Best. Week. Ever.

Ever.

More to follow.

As you are all aware, I have been blessed with a larger than average derriere. It hasn't always been easy to find jeans with enough room in the seat. Last night I bought "Curvy" jeans. They fit!! I'm quite excited. Ahhh, finally, pants that fit my big ass. But in the words of a good friend of mine, "it's not big, it's nice." Thanks.

You are a Social Liberal (78% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (10% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Interesting.

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed.Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections.Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down.You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist.

What's" Your Personality Type?

You Are a Kinetic Learner

You learn best by doing, and you have a talent for complicated, physical tasks.You excel at athletics, drama, and fixing things.You would be an excellent Olympic athlete - or a Broadway star!

What's" Your Learning Style?

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day. It brings me such joy to see giant trees, wildflowers, raging rivers, and Mt. Hood in the distance. There is nothing better than a sunny day in Portland! Besides being home, I got to see some of my most favorite people on the planet.

My mom, sister, and I traveled out to St. Vincent's Hospital to see my grandma. She is actually doing better than I anticipated. She's still in pretty bad shape, but I think she's going to be able to hold on a little longer now. When I heard she had pneumonia, I thought she was going to leave us, but she's recovering & looks great. While we were at the hospital, the paramedics showed up to move her to a rehabilitation center. My sister rode with them in the ambulance while my mom and I packed up her stuff. As we were arriving at the care facility, my aunt, cousin, and grandpa pulled up. It was so nice to see everybody. My cousin Jessie currently lives in Pennsylvania, so we don't see her that often. What a treat to see my family. Somebody may argue with me, but I really do think that I have the best family ever!

After spending some time with the family, we headed back to Troutdale to get ready for Alex's wedding. Benny and I spoke, but it just wasn't going to work out to hang out that evening. : (
The wedding was beautiful. Alex looked stunning & Tyler looked great too. At the reception Alex's mom Lori recruited me to cut the cake. Apparently they didn't have someone to cut it, so they asked me. I am a professional! It was nice to be able to help out, and I even got plenty of compliments on my mad cake cutting skills. Seven years of working at a wedding place trained me well.

It was 10:30 before we got out of there & we went over to the Aladdin to see if I could catch Benny. Luckily, they were still playing & the lady out front gave me a comp ticket. I was able to see the band play a few more songs & they were incredible!! Benny was on piano, Essiet Essiet on bass, Ingrid Jensen on trumpet, Jon Wikan on drums, and Kevin Mahogany & Nancy King on vocals. They were fabulous! Steve Christoperson sat in on piano too, which was awesome. After the show, I saw my good friend John Nastos & Mary Kadderly. I caught up with Benny & was able to spend some time with him. What a great friend! I was re-introduced to Kevin Mahogany, who actually remembered me from the concert I played with him a few years ago. He was super sweet & invited me to come back and hang out after his performance at the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival tomorrow. It's too bad that I have to leave before he plays. I told him that I wasn't playing trombone anymore, but I had started singing. He said that the singers won since I came over to their side. Nice guy.

Benny was great. He spent some time talking with my mom and Katie. He didn't even recognize Katie at first (it's been over 2 years since he'd seen her), but really complimented he on how much she has grown up & how pretty she looked. As we were leaving the theatre, we bumped into Mary again. If you ever need a self esteem boost, talk to Mary Kadderly! She is an amazingly sweet woman. She always makes me feel good about my singing, even when I'm not sure I should be doing it. I have a feeling she and I will be a little better about keeping in touch.

Today I get to hang out with my dad & my best friend Alicia. Later, I'll be going back to my old work, East Fork Country Estate, to sit in and help out. I'm really looking forward to seeing all of my old friends & my old boss (who is a great friend herself). So far, this trip back has been wonderful. Each time I come back, I realize how much this place and these people mean to me. There really is "no place like home."

I first want to send out my condolences to Josef's family and friends. I barely knew him, just having met him before I left town, but I will remember his kindness. I am saddened to hear of his passing and I wish I would have taken the time to get to know him. I am sorry that all of my dear friends in Eau Claire have to experience another loss this year; it just doesn't seem fair. My heart is heavy for you all.

***



The rundown. . .

The day sorta started out badly. I didn't feel good, my phone was freaking out (I accidentally called Alicia at 7 am. . .twice!), there were annoying people on the bus, and there wasn't much to do in the repair shop. Things began to get better when I took a coffee break & the coffee dude across the street hooked me up with 2 extra shots in my drink. Yes! The headache subsided & the fun began. I was able to get a lot of chem cleans (or Globo-chems as I like to call them) done on all of the University of Idaho horns & still had time to goof around. Yes!

Probably the best part of my day was the great talk I had with Benny. He called me out of the blue just to tell me some things that he had been working on & how it might help me. We talked for quite some time & I felt really good about myself afterwards. He is one of the few people who REALLY sees me & can articulate how he feels. I'm glad he's my friend.

Also, Ez said that his school didn't get my resume that I sent a couple of weeks ago, so I'm going to resend it tomorrow. I'm kind of glad they didn't get it, 'cause I thought they were ignoring me. Apparently the school is short staffed & is looking for some people. I really hope I get the job. It would be great to work at the same place as Ez.

I just wrote a paragraph, but then erased it. I think I'll send an email.

Okay, time for bed. Sorry the entry is all over the place; that's just how I'm feeling.

Love.

You Are Most Like Bill Clinton

No doubt, your legacy may be a little seedier than you'd like.But even though you've done some questionable things, you're still loved by almost all.

What Modern US President Are You Most Like?

At least I'm more like him than "W!"

Grandma update.

My grandma is doing a bit better. The doctors are not going to diagnose anything further, instead, they are going to find a way for her to manage her pain. She'll be in the hospital for the next couple of days before she is moved to a care facility. She'll be there for a few weeks or so before going home, if possible. I'm feeling better about things; I was really worried about her. We've always been close, but even more so the past couple of years. I'm glad I'll get to see her next Friday when I'm in p-town.

Love.

For post 100 I decided to spruce up the ol' page. What do you think?


I found out this evening that my grandma is in the hospital and isn't doing too well. She's in a ton of pain and I'm really worried about her. It's hard for me not to be there. If you're a praying person, please send one up for her; she could really use it right now.

Thanks.

Earlier today I was thinking of things that I should write about, but now, as I sit to do it, I can't remember a damn thing! I suppose I'll compile some sort of list.

- Well, Ben is coming through tomorrow to visit. He'll crash here, then head back to Eau Claire. I'm glad I'll have a friend around for the 4th. It will be great to have a drinking buddy!

- My neighbor is going to be out of town for a month & has decided to let me use her piano in her absence. I'm quite excited! She has a nice Boston baby grand & I'll be able to use it whenever I like. I'm looking forward to practicing before I head up to Port Townsend.

- I got some pretty great pants today. They're soft.

- I'm so enjoying having an mp3 player. The past couple of days were "Etta James Days." I listened to shit tons of Etta; it was fun. I think I'll listen to some Betty Carter tomorrow. I picked up a biography on her from the library today. I hope it's interesting. I don't know much about her.

- I went with my mom and her whatever-he-is, Chris, to see "Cars" tonight. I thought it was cute. It was fun watching it in a theatre with a bunch of kids; they get so excited.

- All of the important things I was going to share have slipped through the cracks in my brain. Maybe I'll post tomorrow. Probably not.

Happy 4th.

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are quite expressive and thoughtful. You see the world in a way that others are blind to. You are a grounded person, but you also leave room for imagination and dreams. You feet may be on the ground, but you're head is in the clouds. You see yourself with pretty objective eyes. How you view yourself is almost exactly how other people view you. Your near future is all about change, but in very small steps. The end of the journey looks far, but it's much closer than you realize. For you, falling in love is all about the adventure and uncertainty. You can only fall in love with someone who keeps you guessing.

Inside the Room of Your Soul

Dear God! I hope my soul doesn't look like that!!

Your Boobies' Names Are...

Bert and Ernie

Boobie Name Generator

You Should Visit Argentina

Cowboys, European food, beaches, and skiing. This country is like no other!Learn to tango, hike across Patagonia, eat at fine restaurants... you'll never be bored.

What Latin American Country Should You Visit?

You are 73% Sagittarius

How Sagittarius Are You?

You Are 44% Lady

You're part lady, part modern woman.Etiquette is important to you, but you brush aside rules that are outdated or silly.

Are You A Lady?

Your Inner European is Dutch!

Open minded and tolerant.You're up for just about anything.

Who's" Your Inner European?

Exotic Dancer Name Is...

Ginger

Exotic Dancer Name Generator

I'm sure you've all been glued to your computer screen waiting impatiently to find out how my try at Jeopardy! went. I'm sure. Well, I didn't pass the first round, but I did pretty well I think. I was one of about 80 people in the room, in which I was the youngest by far! There were only about 5 people that passed onto the next round & they were all at least in their 50s. I did have fun & got a sweet pen. I'll try out again next year, maybe for College Jeopardy where I would be competing with people from my own generation.

I'll write more later. I'll call you back too. Sorry friends!!