck) was having some neck pains.  Of course she is...  I immediately referred him to the insurance company; afterall, that's what they're for!  I didn't hear from my insurance company for quite some time, so I figured it was all over. 

If any of you have been in a car accident where someone is claiming to have been injured, you know this isn't the end of the story.  And I, too, will never be so naive as to think that everything could go this smoothly.  A good two years passed before I heard anything again, and this is where it all goes bananas!

The woman I hit was filing a claim against my father for an accident on April 28, 2008 (the only fact that was correct when all's said and done!).  She claimed he was driving at erratic speeds (or accelerating from a complete stop), and slammed into her truck while exiting the freeway.  When the police came (which never happened), he was arrested for a DUI!  Like I said, BANANAS!  This all went very far with doctors, lawyers, DMV, everything!  I even found out, when trying to change insurance companies after getting married, that there was no accident on my record, only my dad's!

To sum up, we did our part and recorded our official statement this past November.  I then heard from my insurance company's lawyer a few weeks ago that all was settled, and my father and I were in the clear.  They went to mediation, and the woman whom I hit showed up with a letter from her own doctor stating that there was nothing physically wrong with her.  How stupid are you?!  I guess no one did a psychological exam...  So she had to sign some paperwork stating that she wouldn't come back and sue us for money she wasn't due, and NOW, that was that!

As I washed dishes today, for some reason I started thinking about this whole crazy exchange, and realized (as will probably never happen again) I am thankful for lawyers.  Every once in a while they get things right, and for those times, I am extremely grateful!

Good things come in pink boxes

One of the rules of birthdays is that calories don't count. And thank goodness they don't, because on my doorstep the morning of the 18th were 2 dozen Voodoo donuts! Froot Loops, Dubble Bubble, marshmallows, Cocoa Puffs... The list goes on and on! Thanks to Erin and Cody Macartney, Noah and I will have donuts for DAYS! My birthday "dinner" consisted of donuts and champagne, and we barely made a dent!

I'm not sure if this is a post to say I'm thankful for Erin and Cody, or if I'm thankful for Voodoo donuts, but either way, they're all loved! :-). Now here's hoping the calorie rule takes a week to wear off...

Gettin' Nekked!

I was originally going to give a recap of my birthday weekend and be thankful for the state of OR and all that it has to offer.  However, it's just too good of a state, and I can't mention it all in one post!  So I've been forced to narrow it down.  Now bear with me...

Today I am thankful for World Naked Bike Rides.  Given the name, I understand this event is not specific to OR, but nevertheless, I am thankful for it.  Not because I'm some weirdo perv who enjoys watching people get nekked and stupid things, but for the sheer fact that it exists.  Our street was shut down last night for about an hour to let all the crazies ride through.  Noah and I were finishing a movie, so we decided to run down and cheer them on.  Without going into too much detail for those who wish me to remain discrete, I've never seen so many... body parts flying down the street!  And many more women than I would have thought, too...

Again, it's a weird thing to be thankful for, I know.  But I love the fact that we can all suspend our sense of lawfulness for a bit and just enjoy the humor of it all.  The funniest part to me is that, because it's recognized as a city-wide event, the cops are there letting it all happen!  They park their cars to block the intersections and cheer on the riders just as much as the civilians!  (I've been told that while they won't arrest you for indecent exposure, they will still arrest you for public drunkenness, cuz hey! this is a family event!) It was quite fun to just have a silly moment at the end of my birthday and laugh at the craziness that is Portland :-)  In fact, I may just need to do it for my 30th... Who's comin' with me?!

Blessed...

As my 30th year of life begins, I've started thinking about how blessed those years have been.  There aren't enough words to express how thankful I am for all the people, events, and circumstances involved in getting me to my 29th birthday.  However, I'm hoping this blog will be a start.

My goal is to publish one thing I'm thankful for each day until my 30th birthday one year from today.  Perhaps it'll continue after that; we'll see how committed I am to the cause! ;-)  There may be some repeats, but I'm sure anyone or thing mentioned more than once surely deserves it!  Some days it might be something small, others may be HUGE...  No matter the blessing, it deserves some praise!

So today I'll start with my darling husband.  We recently celebrated our 1-year anniversary, and oh, what a year it's been! Our marriage started with only one income, as Noah had left his job.  We weren't able to take the European honeymoon we'd been planning with my measly teacher's salary, so we made the best of it in Maui.  After returning, the serious job hunt began, and he landed a dream job in our dream city!  We'd talked about moving to Portland for years, and the opportunity fell into our laps in September.  I left my old job behind and packed up the pooch for our next adventure!

Shortly after moving, I found out that I wasn't actually allowed to move out of my condo.  Evidently one of the stipulations of my CalHFA loan was that my condo had to be my primary residence for the life of the loan...  Oops!  I was granted a one-year "hardship" but now I'm stuck either refinancing for less than I still owe, selling for less than I still owe, or moving back.  Hmmm...  Still not quite sure about this one, but I have until January 31st to figure it out.  Anyone wanna buy a condo? ;-)

I started the process of transferring my CA credential over to OR only to find some good news and some bad news.  The good news is, I don't have to take any classes or tests to get it transferred.  Yay!  However, the bad news is, it's going to cost me almost $400 in fees to get the new stupid piece of paper!  And to take that news from bad to worse, the state of education in OR is even worse off than CA!  Teachers are being laid off left and right, schools are closing all around us, and the possibility of getting a job in the near future is slim to none!  So why am I shelling out $400?

And then the kidney stone...  Noah woke up with some back pain one morning, but by the time he got to see a doctor it was gone.  Two days later, it hurt badly enough for him to leave work (and if you know my husband, you know how much of a workaholic he is!) and come home to lay on the floor for 8 hours.  After not being able to keep his dinner down, we went to the ER where they took a CAT scan to show him his stone.  He was sent home to wait it out with Vicodin in hand, and 4 days later, our little 2mm bundle of joy entered the world (in Japan, no less!).  Now we're learning what foods he should avoid to prolong the inevitable return of kidney stone #2...

Which brings us to today...  There were, of course, many other events along the way, but we'll stop there for now.  At this point you may be thinking to yourself, "I thought she was thankful; this is seeming rather bitter and sad..."  You would be correct.  However, the thing I'm thankful for is the support of Darling Husband through it all.  We've overcome a lot together and always find ourselves stronger on the other side.  He's open and honest, gives me a shoulder to cry on, encourages me on the days when I'm not so hopeful, and lets me yell it out when I can't see beyond the frustration.  We lean on each other equally and have learned to take things as they come, one day at a time.  Thank you, Noah, for being my husband!