..........blogging while watching the keynote speaker for the Republican National Convention. I will keep this brief, because I try to know fully what I'm going to say before it leaves my mouth. Although I do have one very strong opinion that I need to get out.....
I do not like Rudy Guiliani.
He makes my skin crawl. His below-the-belt attacks, claptrap and witch-like crackle are too much for me!!
He stated that Obama has never lead anything..... He is wrong. Obama is leading the nation towards change and away from the Republican ticket.
Eeewww. I wish he would just stop talking already!!!
_________________________________________________
Well I just finished watching Palin speak. She is a far better speaker than Guiliani, although still on the crass side. Two things have become apparent to me after listening to her speech:
1) I hate politics
2) I am definitely NOT republican
And so the circus will continue.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
4-wheeling fun!
I want to start out by prefacing this blog with the fact that I have posted MANY pics of my nephew Will. Why? Because he is too cute! I love this little long-eye-lashed boy! If you like to see pictures of cute little blonde 3 year old boys- keep reading.
I called my brother Dave to see if he was going to be around for the Labor day weekend. To my surprise, he was home and he had an extra ATV in the garage. I had a taste of ATV riding about a month ago, but wasn't able to really appreciate the power while wearing a skirt and flip-flops. Dave took us across the street to his hidden paradise and I had a blast!
Below, Will watching his hero get the 4 wheelers ready.
Inside the house Mom, Angie and Baby Mathew hung out. Mathew is a big boy!
We had to have a pre-ride pic.
So my brother rides the ATV like a champ! I don't have a picture of it, but he took us to this cliff-like hill side where he proceeded to ride up and down it at a speed I still am unable to comprehend. Below he is catching some dukes of hazard air! I also want to take this opportunity to say that my brother is the toughest man I know. While navigating the ATV's out of the trail area, the ATV rolled back onto his body and he didn't even flinch. Apparently this is not uncommon for ATV riders. I have to think long and hard before I continue on with this scary sport!
In the following pic I'm getting my donut on. Ohhh the adrenaline!!!
How cute is my nephew? We had a mini photo shoot.....
Taking a walk up the hill. This was actually a funny story. We were out there for a while and I had to excuse myself to the bushes after many cups of morning coffee with my Grandma. Will asked where I was going and I told him I had to talk to a man about a horse. He said, "ha. okay". Well later we had to go and try to find the man I spoke to about a horse.
The following disturbing pic was of a woman's boot in the waterhole. It was a little shady and like a car accident, I had to have a long look and a photo. Oh beth....
Before returning to the house..... of course we had to pick grass from the waterhole and marvel at how big the roots were! "Cool Auntie Beth!"
I love these boys! 
Thanks for the wonderful afternoon Dave!!! I'm hoping to someday get an invite for a day at the dunes for some ATVing in this great state of Oregon! (hint hint...)
I called my brother Dave to see if he was going to be around for the Labor day weekend. To my surprise, he was home and he had an extra ATV in the garage. I had a taste of ATV riding about a month ago, but wasn't able to really appreciate the power while wearing a skirt and flip-flops. Dave took us across the street to his hidden paradise and I had a blast!
Below, Will watching his hero get the 4 wheelers ready.
Inside the house Mom, Angie and Baby Mathew hung out. Mathew is a big boy!
We had to have a pre-ride pic.
So my brother rides the ATV like a champ! I don't have a picture of it, but he took us to this cliff-like hill side where he proceeded to ride up and down it at a speed I still am unable to comprehend. Below he is catching some dukes of hazard air! I also want to take this opportunity to say that my brother is the toughest man I know. While navigating the ATV's out of the trail area, the ATV rolled back onto his body and he didn't even flinch. Apparently this is not uncommon for ATV riders. I have to think long and hard before I continue on with this scary sport!
In the following pic I'm getting my donut on. Ohhh the adrenaline!!!
How cute is my nephew? We had a mini photo shoot.....Taking a walk up the hill. This was actually a funny story. We were out there for a while and I had to excuse myself to the bushes after many cups of morning coffee with my Grandma. Will asked where I was going and I told him I had to talk to a man about a horse. He said, "ha. okay". Well later we had to go and try to find the man I spoke to about a horse.The following disturbing pic was of a woman's boot in the waterhole. It was a little shady and like a car accident, I had to have a long look and a photo. Oh beth....Before returning to the house..... of course we had to pick grass from the waterhole and marvel at how big the roots were! "Cool Auntie Beth!"I love these boys! Thanks for the wonderful afternoon Dave!!! I'm hoping to someday get an invite for a day at the dunes for some ATVing in this great state of Oregon! (hint hint...)my G-ma
I have been in Seattle a lot this summer and have yet to really hang out with my Grandma Junette. I surprised her this past Sunday by showing up for church. Doesn't she look great?!?
After church we went to the Testy Chef for some home cooked eggs and bacon. This small hole-in-the-wall breakfast joint is one of those places where you wait in line for 20 minutes and do so gladly to have the opportunity to indulge in a scrumptious, perfectly griddled, greasy plate of food.
Over breakfast I spoke with Grandma about how inspirational she has been in my educational pursuits. When my Grandma was in her 20's, she lost her first husband in the war and found herself without any work skills. Grandma was able to get a job at what locals called back then, "the boeings" and she was a Rosie the Riveter! How cool is that? Grandma learned from her experiences and insisted that her daughters had every opportunity to pursue their own educational pursuits so they would be able to take care of themselves in the absence of a man. HA! That message has definitely influenced my life and I thank Grandma for that. It was a Sunday morning well spent!
After church we went to the Testy Chef for some home cooked eggs and bacon. This small hole-in-the-wall breakfast joint is one of those places where you wait in line for 20 minutes and do so gladly to have the opportunity to indulge in a scrumptious, perfectly griddled, greasy plate of food.Over breakfast I spoke with Grandma about how inspirational she has been in my educational pursuits. When my Grandma was in her 20's, she lost her first husband in the war and found herself without any work skills. Grandma was able to get a job at what locals called back then, "the boeings" and she was a Rosie the Riveter! How cool is that? Grandma learned from her experiences and insisted that her daughters had every opportunity to pursue their own educational pursuits so they would be able to take care of themselves in the absence of a man. HA! That message has definitely influenced my life and I thank Grandma for that. It was a Sunday morning well spent!
Ohhh to be a Coug....
The Cougs played Oklahoma State in Seattle on Saturday and I made the trek home to see the game. Of course, the Cougs lost. They didn't even Coug it (meaning they were winning and messed it up). They sucked offensively from the very beginning. What can you do? I really didn't go to see a win, although it is always nice. I went to the game to be surrounded by other Cougs. I love love being a Coug and proudly share with everyone that I'm 3RD Generation Coug.
There were oodles of little ones at the game and I found myself taking pictures of kiddos all day long.
Andy and I went to the game together and we managed to find some new friends at one of the many tailgate parties. Everyone was so generous and we managed to meet Cougs who live in Vancouver, WA. They told me about all the Cougar hangouts just north of Portland! Very excited about that!
Looks like the Palouse Cowboys also came to Seattle for the game.
Since the Cougs played like poo, Andy and I were forced to entertain ourselves with two things: photo taking and of course food! Below, Andy piled his fried clam and french fries on my cheesy nachos. Yummmyyyy!!!
I would say the most unfortunate thing about seeing a football game at Qwest field was the Garlic with fries on the side. Everyone- and I mean everyone was eating these stinky potato creations. I love garlic.... in moderation.... This particular dish made my eyes water and that was when they were about 10 feet away from me. I won't be eating chopped garlic for a while.
The game was a blast. It was a perfect weather day, nice people, good company and at half time, I saw Mark Rypien get inducted into the hall of fame. This famous Superbowl MVP for the Redskins started his career at Wazzu and I saw him play in the 80's when my Daddio drove the fam to a snow-filled stadium in Pullman back in the day. Good times. It's great to be a Coug!
There were oodles of little ones at the game and I found myself taking pictures of kiddos all day long.
Andy and I went to the game together and we managed to find some new friends at one of the many tailgate parties. Everyone was so generous and we managed to meet Cougs who live in Vancouver, WA. They told me about all the Cougar hangouts just north of Portland! Very excited about that!
Looks like the Palouse Cowboys also came to Seattle for the game.
Since the Cougs played like poo, Andy and I were forced to entertain ourselves with two things: photo taking and of course food! Below, Andy piled his fried clam and french fries on my cheesy nachos. Yummmyyyy!!!
I would say the most unfortunate thing about seeing a football game at Qwest field was the Garlic with fries on the side. Everyone- and I mean everyone was eating these stinky potato creations. I love garlic.... in moderation.... This particular dish made my eyes water and that was when they were about 10 feet away from me. I won't be eating chopped garlic for a while.
The game was a blast. It was a perfect weather day, nice people, good company and at half time, I saw Mark Rypien get inducted into the hall of fame. This famous Superbowl MVP for the Redskins started his career at Wazzu and I saw him play in the 80's when my Daddio drove the fam to a snow-filled stadium in Pullman back in the day. Good times. It's great to be a Coug!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Dehydration isn't for wussies!!
Just after I filled my tank for the second time on my way to the Jack Johnson Concert, I decided that I needed to have a hike on the way home to make my travels worth while. My friend Betty was very helpful in finding information on gorge hikes and we had already discussed hiking up Dog Mt. We planned to meet at the trailhead around 12 noon. The 7 mile hike took about 4 hours round trip with an elevation gain of 2950'. The pic below was about 3/4 of the way up.
Betty took a fabulous panoramic shot!
This was the trail to the top. Not much longer to go!
From the top of the trail you could see THREE Mountains! I love the Northwest! Below looking North at Mt. Adams.
Betty and Mt. Hood to the South.
Lastly is Mt. St. Helens to the Northwest.
The view was spectacular and we took our time enjoying the scenery before heading back down.
A huge highlight on the way back down was watching four of the cutest baby squirrels playing in a tree stump. They were so small and cute I wanted to take one home!
So this is where my dehydration story begins. Shortly after observing the baby squirrels I started to feel not so good. I tried to plan appropriately for this hike, but my beer drinking and popcorn eating at the concert the night before proved to be costly. I drank a 32 oz. of vitamin water before the hike and had a few protein bars. We also snacked on some Bing cherries I picked up at a farmers market in Goldendale. I don't usually eat Bing Cherries all because I saw The Witches of Eastwick when I was about 10 years old. Not sure how many of you have seen this movie, but there is an unfortunate scene involving cherries and projectile vomiting. That was enough for me. I haven't eaten many bing cherries since! Despite my PTSD, I decided to face my fears and enjoy cherries before they are no longer in season. The vitamin water, protein bars and cherries were not enough! My headache turned into a pounding brainache that resulted in nausea. Was I really getting that sick? I couldn't believe it as I scurried down the trail. After picking up some cold water and driving with my AC on icy cold high, I felt well enough to make the 60 min drive back to Portland to pick up my pumpkin from Heather's house (Thanks for Babysitting H!). The drive from Heather's to my apartment was brutal and I worried as I drove on roads with no shoulders. What would I do if I HAD to pull over? Well, luckily my Madre taught me breathing exercises to slow the process. I ended up making it home just in time to loose my cherries!!! I Could not believe that I lost my cherries just like in the Witches of Eastwick!!! Could have been worse though. I made it home in time, where my bed was waiting for me and I had great pics from high atop Dog Mt. You can bet that I will not do future hikes unprepared!
Betty took a fabulous panoramic shot!
This was the trail to the top. Not much longer to go!
From the top of the trail you could see THREE Mountains! I love the Northwest! Below looking North at Mt. Adams.Betty and Mt. Hood to the South. Lastly is Mt. St. Helens to the Northwest.The view was spectacular and we took our time enjoying the scenery before heading back down.A huge highlight on the way back down was watching four of the cutest baby squirrels playing in a tree stump. They were so small and cute I wanted to take one home! So this is where my dehydration story begins. Shortly after observing the baby squirrels I started to feel not so good. I tried to plan appropriately for this hike, but my beer drinking and popcorn eating at the concert the night before proved to be costly. I drank a 32 oz. of vitamin water before the hike and had a few protein bars. We also snacked on some Bing cherries I picked up at a farmers market in Goldendale. I don't usually eat Bing Cherries all because I saw The Witches of Eastwick when I was about 10 years old. Not sure how many of you have seen this movie, but there is an unfortunate scene involving cherries and projectile vomiting. That was enough for me. I haven't eaten many bing cherries since! Despite my PTSD, I decided to face my fears and enjoy cherries before they are no longer in season. The vitamin water, protein bars and cherries were not enough! My headache turned into a pounding brainache that resulted in nausea. Was I really getting that sick? I couldn't believe it as I scurried down the trail. After picking up some cold water and driving with my AC on icy cold high, I felt well enough to make the 60 min drive back to Portland to pick up my pumpkin from Heather's house (Thanks for Babysitting H!). The drive from Heather's to my apartment was brutal and I worried as I drove on roads with no shoulders. What would I do if I HAD to pull over? Well, luckily my Madre taught me breathing exercises to slow the process. I ended up making it home just in time to loose my cherries!!! I Could not believe that I lost my cherries just like in the Witches of Eastwick!!! Could have been worse though. I made it home in time, where my bed was waiting for me and I had great pics from high atop Dog Mt. You can bet that I will not do future hikes unprepared!Sunday, August 24, 2008
Listened to my boyfriend on Friday night....
Whoops, I meant listened to Jack Johnson......
Jadee bought tickets months ago and we finally got to see Jack play live at the amazing gorge in George, Washington. We met in Vantage on Friday afternoon and set up camp on the river before driving 12 miles to the amphitheater. I'm not usually a fan of big crowds, but it was absolutely worth it! We ran into fellow Cougs all night and it felt great to be back in the Washington boonies.
Once at the gorge, we had A LOT of time to kill. We did some serious people watching (ask me about the lady in the red bikini later) and we took several digital pictures- most of which were erased- thank god!
Just a bit of information about my man Jack:
If you haven't been to the Gorge for a concert, put it on your 'bucket list'. The amphitheater is the perfect place to watch the sunset, relax on the cool grass, watch the night stars glow, all while listening to great music. I do recommend eating and drinking before the show though. A domestic beer is $11.50 (yikes!).
Jadee in one of the many lines.....
The sunset was preeetttty nice!
Jack was great. I can't wait to see him again!
Jadee bought tickets months ago and we finally got to see Jack play live at the amazing gorge in George, Washington. We met in Vantage on Friday afternoon and set up camp on the river before driving 12 miles to the amphitheater. I'm not usually a fan of big crowds, but it was absolutely worth it! We ran into fellow Cougs all night and it felt great to be back in the Washington boonies.
Once at the gorge, we had A LOT of time to kill. We did some serious people watching (ask me about the lady in the red bikini later) and we took several digital pictures- most of which were erased- thank god!Just a bit of information about my man Jack:- 33 years of age
- he has a one year old cutie
- is married to his long-time sweetheart
- born and raised in Hawaii
- has been professional surfer (see pic below)
- and shares a birthday with yours truly (5/18)
- 'stud muffin' as my Dad would say
If you haven't been to the Gorge for a concert, put it on your 'bucket list'. The amphitheater is the perfect place to watch the sunset, relax on the cool grass, watch the night stars glow, all while listening to great music. I do recommend eating and drinking before the show though. A domestic beer is $11.50 (yikes!).Jadee in one of the many lines.....
The sunset was preeetttty nice!
Jack was great. I can't wait to see him again!Thursday, August 21, 2008
reconnecting with the right side....
Tonight I reconnected with the right side of my brain. I saved an Alzheimer's community flyer from a networking visit last year and was inspired to sketch the image in my sketchbook this evening. This is how it turned out:
Four years ago I was lucky enough to be back in Europe with more time to spend in the Louvre. Below, a sketch of a statue inside the Louvre. I love LOVE to sit in museums and sketch for hours. That was one of those days where you know you may leave that physical location, but you will have the memory forever. Just me, my sketchbook and my dixon ticonderoga. Great day.
This was just what I needed today. I need to make more time for my artistic side. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
I can remember exactly when I started doodling/sketching/drawing. Eleventh grade, sitting behind Gretchen Leary in Japanese class, trying not to be annoyed by Davis Sensei's piercing voice. The first drawing that had real meaning to me had a heart and a cross in the center and the rest of the lined notebook page was filled with MC Escher type three dimensional designs. At the time this art meant so much to me since religion and relationships dominated this period of my adolescent development. I continued to find peace in drawing and took a drawing class in college to get some background. Since then, it has been therapeutic and even spiritual for me when I have time to do it, or I need it.
I love to draw people. My obsession with artistic interpretations of people started in my college art history class, and I think it has helped me to appreciate the beauty of the human body and the power of the face.
About 6 years ago, my friend Jess and I went to Europe for 7 weeks. When we were in Venice, a handmade sketchbook found me and begged me to spend approximately 38 Euros on it. That was a pretty nice chunk of money, but when I saw it I knew we needed to be together. 
While we were travelling, I kept picking up postcards from museums of art that I had to take home with me. I started sketching them on our trip and have been slowly adding to the empty pages of my beloved sketchbook. Below are a few recreations....
While we were travelling, I kept picking up postcards from museums of art that I had to take home with me. I started sketching them on our trip and have been slowly adding to the empty pages of my beloved sketchbook. Below are a few recreations....Four years ago I was lucky enough to be back in Europe with more time to spend in the Louvre. Below, a sketch of a statue inside the Louvre. I love LOVE to sit in museums and sketch for hours. That was one of those days where you know you may leave that physical location, but you will have the memory forever. Just me, my sketchbook and my dixon ticonderoga. Great day.
This was just what I needed today. I need to make more time for my artistic side. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)