score!

i just bought red crocs in my correct size for $15 (original price of $38). it made me so happy i didn't even get annoyed about the sales tax. (it might take a while for me to get used to sales tax for everything...it just seems unfair!....but I guess I can't wait to buy everything in Oregon on my visits home).

i bought them at a cool bike place called Williamson Bicycle Works & Fitness, where we also racked up a sale of 1) a nifty rack for the back of my bike 2) front and back detachable fenders so I do not look like i took a mudbath after riding & 3) a new seatpost for paul, so he can actually have his seat at the correct height.

earler in the afternoon I also scored a cute red Madison Public Library card. i can now put up to 100 items on hold (a big improvement from a piddly 15 at multnomah county), but only renew items two times, and items can't be checked out as long as multnomah county (which means I can't hold items for months on end anymore). I guess this means I'll be utilizing the library more frequently.

i love public libraries so much. and i was super glad to find out that I can soon get a free library card to the university of wisconsin library too. good news.

things are better. a little more unpacked, no more sleeping on the floor, a semi-clean kitchen. but still ants--bleh.

today is paul's second day of orientation, i might join him for the rso fair. and possibly stop by a downtown bike shop to update my bike. a pedal in the rain on a dirt trail showed me the incredible need for fenders if i'm to propel myself around this city for the next few months solely by bike. also, i would like some sort of transport system for my things besides a backpack. i've seen a lot of plastic milkcrate bikes around, and that seems like a good solution to me. also, my computer stopped recording mileage and speed, and my front left brake is faulty, so i need that fixed. other than that though, i'm excited to bike. the roads seem a bit bumpier and potholier than portland, but there are a lot of places to ride. :o)

oh! good news. Since I've now worked at trimet for a consecutive year (i've actually been employed longer, but there was a break in between two times), I accrued 2 weeks of vacation. this means that these past two weeks where i was taking "unpaid leave" are now paid! it's like having a huge surprise bonus. perfect timing.

goals for this week:
*get public library card and books
*organize kitchen
*itemize finanaces in a spreadsheet
*apply for jobs
*get insurance

random stuff
-my parents came on thurs and left this morning, taking the car with them as they start their scenic drive through canada. lots of bike riding and walking from here on out!
-our new apt is decent. nice, new carpet, two bedrooms, in the winter when the leaves are off the trees we'll have a view of the lake. but the are some downsides too: ants! everywhere. and they suck. and still TONS of unpacking to do. moving is no fun.
-i feel a bit depressed. maybe it's from actually having my parents leave and now being stuck with lots of cleaning and unpacking and organizing to do on top of not knowing anyone here, not having a job, and house pressures. but this will probably smooth over. i feel a bit anxious and nervous and scared and sick.
-we walked through the house. and had a 4.5 hour home inspection. lots to be done. lots to be improved, but overall i still love the place! so exciting.
-yesterday in madison was probably the most ugly day i've ever seen in my life. gray. GRAY everywhere, fog and humidity and grossness. i hope we never have another day like that again. but, i was immensely cheered up when we went out to see Little Miss Sunshine. such a hit. i recommend it to everyone! i laughed so hard i started crying, and i don't think i've done that in years!
-ok. time for me to get back to cleaning up the apt. wish we could be having lunch with ruthie and katherine and erik in chicago, but maybe we will sometime in the future.

take care all.

welcome to wisconsin: you are now experiencing golf-ball sized hail, 80+ mph winds, and at least 5 tornadoes.

YIKES

so tonight as we were unpacking i heard a loud strange annoying siren. it wasn't our building's fire alarm, so i supposed it must be another one nearby (how am i to know? we've only been here for one day!). then it went off again about 40 min later. paul's cousin jason hears it and says "hmm...that sounds like the tornado siren". scary! so we had a few hours of "tornado warnings" until midnight tonight. we could have taken shelter in the laundry room in the basement, but instead we just watched the local news, scanned the radars, and ate dinner in our second floor apartment. but still! luckily there was no tornado immediately in our area (although it seems there was one a few miles away), and as far as i know my parent's car is safe in the parking lot. in the morning we'll inspect it for damage. i'm crossing my fingers, but i think all is well.

who ever heard of tornados in winsonsin anyhow?!

we're here!
in madison.
whew, that was a long drive. more details to come.

leaving for wisconsin tuesday morning. rented a small uhaul trailer. taking one car. through glacier natl park and jewel caves natl park along the way. no email or internet for a while. call if you need us.

today we did the 10-bridge pedal, 36 miles. and it was so good. then the afternoon/evening with friends and family. now on to packing!

back from the beach. neahkahnie, manzanita, tillamook and astoria.
now on to packing!