Seashells by the Seashore

I recently spent a fun couple of days in Cannon Beach, OR with some of my family. Despite my sunburn, I had a fantastic time!

We made sand castles.














We tried skim-boarding - some had more luck than others.





























We ran from the waves





















and were reminded again of just how beautiful Oregon can
be.
















We went for a hike, Kohler-style...
















...with beautiful scenery along the way and a big payoff of a view at the end.
















Wish you could have been there!

Why Me?

Hello! This news has been coming for awhile now, but I had no idea just how soon it would happen. I - along with nearly my entire department - was laid-off this morning. Or, as the British say, "made redundant". Basically my company is out-sourcing to India where the work can be done much cheaper. Darn them and their cheap labor! Like I said, I knew lay-offs were on the horizon but had no idea that I was on the front line. The four people in my department who did not lose their jobs outright are only being kept for two more months.

Yes, there's a severance package so I do have some breathing room to find a new job. It's just going to be strange to not have to be somewhere everyday. It hasn't entirely sunk in yet.

I'm trying to view this as an opportunity to find something that makes me happier and a place to which I enjoy going. It has been a long time since I've been able to say that about this particular job.

That's all I know! Commence job-search.

My new neighbor

Is the Doctor In?

Ach! I am a bundle of nerves today. Brett is in Boston where he had an admissions interview with Tufts University School of Medicine today. We didn't have much heads up or I would have gone along with him. The day was completely scheduled so he'll be one tired guy when he gets done today. I hate waiting for the phone to ring!!

Typical Interview Itinerary:
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM Arrival and Registration of Applicants
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Presentations about Tufts University School of Medicine: Curriculum, Student Life, and Financial Aid
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Lunch with current TUSM students
1:00 PM - 4:15 PM Interviews, Tour and Q&A: During this time all applicants will have two interviews, a Campus Tour and the opportunity to ask questions of current students and faculty.You will be given the names of your two (2) interviewers and your interview times at Registration. This itinerary is subject to change. You will be notified of your final schedule the morning you arrive for your Interview Day.

And so this year's garden begins!

Really????

This is coming back in style? Don't give me the bit about how everything comes around again...this should never come back. Some things aren't meant to have a second life.

I Think You're Wonderful

Last night my six-year-old nephew, Keaton, had his first-grade school program – Hearts and Hands. These school programs are entertaining in a way entirely unique to themselves. In fact, at one point, Brett – who is diabetic - leaned over to me and said he was going to have to take more insulin as there was so much sweetness going on. Where else does one hear songs with titles such as “Making Valentines”, “Love is the Magic Word” and “I Think You’re Wonderful”? The best song, though, was one called “A Different Beat” that basically taught there are many people on the street and each moves to a different beat and really that’s okay. While most of the songs had hand motions, this particular one had such gems as disco moves, hip rolls, shoulder shimmies and fist-pumping. The little girl on the riser behind Keaton left me with tears of laughter rolling down my cheeks. She was so exuberant and so very into her dance moves and was obviously having SUCH a great time that I wish I had video of it to play when I could use a laugh.

So if you ever need to be reminded of how simple and fun life can be, find a grade-school program to attend. But preferably one in which you actually know one of the participants. Otherwise it might be a bit creepy.

Urban Farmers

I read the most interesting book this weekend. It is titled Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter. I am a total back-to-the-earth hippie at heart (though I shower regularly and shun patchouli) and daydream about the day I can have a gigantic garden and honey bees and farm birds and would love to be completely self-sufficient. I know the complete self-sufficiency is a long-shot, though, because I draw the line at raising and butchering my own meat and I will never be anything other than an omnivore. The author of this book, however, draws no such line. She lives in urban Oakland and turns the abandoned lot next to her apartment into a big garden and raises everything from chickens and geese to pigs, rabbits and goats in her backyard with the intent of eating the meat birds and animals. I totally geeked out reading this book - imagine how excited I was when i found her blog online! (novellacarpenter.com) I love the idea of growing all my own produce. Right now my garlic crop is coming in and I check it every day as though I expect it to grow inches overnight. I am planning this year's garden already, deciding what food I want to grow and what the ratio of ornamentals to edibles should be. I will grow flowers to attract the hummingbirds and bees so am researching which varieties will draw the biggest crowds. I am totally itching to get my fingers dirty and it's still January!

Happy New Year

Yes, six days late, but Happy New Year nonetheless. I haven't set any official NY resolutions. There are definite things I wish to do/accomplish this year, but generally I'm just planning on making it the best year possible. I would like to blog more. But if I make it an actual resolution it won't happen. Other goals I won't make official are to exercise regularly (such a cliche), increase my creative projects, see things with a glass-half-full mentality, and spend more time fortifying my personal relationships with family and friends. Easy peasy, right?

Where's My Stuff??

One of the best parts of internet shopping is being able to track the package as it makes its way to me.I can't explain why, but I really do get excited as it gets closer and closer, even when I'm not self-gifting. Equal to my excitement over getting a package is my disappointment when I learn it's being sent via the US Postal Service. Now, don't get me wrong - I like supporting the post office because somehow I think if they get enough business they'll stop raising stamp prices Every Single Year.But their tracking system is terrible. Amazon.com tells me my package shipped via USPS on Saturday of last week. But the last package sighting was in Lexington, Kentucky and when I track it on usps.com - using the tracking number provided to me - I'm told there is no record of that package in their system. I'm not worried, because that has happened before. It's quite annoying, though! UPS is my favorite for both sending and receiving because their tracking system is second-to-none.