Yeah, yeah, I know...

Okay, so it's been a while scince I've posted which is really funny because when I came out here the big part of it was that I was committed to writing a ton more of everything that's going on. And I will. I promise. But in the mean time, suffice it to say that may days are most amazingly and lovingly and happily being frittered away canoodling with the most wonderful and dear and kind and sweet boy named J. (Yup friends, I'm in love with another J to add to the confusion of J. and J. and get this... all three are left handed! Wild, I know.) Anyway, more to come... just content yourself with the knowledge that... I'm happy.

A Medium Sized Adventure

So, as some of you may know, my car died before I came out here to P. I am officially car-less. Which is fine, I don't mind riding the 'Shame Train' otherwise known as public transit. But in the interest of convenience for all concerned S. is helping me learn... er... relearn how to drive a stick shift. The other night we went to the church parking lot like I was 15 again and I practiced starting, stoping, starting, stoping, shifting, reversing. Shesh! I think I owe him a new car or at very least a new transmission. I'd learned how to drive a stick about 10 years ago but haven't touched one scince. Apparantly while it might be like riding a bicycle - it's still going to be a very bumpy ride for a bit, I'm afraid.

Back in Business

So, I am officially working once again. I've got a nice day job now in down town Portland. It's a panty hose job meaning I have to wear NICE clothes. Not even business casual. We're talking BUSINESS. I'm going to have to revamp my wardrobe I'm afraid. And get some shoes. Any excuse I guess. I have to take a bus to work. And a car I guess. If S. and I leave the house at 6:35am then I'll make it in time to catch the bus at 7:35 (because of traffic - that's why it takes so long) to get to a block away from my work site by 8am. Then to come home, I have to take two buses to meet S. back at the climbing gym to drive another hour back home by 6:30. Sheesh. I miss the days of my 5 minute up the hill commute. But it has been very fun (read: interesting) to learn how ride the public transit system. On friday - S. won't be around so I have to take public transit the whole way. And then on my way home I'm taking the train to Seattle. So get this - I have to catch my first bus at 6am which will take me to the transit center, then I'll take a shutttle to the MAX station where I'll take the Yellow line 'trax bus' to down town where I'll catch another to get to work. Sheesh! And then a 4 hour Amtrak train ride so Seattle. That's going to be a very interesting day (read: nerve wracking). Scary because if something goes wrong and I miss a bus or train or something then I won't have anyone to call to save me because S & A will already be in Seattle. Anyway, so I'm here now in P Town and happy to be here but it's taken me a bit to write about it because there have been so many emotions. I really didn't think it would be as hard to leave as it has been. I know P. get's a bad rap, but I really did enjoy my time there. And I miss my friends. and I realize now that I had the CUSHIEST job ever! I mean, I was a sucker just to leave that. Laugh, oh well. S & A have been so good and so sweet and kind to me and their kids are so much fun. All though, it's been an adventure going from living all alone nice and quietly to crashing at my brothers house with his 4 kids for a while. Quite a big difference. Anyway, so many thoughts now I wish I'd taken a moment to jot down for the sake of their own preservation but, this is all I've got for now. I guess, just know I'm having an adventure to be sure... and that I'm really... learning a lot.

Ha Ha Ha! Did I just say RELAXED!!

So, scratch that last part. You know, the one where I said I was relaxed. Between here and there in my dash to get out of Dodge I've hit a major road block. You see, my car? The unregistered one? That I just put 250$ bucks into, to try and fix up? Is dead. D. E. D. Dead. The transmission is gone completely. So, last night, I tried to gamely limp it up the hill to the Transmission Shop, but didn't even make it a mile. I'd had the forethought to have J. come follow me and with the help of a stranger who was walking by, who happened to own a tow chain, and lived only a block from where I stopped - my car was towed the rest of the 4 or so miles. In the rain. The last bit we had to push. Did I mention that already? In the rain? So, now this morning, after borrowing my boss' car to get myself there I find out that the transmission will be about 2,100 to fix. I only paid 3,000 for the car. So it's getting scrapped. I called around and after being told by some that I couldn't pay them to take the car, I found one that will give me 100$ for it. So, now I've got J.'s sister W. coming with a van to help me put all my stuff into her van. R. is going to give me a ride the the airport on Thursday so I can rent a car - drive it back down to Provo - load it up and then drive it back north to Boise where I'll stay in a hotel. Then on Friday I'll drive it to S.'s house, then have him follow me to the airport to return it for a grand rental total of 250$. Sheesh. So, laugh with me now. Here I am on this big adventure I asked for. It's turning out to be a lot more then I asked for. Now, I'm not only homeless, I'm wingless too. With out my car, I'm grounded. I really wanted to be able to drive out to Glacier National Park to see the meteor shower on the 1'st of September. I wanted to be able to go to SL tomorrow to say goodbye to some friends, I wanted to be able to drive out to see my cousin's before I left. But... oh well, I guess it's not like I'm dying. I'll be back. In the mean time - while I had some more excellent tips for living in your car organized in my brain to share with you, this latest adventure has knocked them out and so I'll have to leave you with just this one... if your plan is to live in your car, make sure it it's in proper condition or it's just going to cause you more grief.

Homeless... Homeless... Like the Christ Child was...

That title should be sung. Like the song. By that one guy. Who does Christmas songs. So, I debated about what to title this post. Because what I want to tell you about is really, What I've Learned From Being Homeless Volume 1. So, I guess, here it is... in no particular order...
*Don't leave your paperback books in the back windshield or the sun will melt the glue and then you'll have to read them one leaf at a time. (Which is actually quite fun.)
*Take a shower whenever and wherever you can, even if you don't think you need one. Who knows when you'll get another chance.
*You could pay 7.00$ for a burger and fries and eat for one meal, or you could buy apples, bread, peanut butter, jam and eat for 7 days.
*Don't keep Lingonberries in your cooler if you ONLY eat them with Meatballs. Or mayonnaise for that fact if you only eat it once a year. Cooler space is precious space.
*Keep your clean underwear and t-shirts on top and accessible. Or be willing to pay 10$ a pair for new ones at VS. Or, be ready to slum it for 5$ 3 packs at Walmart.
*If you find a quiet, shady spot - remember where it is. And don't tell anyone else who lives in their car or they might kife it.
*Take good advantage of the amenities of the Library. Namely, books, air conditioning, internet, bathrooms, drinking fountains and soft chairs. You can take a nap there if you have a book in your lap. They won't kick you out. I know. I tried it.
*A duffel bag is invaluable for when you are sleeping at the Gym. It's good for discreetly carrying your pajamas and shampoo into your work.
*Keep your candy bars in the cooler. I hope there is no explanation needed with this one.
*Dollar theaters are wonderful inventions for passing time late at night as well as are Red Box DVD rentals you can watch on your lap top.
Okay - Those are my big lessons learned thus far. But remember - I've still got a week and a half or so to go... So this really is hopefully Volume 1.
(In all honesty I've been "homeless" since Monday at Noon and I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. I've spent time sitting under shady trees in the Canyon, taken naps in the library and the park, visited friends and read A LOT - all things I love to do. For the first time in my life, I'm wondering why I've spent so much of my time working. I really feel like I'm learning how to relax all over again. Believe it or not, now that the stress of moving is done, this is the most relaxed I've been for quite some time...)

Aaarrgghh!!

See that title? That's my stress yell. I'm a little stressed. Which is actually quite funny. Let me tell you why... First, how do I know I'm stressed? Because my one eye is twitching uncontrollably, my other eye is big and red because The Sty has returned, the skin on my finger tips is peeling off, my hair is falling out, I have a lead weight in my stomach and a two inch fuse. Now, why am I stressed out? Because I've only got one more day to pack up and move my house, I'm only two thirds done, the storage unit is 3 miles away instead of 2 blocks, my car is unregistered so every drive out there is a dance with fate - is that a cop behind me? I'm at a mandatory impound now - I don't have enough boxes, I've too much crap and I've got to be to work at 5pm. Luckily, I do have a friend with a trailer coming to help tomorrow... - Also, because I'm leaving for Spokane for the weekend on Friday and the only one to cover my shift is no one's first choice, and then when I come back I'm homeless for two weeks with another weekend trip to Cedar City - provided I can get that shift covered - and then I'm taking off forever from dear friends and loved ones on my way to who knows what!! Sheesh. Okay, now why is it funny? Because this is the adventure I wanted. I mean, I ASKED for this!! And today, this is very funny. Very, very funny. Now laugh. Ha ha ha ha, whaaa!

It's Time to Move on... It's Time to Get Goin'

So, I'm packing and packing and packing up. It seems to be a little bit overwhelming. Mostly I'm struggling with my desire to have it all done and ready to go but I've got some stumbling blocks. See, I'm moving all my crap to a storage unit, but I don't want to pay for it unless I have to. So, what I've got packed up to store is just sitting here in my living room. I want it OUT. Also, I want to pack stuff up, but I don't have enough big boxes. I've been saving little boxes (you never know when you need a good sturdy box for mailing a package, right Mom?) but they are useless when trying to box stuff up. And lastly, my roommate, who got married on Friday and is on her honeymoon for a week or so, still has all her stuff around so I'm trying to pick and pack my stuff amongst hers and I look around and it feels like I've still got so much junk. I'm trying to throw it all way, get rid of it, clean up, detox, cleanse, but it's harder then I thought. I want to live my life like the water wheel. In order for the wheel to turn it needs to have the momentum of dumping the water before it can pick up any more. So, I want to be free enough to gladly and willingly hold on to less with the understanding that the world will provide for my needs and I'll have the ability and capabilities to pick up things again as I need them. I like the sound of that anyway... So my last day of work at C. is this Friday and I'm happy for it. Sad of course to leave all my great girlfriends there who've made my life great, but excited to feel like I'm ACTUALLY starting my big adventure. And it means I can get moving on packing up. My last day at the Q. isn't until the 29th but that's okay by me. It will be nice to have a check in September. And I like it there. Most days. Well, it will be nice to have something to do with my afternoons off once I'm done packing and all anyway.

Back East Vacation

Just some highlights for you all... Actually for me...
*Hot humid Baltimore
*Are we in the ghetto?
*Sights from the car
*Long drive - where the bear was
*Farm house tour
*Garden fare dinner - tomatoes!
*Chicken Liver/Heart
*Milk cow tour
*Late night movies and twinkie runs
*Long forever drive to OBX
*Friends, beach walk, fireworks and sunset, pier talks, Batman perch
*Hot humid car, misquitos, Drugstore runs
*Playing in the Atlantic - you look smashing - ocean waves
*Parasailing, Paragliding, Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, Windsailing What?!?
*Heating up dinner in NC/VA gas station
*Country tour
*Bike trail - jump track - falling on my butt
*Learning to skip rocks in the river
*Candy from the Farmers Market
*Scenic drives, secrets spots and almost dying trying to get up there
*Sunday drives, talks and naps
*Practicing Binary and 1337 5p34x
*Corn Row Braiding
*Meeting folks
*The chicken house and the Big Birds
*Not being afraid to buy milk anymore
*Hiking on the Appelachian
*Climbing EVERYTHING
*The rock collection- tombstones -ebaite- animals
*The Jefferson, Reflecting Pool, Vet Memorial Wall
*Stoping because I need to pee
*Trying to miss my flight - bad luck to have caught it
*Half an hour goodbyes
*Missing him like crazy already
- Okay, that's all for now, more to come as I remember and feel it...

Spot Light

Tonight at Ward Prayer my roommate K. and I were spot lighted. I always get so nervous being in front of a crowd. I'm afraid of grandstanding or showing up who I'm up there with. And I'm nervous that I won't be able to think of something clever to say fast enough. Or that I won't be clever at all. I like being clever. Anyway, everyone had the chance to ask us any questions they cared too and the best (or the ones I had the best answer to) was "what kind of superhero power would you like to have?" My answer? "It doesn't matter as long as I get to wear my underwear on the outside of my clothes." Also, someone asked me how old I was which is a question I hate because I'm kind of old for a singles ward in Provo. So, I asked back, "My real age or my fake age?" They said real age so I answered, "27" they asked then, what's your fake age and I answered, "34." I heard someone say, ooh, She's soo cute. Which, I guess I was going for... but the best laugh of the night was after all my performing and acting cute and saying clever things, no one still came up and talked to me afterwrads. Oh well! Jokes on them, laugh, I'm outta here anyway.

7 O'clock Slump

So, I'd like to write about my 4th of July holiday and how much fun I had white water rafting down the Snake River in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I'd tell you about my favorite people that came, J. and A. and S. and N. and how my favorite co-worker and friend E. came with me and it was her very first time. I'd like to take the time to tell you about the misquitos everywhere! and how I was bite 7 times. About how I brought with me a bag bursting full of old credit card receipts and bills and junk from the last 6 years and how I had a wild time burning it all in the camp fire. I'd want to express to you how much I love the Snake and how beautiful it is up in the mountains with the green trees and beautifully forested canyons and hills and how I want to live in Aspen or Thayne and marry a river guide. I'd laugh while I told you about cliff jumping and getting pulled out of the boat and how cold the water was and the fact that J. almost took me out when he got stuck surfing a hole and didn't yeild to tonage and if I hadn't ducked when I did I would have ended up with a crushed face and as it was we both got the bejesus scared out of us!! I would tell you about how happy and tan and relaxed I am and how much I love river trips, but the truth of the matter is that I've hit my 7 o'clock slump and I got back late and am too tired to do it. Sorry.

I Did It! Kind of...

Yay! I went long boarding again last night with J. and I am proud to say no one was hurt! This is like a first for us. But, really, for the sake of honest reporting and all I went down the entire canyon length riding the board on my butt. It's a lot easier and the falling distance is quite a bit less. I figure I'm still getting better, I'm just learning the trail and then I'll be braver about standing up and going down. Either way it was a good time all around. I think I need to invest in a pair of skater shoes so I can drag my feet a little bit better with out them bumping and skiping along and knocking me off balance. On a different note, I had the cutest little joy happen. We had gone to J. house to pick up his daughter E. and as we walked in to the house (I came in behind him) E. looks up from the kitchen, yells my name, throws her arms out and runs straight in to mine. Right past dear ol' Daddy. Yeah! I loved it. She's such a tender little thing and it's been so much fun to have her growing and learning and remembering my name! I just laughed silently to myself the whole way down the canyon. Ha! Take that J.! Sweetie little thing. On another different note, I just got another call from P. (I know, suprise, suprise, it's not a J. name) who was our waiter on the cruise ship from May. He has been calling me pretty regularly. He has invited me to come out to India next fall to visit him and I'm planning on it, set in concrete and cement, absolutly for sure. I've only just needed a catalyst to get there, the desire has been forever.

Maija's On a Roll...

So, it's been satisfactor-ily decided that the creature that came from the very depths of H-E-LL to growl at us was indeed a Mtn. Lion. I was talking to C. and he said that he saw one up there at that same point not even two weeks prior, so that seals the deal.It was a Mtn. Lion. Any one who wants to argue - I challenge them to physical combate. But not until I've healed from my most recent adventure. I went long boarding in the Canyon with J. Monday night after work. About 10pm with our headlamps and helmets in tow we set out. Now, I had bought a long board about two weeks ago and that was the very first time I'd ever been on one in my ENTIRE LIFE! I think everyone had more faith in my capabilities then was warrented but regardless - So, I'm starting slow, building confidence when all of a sudden I hit a hill and start picking up speed and then I'm zooming around corners, faster then a speeding bullet and I go into a dark corner under a bridge... the corner is tighter then I had anticipated and I didn't start my turn soon enough and OH MY GOSH I'M GOING TO DIE!! And so I try to correct myself, over correct, and end up flying off my board, landing on my butt, bouncing a couple of times, rolling on my knee and elbow and sliding a bit on my back. I've got road rash down my elbow, lower back, and knee. I conked my head really bad (cracked my helmet that I was SO glad to have on) and have some sweet whiplash action going on. I feel like I was thrown from a car. But OH BOY did I love it. It was such a great time. I felt like I was flying in absolute freedom. I'm excited to keep practicing, getting better and showing S. up. Buwahaha! -Don't worry Mom, I was safe the whole time. It's really no big deal. And I'm healing very nicely.

Not for the Faint of Heart

So, Mom... Don't read this one if you're going to be scared. I have a very scary story to relate to all of you tonight. Once my heart starts pounding of course. Okay, deep breath. Here we go... So, tonight my friend R. and I decided to go for a late night hike up Rock Canyon to enjoy the moon and the ambiance. Now, R. is a cute little thing and one of my favorite girlfriends (we'd earlier spent the day with another favorite girlfriend E. at 7 Peaks. On a scary side note, I wore a BIKINI!! A real one. No middle. In public. In front of people. Real people. And I LOVED it!) Okay, so R. and I are hiking up the canyon and it's getting nice and dark and kind of creepy but we keep going. We've been hiking up for about 45 minutes when we get to our regular turn around point. We choose this point because from there the road splits into three and you can go off in different directions. We debated at this point whether to go a minute or more further. I whispered to R. that I didn't want to go much further because I'm really afraid of the dark but we decided to go just a minute or more further. We hadn't gone more then 20 steps up the trail to the right when WE GOT GROWLED AT!! I mean, I'm talking a real, low, gutteral warning growl. It sounded like a motorcross engine. Only with a vertebrae. And teeth. And claws. I was SCARED! We both heard it and without a word just turned around and RAN back down the trail until we almost lost our balance in the loose rock and scree and we stopped for a minute to assess the situation. We didn't feel any thing or hear anything following us so we then just hot footed back down the canyon by the light of the moon. At one other point on the trail R. heard a rustleing in the bushes off to her right and once again we found ourself racing down the mountain. OH. MY. GOSH. I was very, very scared. So, there is only one thing to do. Go back tomorrow and look for tracks! Yeah! I'll keep you posted whether it was lion, tiger or bear.

Summer

So, it's officially summer here at the Q. How can I tell you ask? Because there are four people in the gym tonight and two of them happen to be working. It really tends to slow down here what with the beautiful canyons we have around here and the cheapness of the popular student population. It's alright, it's okay, it means I get to sit here and pound out a quick blog.
I'm a little disappointed with where this whole blog thing is going I've got to admit. I wanted to keep it as a way to keep everyone informed of my antics but it seems the it mostly just makes me feel bad that I've been severely lacking in antics. So, I'm bringing on the antics. I like that word, I think I should use it more often.
I've got big plans I guess for the summer... In a week I'm leaving on a cruise. It's the same one I went on with A. and S. and M. but this time I'm going with the girls. My work at C. is paying me to go on this cruise with one of our clients and so it should be fun. I'm going with some other great girl friends and we'll see if I can't get into any trouble this time around. After that, I should be home for about two weeks and then I'm taking off again to do that kayaking/rafting trip down Desolation Canyon that I did last year. This year should prove to be a bit more interesting be cause J. is coming out from NY and J.'s Gypsy Lover Wanna Be Girlfriend A. is coming too. So, some more interesting social dynamics for sure. Hilarity if not drama is sure to ensue. Well, then I guess I'll be home for three or four or maybe even five weeks and I'll take off again then for Baltimore where I'll meet up with G.L.J. and we'll travel back down to Virginia. I'm excited to spend some time exploring the East a bit. Then in August I'm off to the Telluride Bluegrass Music Festival for a long weekend of good music, good camping and good friends and then I'm doing it. I mean, I'm REALLY going to do it. I'm going to quite my life here in good ol' P-Town and move to a much better, bigger and brighter P-Town. Up north a bit. And a little west. As in, Northwest. The Great Northwest. We'll see. If all goes according to "plan" I'll be there until May or June of '08 and then head down the coast for the San Luis Obispo. No reason, never been, nope, don't know anyone. Just thought you can't go wrong with sun and surf.
Anyway, I'm bored now of writing, that's about how long my attention span is these days. So, that's it...

I Am a Shopping Fool!

So, Mom and I have been playing this Grocery Game and I am LOVING it! It's just up my obssesive compulsive alley. I get to cut coupons, organise, file, store, match and price AND save money! I get to create Excel spreadsheets, I get to save reciepts and I get REBATES! I really am having a very wonderful time. In the mean time, I've had my good friend J. come out for a visit the last bit of March and we got to go snowboarding in PC. My friend is an instructor and spent the whole time with me and now I can successfully complete my skid turns, carve just a little bit, go off the blue AND green runs and best of all - make it off the lift four out of six times. I'm almost a professional. We also got to spend some time in Moab for a little mountain biking. That's what I've decided to devote my summer to - perfecting my skills - or at least control the involuntary screaming. Either way. Okay, that's all for now, more later I'm sure.

Ah... Spring. Sort of.

I got to go camping this weekend. I say that as though it were some lucky thing, but actually, I just got my butt in gear and went and did it because I wanted to. I found a friend, grabbed my camp stove and hiked a ways up the canyon. There was still snow on the ground but as long as I wore the proper clothes it was comfortable and just nice to be out side. I got to sleep in my tent that I just LOVE. I think that the reason I like it so much is because it's yellow. One of my favorite things of camping is waking up with the sun rise. In my yellow tent the sun coming through is magnified and intensified and I feel like I'm waking up in a super bright, lovely, heavenly place full of light and hope and dreams and the chance for a wonderful adventure. Then I can snuggle back into my sleeping bag and block it all out. I can hardly wait to go camping again!

I need to stop watching Law and Order

This morning as I was leaving the house to go to the gym at 6am in the dark I thought to myself..."Should I grab my license?" and then the thought came immediatly afterward..."No, because my car has Dad listed on the title so the police could have him identify me." Not "what if I get pulled over." Not "I should because it's the law" but "I should incase I die and need to be identified." This got me thinking... When I went down the river at 9pm at night in my kayak, I put my DL in a plasitc baggie in my life jacket in case I needed to be identified. When I went to the dentist in January, I asked the x-ray technition to position the x-rays a little higher to include my sinus' incase I'm ever murdered and my teeth are knocked out so they can't use dental x-rays and my hands are cut off so there are no finger prints. I'm not totally sure where this whole morbidity thing came from but I kind of blame Dad. That's why he has to be the one to identify me. I just don't want to end up in Pauper's Field as a Jane Doe I guess.

A moment...

I've got a moment to breathe here and decided to spend it updating you all on what's going on. Okay, ready? Nothing. That's what's going on. Nothing. But really only kind of. I did win a new pair of Teva water shoes at the Trade Show. And I got my house to not smell like cat poop. And I've created a menu from here on out till March. And I've got some fun trips planned, assuming the boss will let me take the time off. I dyed my hair BLOND. I mean, really sun streaked blond. And I've gone snow shoeing more and I LOVE it. And I'm happy and healthy and doing well and I'm glad for that. Okay, over and out.

I know, I know

So, I'm only posting today because it's so pathetically ironic that I would post last about how much I'd hate to not have all the months represented and then I go and I miss the whole month of December. But in my defense between my birthday, and Solstice and the New Year and all, it turned out to be a rather busy month. I ended up working most of it as my co-workers took it off because they're married and have children and inlaws and celebrate Christmas, none of which applies to me. So, whatever. I'm not bitter. I just spiked their water bottles. But don't tell them...
So, I have some big plans for the '07. I've already bought two of the five airline tickets I'm planning on getting. In amongst going back to school and working two full time jobs. I've also taken up snow shoeing. With this cold snap we've had here it seems most appropriate. I enjoy it quite a bit. I bought a new pair of Atlas running snow shoes and think that's the greatest thrill ever. I'm trying to put together another adventure group and that's going... interestingly. We've gone ice skating and snow shoeing and we're planning on cross country skiing. I'll try and keep you posted. But if this month turns out like the last, don't count on in it. Love!