Nickols/Hart Wedding

I just got back from one of my good friend, Ben Hart's wedding. I had the pleasure of seeing Ben Hart and Miranda Nickols get married and had a blast hanging out with good friends at the reception. Miranda looked gorgeous, but when she walked into the church and all eyes were on her, I was watching Ben, who was smiling so brightly and slightly chuckling because he probably couldn't contain his happiness. The ceremony was meaningful and everyone got a few chuckles out when Ben forgot to repeat back part of the vows because he was just staring at Miranda. It was also entertaining when Ben pulled a classic "Ben" move; as they walked back down the aisle as husband and wife, Ben shot up his fisted hand in a sign of victory. I just rolled my eyes and chuckled since I should have figured he'd do something like that.

The reception was great and it was interesting to talk to Ben's dad, who didn't recognize me until I told him who I was. He also asked later if I was with anyone, and when I commented no, he said he was surprised and thought that guys must be beating down my door asking for dates. I thanked him and said it was flattering, but very far from the truth. He then added that since I also have a fun personality, it was another reason for someone to at least be pursuing me. I was very flattered. I seemed to get along just fine with everyone who seemed to hold a grudge against me in Pony Club (as far as the adults are concerned). Maybe they see that I'm not some horrible person that they thought? Or maybe they just don't view me as a threat to their kids anymore? lol.

Matt, Flora and I were discussing the bouquet and how Miranda should just throw it to me since I never really want to partake in this little tradition at the reception. They never got to tell her, from what I know, but it didn't stop fate, I guess...
When time came to throw the bouquet, I was ushered up to the group of single ladies. I stood in front, not expecting anything and not putting in any effort at all. The bouquet was thrown to the right of me, so I didn't even raise my hand; I just watched as multiple girls were screaming and reaching in vain to try and snatch it first. Amidst all the fighting, the bouquet ended up on the grounded in front of me so I instinctively just reached down and picked it up. So I caught the bouquet. Joy. The first thing I heard was to the tune of what catching the bouquet meant as far as my year abroad in France is concerned. Thanks for that, Matt. :p

Everything turned out great and I'm so happy for both Ben and Miranda. Have fun in Maui, take lots of pictures, and remember to lean on each other in times of trouble, and share in each other's accomplishments! I love you both!

I call 911 for my math homework too.

I Left My Passport in San Francisco

So I am finally uploading photos from my San Francisco trip with my mom. We had a relatively great time. From Fisherman's Warf, to Pier 39, to Ghirardelli Square to California Museum of Sciences to the Redwoods, we pretty much saw it all. My mom and I met up with my mom's old friend, Vivian, who lives in the East Bay. We went to Pier 39 and had a fishy lunch and visited the Aquairum of the Bay. Lots of interesting facts and fish to look at, as well as an incredibly smart octopus! There were a bunch of sardines all traveling in a group and my mom and Vivian commented on how it looked like something you'd see on a trip. And I'm not talking about a family vacation. We also watched a video of an octopus trying to reach a bunch of food in a science beaker. They have the mental capacity of a three year old and love to be given puzzles to figure out. It was really fascinating to view all the different species that live in the ocean that I didn't know even existed.

The visa application was simple enough, although I was nervous they wouldn't accept part of my application because it was somehow incomplete. I didn't have any problems though, so I was overjoyed about that. An attractive Frenchman was helping me with my application and he seemed very nice, that was a plus.

We stayed at the Hotel Astoria, which was ride outside the gate of Chinatown. Although I was stoked about the location, the Chinese restaurant we went to on the first night was less than stellar. It was called Bow Hon. I recommend NEVER going there. Some of our food was raw, although it didn't look like it from the outside. I'll never eat in Chinatown again, although if you do, look for places with a lot of Chinese people eating there. That's a good sign.

We also took a day to go see the California Museum of Sciences, which I absolutely loved! There were so many fascinating things there, including a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. We went on what we learned was "Free Wednesday". The line to get in could be compared to the line at Splash Mountain (or some other similarly popular ride) at Disneyland. Once in, we explored around in the aquarium (can you tell I love water?). We skipped the Rainforest dome because the line was also a mile long. Tickets were long sold out for the planetarium and the Reptiles exhibit, but I still managed to have a blast. Museums are the best place to actively learn about the world around you, and I don't think I've ever been bored in a museum. There was an eco-friendly garden blanketing the rooftop, where it kept the electricity cost down, and also served as a learning facility. Across the road there was the de Young Museum, which housed a temporary tribute to Picasso.

We managed to get lost on public transport and had to walk most of the way (take a taxi, despite the cost). The food is insanely expensive ($20 for a sandwich which was mediocre at best, bottle of diet coke, and a cookie) so bring your own. And don't go on Free Wednesdays unless you adore screaming and crying kids with sticky fingers.

We took the 101 home and stopped in the Redwoods. I love the area and wanted to stop at the Trees of Mystery and drive through the Avenue of the Giants. I'm glad we did. Trees of Mystery weren't crowded and we got to take our time. For those who haven't been, you're greeted at the entrance by a 50ft tall statue of Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe. The best part is, he talks. And not just some repeated schmaltz about the trees, it's a guy somewhere (I won't say where, but I do know :p) talking back to you. Fantastically entertaining. In the photo on the left, you can see I'm sitting on his foot. As we made our way through the trees, there are audio lectures you can listen to about the unique trees and their weird shapes. Some trees have grown out of the branches of a parent tree, so each branch has at least on separate tree growing straight up out of it. It's something you'd see on Star War's forest moon of Endor (I'll leave it to you to get the joke). We bought my dad a Coastal Redwood (sequoia sempervirens) because he already has multiple giant seqouias (sequoia giganteum) growing on  our property. I also got some Native American earrings from the small Native American Museum that was nearby. I can't resist sampling some of my heritage! :)

The Trees of Mystery has one of my favorite quotes:

After that, I needed to drive because my mom was exhausted (although I had been driving 95% of the way so far). We ended up at home around 9pm, a couple hours later than anticipated, but that didn't matter. I got my visa applied for, I saw some great San Francisco landmarks, visited the mighty Redwoods, and had a nice drive home with my mommy. I love traveling :D

Star Wars and Studying Abroad

As I'm sitting here watching Star Wars IV: A New Hope (and blogging, obviously), I'm starting to think more about the logistics of studying abroad. I'm thinking about when and what I need to start packing, getting compression socks, money, my going-away party, and a few more things. It's going to get more exciting as my departure date draws closer, and equally more unnerving that I'll be gone for an entire school year (if not longer - crossed fingers for that internship!) with no connections in some foreign land where I'm not yet fluent in the language. All my friends will be having a great time here while I'll be off in a distant land. It's the whole "out of sight, out of mind" thing, unfortunately.
BUT. If people do want to keep in contact with me, I'd absolutely love to send them postcards and such. It's fun and sort of old fashioned but it seems more heartfelt and besides, don't you just love getting stuff that isn't bills or junk in the mail?!?! I'll probably have a notebook set out at my party so if people are so inclined, they can write down their addresses.

On the topic of Star Wars: It's the shiz. Now I know people constantly say that IV, V, and VI are the best, but I really can't choose between them all. The newest 3 have better special effects and tell the back story but at the same time the older ones are the originals, and you can hardly ever beat originals.

Aside from all that good stuff, I just got done painting the downstairs bathroom light blue. It looks so much better than that gawdawful wallpaper that was in there before. If I had taken any photos, I would put them up but then I might just be doing you a disservice because that wall was so incredibly hideous.

I can't wait for my Denmark reunion with my buddy Victoria. She's coming down and staying with me a couple days. Woo!

One last thing: Don't forget to follow me before I go abroad. It's on my blog, directly below my photos on the sidebar. If you have a Google account, it should be easier, but either way it'll be worth it!

I'd make one bad-ass mother to deal with

First, here's a back-story in order to set the scene:

There have been reports of things going missing from neighbors on my road. We don't know who it is, but a number of things have been stolen from multiple properties; dirt bikes, incubators to name only a few. It seems as though the culprits drive around during the day, scoping the place out, and either take it when they know the owner isn't home, or they come back at night to get their cache.

Here's the scenario (this just happened, in case you were wondering). It's midnight and I'm in bed watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer (don't judge) and see the park lights and tail lights of a car near our chicken coop which is at least 50 yards from my house. I don't see any headlights. On top of that red flag going off in my head, the incubator that was stolen from our property resided in the chicken coop for temporary storage so I surmised that they were back for more. I paused Buffy and went on red-alert. The window was open so I strained my ears for any signal/sound of forced entry. It sounded like someone was sawing at the chicken wire covering the windows, so I leapt out of bed. I kept the lights off, so as to not alert the intruders of my awareness of their presence; I wanted a good shot at these guys. I went to my parent's bedroom and in hushed, firm tones notified my dad of the possible thieves. I glance down the stairs and look back to see covers being flung to the side, as my dad, in one swift motion, met me at the top of the stairs. By the time my dad had gotten down 2 stairs, I was already at the bottom (I'm not sure whether I took them two at a time, or just teleported down). I immediately went to my left, where leaning in a corner, was a rifle. I had no idea until I picked it up whether it was a BB gun or a 22 but either would have sufficed (it was a BB gun, in case you were interested). I was prepared to slip on my tennis shoes that were by the door, quietly slip out of the house covert-ops style and move swiftly until I could almost see the whites of their eyes. I hadn't planned out what I was going to say, but it probably would have been something along the lines of "Set anything you have down boys, I have a gun and I'm a hell of a good shot, so don't bother trying to run - it's a waste of energy". The part about me being a good shot wasn't a lie, but I probably would have said it anyway if it was. My body was teeming with adrenaline and I was prepared to call upon every ounce of athletic ability, training, and know-how in order to give these guys one hell of a scare and turn them into the authorities. No one tries to be sneaky and get away with something on my watch.

Then my dad informed me that it was only Rob, who had promised that he would be back to pick up the rest of the hay that he had left in our field earlier that day. His headlights were just hidden from view and the noise I heard was from his truck and loader, picking up the hay. Darn.

Regardless, I realized I am an even tougher and meaner person than I knew and I wouldn't advise anyone to come on my property uninvited, especially to steal something. Even I don't know just exactly what I'm capable of, but I know it's somewhat north of a lot :)


Anywho, hope this brought you some form of entertainment, because I'm sure my dad got a kick out of how ready I was to take on any thug that should trespass.




This is what happens when I'm bored during the summer, and just waiting for something exciting to happen.

Good day until....

Went to Eugene, took my final, had an essentially free lunch, got some new luggage, deposited a check into savings (doesn't that feel good?!), and went and saw Thor. Then I got home....

I received a note from Bailey Veterinary Clinic (where I had Remy put down). It was a simple card expressing their sympathies with a nice quote on the front. It was very sweet and I know that it wasn't just some generic card they send out. They know almost all their patients personally (or animally?). It was just that little card that turned my day sour. It was enough to make me cry. Again. I've cried every day since Friday. I miss that little rat. I keep finding photos of him in my camera, photo collection, things like that.

I just wish he was back with me. I keep looking in the direction of his cage when I walk into the room to shout "Hi Rem-Rem!"

This sucks.

Remy

Some people know that I had to put my beloved rat, Remy, down yesterday - and for those who don't I'm letting everyone in on what happened.

   He took a turn for the worst on Friday after he stopped drinking water willingly a week ago. He wouldn't lift his head, eat or drink, or stand up on his own. I took him to the vet to see if there was anything we could do and our vet, Betheny, told us he probably had liver failure from the yellowing of his skin (which we attributed to the leftover iodine from his last surgery). She said that would have probably died later that day. I got to hold him and love on him for a while and was there when she gave him some anesthesia to make him go to sleep. They do this with smaller animals because they need to put the needle into his heart since his veins are so small. There have been accounts from people under this sort of anesthesia that said it felt very euphoric, and so my dad and I, along with our vet, felt good about Remy feeling so relaxed and happy as he went to sleep. I told him goodnight and that I loved him very much and showered him with kisses and scratched his back (he loved to sit in my lap and cuddle while I rubbed/scratched his back). You are right to assume that I have been bawling this entire time, although I managed to keep a conversation fairly well.
   Betheny told me that I did everything correct in taking care of him and that I couldn't have prevented his liver failure. She said if we had even come in at the earliest signs, I would have had a battle on my hands that would have ended the same way. She knew he was incredibly loved. People were very fond of Remy when he came in for his two quick surgeries to remove small benign tumors. He was quite the ladie's man and was very loved.

   We buried him out with our dog George (he died a year ago on graduation day which is the same day I had to put Remy down), and my cat, Johnny (who died in March), out in the wooded area behind our house. He's buried in his little play tube that he loved so much.

   Remy loved to give kisses and take rides on shoulders. He loved to cuddle up with me and take naps while I worked, or even took a nap as well. The little guy never bit once and was incredibly intelligent. He was the only rat left for sale in the pet store in Portland when I went to see about a pet to keep me company. He was seven months old at the time. Why no one had chosen him yet was a mystery to me, because that Remy was one of a kind. I can only guess that he was meant for me and I was meant for him. Some people make fun because I was so attached to a rat, but it's only due to ignorance that they think that.

   Rats are incredibly smart and fiercely loyal. They are a great pet and companion to have and I recommend them to anyone wanting a buddy. Males are typically more cuddly than females, but both have their good points. Each has their own personality that will make you laugh and think they were such an amazing gift to have.

I love you so much Rem-Rem. You'll always be my little chef and I'll think about you often. You were such a gift to me and changed a lot of peoples' opinions about rats. Your personality was so big that you seemed like a little person. That made it even harder when I had to make the best decision for you to let you go. You will be impossible to replace. You were one of the best things to ever happen to me.

 I love you, puddin'. 

50 Life Lessons

50 Lessons Life Taught Me

By Regina Brett



To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

 It is the most-requested column I've ever written. When my odometer rolled over to 50, I updated the list.

Here it is:

1. 

Life isn't fair, but it's still good.


2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.


4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.


5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.


7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.


9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.


10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.


12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.


13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.


15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.


16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.


18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.


20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.


22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.


23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.


24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"


27. Always choose life.


28. Forgive everyone everything.


29. What other people think of you is none of your business.


30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.


31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.


36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.


40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.


41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.


42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.


43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.


44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.


45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.


47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.


48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.


50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift...

Treacherous Car Ride

   I was driving back from my extended Memorial Day Weekend at my house back to my apartment in Eugene when I noticed my driver's side headlight was out (the high beam still worked though). It was getting dark but thankfully wasn't precipitating much more than a very light sprinkle. That all turned against me a little bit north of Sutherlin. It all of a sudden got significantly darker and the rain started coming in a torrential downpour; so much that I had my windshield wipers the highest they could go and they still couldn't keep up. It was as if God decided "Hey, let's just throw everything at her and see how good of a driver she really is".
   It was pitch black by the time I reached Drain and everyone seemed to be thundering past me. It might have had something to do with me driving around 50 miles an hour, at most. I was reluctant to turn on my brights because that would do a disservice to anyone in front of me (and if I was really unlucky, some guy with 10 years of pent-up road rage waiting to explode). So I was taking the curves between Drain and Cottage Grove like a pro, although at times I was fearing for my life. Using a combination of following the car in front of me, and trying to pick out one of the lines on either side of me, I managed not to run off the road into some Godforsaken wilderness. I noticed about halfway into my trip that I was straining my eyes so hard in order to see better that it was like my eyes were waiting to adjust and become more catlike so I could actually see in the dark. After I realized that wasn't going to happen anytime soon, I was forced to stop at Cottage Grove in order to call my dad and give my eyes a quick break. 10 minutes had passed and I decided I might as well forego any driver's etiquette and drive with my high beams and only at 50 miles an hour or so for the remaining 20 miles I needed to get safely to my apartment. Surprisingly, I wasn't pulled over (I think it's my luck with driving and lack of tickets/pull overs) for being a menace on the road, but hey, I'm not complaining.

   I got my headlight fixed, although this is the 3rd or 4th time that same darn light has gone out in the past couple months. We already took it in to have it looked at, but apparently the problem wasn't fixed, so this weekend: to the shop again!

On an irrelevant note: Congratulations (or should I say: congraduations) to my sister, Jennifer, who is graduating this Saturday from Douglas High School. She'll be attending Western Oregon University to major in music (I think? But I believe she still might go back to nursing - she just changed her desired major a week ago). Congratulations to the Douglas High School Class of 2011!