I am the only person at work today.

So lonely. Just me and the computer.

Bike Commute Challenge Finale (September)

Total Days I biked to work: 11
Total distance I biked to & from work: 151.80 miles
That means that out of 21 possible bike days I biked 52% of the time. Two of the days I didn't bike were because of the rain, one my bike was out of commission, most of the others were because I had access to a car or was heading to my parents house after work and just took the bus (free bus pass).

Sleep sleep sleep. I value it so much. I've been pretty tired and wanting more these past few days (I really need to get 8 hours if possible), but then I think about working at ODS and how little sleep the staff is getting there, and it makes me feel lucky. That's one thing I'm definitley not missing about ODS.

I helped out at workshop this weekend, on Saturday. It made me miss MC-ODS a lot, which I didn't think would happen (to that extent). I am seriously thinking about returning to ODS in the spring if the schedule allows (and assuming Paul is going back for sure). My current job will be ending just a couple of weeks before spring session begins.

Things have been a bit crazy. I already completely spaced on wedding appt, and then double booked myself for a different date. Last night I finally got a planner to write stuff down in to help me. Also, it surprises me how much family and friend "politics" goes into wedding planning and organizing. It's like I'm walking on thin ice trying to keep everyone happy and not jealous....and I thought this whole wedding planning process was going to be relatively simple. Yah right.

If nothing else, at least I'm happy with our invitations. Which reminds me to finish sending them! About 90% done though, which takes a bit more stress away. In two weeks if you happen to be reading this and haven't received one send an email my way and let me know.

Tomorrow I'm co-leading a field trip for DD Highschoolers to Bonneville Dam, which Woody Guthrie composed and sang many songs about (funded by the BPA). I'm slightly nervous because I still have the lesson plan to write tonight and I want it to be perfect. Which is impossible--there's just too much info and too little time. We're going to divide the participants into 5 groups: Engineers, Ecological Communities (ie. Salmon), Boaters (Rec/Bargest, etc.), Energy Users/Consumers, and Native Groups. Then we'll give them questions to ponder in small groups and quotes to read (which i need to prepare!), and have them present/debate on their view on the dam.

Sidenote: the March of the Penguins was nice to see, but not a big thrill. I wanted it to be a little more indepth with more info, but overall the penguins' journey is pretty amazing. And they are beautiful birds.

Okay, time to get to work and dye Sarah's hair black!

Congratulations to Mike & Amy who are now proud parents of Madison Love. :o)

This morning as I biked to work the City of Portland was putting down a ton of new Bicycle markers along my route. Each was in the middle of the block, in the middle of the street. That doesn't seem so logical to me. If the purpose of the markers is to help bicyclists find the designated bike trails around the city, then wouldn't it be more beneficial to put the markers next to intersections?

I've done a bit of sweaty biking these past two days, but no running what-so-ever. which makes me feel gross. i have not had any physical activity (minus biking and walking) in SUCH a long time. i spent 8 hours a day doing monotonous work staring at a computer screen then i bike home, make dinner, i am full while the sun sets, and i proceed to talk with my roommate (one roomate! sad!) , email or read. I l o v e reading so much. It's just hard to stop. It's what I miss most from college and high school. But I really need to get in motion. I miss tennis. I miss soccer. Running around the reservoir at night. Biking up and down the block in the saddle of two hills with my sister. Jumping in the sprinklers and zooming down the slipnslide.

Last night Sarah and I went to the Laurelhurst Theater ($3 movies! beer and pizzacato pizza) and watched Mad Hot Ballroom. It was cute. Not edited or shot in the same fantastic manner as Spellbound, but still had a lot of substance. Unfortunately I got a little sick (i never usually do) from all the blurriness of the shots and constant wobbly pans. I felt like crap all night. But I still recommend renting the movie.

ok, now for a vague wedding list on what is accomplished:
~invitations
~making an excel spreadsheet of addresses
~figuring out times
~booking venues

NOT accomplished:
~decorations
~website
~anything to do with the ceremoy
~catering for CT, chicago, and pdx whatsoever
~timeline of events
~transportation from ct to chitown
~budgeting
~figuring out and asking for help (hard to do when we have no idea what we want).
~dinner after ceremony
~coatrack
~essentials such as tablecloths, napkins
~cake
~flowers

halfway accomplished:
~photographer
~dj
~wedding attire

Looking for a non-smoking restaurant for a wedding dinner. Reservation for 34. In Portland. Any ideas? Pref. "american" food.

TMI!

I recently called a job applicant (one of the finalists) and gave them information on an upcoming job exam. It was about a 4 minute call, where I explained basic information and gave them some contact information. At the very end, they asked "Could you please send me a reminder email? I am in the shower right now and can't write this down". What the heck? TMI tmi. I did not need to know that.

For those truly wanting more information (Karin, Katherine, etc.) more will be posted here once we get our act together. ;o)

In less than 2 months I will be married. That sounds so old. It also seems like I should stop blogging, because in my mind married people don't blog (that's for the young college folk), and are boring. But I know that's not true, and actually pretty rediculous. It just seems strange to think that I will be MARRIED and a WIFE in just a few weeks. I don't think I like those titles, although I am looking forward to everything.

200+ envelopes sealed, 3 more to be calligraphied by my mother tomorrow morning, and 70 .pdf email invites to be sent out for those that I don't have addresses to. All in all though, I bet many won't be able to make it, although we would love to see everyone at any one of our three receptions. Gifts are not needed, we just want to celebrate with friends and family and have fun. I'm super excited about the recipes too....I bet we'll get some great ones.

Tomorrow after work I am going to pick up our lease (2bdrm apt with a balcony/patio in Sellwood for cheap!) to sign. We're getting the place a month early (Oct. 2nd) so we can start moving in before the wedding and also so that we can turn it into a hostel-ish atmosphere for friends who are flying out. I hope it all works out, considering we had problems getting the initial apt we wanted. Then, tomorrow evening Nicole and I are driving to Bridal Veil, OR* to mail the invitations. I know, a bit extreme just for a postmark, but they handstamp them and everything with a special wedding one. Plus, it's only a 28 minute drive, and a GORGEOUS** one through the Columbia River Gorge past many waterfalls. I wasn't going to do it, but Nicole insisted (that's what best friends are for), and it will be fun to talk along the way.

Paul took off for Outdoor School today, so technically I will only see him for 6 days--all Saturdays--until the week before the wedding. That means I have a lot of planning to do on my own. It's a bit overwhelming when I realize how much we need to prepare for with such an informal recption space in Portland, even if it is a ballroom (coat racks, tablecloths, soundsystem, flowers, etc.). Lots of little details too.

*I really wanted to link to the statistics of the Bridal Veil Post Office, but I couldn't find them. They're pretty astounding in terms of how much mail is siphoned through, and the ratio of wedding mail to regular mail, considering the PO is about the size of a shoebox.

**One of the Top 10 Fall Foliage Spots in the US.

Happy Birthday Nicole!

Lori and Scott made Kumla tonight for the family (plus me!). Y-U-M. I had never had it before, and really had no idea what it was until I saw Lori and Kathy making it. Handmade from scratch. It was excellent. And then homemade banana cake and freshly brewed tea. Ahhh what an evening. And now--what a belly! Top it off with great company (my Nick, a 1.5 year old cutie boy who had a "crush" on me, and a 7week old roly-poly furball of a golden retriever named Espen) and it was a wonderful evening.

An interestingly-related google link: The Society for the Promotion of Kumla

So far in the Bike Commute Challenge (starting Sept 1st):

Total Days I've biked: 7
Total distance I've biked: 96.60 miles

Neat!

Stuffing wedding envelopes and finishing up last invitation details. Miss Manners will be displeased, but email invites will also be going out. There's just so many addresses that I don't have. I'm getting excited.....less than two months. And free photography and videography from craigslist (I hope it works out! we're meeting soon) for the pdx celebration. Also, a website will be up soon. more details later.

I went into the kitchen tonight, looked out the back window, and saw that our next door neighbors (4 ft away) were skinning and chopping up two squirrels outside my back door. They had the BBQ out and ready to go. Which left me wondering a whole bunch of questions: what do squirrels taste like? where did they get them (the park across the street?)? how did they kill them? and how often do they eat squirrels?

I, on the other hand, was eating almost the exact opposite food as my Hmong neighbors: mac n cheese with the neon orange mix.

I want this so bad.

After a free bike tuneup yesterday morning (where I got a free speedometer/tracker!), today I had my first ride to work, and then logged it into the Bike Commute Challenge. 6.9 miles each way. A nice ride. My goal is to ride to work at least half of the time this month.