An Exaltation of Larks

Cabin Fever

2008-12-23T11:36:00.001-08:00

This is what happens when Portland has record snow and I can't get to work. I turn the myself, Ben, Jess, Akeke and Barack Obama into elves and we can get down too!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I hope everyone has a great holiday and a happy new year!

No on Prop H8 Rally

2008-11-15T21:55:00.000-08:00

In support of Alex and Dani (and the entire LGBT community).

Seriously, who would want to deny hotties like this the right to marry? All babes deserve equal rights. If you disagree, watch out. The sign says it, their moms are not happy that their daughters rights are being taken away. I'd be afraid, they are some tough ladies.

It's been a while since we've had a sunny Saturday. We were thrilled we wouldn't have to attend the rally in the rain. Hmmm...maybe a sign from God. Looks like God might heart the gays after all. And damn, we're a good looking group.

A future activist in the making. K-man had a good time at the boy-boy/girl-girl rally, as he calls it.

My future sister in law.

This is quickly moving up my list of favorite pictures ever, so sweet. K-man loves his Lex.

I loved this cute little family. The kids were so excited to be there. I can't get over how concise and neatly lettered their signs are, they're so coordinated. That kind of thing makes me happy. Some day when I have kids, I hope we look this organized at our protests.

Just a little piece of the crowd. I have to admit I cried when I saw the woman holding the sign that said "I love my gay son" and the teenage girl with the "Let my brother marry" sign. I can't help it, I'm sensitive.

There are no words.

Our Trip to AZ (in pictures)...

2008-11-07T22:37:00.000-08:00

BFF's
Ben and Phil mid Camelback hike.
Classic Jen, the insane bride.

Tesh & Tara

Carrie, Stacey and E enjoying a healthy meal at Culvers. Just like old times, some things never change.

Eskimo kisses with E.

Me & Stace.

Tara and I with Jen at the wedding. It was beautiful Jen and Paul, we're so glad we could be there!

The nieces and nephew love their Uncle Ben. Ben says Kaia (in pink and green) looks like Bill O'Reilly. I disagree.

The Axis Mortgage Crew...I miss you guys! Thanks so much for lunch and all my stuff. Even though it meant I had to take an extra suitcase home.

Can everyone please e-mail me pictures from the luncheon. Carrie send me any others you took as well. Tara, I need copies of any wedding pictures you took.

I miss you all already!

Barack Obama is my new President

2008-11-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

A revolution...

I have to admit I'm a little teary. Granted I get teary at just about anything; politics, weddings, commercials but this is big.

I don't think I've ever been more proud of my country.

Now I just have to hope the gay marriage bans in California and Arizona don't pass. Lex said it today when she asked if getting Obama elected and nobody losing their civil rights was too much to ask for in one day.

I'm going to let it go and enjoy this victory. Donna Brazile said it best (as usual):

"Tuesday, November 4, 2008 will go down as the day America opened its history book, turned the page and started a new chapter of change.

This is truly an historic night — a moment many of us prayed for, marched for, organized for and some even died for. This is not the end of a journey, but the turning of a major page in American history.

If Dr Martin Luther King were alive, he would have cautioned us not to stop praying, not to stop marching, but to keep the dream alive.

As Senator Barack Obama has stated so long ago, change never comes easy. Tonight the people of America will tell the world that they are ready for change and they will back Obama in leading the change."

Happy Election Day!

Portland Represents

2008-10-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting around to blogging the Project Runway season finale (Erin H - what did you think? I know you loved Korto...)

The final collections were good. I like Korto, a lot. Her dresses are amazing, I can't even discuss Kenley. She annoys me and clearly ripped off other designers. Okay, I did love her feather wedding dress but mostly I love anything with feathers. It was clearly an Alexander McQueen look a like but I have to admit I did like her take on it better than his.

Leanne won, of course because she's freaking awesome but I'm also pretty excited that she's from Portland.

I sometimes think that Ben exiled me to Portland (the land of Clarks and North Face fleece) as punishment for my excessive shopping. I'm kidding of course, I absolutely love Portland, it would be home if I could just transplant my friends here but the fashion scene might be a little lacking.

As far as the season finale goes: I want to be married in this...

And I want to be buried in this:

Truly, I want this blog to serve as my living will. At the time of my demise I want my family to take the money they would have spent on a burial site, headstone, funeral services and instead purchase this outfit, dress me in it, dig a hole in the middle of nowhere, toss me in and cover me with Christian Louboutins (or knockoffs because hey, I'm dead, what do I care at that point), throw some dirt in and call it a day. Knowing that this will be accomplished; I'll be able to die happy. Is that wrong?

Speaking of happy, we leave for AZ in 3 days. It's a lot of visiting to pack into 5 days but we are so excited. I can't wait to see you all next week, I miss you!

Oh shit, I'm the antichrist?!

2008-10-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

Yep, Erin the antichrist and yes I am once again upset by an e-mail received from my grandparents. So, here we go...

First, I cannot believe that in this enlightened day and age someone would actually insinuate that Barack Obama is the antichrist. Secondly, the e-mail you forwarded below states that the Book of Revelations says that the antichrist will be a man, in his 40's of Muslim descent. Actually it is the Book of Revelation, not Revelations (let's at least get the name right). It also makes no reference to the antichrist being a man, in his 40's or of Muslim descent. The Book of Revelation was actually completed before the religion of Islam came into existence. It therefore would be quite difficult for it to reference a Muslim. Even if it did, it would be quite difficult to construe it as a reference to Barack Obama as he is not a Muslim but rather a Christian.

What the Book of Revelation does say is this: For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

So by this biblical definition; your own granddaughter (that's me!) is actually the antichrist as is her soon to be husband, one of your grandsons, my future sister and brother in law and many of my best friends. However based on the definition of antichrist from the Bible, who cannot be the antichrist? Barack Obama: because he has accepted Jesus Christ as his savior.

I am increasingly frightened by the irrationality of people. That aside one thing I absolutely will not tolerate is hate mail in my inbox. It will not go unresponded to and it will not be accepted by me. I won't just delete it without a reponse because it must be stopped. The e-mail below is racist, it's fear mongering. It's unresearched and a blatant lie and it was clearly written to incite hatred.

You would exploit your religion because you don't like a presidential candidate, here's some advice... Just vote for the other guy.

The e-mail author asks, Have the American people lost their minds? I second that but for me it's not a question, when Americans are sending this type of e-mail without first doing research I am terrified, I believe we are at the edge of reason. The author also asks us to reflect on actual historical events the first of which is the assassination of Bobby Kennedy by a Muslim extremist. I assure you if Bobby Kennedy were alive today he would find this e-mail deplorable, despicable.

So yes, let's reflect on the words of Bobby Kennedy, "A revolution is coming — a revolution which will be peaceful if we are wise enough; compassionate if we care enough; successful if we are fortunate enough — But a revolution which is coming whether we will it or not. We can affect its character; we cannot alter its inevitability."

If disagreeing with this e-mail lumps me in with stupid Federal Justices as the author of the e-mail states. Well then: I'm with stupid.

**Let me know if you want to see the actual e-mail I received, I couldn't bring myself to post it here, I'm sure it's been distributed enough as it is.

Humble Request

2008-10-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

Let me just start by saying that I will be THRILLED when this election is over. My ballot is in the mail and soon Barack Obama will be President. Or not. Either way, I just want this election over with, it's stressing me out. I want my nights of peaceful sleep back. I want my mindless blogs about clothes and my weekend plans back. Just not quite yet...

A "humble request" from my friend and one of my favorite people in the world, Dani.

Please, please, please. Please. (Please?) do not vote for John McCain. If you like me, and especially if you love me, please think about me before you vote (or as you are voting). Sarah Palin (who could very well be the next president of the United States of America) recently told the Christian Broadcasting Network that she supports an amendment to the constitution that will ban same sex marriages. I understand that some of you may not support gay marriage, and some of you might go as far as to say that you are vehemently against gay marriage, but just know these few things that I consider to be absolute truths: 1) I am a human being, 2) I am a person with morals, 3) I am a lesbian, from birth, 4) I deserve the same rights as any other human being, 5) I deserve respect from all American citizens (and citizens of this world, for that matter) because I do nothing but offer respect to everyone, and 6) I eat, breathe, sleep, walk, talk, work, pay taxes, get my teeth cleaned, draw, play music, watch movies, and do many other things that every other person on earth does, in very similar ways. These are not all of my truths, but they are the most relevant to this election.
In conclusion, and in the most simple terms: I AM GAY, AND I AM A NORMAL PERSON.
John McCain and Sarah Palin would not be just another couple of normal politicians while in office. They would not offer the same governance that George W. Bush has offered over the last 8 years. They would be WORSE (I know, how could anything be worse?) for so many reasons. But, if you have failed to see the countless reasons brought to your attention prior to reading this note, please find reason in me.
Even if Sarah Palin's opinion wouldn't drastically affect the chances of a ban like this being passed, the mere prospect of gaining momentum it is absolutely frightening.
A ban on same sex marriages is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. It is an abolition of rights. Please don't let people enter the white house who could take away my rights.

Letter to John McCain

2008-10-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Today I received an e-mail from my grandparents that has me a little (okay, a lot) fired up.

It was a poorly crafted letter written by a 50 something conservative white man (he makes sure to point this out while also stating race has nothing to do with his decision, right...) to Barack Obama listing seven reasons why Obama is "scary" and he can't vote for him.

So below is my own letter to McCain in response.

Dear Senator McCain,

Today is October 13th and we are just 22 days away from one of the most historic elections in history. I'd like to take this opportunity to outline seven reasons I will not be voting for you on November 4th.

1) You vote with George Bush's position 95% of the time (according to factcheck.org and Congressional Quarterly's Voting studies). Looks like 5% of the time, you're a maverick every time.

2) Roe v. Wade, Roe v. Wade, Roe v. Wade. Enough said? Probably; but John, you are, dare I say it? A flip flopper. In 1999 you said Roe v Wade should not be overturned? Tell us why not John..."hundreds of young woman all over this country would be lining up for illegal, dangerous abortions". True, legal or not abortions will happen. The difference is that if they're legal women won't be getting them in back alleys by guys with butcher knives. While I am pro-choice (vastly different from being anti-life) it's not because I think abortions are cool, I do think that the way to stop abortions is education. Educating young men and women, it just might work. Having an abortion is not a decision I can't ever imagine making for myself but I've also never been impregnated by a rapist; or a relative.

Can you say pandering? Way to get the religious right on board, John. Oh and if that doesn't work, just choose a nutjob who believes dinosaurs roamed the earth with humans a mere $6,000 years ago and spends her Sundays either speaking in tongues or at a hockey match. Yep, that oughta do it folks. You betcha!

Which takes me right to #3.

3) You're old. And while this in itself is not enough to disqualify you (hey, Joe Biden's old too, except he has a hotter wife who doesn't look like a femme bot. Is anyone else concerned Cindy McCain might be an alien?), you went out and chose the crazy running mate mentioned above. The woman just got a passport a year ago, she has been to Mexico, Canada and Iraq. She can see Russia from some land in Alaska. Well guess what...I was born in Anchorage, lived in Wasilla. I've had a passport for 4 years and have actually been to more than 2 foreign countries. Look out Vice Presidency, here I come. By Sarah standards I am a foreign policy prodigy.

4) Foreign Policy. You make up little ditties about bombing countries. Not good, really. Making light of bombing countries is kind of scary. I would think since it's possible you might someday have the nuclear codes you might want to take it a little more seriously. Just a thought, but hey I'm just a regular Jane six-pack maybe that's why I can't figure out what's so wrong with sitting down with leaders of other countries (yep, even those axis of evil countries) and trying to figure out a peaceful solution.

5) You're erratic. The fundamentals of the economy are strong. No wait, we're in crisis. I'm suspending my campaign and I'm not debating. No wait, I'm going to debate. In Iraq we will see "overwhelming victory in a fairly short period of time". No wait, I knew in the beginning it would be long and hard. Having a hard time deciding what the correct course of action is, do it John McCain style and try each course, switching back and forth as quickly as possible. Maybe if you're fast enough no one will notice.

6) We need to protect our environment and stop our dependence on foreign oil. Drill baby, drill? What good does that do us? We wouldn't see the benefits for years and we're still talking about a finite resource and infinite demand. There is no way it works out well. We have 3% of the worlds oil reserves and we use 25% of the world's oil and your solution is still just drill baby, drill?

7) My final point: your supporters. The Christian right, who you couldn't have cared less about in 2000 during your campaign now seem to be dictating your policy. Why? You realized that it's the only way you could get the nomination so you chose to pander to those who want to legislate their beliefs into everyone's life. I have nothing against religion but I have everything against intolerance. The radical Christian right is no different than radical Islam. It is unconstitutional to force religion on the people, to try to govern based on religion. On that our founding fathers were clear.

Those are my seven reasons, I have more, possibly even eight or nine or forty-two but it is late here and my long suffering fiancee is sleepy. The click clacking of the keyboard is keeping him awake and I have to be up in 5 hours to go to work.

So for now Senator McCain those are my reasons. I'm sure you want to hear more and don't worry, I'm happy to give you more reasons at a moment's notice should you request them.

Sincerely,

Erin Adams

**I just want to point out that in the letter sent to me today the author made it sure to point out in the first paragraph that he is white but not a racist. He then went on to list one of his reasons as: Being scared because Obama is an angry black man (actually he's mixed race but whatever, semantics.) and his wife is an angry black woman. Ooh, scary. Angry black people...

Live Blogging the Debate

2008-09-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

I didn't actually live blog the debate but I wanted to, my intentions were good. We ended up instead heading over to L&D's for pizza, champagne (we're classy) and debate. We love their comfy, squishy, never want to get up couch and big screen TV.

I just need to mention here that we have the coolest dorky friends on the planet. Not only were they as excited to watch the debate as we were but L actually put together debate bingo cards. Sheer genius!

With little gems like - a candidate uses main street & wall street in the same sentence- or -McCain makes a joke that only he laughs at (happened twice just for the record). It was a ridiculous amount of fun.

With the debate winding down I found myself in need of only a POW reference from John McCain in order to get a double bingo. Two minutes left and I was beginning to lose hope, I should have known John wouldn't let me down. It was tense there for a while.

Debate season is my version of sports enthusiasm. I yell and throw things at the TV, it makes me happy and angry all at the same time.

Next week I have every intention of live blogging the VP debate which I'm so excited for I can barely sleep at night. Sarah Paling, debating? I literally get butterflies in my stomach and a tightness in my chest just thinking about it. It's feels like my birthday, a vacation and Christmas all rolled up into a little package.

Anyway, I'm aiming for live blogging but the temptation of VP debate drinking games, pizza & champagne, the comfy couch and the big screen may be too much for me to resist.

Anyone up for shots every time Sarah Palin says "small town values"?

I'm a feminist?

2008-09-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

Feminism: 1) the theory of political, economic and social equality of the sexes 2) organized activity on behalf of womens rights and interests.

I'm a feminist? I used to think that feminism was a bad word. It's only recently that I've come to accept that feminism is something different for every woman, it's not just angry women railing against men and burning their bras. (Though, what grown women hasn't wanted to at some point burn the bra). Someone pointed out to me recently that without the work of proud, courageous feminists I wouldn't have the right to vote, choose who I'm going to marry or have a job and support myself. I would be proud to be called a feminist.

The point is, I'm not quite sure how it happened but this week I found myself defending (DEFENDING?) Sara Palin.

I think part of the defense may be that I've received too many e-mails and heard too many people say lately that Sara Palin is from a hick town, where everyone hunts, eats moose burgers and want to deny women rights they are entitled too.

I was born in Anchorage, Alaska and my early childhood years were spent in Wasilla. I don't own a gun, never will. I have no desire to eat moose burgers or shoot wolves from an airplane. I don't want to deny a women who has been raped or the right to decide if she should carry and give birth to her rapists baby. I don't want to deny the young woman who is working her way through college the choice that may end all her hopes and dreams.

I want to stand in the middle of the street and scream at the men with our country's nuclear codes and their finger on the button just waiting for any small excuse to push it to go f**k themselves. I realize this would probably get me arrested or on the terrorist watch list which wouldn't do my cause any good but still, I think it would make me feel better. But I digress...back to Sarah Palin.

There are so many reasons Sarah Palin has no business being Vice President of this country, just a heartbeat a way from the Presidency. The McCain camp screams sexism anytime someone looks at Palin the wrong way. Tina Fey's portrayal of Palin on SNL was sexist? Come on, even they can be more original than that.

What is sexist are the snarky comments that a mother of five should not be running for office. She can't do a good job because she has kids at home? I realize the importance of children having their mother but I think that there are so many other family structures that can work. Their father can be a stay at home dad, grandparents can help out and in all those scenarios they will still have a mom. A mom who I'm sure will love her kids.

My defense of Sarah Palin ends there. Again, there are many, cogent yet terrifying reasons this woman should not be Vice President, none of them have to do with the fact that she is a mother of five.

But I'll give you a few...

-The mere thought of this woman taking questions from reporters send the McCain campaign into a panic (turns out from the clip above their panic is justified). This woman will be second in command and could possible run out country someday. She's going to have to talk to people a lot tougher than some Fox news reporters.
-She preaches abstinence only education with her 17-year old daughter standing next to her. Not only hypocritical but just plain dumb. Apparently when middle class white people have pregnant teenage daughters it's a reason to rejoice. Could you imagine if Barack Obama had a 17 year old pregnant daughter?
-She doesn't know what the Bush doctrine is. Granted, I don't either but I'm also not a Vice Presidential candidate. Ben happened to be out of town for that gem of an interview and when I mentioned it to him, he was able to give me a clear,concise explanation of the Bush doctrine.
-She sites the fact that you can see from Russia from parts of Alaska as foreign policy experience. Just for the record, by being born in Alaska this also means I have foreign policy experience. Maybe Obama should have picked me for his running mate. Never mind the fact that she acquired a passport only one year ago and has left the U.S approximately one time.

Sarah Palin is not a feminist, her rise is not to be compared to Hillary Clinton's. She is a pawn in a man's grand plan. She was chosen not because she's qualified but because she's attractive and can appeal to the Christian right. People who believe that dinosaurs walked the earth a mere 6,000 years ago. I for one know I don't want another 8 years of those people running our country.

I guess the point of all this is that I am embracing my new found feminism and while I know there are many more qualified than me to extol the virtues of feminism, I'll do my best. Oh yeah, and Sarah Palin's an idiot.

2008-09-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

Ben and Brian serenading me in the backyard = my happy place.

Thought I'd post this even though it was recorded in Brian's bedroom, he looks like he just rolled out of bed (clearly hasn't brushed his hair) and Ben tells me he's not wearing any pants. Not sure how or why Ben knows that, I don't ask anymore.

Give it a listen. Brian's awesome (as is the rest of his band), you can also see him live and in person at the wedding if you're lucky enough to be invited. Need more Brian, just search Brian Chartrand on youtube . They're also on myspace (who isn't), under music - Ten Dollar Outfit.

We love you Brian.

Beautiful Things

2008-09-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

I missed last weeks PR, I was to busy being menstrual and bickering with Ben for no good reason, however beautiful things make me happy and after watching the news I was pretty upset so I read the recap of the previous week (which I did see) and this made me happy.

An American Express card and $700 buys me this dress. For some reason I don't think my butt would look that good in it. Oh, if only I weighed 90 pounds.

I'm voting for Obama, here's why...

2008-09-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

I have multiple posts in my drafts/deleted folder regarding politics. RNC week had me pretty keyed up and most of them are not very nice. They may find a place on my blog in the future, maybe when I get around to cleaning out the drafts but for now they'll remain hidden away, my secret shame. This one hopefully won't be quite as offensive. Here goes..

-If John McCain is elected President he will most likely appoint another supreme court justice. This in short means the overturning of Roe v. Wade. I think abortion is a personal choice, not a choice I would make for myself but a choice that women everywhere should be allowed to make for themselves. Old, rich, white men should not be making this decision for them.

The way to stop abortions and unwanted pregnancy is education. Abstinence only doesn't work. Thanks to Sara Palin for making that point with a sledgehammer.

Outlawing abortion would not stop abortions. John McCain himself actually said it rather eloquently in 1999 "I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force thousands of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations."

But today, of course he would overturn it. He has to pander to the right. Can you say flip-flop?

-My favorite lesbians are just that, lesbians. They have the right to get married, be at each other's bedside if one is ill and get health benefits. When you can give me one valid way in which my lesbian/gay friends and family are harming the sanctity of your marriage, actually don't even bother, there is nothing valid in that argument.

-We are losing a war in Iraq while Bin Laden hides in a cave (maybe?). We are fighting a war agains a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, spending tens of billions of dollars a month with American and Iraqi casualties climbing every day. It's time to end the war we shouldn't be fighting in the first place.

-I have one of the most amazing nephews in the world. He has brown skin and white parents. I want him to be able to look at his President and be inspired, I want him to know that he can be anything he wants to be, President or if he has his way an actor.

These are a only a few of the reasons I will be proudly voting for Barack Obama in November. More to come (like a whole post on Sara Palin). Enough for tonight though, I'm already pretty fired up, politics does that to me, so I'm now going to have to run off some of the anger and my dinner.

Project Runway

2008-08-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe this is my first Project Runway blog of the season. I am partly a slacker but also partly uninspired by this season. I had no clear favorite until this week. This jacket that turned this season around for me...

Aaaahhh! I want it, I want it, I want it! And it's made from seatbelts, are you kidding me? So gorgeous.

In the last few episodes Korto has definitely worked her way to the top of my favorites list along with Leanne (who won last nights challenge). Leanne's dress was definitely cool and she deserved the win but I love-love Korto's jacket.

Vacation

2008-08-05T22:58:00.001-07:00

I spent a few days in Utah to attend the baptism of one of the most awesome nieces in the world. I haven't seen Erica's kids in a long time and was incredibly excited to see them, I just wish they were closer. Leaving them is too hard. I was so glad I got to be there to support Kailee on her big day. Below are some random pictures from the trip.

Reed eating pizza, the kid is only happy when eating or being held by his parents.

Watch out Hannah Montana! K-Bug rocking the Chanel sunglasses.

Contemplating her future pop stardom...

I took the girls to the park to play and was so glad when we left for home without any injuries. We didn't quite make it home though. Syd hit a bump in the sidewalk on the scooter, flew over the handle bars and face planted. I had to piggy back her home while carrying the scooter. Obviously she was pooped and needed a little nap. Note the black eye and scratched up face (mostly hidden by the hair).

Super Powers Anyone?

2008-07-21T21:18:00.001-07:00

Ben and I went and saw Dark Knight over the weekend. I hoped the movie would be good but didn't have high expectations, mostly I just wanted to be entertained for a few hours. I was very entertained. And scared. Just a side note here, this movie is only rated PG-13 but in my opinion is not for kids. Heather Ledger is a genius as the joker and also terrifying. I was so scared I almost peed my pants. As my nephew Akeke would say, "too scary dada, too scary".

Anyway, this post was not meant to be a movie review but more about the fact that since seeing the movie I have been daydreaming about being a superhero. Not Batman exactly but definitely tight black leather is involved. I'm not even sure what my super powers would be, they don't figure into my daydreams as much as the outfits do. It's definitley more about the outfits. Tight black vinyl pants and Christian Louboutin spike heels. Heaven. The superhero Erin would definitely wear Christian Lou's. (Super Erin would also weight 115 pounds so as to be able to pull off black vinyl pants and spike heels). I would also be able to run as fast as the speed of light in them.

I think Batman would go for a girl in spike black heels and I would definitely be after Batman, I heart Christian Bale. A lot.

I wonder why the obsession with superheroes. I remember my youngest brother Sean and the obsession he had with Batman for about 2 years. The Batman sheets and the Batman cape that he wore everywhere, even to bed.

Ben once jumped off a picnic table in his superman underoos, sure they gave him the power to fly. He cracked his head open. This was of course when he was a kid, way before I knew him, obviously.

Myself, I was kind of a Pink Power Ranger kind of girl.

Just curious what super power do you wish you had?

It's that time again.

2008-07-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

Considering my obsession last weekend I'm not sure how I managed to miss that this week was the Project Runway Season 5 premier. I apparently have been living in a vortex. It took a phone call from MFBD's to clue me in. Now I am anxiously awaiting Thursday so that I can watch both the 1st and 2nd episodes. I will have to avoid my favorite blog, Project Rungay, so that I'm not swayed by their opinions before seeing the first episode for myself.
I'm hoping for an awesome season but I'm not sure if you can top the drama from last season caused by the queen of ruffles and puffy sleeves. We shall see...opinions and pictures of amazing clothes to come soon.

The Wedding

2008-07-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

My obsession with the wedding grows daily. I've finally got the wedding blog I promised many of you up and running. Check it out at my wedding blog .

What We've Been Up To...

2008-06-30T04:59:00.000-07:00

As bloggers go, I'm horrible. I blame work, I've been working longer hours and since I lost my carpool buddy I've been MAXing to work. I like riding the MAX, it makes me feel environmentally responsible but the commute takes about and hour and 15 minutes one way. So basically I work 10 hours, commute for 3 and by the time I get home I have just enough time to pick up the house, take a walk or hit a yoga class with Ben, eat and go to bed. I have to be up at 4:30 in order to catch the train at 5:30. I know, a lame excuse but it's true. Though Ben would probably tell you it's because I spend all my spare time looking at wedding stuff. This is also true.

So, in order to update the friends and fam, here are some random pictures of what we've been doing lately...

Enjoying a visit from my BFF.

Trips to the Dancing Bare, just in case the name isn't clear enough the sign spells it out for you, a dancing bear, x'ed out and then a picture of a naked lady. This sign cracks me up. It's right around the corner from our house and is a great landmark when people ask where we live, everyone knows the Dancing Bare. Carrie couldn't leave without a t-shirt from this NoPo institution.

Finding the coolest apartment in Portland in the coolest house in Portland for MFBD's. We are anxiously awaiting their arrival on July 29th. We are so excited, it feels like Christmas!

Planning a wedding, at the Historic Kenton Firehouse, June 13th, 2009. Mark your calendars.

Ben and I after finishing the Portland Sunday Parkways bike ride last weekend. A six mile loop through many of NoPo's neighborhood parks. We went with the Thompkes and friends. I love that our neighborhood has a community bike ride on Sunday, this is my idea of church.

Meet Scooter Libby

2008-06-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

No, not that Scooter Libby, I think he's in jail. If not he should be...

This is my new scooter, named Libby.

The name was suggested by one of the guys at work, at first I dismissed it but it's cleverness grew on me and so it shall be. He also suggested getting a personalized license plate that says LIBBY, that way I would literally be riding Scooter Libby around town. I'll just have to get an IMPEACH bumper sticker so people don't actually think I'm a supporter.

At around 70mpg I am pretty excited, I can scoot around town guilt free (mostly) plus I look beyond cool. Try not to be jealous of my new scoot, maybe if you try very hard you will one day be cool enough to join my scooter gang.

Small Miracles

2008-05-20T20:13:00.001-07:00

I have some BIG news. This weekend I went camping. Yep, when I say small miracles, I am not kidding. I have been resisting a camping trip with Ben for a long time, for 4 years actually.

Prior to this weekend, I could not find anything redeeming about camping. Campfire smoke, disgusting. Bugs, disgusting. Sleeping on the ground, disgusting.

So needless to say I was not looking forward to our camping trip but the weather forecast was calling saying it was 95 degrees (which feels like 115) so I wanted to go to the coast where it was going to be more cool. Ben agreed; on the condition that we camp instead of staying in a hotel.

Camping with Ben turned out to be pretty awesome. First, he does EVERYTHING. He set up the tent, built the fire, made dinner. Whenever I asked if I could help he told me to just relax and read my book, which I happily did. Second, our campsite was about 100 feet from the beach and the weather was perfect. The picture above is the beach at sunset.

We only stayed one night but still, it's a start. Camping trips may be in my future, as long as I don't have to do any work.

On Saturday we decided to get a quick hike in at Munson Falls before heading home. It was absolutely beautiful and I once again am amazed at the forests within an hour drive from home. The hike runs alongside a stream and at the bottom of the trail is a great little picnic area by the stream.

After our hike Ben and I stopped at the picnic site to let the dogs run. It was there another another small (or not so small) miracle happened. Ben thanked me for going camping with him and not only going camping but also going along with my trademark positive attitude (kidding of course, I'm kind of a cynical pessimist). I did try to keep an open mind and positive attitude on our trip. So, he suggested that I think of something I wanted that he has always said he wouldn't do since he owed me one for the camping. Anything I wanted. I sat there, trying to think of something, mostly to do with some sort of shopping spree, when Ben got down on one knee and proposed. It was very sweet, romantic and very surprising. Ben had stepped up the anti-marriage rhetoric lately so I didn't see it coming at all and was in shock. Of course I said yes. Actually what I think I said was "Are you effing kidding me?", then I started crying. Classic. Leave it to me to ruin a moment.

We are very excited, I am so happy and so in love. I was in love before obviously but I am still feeling the proposal afterglow. I can't stop looking at my ring. The ring is beautiful and belonged to Ben's great grandfather. It was passed down through the family to his grandfather, his mom and then to him. We are going next week to have the diamond re-set and I will post the before and after pictures. It is beautiful now but the setting is old and unfortunately ready to be replaced.

We are looking at late spring or early summer for the wedding. It seems so far away but we definitely want a spring/summer wedding and this summer is too soon. We've decided that we will definitely be having the wedding and reception in Portland and I am already obsessed with wedding plans.

So, it was a long story about camping to get to the good stuff, thanks for sticking with it.

That's all the news for now! Oh and... Barack wins Oregon. Obama in '08!!!

Touristy Me

2008-05-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

That's right people, two posts in one day, soak it in.

This weekend I got to spend some time being a tourist. Things have been pretty busy and we unfortunately have not been able to get out and see much of Portland.

This weekend though, Ben is on his annual Cinco De Mayo trip to Rocky Point with the boys and in a totally sweet twist of fate I had my first visitors. My good friend Stacey rolled into town the day Ben left with her hubby and beyond adorable baby in tow. I was so excited to have visitors; mostly because I miss my friends so much it hurts but also because I hate to be home alone at night. Not only did their visit provide me with some much needed company, a taste of home and a lot of laughter with good friends but it also meant I didn't have to stay alone the whole time Ben was gone (and I got to do some sightseeing). Yeah! Well, yeah for me anyway. I think Stacey's husband Kris may have regretted inviting me along. Anyone who knows Stacey and I know that when together we are unstoppable. We find ourselves to be quite hilarious but for some reason that we cannot begin to fathom, no one else finds us particularly funny. It's very strange. The only thing that could have made our jokes even funnier would have been if Cupcake (a.k.a. Carrie) had been along. She completes us and our jokes in a way no one else can.

We took a scenic drive through the Columbia River Gorge and stopped to wander around whenever something looked interesting (and thankfully Kris refrained from leaving us behind on any of those stops). We hit Multnomah Falls (the picture above) and I cannot believe that such a gorgeous place is only a 30-40 minute drive from me and that I don't go there all the time. (Again, my photography is pretty crappy). Along the scenic route are a few different falls and I can't wait to get out there with Ben and the dogs and go exploring.

We also made a stop at what is quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Portland, The Pittock Mansion , surrounded by Forest Park , with gorgeous views of Portland I am looking forward to another nice weekend so I can hike up there with lunch and my book. I can't wait to lay on the grass in the sun and read all day. If you are looking for me on the next sunny Saturday, the Pittock Mansion lawn is where you will find me.

A few of my favorite things.

2008-05-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

Ben and I moved into our place about 2 1/2 weeks ago. After much searching we found the perfect place for us but it has been a lot of work, hence the lack of new posts.

I spent most of my day today up to my elbows in dirt planting flowers and the rest painting old frames that will eventually hang on our back patio. The back patio is a huge project but I am hoping that by next weekend it will be photo ready. When finished it will be gorgeous (it is in my head anyway). I hope it turns out at least somewhat close to the vision I have for it. Look for pictures soon.

Anyway, I told my mom I would get pictures up so here are a few of the things I am loving about the house.

1. The house numbers. Hello, are they perfect or what? They were hand made by our friend Megan, she uses reclaimed glass, and she did an awesome job. We love how they turned out and think they add something very special to the house. Megan has also made a few other things for the house that are among my favorites, some will be making an appearance in the patio photos when posted. She is incredible, check her out at tadahpdx . I see one of her marble garden balls in my future, maybe for Christmas. Ben has banned me from her house (joking of course) because I can't stop buying her stuff. I just can't help myself; everything she makes is so awesome.

2. The lilac (and my front porch flowers). The lilac is quickly becoming my favorite plant ever. It smells amazing and I find myself sitting in the living room just staring at it, it's so pretty. Today I walked around it in circles for 10 minutes just looking at it from all angles and sniffing it. My neighbors must think I'm crazy. My photography does not do it justice. It has a couple of bare spots, possibly because both Jess and I have been cutting flowers for our houses. I guess that will have to stop. They look so pretty in a vase though.

3. My new dining room table. Ben found the table in the free section on craigslist . I hate craigs list only because Ben is obsessed with it. He is constantly running around picking up cheap or free stuff but this table was a find and makes his obsession a little more bearable. It's a project (of course), we are going to be refinishing it but I just think it's so pretty even in the kind of crappy shape it's currently in. I thought I had a picture of it but I can't find it so I will post one when it's done.

I think that is all I have on the house for now. Hopefully as projects get completed I will be a more regular blogger.

Once upon a time I wanted to be a writer. (Or a world traveler)

2008-04-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

I have been missing in action I know, I am sure people are checking my blog every day in anxious anticipaton of my next posting.

Work (yes I have a job) has been insanely busy but I love it. Ben and I finally found a house and move this weekend. That is the short version of what I've been up to. So, on to the good stuff...

I just started a new book, I'm on page 40 and every time I pick it up and read a few paragraphs I want to throw myself off a cliff but I can't stop reading it. I think the idea behind the story is great, but the book not so great. I love to read and can typically find good in any book, I couldn't figure out what I found so annoying but I've decided I hate the writer's voice. She's so annoying and self-centered, it's all about her. This should be okay since it is essentially her life that's the story but I still find her cloying.

It does have me thinking about a few things however.

First, that I once wanted to be a writer. This poorly written book has shown me that maybe those dreams weren't so far fetched. If Elizbeth Gilbert can write a best seller, so can I damnit.

Obviously, I never thought I would grow up to be a Project Assistant but I now realize that we all have our thing: organization is my thing. Give me an Excel spreadsheet or a checklist and I go to my happy place. Still, somewhere deep down I want to be a writer. As kids we all aspire to be rockstars or in my case a marine biologist (if you had asked me when I was 10), but I always knew in my heart that I wanted to be a writer. I used to go in my room and get all set up with a notebook and pens convinced I was going to write the next Pulitzer Prize winning novel. All I ended up with were a bunch of mostly empty notebooks with a few pages of melodramatic teenage drama. Those pages were usually written not because I was terribly angst ridden but because I couldn't think of anything to say so I would write in order to practice my penmanship. If I couldn't write a great story at least what I did write would look pretty. I have exquisite penmanship. (If I ever have to write a personal ad, I think that might be my heading).
SWF with excellent penmanship seeking SM who loves books, jeopardy, wine and appreciates a well crafted handwritten letter.

I still have this problem with words though, I've just never been a communicator. I have so many ideas (and opinions) but can't actually turn them into anything tangible. Such is life.

Second, it has me thinking about things I love. I am early in the book, (Eat, Pray, Love) and while I find the author to be a pretty mediocre writer I came upon a paragraph that I found strangely moving.

"Traveling is the great true love of my life. I have always felt...that to travel is worth any cost or sacrifice. I am loyal and constant in my love for travel, as I have not always been loyal and constant in my other loves. I feel about travel the way a happy new mother feels about her impossible, colicky, restless newborn baby-I just don't care what it puts me through. Because I adore it. Because it's mine. Because it looks exactly like me. It can barf all over me if it wants to-I just don't care."

There are two things in life that make me feel this way, travel (or the idea of traveling) and words. I love to read and to write as evidenced by the diatribe a few paragrahps up.

I love traveling or the idea of traveling, since I haven't done much of it. I do however plan to one day be independently wealthy and see the world. In the meantime I guess I will settle for an overseas trip every few years.

Happy Birthday Ben!

2008-03-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

Today is Ben's 32nd birthday. We celebrated this weekend so we aren't doing anything exciting tonight. I don't have any pictures to post of the celebration because I'm a slacker and didn't take any. We had a good time though, Ben got a North Face fleece from the commune and an iPod shuffle from me. The shuffle is his 3rd shuffle in about a year. The first two I destroyed, Ben never takes them out of his pockets and I am notorious for not checking pockets when I do laundry. They went through the washer and dryer. I am going to try not to wash this one, what I should have purchased along with his shuffle is some stock in Apple (if I could afford it) since between the two of us we have owned about 10 iPod devices.

Today was also my first day of work and I am pooped. I haven't worked in 3 months and on my first day I had to be there at 6:30 am which meant getting up at 4:30am in order to leave by 5:45. Ugh. At least my normal hours will be 7-4, with half days on Fridays so I have that to look forward to. I am not looking forward to taking the Max (light rail) to work tomorrow but I'm going to give it a try since Ben needs the car.

I have never been so tired in my life. I'm ready for some Thai food, a walk with the dogs and bed by 9:00.

Portland Erin Hearts Trees

2008-03-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

SUBTITLED: PORTLAND ME.
For some reason everyone in the house (except Chris who calls me FGOTS but that's a whole other story) has taken to calling me Portland Erin; same goes for Ben, he is now Portland Ben. We even call each other by this nickname. This especially applies when one of us does something different or out of the ordinary, some examples...

"Portland Erin smells like rosemary."

This one from Jess while we were weeding the area around the overgrown rosemary bush in the garden. Arizona Erin doesn't weed.

The Garden

"Portland Erin is a slug lover."

This little nugget was also from Jess after I touched a slug on the same weeding adventure mentioned above. As if touching a slug wasn't disgusting enough on it's own Jess than picked it up with a leaf and chased me around the yard with it. It feels a little like living with my brothers all over again.

Slugs are not a common occurence in Arizona, I saw only one when I was little and was absolutely repulsed by it. This has not changed. As kids we poured salt on the slug and watched it shrivel and die (kids are mean). The first thing I said to Jess once she had dropped the slug was, "go get the salt." I resisted the urge though because hey, slugs have feelings too.

"Portland Erin gets all the jobs."
Yep, that's right. Three job offers in 2 days. Just in case anyone doubted my awesomeness, Portland Erin rocks! I think I have made a final decision on which I am accepting so I should be joining the ranks of the employed on Monday. Woo hoo!

There was going to be a point to this whole blog but Portland Erin has the stomach flu, is tired and can't remember why she started this blog. Plus it's cold (it snowed here today) and I'm going to take a nap.

**The above picture was photographed by Portland Erin on a hike in Forest Park last week. Portland Erin hearts trees. And now this post is at its end, I promise to no longer refer to my self as Portland erin (or in the 3rd person).

New Music

2008-03-23T08:14:00.001-07:00

Ben and I, and the dogs, made the move to Portland in my Montero pulling a U-Haul trailer. This made our top speed on the highway about 60 mph (going downhill), more typically it was around 45-50. Needless to say we spent a lot of time in the car together but somehow managed to live through it. We love each other more than anything in the world but for those who are familiar with our dynamic, this was no small feat.

Anyway, somewhere in southern California I turned to Ben and said "I have been thinking I want to start listening to Bluegrass music."

Ben replied that strangely enough he also had been thinking he wanted to get into Bluegrass music (yes, we are made for each other).

That was the end of the conversation until last night. We had our first real night out on the Portland town last night. We went to dinner at Zay Toon and has a smokin' veggie burger. Then it was on to Alberta Street Pub for some live music.

Before leaving the house I did a quick search for live music on Alberta St. (A nearby artsy neighborhood). It seemed the place to go was the pub and crazy enough, their live music tends towards Bluegrass or Irish music. We did a quick search on myspace for the band that was playing and they sounded okay but we were keeping our expectations low.

The band, Joy Kills Sorrow rocked. They were so good I almost cried. (I almost cry a lot so this isn't saying much). I LOVE music but I almost never make it through a full live show unless it's someone I'm familiar with and like. I get bored plus I turn into a pumpkin around 10:30. When this band was done I found myself hoping they had played for another hour.

Check them out!

A little bit of Barack...

2008-03-20T08:03:00.001-07:00

"I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton's Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I've gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners -- an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.

It's a story that hasn't made me the most conventional candidate. But it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts -- that out of many, we are truly one."

Love him!

If you have a little time, whether you are a Barack supporter or not, you need to watch this speech. Barack speaks so openly and honestly about race in this country (even if it's not what you want to hear). I'm not ashamed to admit I cried a little.

Here's the video.

For more on race or his background from Barack, The Audacity of Hope is required reading. A book written by Barack before he was a politician.

Life

2008-03-17T16:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the last few days which should give you a pretty good idea of what we are up to lately.

First, a picture of Ben. I realized I don't have any posted of him so this is proof I'm not just making him up.

Some gratuitous pictures of the dogs...because they're the best dogs ever.

Here is one of Wallace looking handsome and kingly and then Beatrice in her element, annoying the crap out of the cat. It is an adventure with 3 dogs and a cat in the house. My dogs aren't used to cats, Milo isn't used to dogs as energetic as mine. It is pretty much non-stop barking for one reason or another. The delivery of the mail is like nothing I've ever seen. Milo harbors a deep, burning hatred for the mailman. Wallace has picked up on this and now they both stand on the chair in front of the window and growl and howl at the poor man. He must be terrified that one day they are going to bust through the glass and rip his throat out. It takes about 10 minutes to get them calmed down. Other than that they really are sweet. I promise.

The nephew at the park near the house. Under my tutelage he is becoming a frisbee master.

Here is the whole family on an evening walk. We do this everynight which is kind of a nice ritual. Every night someone cooks dinner, we eat at the table and mostly talk to the nephew about his day at school or listen to him perform Hannah Montana songs for us. Then whoever didn't cook immediately clears the table, does dishes and we all bundle up for a walk with the dogs. It's a ritual I hope Ben and I continue once we are in our own place, it's a nice way to unwind every night and it works off all those calories we consume from Chris's vegan desserts. Dessert every night is another ritual but one that we just can't continue in the new house. I am feeling it in my jeans.

Recovering Mormon

2008-03-16T20:56:00.001-07:00

Oh crap, here goes. I am about to alienate a lot of people. Oh, who am I kidding, I'm going to enjoy it. A little. I'm actually half joking but I'm sure this post will bring a considerable amount of judgment. I can handle it, hit me with your best shot.

I consider myself a recovering Mormon. I was baptised and went to church on and off for years. It has only been in the last couple of years that I came to terms with the fact that I don't believe in God and I am disgusted (that's not the right word but I can't come up with a better one right now) by organized religion. I have so many friends and family who are Mormon and Christian and while there are a few who I don't see eye to eye with I still love and appreciate them and their beliefs. I try to be open with them regarding my own beliefs in a respectful way. Even more than that I appreciate my friends who have strong faith but still are tolerant and open minded. Those who are willing to go beyond their religion and be accepting of everyone.

I do realize that most of you are probably condemning me to hell in your mind right now. That's okay, since I don't believe in hell I'm not particularly worried. If there is a hell there are a lot of other reasons I'll be going there but I guess since I don't believe in God all of those other things are really just gravy. If it turns out I'm completely wrong I know a lot of other awesome people who will be dancing on the coals with me so at least I won't be lonely.

This week a "Christian" woman, Sally Kern made public comments regarding homosexuals. She compared them to terrorists. "Gays are a bigger threat than terrorists and Islam."

There are two things very, very wrong with this statement. A) Gays are not a threat. B) Islam is not a threat. I am in this blog going to focus on the gay comments (I have a whole other blog on the terrorist/Islam comment)

Did you know that according to her, gays are indoctrinating our children to think that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle? Can you believe the audacity of those crazy homosexuals? (That last bit was sarcasm by the way)

Why is it okay to teach children that acceptance of different lifestyles is bad or evil. Why can't we just teach them that all people are different and it's okay to be different. No matter your sexual preferences, the color of your skin or your religion.

Stop for just one second and listen to her speech and then everytime she says gay or homosexual replace it with a word that applies to you. It could be brown or Mormon or Jewish. No matter what word you substitue the speech is still hateful and hurtful. I want to rant and swear and punch Sally Kern in the face but that would make me no better than her.

I try to take comfort in the fact that someday I will have kids and when they are my age they will live in a different world (hopefully). I hope you are doing your part to fight against hatred, for me I will work on being more empathetic to those around me. I know I am not particularly eloquent but I hope I made a point without being offensive.

Running

2008-03-16T13:42:00.001-07:00

Today, I start running. Let's face it, I need to lose weight and I have nothing better to do with my time right now.

So, I am going to run the Pints to Pasta 10k on September 7th. I figure if I put it here for all to see I can't back out. I expect everyone to check in and see how my running is going.

I am also going to shoot for the Helvetia Half Marathon on June 14th but that seems so close. We'll see, I'm going to try to keep my goals attainable.

Carrie - If you wanted to come visit me then, we could run it together. That would serve as some serious motivation.

Ben and I are going to look at a house at 3:00 and afterwards is my first run.

Today I rode my bike in the rain.

2008-03-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

I feel like a real Portlander for the first time. These people ride their bikes EVERYWHERE. Ben bought me my spiffy little bike over 2 years ago and I think before Portland it had seen daylight oh, maybe twice. Needless to say it's a very happy bike these days with all the use it's getting. Trips to the grocery store, I even rode it to pick up the nephew from school. And yes, today I rode my bike to Fred Meyer in the pouring rain. Though you know I'm still a Phoenix girl when you see me riding down the street in my Portland gear (North Face fleece and rain jacket, courtesy of Ben's dad for my b-day and my Earth shoes ) but with a grande soy white chocolate mocha from the Bucks in the slot that should hold my water bottle. Some things will never change.

Some other updates:

-For my BFF Carrie - No one seems to know why you can't pump your own gas here but Jess and Chris seem to think it was to create more jobs or something. Thank goodness for that because if I don't get a job soon I will be seriously looking into it as a career.

Speaking of jobs I have my first interview today. Send me all your positive energy today at 3:15. (I am supposed to be preparing for my interview right now, instead I'm blogging). It's a disease.

-Here's the pic of my far out new shoes as promised.

-Here is a pic of the nephew. He is so handsome! It was spirit week at school this week and this particular day was crazy hair day.

The kindergartners with their mohawks were too cute. Ben and I love taking him to school everyday. We go to the cafeteria since his school provides free breakfast for all students. He eats his second breakfast while we wait for the bell to ring. We are endlessly entertained by the elementary school kids, so carefree. Now that the kids are getting used to seeing us everyday they are starting to open up. They love us, we are like rock stars in the morning. It's good for the ego, even if they are only 5 year olds.

-Ben made our first Portland friends this week. It's a nice married couple, he did some work on a guitar for the husband and the boys are new best friends. I haven't met them yet but we are doing happy hour on the 21st. (MFBD's, if you don't get here soon they could supplant you as our couple BFF's. Hurry!)

-I am responsible for dinner two nights a week (Monday & Tuesday)cooking has never really been my thing but I gotta tell you, I am, dare I say it? Awesome! Who knew I could cook? And vegan cooking, it's like some sort of Christmas miracle. I started off slow but now that I am rolling, watch out culinary world. I think there may be a cooking show in my future. Hey, I need a job, maybe restauranteur. I am, apparently, a cooking genius. I made Thai food last week and it was delicious. Not having a job has helped my skills tremendously. If it takes 3 hours to cook, no big deal. What else do I have to do, besides ride my bike.

So, overall this has been a good week for my emotional state. Last week, not so good. I miss everyone terribly. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we will have our own place by May. We love staying here and taking care of the nephew but need a place in order to house all the friends and family we know will be visiting this summer.

Think of it, when it's a sweltering 115 there, it will be a balmy 80 here and I'll cook for you.

Next on Erin's blog: Conquering public transportation. Stay tuned...

Happy Birthday to me!

2008-03-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

My birthday was last weekend, the 8th to be exact. (Don't worry if you missed it, I don't hold grudges)

Anyway it turned out to be an awesome weekend. Ben took me out to dinner on Saturday night. We went to an awesome little place in the Mississippi Arts district called Equinox where I proceeded to get so full and so drunk that I couldn't sleep that night. That's how you do it when it's your birthday. The food was fabulous. We were excited to have a quiet night out just the two of us.

Ben got me a much needed digital camera. Ours has been on the fritz for a while, sometimes it works but mostly it doesn't. It's an adorable, tiny little brown camera. Brown being my color of choice for all things these days. Bless him for knowing that.

On Sunday night we had dinner with the commune (Jess, Chris and Akeke). Chris made the most amazing vegan chocolate cake. We were all so excited to eat it that I forgot to take a picture with my snazzy new camera. Damn! I did take a picture of the awesome shoes they bought me for my b-day and as soon as I get them uploaded I'll post them. I know you are all going to be checking back regularly now, right?

Anyway, all is going well in Portland. More storie and pictures coming soon.

**Wow, I say awesome a lot. Note to self: Find a synonym for awesome.

The hunt...

2008-03-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

The job hunt is in full force. I spent the entire day from 9:00-3:30 applying for jobs, writing cover letters. I don't understand why people aren't lining up to hire me, I'm awesome.

These Portland applications are hardcore. I'm talking essay questions and lots of them. I cannot ever remember having to answer a "supplemental questionnaire" when applying for a job but it was required on all 3 positions I applied for today. This means it took 2 hours just to get an application completed for one job.

The tricky part is they don't tell you the word maximum for your answers until after you have written them and tried to submit. Only then do I find out that I am 200 characters over the limit.

I cannot express to you how awesome my answers were and then I had to cut them down 50 words. These people don't know what they're missing. Those answers would have rocked their world.

The joys of unemployment.

Welcome to Portland

2008-02-28T14:55:00.000-08:00

Ben and I arrived safely in Portland on Tuesday evening! We had not planned on arriving until sometime Thursday. We were going to take a detour in Northern California and cut over to the coast. A trip to the Redwoods was on the agenda. When we left Scottsdale on Monday morning I had a minor cold which quickly turned into a major cold. Ben's back started killing him after day one of the drive and has only been getting worse. It's been miserable but we found a Bikram yoga studio less than 5 miles away. Our first class is tomorrow morning and we consider it a cure all, so I'm sure we will be feeling better after.

We will have to save the Redwoods trip for summer but the weather will be better then anyway.

We had unexpected beautiful weather for the whole drive, no rain or snow. It has been sunny (SUNNY! Not a cloud in the sky) and 60 degrees since we arrived. I can't believe it hasn't rained yet.

Just a few weird things we have learned about our new home since arriving...

-No sales tax (this is very strange to us, we are used to paying an extra 8%)
-You cannot pump your own gas. Seriously. You will get in trouble if you try to pump it yourself. I think it's illegal. I'm not sure why yet but I'll find out.

Ben left a few minutes ago to pick up his nephew from school (dropping him off and picking him up is part of our every day routine) but I will post video and pictures from the road soon.

I can't wait for everyone to come visit.

Total Eclipse of the Heart (Moon, actually)

2008-02-18T20:07:00.001-08:00

It's a total eclipse of the moon, tell all your friends.

Finally, a lunar eclipse visible from America during a convenient time! We have a total lunar eclipse this Wednesday evening (February 20th) which should turn the moon red as Earth’s shadow passes over it. Maximum eclipse will be at 10:26 PM EST and 7:26 PST. Besides North and South America, the eclipse will be visible from western Europe and western Africa.

You will be able to see the eclipse without a telescope but use binoculars for a better view. I know i'm a dork but I will be watching the eclipse on Wednesday night, it will make me happy to think that people I love are doing the same thing at the same time.

If I knew how to insert audio you would be hearing Bonnie Tyler singing Total Eclipse of the Heart right now. I don't know how, too bad. I hope you singing it in your head though.

If you need a reason not to eat meat...

2008-02-18T19:35:00.000-08:00

I haven't eaten meat since January 3rd, until last night. Our neighbor Phil threw us a going away barbeque and he smoked a turkey. I wasn't even hungry but gave in and had some of the turkey anyway. As if I wasn't feeling guilty enough, I woke up to this mornings news. A 143 million pound beef recall, the largest in US history.

I've been preparing for the move to Portland by trying to get out of the habit of eating meat. We will be living with Ben's family for a short time and they are vegan. I am excited for the healthier diet but wanted to wean myself off meat before our arrival. (I'm still working on dairy which I am finding considerably harder to give up.)

I guess if I ever needed a reason not to eat meat this would be it, or one of them anyway.

Warning: This vidow contains graphic images!

I can honestly say I will not be eating beef again. I keep imagining the pain those poor animals are experiencing. The video makes me cry.

Leave your crazy at home old man!

2008-02-15T14:11:00.001-08:00

So, we're moving and that alone is stressful enough as anyone who has ever moved can attest.

An out of state move, beyond stressful.

Today was garage sale day. Let me just say upfront this is the first garage sale we have ever done. We were pretty unprepared to begin with, usually we do a good job of motivating each other but neither of us was looking forward to the garage sale and we both put it out of mind. Last night at 11:15 we realized we had not made or put up signs. We hunkered down and knocked out some signs then drove around the neighborhood at midnight taping them to light poles. We also realized we didn't have any change but figured we could get some in the morning when one of us went on what was sure to be one of many coffee runs, we are not early risers.

We woke up this morning at 5am to start setting up as planned but to our surprise (no we didn't check the forcast) it was pouring down rain. We figured people wouldn't be out in the cold and rain so we decided to watch the weather and hang out for a little while. At 5:55 am there is a knock on the door. To our surprise it was someone who wanted to know if we were having the garage sale. Apparently the empty driveway and dark house weren't enough of a clue. We explained that since we don't actually have a garage (1-car carport only) and it was pouring down rain we were holding off. He proceeded to grill Ben about what we had for sale. "Any hobby kits, remote control cars?" No & no!

A very strange occurence we thought but we had 2 or 3 more people show up and knock throughout the morning. While we couldn't understand what possessed people to come and knock on the door in the pouring rain they were mostly friendly when we explained we had held off due to the rain but would be going ahead tomorrow as planned. We got through the morning and most of the afternoon when...

At 3:00 it's still drizzling out and there is a knock on the door. Ben answers the door to find a cute little old man on the doorstep. Cute old man says gruffly "Are you having a sale today?"

I want to make clear that most of our signs said Fri & Sat 6am-11am (and who garage sales at three in the afternoon anyway?).

Ben politely replied "No, because of the rain we are done for the day but we will be having the sale again tomorrow." No need to tell the old man we didn't have the sale at all.

Little old man became visibly agitated and said to Ben, "If you're not having a sale, then take your signs down or I'll rip them down for you!"

WTF!? Ben's a little irritated at this point and says "Sir, if you have the time, by all means take the signs down but I want to point out that it's 3:00 in the afternoon."

Little old man's response? "Stores close at 5:00!" as he stomps off angrily down the driveway.

We all have our own different brand of crazy but I often wonder why people can't just leave their crazy at home. Shed it on your way out the door in order to function in normal society and put it back on when you get home. Take it out on the people who love you enough to deal with you, even though you're crazy.

We haven't yet gone out to see if he actually took the signs down. I think if he did, my vote is just to call off the garage sale completely.

Does anyone need any furniture, books, clothes or misc. crap?? Come to our garage sale tomorrow (but it's 6-11am only).

The joys of moving.

More Project Runway

2008-02-14T19:57:00.000-08:00

I understand that it's weird to blog about a TV show but does anyone else even watch this show? You should because if you did, you would be blogging about it also.
The challenge this week was exciting after last weeks tack fest. That challenge was truly craptacular, just for the record.

This week the designers had to pick a work of art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and design an outfit inspired by that work of art.

And the winner is...

Christian - of course. So, I know he's a super bitchy, mini sized queen. and I love him for it. Well for his bitchiness and the poof he calls hair. I want to carry him in my pocket or use him as a garden gnome or put him up on my mantle but still...I LOVE his clothes. I would wear this outfit, all 8 million pieces of it. Yes, I would look like a strange burnt marshmallow or a pirate on crack but I would wear it anyway. You have to wear the clothes dahlings, don't let the clothes wear you.

Do you need more reasons to love this show?

This:

I wish I had a picture of the back, it was adorable.

And This: Yes, it is slightly reminiscent of the dress I posted previously but that pewter color makes me want to die, it's fabulous. Fabulously beautiful. And even without the poof, it's still a gorgeous dress. Sorry, I think I need a minute to swoon...

In the words of Christian, this show is FIERCE! I can't wait for Bryant Park. (Okay so I kind of cheated and looked at pictures of the designers final collections) You can see phots on the project rungay blog if you can't wait until the finale.

Erin and Ben are leaving...

2008-02-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

So, I wanted to let those people who read my blog know about a few events (Carrie - I am talking to you!)

First, this coming Sunday, the 18th our awesome friend, landlord and next door neighbor is throwing us a going away BBQ. It starts at 3:00 and goes until whenever. He will be smoking a turkey and a pork loin, there will be plenty of other food, drinks and live music as well. Call or e-mail me if you need directions. If you know where I live then just come to my house, we will open the gate between the yards since he lives right next door!

Then, on Friday the 22nd my good friend Tara was kind enough to plan a going away happy hour. This will be our last weekend in town so we would love to see everyone there! See below for info. (Tara wrote it, jsut for the record and I didn't even have to pay her to say nice things about me, for once.)

Happy Hour
When: Friday, February 22nd @ 5:00 PM or whenever you get off work and can make it!
Where: San Felipe's at Tempe Marketplace
www.sanfelipescantina.com
Why: It's time to celebrate all of our good times and say Best Wishes to the incomparable, incredible, beautiful, spectacular Erin and her Ben before they leave us in Arizona to set out on their new journey to Portland!!!

See you soon!

See you soon!

Random web

2008-02-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

Looking for a way to kill a few hours on the web. Make your own Picassohead.

I'm not very creative but still had fun with this. View my self portrait. Or the picasso version of the dogs.

Get creative and make your own masterpiece (be warned you will spend entirely too much time on this website).

Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T15:07:00.000-08:00

It's Super Tuesday. I cast my vote today, did you? If you did, let me know if you had any exciting adventures or overheard anything funny. I did hear the election workers saying they had never been that busy on an election day before.

I was also surprised to see campaign signs on the lawn of my polling place today. While I was sure this was not allowed I did ask the poll worker inside. She grumpily informed me that as long as the signs are not within 75 feet of the door it's allowed. I got the feeling maybe she had put them there. :)

Still, it seems like electioneering too close to a polling place to me.

If you haven't voted yet, there is still time, GO VOTE!
(If there is a primary or caucus in your state today)

The Lighter Side...

2008-01-31T19:43:00.000-08:00

To counter my politics, preachy, theme heavy posts of late, here are some things I found funny and interesting today...

From npr.org: The Bryant Park Project

Simon Says: Google This

As Matt Martinez reported in The Most today, the number one search on Google Trends early this morning was the word "precocious." That's what "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell called a hapless hopeful, who will not be going to Hollywood. I guess he was referring to the fact that at the tender age of 16 she was attempting a Janis Joplin song. He didn't seem to mean it as a compliment, anyway.

But the singer didn't even know what "precocious" means, and apparently neither did a lot of viewers, who started typing the term into the ol' Googler to find out more.

My favorite thing about Google Trends is the "related searches" feature. Here's what people were typing as they tried to figure out what the heck Simon was talking about. People who clearly are not now and probably never have been precocious:

precautious, precoshus, precarious, precautions, define precocious

This is in reality not actually funny, it's a little sad but I still found it amusing.

And in honor of the Super Bowl being held in sunny Arizona this weekend (and the horrible traffic I experienced today in Old Town. Banners of P-Diddy on every corner, are you kidding me?!).
Go here and listen to In Fair Glendale, the Bard's Super Bowl Play. This made Ben and I laugh when we heard it in the car on our local NPR station.

A Woman's Right to Vote

2008-01-29T23:06:00.000-08:00

"I never doubted that equal rights was the right direction. Most reforms, most problems are complicated. But to me there is nothing complicated about ordinary equality. "
-Alice Paul

Ben and I had our favorite bull dykes - hereafter referred to as FBD's (this is a term of endearment, which they use themselves just for the record. It's an inside joke.) over for dinner a few nights ago. We love our FBD's for many reasons - they are our couple BFF's, our soulmates. One of the things we love the most is the stimulating conversation we always have. I'll admit we did spend about 20 minutes on Heath Ledger and who wore what to the SAG Awards, we can't help ourselves but we also had an amazing conversation regarding a woman's right to vote. I love knowing there are other women out there who are as passionate about their right to vote.

I am not sure where my love of voting comes from, my mother never voted that I know of and never instilled in me a sense of pride regarding this right but I do love it. I requested an early ballot this year and it has been sitting on the table for me to complete and mail in but I can't do it. I get so excited about going to the polls and showing my voter registration card. I am the dork who wears her "I voted today" sticker until it loses it's stickiness and falls off. Just thinking about it makes me teary.

I don't think that schools place enough emphasis on the history of the women's rights movement. If it weren't for my own research I wouldn't know about the women who fought and the sacrifices they made for the right to vote.

I received the information below in an e-mail like I usually do around election time but have decided to pass it on. While it's pretty graphic and the women mentioned are only a few of those who worked for women's rights, I find it inspiring.

How Women Earned the Right to Vote

A short history lesson on the privilege of voting...

The women were innocent and defenseless. And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of "obstructing sidewalk traffic." They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women. Thus unfolded the "Night of Terror" on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote. For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

I know we are all busy with things that are just as important but I hope you think about these women come election day and the respect you feel for them will hopefully move you to vote.

AMENDMENT XIX

1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
2. Congress shall have power to enforce this Article by appropriate legislation.

Ratified August 26, 1920

I promise this will be my last post on politics for a while. I am afraid they may be getting annoying. I am looking forward to voting on Tuesday and even more excited about staying up all night watching the returns. I am a junkie.

Rock the Vote!

Politics

2008-01-23T11:48:00.001-08:00

http://glassbooth.org/Result/index/825805/dcb8d34bfa7d3bfdb3d7f781266644d7

I got this website from an old high school friends blog. I decided to take the test even though I am at this time absolutely decided on my candidate for 2008. Go Barack!

I was not surprised to see that the test most closely aligns me with Dennis Kucinich. I am a proud, out of the closet liberal! :)

MLK Day

2008-01-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

A little late but it seems like the holiday passed with barely a mention. I didn't see anything on the news, most people had to work. Arizona was one of the last states to recognize Martin Luther King day and did so only after the NFL boycotted Tempe as a location for the super bowl. It all boils down to consumerism but at least we finally recognize an incredible man with an honor that is well deserved.

I stole this video from Lex but I know she won't mind. As always I find Barack to be incredibly honest and passionate.

I posted Kings famous "I Have A Dream Speech" below but I also think his anti-war speeches are very relevant today. See them on youtube.

If you have a little free time, watch both videos above and hopefully find some inspiration in them.

On April 4th, 1968 our country truly lost a King.

Delegate Count

2008-01-22T17:52:00.001-08:00

Obsession

2008-01-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

I love beautiful clothes. It borders on obsession and drives Ben crazy but I just can't help it. Last night on Project Runway this dress almost gave me a heart attack. So high fashion but I want it! Where on earth would I wear a dress like that? Nowhere, I would just hang out around the house in it.

Why choose Portland?

2008-01-17T21:32:00.000-08:00

It's always the first question when I tell people I'm moving so, here are just a few reasons.

Environmental Awareness: The picture (from npr.org) is a view of Portland traffic from a bike commuter. According to Bicycling Magazine, Portland has the highest number of bike commuters in the country. Portland also has an efficient, cheap public transportation system made up of light rail, an extensive bus network and the downtown street car system. We are about to become a one vehicle family. Yay! Combine this with the city's recycling and soon to begin composting programs, the many excellent vegetarian and vegan restaurant choices and we are happy people.

-Domestic Partner Benefits: From basicrights.com "More than 1,500 Oregonians in seven cities turned out on a dark and rainy night to share their outrage and frustration with the delay in Oregon’s domestic partnership law - and to express solidarity with the hundreds of families who are urgently depending on the law."

The new domestic partner law should have gone into effect in January but has been held up in court (for the moment). Still, it makes me proud to be moving to a city where more people show up in support of the law than in opposition. Apparently, the group that has managed to get the passage of the law tied up in the courts is based out of Arizona. Of course.

-Dust: Or the lack of anyway. Finally I will be able to wear my contacts witout feeling like there are microscopic shards of glass in my eyes.

-Ben's kick-ass family. There are no words to describe how excited we are to be living near them.

Now this is not to say that there are not things we will miss about Arizona. Most of my family is here along with a great group of friends (some who will thankfully be following us to Portland).

We know everyone will be coming to visit us soon in our new home...right?

A New Year = Adventure

2008-01-16T12:17:00.001-08:00

Finally a few moments of peace. The holidays were crazy, CRAZY! Then after the new year we were off to Portland for a week of vacation. I returned to work only to find that I had been laid off. Now I find myself with an inordinate amount of spare time, a direct result of my current unemployed status. (the mortgage industry, ugh).

Since I am not working Ben and I will be headed for Portland permanently at the end of February. We are scared and nervous but unbelievably excited for the adventures we know are ahead. We will be living with Ben's ridiculously kind sister until we find a place of our own. Picture 4 adults, one kindergartner, 3 dogs and a cat all living in close quarters. AWESOME!! It will be excellent material for blogs to come I'm sure.

For the next 6 weeks I have decided to forgo a job in lieu of doing all the things I want to do but never have time for like:
Reading:
One of my resolutions this year was to read more, at least 2 books a week which I used to do regularly but somehow tapered off last year to about a book a month. I am halfway through one of the most amazing books I have ever read (and I've read a lot of books). The fact that I can say it is amazing and I am only halfway through on it's own says something. So, anyone reading this blog should run to their local library and check out Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran -Foer. You will laugh out loud, you will be moved to tears, you will ache with sadness (in a good way) and that's just the first chapter. The story of a young boy who loses his father on 9/11, it may sounds sappy and cheesy but believe me it is not.
Exercise:
I started a Bikram Yoga 30 day challenge last week. 90 minutes of the most intense exercise ever, every day for 30 days. After a class it takes about 2 hours to fully gain my motor skills back but the sense of accomplishment after completing a class is amazing. Yoga makes me happy.
Volunteering:
I always say I am going to volunteer, for the ACLU, political campaigns, etc. So with the next 6 weeks free I will be working at least 2 days a week at the Obama HQ downtown. To sum up how I feel about Barack, just read this quote from Gary Lamb, former president of the Iowa Farmers Union, "Every time we are in our darkest hour a leader emerges who inspires us, brings us together, and has the creativity to solve our problems. During the Great Depression, it was FDR. At the height of the Cold War, it was JFK Now, we face another dark hour where we are at peril, and we need a leader of integrity and courage who can restore respect and dignity to this great nation and truly create a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. And that leader is Sen. Barack Obama."
I love that quote, so on that note, I will call it a day.
To all my friends (especially the women), register to vote if you are not already. Your politics may not agree with mine but I still hope you will get out and vote in both the primary and general elections. Get involved!

2007-12-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

All of the cousins, they love each other.

More pictures

2007-12-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Erica's newest addition on top and her girls again. Syd on the right is my mini-me, she looks just like me and has the same attitude. She is going to be a handful...

Thanksgiving Pictures

2007-12-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

I am finally posting pictures of the nieces and nephew from Thanksgiving. With permission from their parents of course. The two on the left are Erica's and the two on the right are Becky's. (Becky is also currently pregnant with twins!)

Photography courtesy of Carrie Castillo (Gonzales, for those of you who know her by her maiden name). Which is the whole 2 people who actually read my blog. :)

Christmas Spirit

2007-12-16T20:40:00.000-08:00

Why is it that people seem to think the rules of the road no longer apply at Christmastime? Temporary insanity brought on by too many things to accomplish and not enough time?

I'll admit I shouldn't have procrastinated my Christmas shopping but I've had a little trouble getting motivated this year. So I of course found myself stuck in the mall gridlock this weekend. As I sat idling in the Nordstrom parking garage for over 15 minutes I found myself daydreaming about driving into the wall. Seriously. Ususally just pulling into that parking garage lifts my spirits. (I know it's pathetic but I love Nordstrom, everything in it's place, organized by color and size, it's like a little piece of heaven on earth.)

There really is no point to this story except that I hope the spirit hits me soon or else I am in for long December.

Oh, and I am posting pictures from Thanksgiving and watch for pictures from our trip to Portland in a few weeks!

Happy Holidays!`

It's raining, it's pouring...

2007-12-01T14:02:00.000-08:00

My first blog...

It's Saturday afternoon and it has been raining pretty much non-stop since yesterday morning in my neck of the woods. The constant rain is the only reason I have finally created this blog, I just can't bring myself to go out and accomplish anything.

I know people usually post pictures along with their blogs but I am not that adept at this whole blog thing yet. If I was that tech savvy I would insert a picture of myself here. The caption would be something like: Me, on the couch and in my PJ's (at 3:00 in the afternoon) blogging on the laptop.

Be glad I spared you the picture, it would not be pretty.

So, the weather is making me lazy and a little bit out of sorts. This is particularly worrisome considering Ben and I will be relocating to Portland in just a few short months. Let's hope the rain doesn't have the same affect on me there!

I guess I had better get motivated but more exciting news and updates to follow (and probably pictures as well)!