All my life when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I never had an answer I just always knew that I wanted to be artistic. The problem is, I'm not. I was never particularly good at drawing, or ceramics, or painting, or singing, or writing or even doing artsy things with hair thus making it very difficult to be any sort of artist.

Today I had a paint party with my cousin Grace and best friend Janelle and realized that I don't entirely suck. I may not be able to sell any thing I ever make but painting made me feel amazing. Not only was it a fun and silly group activity but I think I could really get lost in it if I just set aside a little time for myself once in a while. I know I have started a thousand little hobbies and none of them ever last more then a month but this one I really loved. I think I could get used to this. If you have not yet tried it and are looking for something new, I totally recommend it.

Quartely update

Well it has been just shy of 90 days since I have put my thoughts out there for the world to read and that is just too dang long. I find I have been sucked in to the dull repetitiveness of life. Work, eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep. It is time I spice things up a bit.

I have been going to church regularly since I moved home in July. I enjoy the church I go to and the people I have met. I have even started going to bible study on Sunday nights which I think is very good for me. I went to church almost every single Sunday for 14 years but I never had a relationship with God. I had a relationship with my wonderful Grandfather and that is why I went, to be with him. I originally started going back to church for a very similar reason, his name is Zach, but over the last few months I have been very curious and just want to learn. I don't want to be preached at, I just want to be taught. All in all I think it is going well. Aside from being completely lost when its all thou, thy, thee, I do believe I absorb a little each week.

I am also on my way to buying a house. Ok, I'm on my way to SAVING to buy a house. My unfortunate debt to the individual I hit in my car accident last year has finally been paid off. $2000 down the drain to stupidity and carelessness and in return a valuable lesson 'Just let Zach drive'. Now that that painful lesson is behind me I can focus my attention, and money, on the future. I moved back to Kennewick with the intention to find a reasonably priced apartment to rent and during my grueling search I found that the best priced apartment was $535 and that would still require me to use a common washer/dryer. I think not. It was then that I began thinking it may be wise to buy a house. I have talked to a few realtors briefly, usually just the ones that come in for a haircut and allow me to interrogate them while they're in my chair, and they have told me that it is quite possible for me to qualify for a loan. The search is on. I am surviving my mothers house day by day thinking of a house that will soon be all mine for me to paint and decorate and do with what ever I please. :)

I have decided I am becoming a cow. It has been almost 2 years since I have been in a regular work out routine and it is far past time for me to get this flabby tush back into shape. I looked into LifeQuest which I liked but I hear that Gold's Gym is once again returning to the tri-cities and I may be able to score a free membership out of them. So until I have that information I am holding off on paying any join up fees but you better believe I already bought myself a new pair of work out shoes.

That is all for now. Nothing too deep just a little update.

Oh...one more thing, To my friend Jennie, who recently lost her father, I am deeply sorry for your loss and I hope you know you are in my prayers. You are an amazingly strong woman and though we aren't the closest of friends, know if you ever need anything I'm here.

In a blurrr

Life has been a whirl wind over the last month. Moving home and re staking my claim at the menZone as manager has taken its toll. I am exhausted. I have been eating sleeping and pooping menZone even on my days off. I am living at home with my dearest mother whom I can not live with simply because our similarities clash like a horrific thunder storm. As you can imagine my energy is zapped between work and home. I am in the process of trying to find a place of my own to live where my long time companion, Tika, can join me. Thank you Hanford for hiring so many out of towners to suck dry the apartment supply.

It came to my attention just a few minutes ago that I really don't write any more. I used to write whenever an internal conflict surfaced, and there have been plenty in the last year, but I don't seem to do that anymore. I realized this as I was reading my friend, Jen's, blog. She is the most wonderful writer and, though I'm no where near as good, it made me realize how much I miss it. She was talking about the power of music. Be it to heal a heart or bring a specific situation into new light. Maybe it just gets you in the right mood before you go to work and I couldn't agree more with her ideas. For me, the same goes with writing. I can pour every drop of my soul onto the figurative piece of paper, as everything seems to be electronic now, and it is some of the best therapy I could ever get. So thank you, Jen, for making me remember how much I love to write and here is to 'picking up a pencil' (or just flipping open the laptop) in the very near future.

Happy reading everyone...I hope.

Goodbye Horizon, Hello Happiness...ish

Someone decided to be funny and put this on all the computer screens in our crew room. I laughed. :)

Coming into Seattle.

I'd tell you what mountain this is, but I have no clue.

The only thing I liked about doing a morning flight was the sunrise.

Well I hope you can tell what mountain this is.

My run at Horizon is officially over. I started back at MenZone last week. Its going pretty good so far. I have hit a few snags but overall I think the owners are pleased with my performance and I've come up with some really good ideas. Poor Zach has been in the shop every other day doing maintenance that should have been done months ago. Gotta love him for that. But its all getting done and the girls seem really happy about that. There is one thing to check off the list....about a hundred left to go.

Happy Birthday America

Sucker is not so happy when I dress him up all pretty in glow-y things

Goodbye Portland

It is official, my time in Portland is over. I was pretty excited about moving home, and I'm still happy I did, but I didn't think I would be so sad leaving Portland.

Zach and I went to Portland on Friday and started packing. Saturday we loaded it all up, cleaned the apartment and hit the road. He had a secret little treat in store for me though.

As we were leaving town we stopped for gas and some Jack 'n the Box and I noticed him surfing the web on his phone, I tried to lean over to see
what he was looking at but he hid it from me. I have never been good at just letting a surprise happen to me so I started guessing. I was really stumped for a while but there could only be so many places to go on the way out of Portland....

As nerdy as it may sound, I am a total Twilight junkie. Laugh and tease all you want but I love it. Yes, the movie was terrible and the books are for teenagers but I just eat it up. I realized he was taking me to the place they filmed the prom in Twilight. As much as Zach hates Twilight I knew he didn't take me there for that specific reason but all the same it is where we were going. It is called The Viewpoint Inn. Super cute little cottage looking place with an AMAZING view. We didn't go inside, I think there was some sort of party going on, but I did get to take a couple pictures of the outside.

Then we continued down the historic highway to this little spot. I always notice it from the main freeway at night when I'm driving into Portland, it looks like a UFO. Turns out its not a UFO at all, it was originally built as a rest stop and observatory on the old highway. It was closed by the time we got there but we could still peak in the windows and read the articles on the wall. It was built in 1918 costing upwards of $100,000 and it shows in the marble floors and the beautiful windows and the super secret elevator hidden in the floor. I didn't get a picture of it but it was totally secret squirrel. It is

completely flush with the floor. If I hadn't seen it going down I wouldn't have known it was there.

Anyways, the views from this place are amazing. Zach was not making it any easier for me to leave Portland. Note to self: If I ever live in Portland again and have to move away, do it in the winter when its ugly and cloudy and miserably wet.

It was a nice way to leave Portland though. Now I have to get into the swing of things in tri-cities. I need to figure out the living situation quick, one month of living with my mom is about all I, or Zach, can take. I start back at the salon on
Wednesday. Lots to do. Time to get busy.

Getting Big

Such a tiny happy little man. I could hold him for hours and he wouldn't make a peep. Now? Not so much. I'm not exactly his favorite person. Actually I'm pretty sure he hates me. Ok maybe not but he is definitely not fond of me. I blame it on the distance and I'll be fixing that soon and then I will be the favorite auntie, I hope.

Zach on the other hand has a way with him. I will be holding him and he will be screaming at me and Zach will walk over, growl in his ear and he will go completely mute.

See that face? This is what he gives me when I try to make him happy. He looks at me like I'm crazy.

Water Puppy

Summer has arrived and the pool is opened. My brother and sister are quite the little fish and apparently that has rubbed off on their pets. Unfortunately pugs are not the best swimmers. Tia, my sisters dog is fat enough so she floats pretty well but Tank on the other hand is all muscle and his front legs just can't keep that big body above water. Solution? Life jacket.











He wasn't really happy with me after I put him on the surf board but I couldn't resist.

Movie of the Month

I have to say that I am a total 8 year old at heart. I LOVE cartoons! Well, at least the cartoon movies they come out with these days. Most recently Zach and I went to see "UP" and he even really enjoyed it.

A story about a grumpy old man who lost the love of his life and realizes that they never took the trip they planned as kids together. Bound and determined to fulfill his wife's dream he sets off on his journey only to find a stowaway boy scout on the front porch.

The story line will tug at your heart strings, I dare you not to get a little choked up. 3D graphics the kids will love. A perfect combo for kids and adults together. A theater must see. Don't wait for this one to come out on video, the effect wont be the same. Hope you enjoy!

Chubba Wubba

Well my wisdom is gone and all it left me was a super fat cheek. 3 of the 4 came out super easy but number 4 was pretty stubborn. Dr. Frodel had to drill into the bone to get it out so I am pretty sore. I was being a baby yesterday because the pain and swelling did not seem to be going down at all so my mom took me back in and do you know what Greg had to say to me? "Suck it up" (insert small gasp here) He was right though. I didn't even want to go see him again but my mom made me. He said that the pain and swelling would be at its worst right around 48 hours which is where I was yesterday. The hydro I was taking kept making me nauseous so I tossed those aside and went for the Advil which, surprisingly, worked much better. I was in almost no pain last night.

Sticking to the mushy diet. Cream of Wheat, apple sauce, pudding, Jello. Craving meat like crazy though!! (I'd be the worst vegetarian ever!) I got to eat some Velveeta shells and cheese and just about did a cart wheel in my excitement. Ashley I don't know how you have done this for 9 WEEKS!! I know yours is like 100 times worse I have a peep hole of vision into what you felt, just for a second. I imagine your tingly feeling is like what it feels like to come off novocain? Like when your foot falls asleep and starts to wake up again? Not fun! I hope you are feeling all better and all your strange pains are gone!

Lacking Wisdom

I went to the dentist today and he confirmed my fears, the wisdom teeth have to go. Actually he said they may not cause me any problems but he recommends every one gets them pulled. Apparently they are worthless teeth. So Monday it is. Luckily Dr. Frodel will be back in town by then to do the pulling, no offence to the child like dentist who looked over my x-rays today. I'd just feel a little safer with someone who has a little more experience under his belt. Chipmunk cheeks here I come.

Belated Updates

Well I've been a little distracted lately and have neglected my blogging duties but I'm back now.

Zach and I went to California for my b-day which was a ton of fun. Wish we could have stayed a few more days, I'm sure he would have liked to have some time to play with the bike in the garage with Ryan but word on the street is they might be moving back to the tri-cities in the next year then the boys can play all they want.
Zach, Ryan, Ashely, Hailey, and I all took a little trip to Six Flags which was a ton of fun. Waited over an hour for the first ride but it was smooth sailing after that with almost no lines. Hailey and I were troopers but the old fogies pooped out on us an hour before the park closed ;)
Got a little shopping done, and when I say a little, I mean a little. Zach was raining on my shopping parade so I came home with an awesome new flat iron and that's about it. I made up for it with the super cute jeans I bought when I got back to Portland :)


In other news it's bye bye airline!!! I am quitting and feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I haven't put in my notice yet but I'm planning on leaving at the end of the month. Right now I'm trying to use the last few weeks I have of insurance to get my wisdom teeth pulled and once I know exactly what day that will happen I will be able to give my 2 weeks. I am going back to the Zone to cut hair. I'm pretty excited to get back into it and with the manager going on maternity leave I think it is likely that I'll get my old position back as well.
Sad that I have to give up my Portland apartment and its fantastic location but sacrifices have to be made :( Now I am on the hunt for a good apartment in tri. Any suggestions?

Vacation needed!!

It is almost my birthday!!! While last year was a total disaster in so many ways Zach and I are fully planning on making up for it this year. We have decided to take a trip to California. I have had the itch to go to a six flags for some time now and there is one in LA. My hope is that Ryan and Ashley will be able to meet up with us (for those who don't know Ryan, he is Zach's very best friend and Ashley is his wife). I know Zach loves me but I can also tell that he is way overdue for some guy time. I try to be a good listener but I can only take so much car/motorcycle talk before I glaze over. And Zach isn't the best shopping partner so maybe I could pawn him off on Ryan while I get some overdue shopping done ;)

Bonus! Not only can I get Zach and I to Cali for next to no cost but my company gets us discounts on car rentals, hotel rooms, aaaaand buy one get one one day passes to the park! I might hate the company I work for but I'll give them a few good points for that. As of right now I have 4 days off but I am going to send off a request tonight and try to drop a day on either side of that block of 4 and see if I can't turn it into 6. Even if we don't spend it all in California it would be nice to have a week off.

Yay!!! I am so excited to have something to look forward to! And to finally put these flight benefits to use. 2 weeks and 2 days!!

Happy Earth Week

I'm pretty sure that the majority of the state of Washington doesn't recycle. Or at least it doesn't recycle as much as it could. Sadly my family is one of the worst. My mom has asked my dad to get her the recycle bins a few times and his reply is that they are filled to the brim with tools in his shop so instead they have 2 of the giant trash cans that they put out every week. I was guilty of this bad bad behavior as well. That was until I moved to Portland. One good thing that came from my old roommates was their knowledge of recycling. I am now a tree hugging, peace making, hippie. Ok, maybe not that bad but I do separate my plastic from my glass from my trash. I even recycle on the airplane and on a 40 minute flight that is an accomplishment :)

Go hug a tree and soak up the sunshine. Happy Earth Week everyone.

Now thats real love

After we left the tulip farm and battled the ridiculous traffic on the little two lane road leading back to the city Zach and I stopped at a gas station to grab a soda and use the facilities. I let him go first to check it out and make sure it was safe while I decided what beverage I was in the mood for. I was doing the peepee dance by the time he finally got back and when I asked him if it was safe what did he say? "It was...but I peed on the seat" Ugh. Of course he was being a brat so I grabbed the bathroom key from him and rushed off and what do I find? He has set multiple paper toilet seat covers on the seat for me and made sure it was all nice and clean, for a gas station. Such a gentleman :)

Spring has arrived

I can not tell you how excited I am for spring to FINALLY be here. I was just in Spokane last week and it snowed. Yes it is mid April and there were giant fluffy snowflakes in Spokane, Washington. Luckily it didn't follow me back to Portland. Here I am today soaking up the 80 degree sunny weather and loving every second of it.


I've been bugging Zach since this time last year about taking me to the tulip farm here in Oregon. Now the calla lilly is my favorite flower but running a very close second is the tulip. For some reason they remind me of being a kid. I think its because they are one of the first flowers to pop up in spring and they are the first real sign that the cold weather has finally past. Here are a few shots I took while enjoying my wonderful date on the tulip farm with Zach.

They call these 'Mickey Mouse Tulips'

Honey I shrunk the kids?

I know these aren't tulips but I love this combination. They are the only flowers planted in this little planter and it looks exactly like the planter that sat in front of my Grandpa's house. I thought it was really neat to see the duo here as well.

Yes, that is Zach, in a picture. I know, hard to believe. I think that is more of a grimace then a smile on his face but we are making progress ;)

I forget what the names of these are but I love the shredded edges.

This little pink guy was standing strong among all the orange tulips.