this one's for the children...

letters to santa claus from children all over northern california, delivered to the oakland, california post office:

dear santa,
i am 9 years old and all my friends say there is no santa claus or tooth fairy. i don't know because last year i asked for a PSP and i didn't get it. i didn't get any tooth fairy money either for my last five teeth. i have teeth but no money! i don't know!

dear santa,
i write you this letter because i want to ask you if with your magic you could make me smarter. i will be expecting your letter in a while.

dear santa,
i like Diego. i wish he would kiss me. please, santa, make Diego kiss me. just talk to him and i will be happy because if you talk to him he will merry me.

merry christmas santa. let's talk presents. i was wondering if i could have a Wii or a gameboy. or both. i don't want to push it. and how is dear mrs. claus? have you ever taken her on a date? alone? with no elves?

dear santa,
i've been naughty and such, but i do hope i'm on the nice list. i'm not trying to be modest and hope to be on the nice list. it's entirely up to you. i love you.

dear santa,
all i really want for christmas is an american girl named Kit. and for peace in the world. i really like your hat.
p.s. we should have lunch

all i want for christmas...

sometimes in life there are decisions you have to make. you know the right choice, the choice that circumstances may require, yet you long for the other option. this past week i was faced with such a decision...real tree or fake?

i admit to having prejudices towards fake christmas trees. there is just something about the smell and LOOK of a real tree. there is also something to be said for choosing your tree, bringing it home, and decorating it. it's the experience. however, there are definite advantages to a fake tree...you can move the limbs wherever you want them to be, they are more balanced and therefore don't tip over, and you can put the tree topper on before you actually put the tree together (saving yourself from teetering precariously on a stool and pulling a muscle while stretching because you're still not quite tall enough). so, these were the factors weighing my decision...real vs. fake.

until this year, i thought i would never have a fake tree...as i said, prejudices. but, circumstances were pointing to this being the wiser decision. and, after much thought and several discussions, it was decided...a fake tree it is. the decision was made, the tree purchased, put together and decorated (including the "blood star" on top...yes, we realize that it's tacky and often discuss how to best distract from its tackiness, but it now has sentimental value).

i can honestly say that i'm content with this choice and actually think it turned out pretty cute. here is the finished product...

b-e-a-utiful...

i've had my moments...

there are these moments in life. moments where, maybe something big has happened to you. moments of sweet joy that you hope you will remember forever. moments where you want to stop and look around, memorizing every detail. do you know the kind i'm talking about? well, i had one of these moments. while it wasn't of the life altering variety, like a wedding day, or birth of a child, it was a moment of pure joy. and, it involved 5 boys from Boston, yes, New Kids on the Block.


when i was young i was a huge fan of the New Kids, not unlike every other girl my age. i had their posters on my wall, their faces on my school books, and a giant button depicting my favorite...Joey. i dedicated countless hours to learning details about their lives, to say the least i was slightly obsessed. and, i always dreamed of seeing them in concert, but never got the chance, until now. i didn't realize until i was sitting in my seat, that it had been 18 years. that fact didn't make me feel old, as it should have, it made me really excited, giddy in fact. when those boys, now men, came on stage i transformed back into that 13 year old girl, along with every other woman in that room.


now, for those of you who know me, you know that i'm pretty laid back. i don't get overly excited, i don't yell or scream, i don't lift my hands or even clap when i sing. well, you would not have recognized me, because i screamed to the point of losing my voice. i clapped, i sang at the top of my lungs, i waved my arms back and forth, and yes, i danced. like i said...13 year old girl.

the "moment" came during the second encore...hangin' tough. of course the crowd was singing along, because no amount of time could erase those lyrics from our minds. i looked around and saw thousands of people waving their arm, just like we saw the boys do thousands of times, singing "oh oh oh oh oh, hangin' tough." I realized that the dream of my 13 year old self had come true...i got to see NKOTB in concert. i had waited 18 years to hear Donnie tell me to throw my hands in the air and wave em' like i just don'e care. and in that moment, there was a complete sense of happiness, joy and familiarity.

i had been nervous for the boys. i mean, they're not really boys anymore, they're men with wives and children. they're in their late 30's, dancing around like they did when they were teenagers. i was worried that it wouldn't translate, that it would be awkward, and i desperately wanted them to succeed. they did an amazing job! in fact, i found myself thankful that i was seeing them now, as an adult, when i could appreciate it, appreciate the talent and hard work. it was a great show!

how fun are these humpbacks?

this question was asked of me by a child, who i can only guess suffers from ADHD, as he ran around the deck of a boat on a recent whale watching tour. a friend and i drove up to anacortes washington (north of seattle about an hour from the us/canadian border) hoping for two things...good weather and a whale sighting. here are pictures of the trip....


our home for the day...Island Explorer 3


we got wish number one...beautiful day! you really can't beat weather like this at the end of october...it was amazing!


we saw lots and lots of birds, but these two bald eagles were by far the most spectacular. Kate, our naturalist, told us that this was a male and female and that eagles mate for life, so...these are lifelong mates.


at one point some porpoises came to play. they followed the boat for awhile, swimming along and then playing in the wake.


how fun ARE these humpbacks? we got our second wish...whale sighting. not one, but two humpback whales.


here is proof that i was actually on the boat. it got pretty cold on the water, especially when the sun went behind the clouds.


this picture was taken in the marina. i thought it was pretty cool with the reflection in the water.

this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down...

in a post on july 17, 2007 i talked about a trip i took to clovis california for world changers. i was a last minute chaperone and had never met most of the 30 people that went with us. now, over a year later, those people have become a huge part of my life.

in this past year i have been working alongside a team of 17 adult leaders who minister to the students at Greater Gresham Baptist Church. this past weekend 16 of us went to Madras, Oregon to hang out, get to know one another better, and talk about how we can more effectively reach those students.

here is a picture of us at the Cove Palisades, at about 7:15 in the morning, where we watched an amazing sunrise. it was freezing cold, but well worth it.


Back Row (left to right): Jordan, Nicole, Me, Lance, and Brian.
Front Row (left to right): Tim, Jeremy, Megan, Sheila, Abi, Crystal, Nicci, Sara, Ken, and Wendy.

do you read like a girl?

call me a nerd, but i'm so excited because this week i went to my first meeting of the "read like a girl" book club. it's a group of about 10 girls, some i knew previously some i did not, who love to read. we'll get together once a month and discuss the book we unanimously chose to read. a book club is one of those things that i never knew i always wanted to do, if that makes any sense.

WWBGD....what would Bear Grylls do?

my cousin Jessica and i were having a random discussion on Bear Grylls, you know "man vs. wild?" i find myself intrigued by him, while Jess refers to him as just "plum crazy." shortly after our discussion on his eating yak eyeballs and turning his pants into a life vest, i ran across his website and blog. i learned some things that i thought were interesting and worthy of sharing. here are a few quotes from the man himself...

"i always feel like i have done it since i was 4, just without the cameras. i hope to keep living this life but maybe with less mosquitos and danger."

"my dad always said 'be the most enthusiastic person you know!'"

"i was christened Eddie, that became Teddy, and that became Bear! not very butch but there you go! i used to find it a bit awkward as a kid but it could have been worse, and since then it has stuck, from seargant-majors in the army to bank managers, i have ever since been 'Bear.'"

"i depend on a few simple verses everyday that have held me thro so many touch times. they are a mix of these: 'i am here to help you,' 'i am holding you by your right hand,' 'the Lord himself watches over you.' that's it for me in a nutshell."

"i always loved being filthy dirty, covered in mud and climbing things. the army seemed a good route to achieve this."

when asked...how do you feel right after you finish filming a man vs. wild episode?
"whacked!"


this is a clip of his blog. one of his upcoming locations looked familiar...it's in the yellow box in the picture...OREGON.

another from Bear..."this quote has always summed up the way i try to live my life...enjoy!"

'life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, covered in scars, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'yahoo!', what a ride.'

i would say that about sums it up! and yes, Jess, i would say he might just be "plum crazy."

if it makes you happy...

here are a few things i've heard recently that have made me laugh...

1. "i'm a midget, and i know my rights." - person standing on chair illegally at Tim McGraw concert.

2. "i tried out for the choir, they put me in charge of sheet music." - my friend Lisa.

3. "if i spell Chesney wrong, will i still get paid?" - deputy sheriff at Kenny Chesney concert.

4. this next one is a conversation between me and a lady at my new apartment complex.
little old lady: honey, what is that down there in the road, i can't quite make it out.
me: well, it's a rooster.
little old lady: where do you suppose that came from?
me: i have no idea
little old lady: well, there are some crazy people living here, maybe one of them has a pet rooster and it got out.



this is an actual picture of the resident rooster. luckily we've only heard it crow once, other than that it's pretty quiet.

5. finally...

it only took two years, but they finally act like they like each other.

two musicians, a barracuda, and the buzz = one cheap date

a radio station in the portland metro area, called the buzz, sponsors these events called cheap dates. they line up musicians to come and perform to a small group of people. all you have to do to be a part of this elite group is...become a buzz freeloader, get online when the dj tells you to, print off your ticket, and you and a guest are in...for free.

last week was the second of these events. the musicians were Ryan Cabrera and Charlotte Sometimes, the location was barracuda's, and due to Ang's freeloader status, we were in. the venue was small and intimate, and any seat in the house was a great seat (although, there weren't actually any seats).



i had forgotten how much i liked Ryan Cabrera back in the day. i remember him looking more like a frat boy than the "emo" boy before us now, but he had some great hits! if often felt as if we were just sitting in someones living room with about 100 of our closest friends listening to him strum his guitar. i love live music and he didn't disappoint.



i admit that i had no idea who Charlotte Sometimes was going into this. but, going in with little expectations, i was pleasantly surprised. in fact, i really like her a lot. she has a great sound and an amazing voice.

a two week addiction...

i love the summer olympics and i always have! the summer games have some of my favorite events...gymnastics, swimming, diving, track & field. i admit that i have become a little bit obsessed. i even admit that i have completely bought into "Phelpsmania." i remember what he did in Athens. i vividly remember the VISA commercial that showed him swimming from New York to Greece, so i am excited to see hiim doing so well in these games. and, yes, i'm fairly sure that i was standing on my couch last night yelling "go michael" as he won his seventh gold medal by such a slim margin.



in an interview with michael phelps before the games began, he was asked what he was most looking forward to in Beijing. his response..."standing on the blocks in the stars and stripes. to be an american up there representing your country with all of their support on your shoulders...it's an amazing feeling." i can't judge his honesty in that statement but i liked his response. today as i watched the weight of the world rest on the shoulders of an 18 year old cyclist from colorado, i thought...it's odd how i feel this connection to this kid that i've never met and most likely never will meet simply because we're both americans. i don't know anything about him, or if he deserves to win, but i want him to just the same. i'm sure that my response to him had nothing to do with the sad story about his father's fight with parkinsons right before his race. but, there are countless athletes that i feel this same connection to...dara torres, ryan lochte, nastia luikin, and shawn johnson. that list could go on and on.

it's just that sometimes i feel like it takes something devastating to unite us as americans, so i appreciate that the olympics, something positive provides a sense of unity. i know that there are people who are tired of all the michael phelps hype, but i am not one of them. it's really an amazing thing that he has done, with seemingly little effort. i think maybe the USA needed a little positive attention for a minute, and he brought that.

i feel the need to mention the olympic events that i haven't been able to get behind...trampoline, badmitton, and synchronized diving. my question...why don't they have olympic surfing. if they do and i'm just not aware of it...please somebody make me aware.

workin' for the man every night and day...

today as i arrived at work, began my morning routine, said hello to people as i passed them in the hall...i felt extremely blessed. i've been in this job for almost three years, which blows my mind sometimes. i know that three years is not all that long in the grand scheme of things, especially when you're working with people who are starting their thirtieth year. but for me...three years is a long time. there are days when i don't want to come to work, and today would be one of those days, but as i visited with my co-workers this feeling of gratitude came over me. i am so blessed to be in a job that i love, most days, and to work alongside people who i can call friends (a fact proven by a recent move when they showed up to hall my boxes). blessed to work in a community of believers that are striving to help others grow and change. just blessed.

i'm thankful that, today...a crazy day amidst a crazy week...God decided to show me the wonderful things about my job, which far outweigh the frustrating things.

this picture is just a portion of my co-workers. they are truly great people to work with. if you want a small glimpse into what i do...the woman on the left (red/white striped shirt) and the tall older man in the back (hawaian yellow/blue shirt) were not originally in the photo. my task was to photoshop them in. i admit that it was a pretty quick patch job, so if you can see flaws...please don't point them out!

'cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life....

a couple of days ago a friend of mine's status on facebook said..."i'm thankful that good friends are still good friends." or something to that affect. there is something about a good friendship...one where you can go months or even years without talking, but when you're together again, you just pick up where you left off. i am so thankful for these kinds of friendships.

this past month has been filled with the bittersweet. from vacationing with good friends overlapped with the loss of a loved one, to a going away party for my best friend. i have had to think a lot about friends and how important they are in my life. as i get older i realize more and more my need to be surrounded by people who know me, really know me and love me anyway. it's such a comforting feeling to sit in a room with a dear friend and know that you don't even have to talk, you can just be.

meeting up, in san diego, with some great friends that i hadn't seen in over a year was a time of sweet fellowship and bitter loss. what began as a fun week of hanging out and catching up came to a crashing halt as we lost an AMAZING father...husband...friend to a fight with cancer. though sometimes i question God's timing and plan...i have to giggle when i imagine Leon worshipping his Father any way he wants to without the little old biddy's telling him how it should be done. and even amidst this heartbreaking loss...i felt blessed to be among people who truly know me and the comfort that it brings.

following that emotional roller coaster, i celebrated with friends and family as we sent my cousin Jessica out on her new adventure. as i'm writing this...she is spending her first day in her new home...south asia. she has said "yes" and given her life for something far greater than i can imagine. i'm so proud of her and i'm thankful that ours is a friendship that won't be gone in an "mmmbop" (see post from may 30th). Jess and i have said "goodbye" several times over the years, but we have been blessed to have lived in the same town, in the same house for the past three. ours is a friendship that picks up where it left off and i look forward to the time when our paths cross again...Thailand maybe!

there have been sweet moments of quality time overshadowed by grief. this has left me feeling emotionally spent and tired. so, i am choosing to remember and to reflect on the fond memories, rather than the sad and dreary.

Gerri and i at seaport village in san diego, california

me, Rachel and Beth

the girls might kill me for posting this picture...(left to right) Jessica, Mandy, Ang, Christi, and me. if you remember the show kids incorporated...this was our interpretation.

Ang, me and Jess last christmas!

it's a rainbow of fruit flavors....this picture was taken at Jess' party (the thrillah' in Zillah). i didn't make into the rainbow because i was wearing black that day.

that's one doodle that can't be undid, homeskillet

i doodle. i know that's not some earth shattering confession. but, i bet that more people doodle then are willing to let on. because somewhere along the way, i feel like doodling became childish or something you do when you're bored, or even a sign of disprespect. recently, at a meeting, someone noticed my "artwork" and commented on it. for me, it has nothing to do with being bored, actually it's the opposite. i doodle to stay focused. for us creative types, sometimes it helps to see things in color, or pictures, at least that is the case for me. and most of the time, not always, the pictures directly pertain to what is being discussed.

while venting to a co-worker, and fellow creative type, she mentioned a pastor who tried something different in his congregation, specifically related to doodling. here is an excerpt...

"recently, as people entered the sanctuary on sunday mornings, we gave them small pieces of colored paper - some textured, some not - with a crayon or a colored pencil or a felt pen. for five weeks we gave them permission to doodle as i preached - much like the first disciples mended their nets as Jesus preached. then we asked them to hand the paper back as they exited.

each week, three artists scrunched, folded, and wove the pieces of paper together. they mounted the pieces on a hopscotch of painted canvases and hung them on the sanctuary wall. as the weeks went by, the little scraps of individual paper grew into a breathtaking mosaic that eventually covered two walls of the sanctuary. each week, before and after the services, more and more people stood beneath it, delighted, surprised, and amazed."

i applaud this pastor for being willing to try something outside the box. my question...why are more churches not willing to try something new. and, why can't doodling be about self-expression, or even an act of worship. needless to say, this inspired me. here is a small collage of my own doodling from the meeting i mentioned...

the songs in my head...

for those of you faithful readers who are often telling me you want more updates, i have a couple that i'm working on. but, while i'm busy perfecting those i thought i would share something else with you. i often talk about music and i'm sure that by now you know how i feel about it. so, what i'm about to share should come as no surprise. i encourage you to read the following lyrics. i imagine that we all feel this way from time to time...like a prodigal trying to find his way home.

"prodigal" - by One Republic

we say good-bye, i turn my back
run away, run away
so predictable
not far from here, you see me crack
like a bone, like a bone
i'm so breakable

and i take everything from you
but you'll take anything, won't you?

run away, run away, like a prodigal
don't you wait for me
don't you wait for me
so ashamed, so ashamed, but i need you so
and you wait for me and you wait for me

i'm on the road to who knows where?
look ahead, not behind, i keep saying
there's no place to go
where you're not there
on your rope, i hold tight, but it's freeing

everybody wants to be right
but only if it's not day light?
i keep trying to find my way back, my way back

run away, run away, like a prodigal
don't you wait for me
don't you wait for me
so ashamed, so ashamed, but i need you so
and you wait for me and you wait for me

bright lights...big city...

"that's very urban of you," this was my sister's response when i told her what i was doing on friday night. i think my exact words were..."we're going to Forest Grove to see this random band that we saw on a flyer at McMenamins." i guess it is very urban, to drive 50 minutes to see a band that may or may not be any good. but, we're always making an effor to try new things and to take advantage of all that this area has to offer.

the location was great. first of all, Forest Grove is out in the middle of nowhere. it's true country right outside the city, complete with big ol' pickup trucks. the concert was in the garden cafe of one of the McMenamin hotels, call The Grand Lodge.

this place was built in 1922 as a masonic & eastern star home and has now been turned into a hotel. it was fun to sit and listen to music, eat good food, and people watch.

and, as it turns out, the band, Bombadil, was good. the flyer described the four guys from north carolina like this..."Bombadil incorporates international instruments and styles with its background in Piedmont blues and psychedelic rock, generating everything from straightforward rock to Bolivian waltzes; from heartbreaking, piano-drive laments on loss of life to swashbuckling, raucus marches." now, with a description like that how can you not be intrigued?

they had some great songs and played several different instruments. at one point two of the guys were laying on the ground playing guitar, while the keyboardist sat under the keyboard and played backwards. very impressive and entertaining. overall, the experience was totally worth the drive. although, it was pretty chilly out there...somebody should tell the weather that it's summer...bring out the sun!

goin' to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches...

last weekend i went home to celebrate my mom's birthday with the family! today is her actual birthday...Happy Birthday Mom! on this visit to my hometown, one thing became clear to me...the longer i live in the city, the more i "see" the country. things that have always been there, that i've taken for granted, suddenly seem to jump out at me.

as i was taking a walk on our country road, i was thinking how things might look through the eyes of a city dweller. if someone had never been to the east side of washington...what would they see? what would stick out to them? here are some thoughts....

1. in one pasture you may see sheep, goats, llamas, one cow, and one horse. my question...how did that farmer know it was ok to put all of those animals together.

2. in the country everybody drives a big pickup truck and they wave at you, even if they don't know you. but, it's not a normal wave, it's the two finger picked up off the steering wheel kind of wave. sometimes you get four fingers, but very rarely, and even then it dose not leave contact with the steering wheel. i call it the farmer wave. i've seen it all my life. i've been on the receiving end of it hundreds of times and i've watched as my father greeted passersby in this same way.

3. dodging manure on the road...enough said. although i find myself wondering if a city dweller would even know that it was manure and therefore needed to be avoided.

4. duck and cover. in the city if you hear something that sounds like a gunshot or a car back firing, it most likely is one of those things. in the country this sound is actually the loud noise used to scare birds out of the cherry trees. but, even if you know what it is it can scare you to death.

5. having to stop in the middle of the road and wait for a tractor, swather, four wheeler, etc. to cross the road. the only thing you wait for in the city are the traffic lights.

in an mmmbop it's gone...

"songs are life in 80 words or less." -Neil Diamond

i heard this quote from Neil Diamond on Jimmy Kimmel Live the other night and it stuck in my mind. suddenly, it made so much sense to me...this connection i have with music. this is the reason that it speaks to me the way it does, because essentially it's someone's life, someone's experience spoken with much more passion and eloquence than i could muster. you're probably thinking, "well duh, beckie, where did you think the inspiration for music came from?" and we can debate my naivety later. but, i think for me, it was one of those "aha" moments where something i already knew came alive. it gave me a feeling of solidarity, knowing that there is someone who has gone through or struggled with the things that i have gone through.

a couple days later, with the Neil quote still etched in my brain, i was listening to "mmmbop" by Hanson. i know that some might question where i'm going with this. question whether or not Hanson, mere teenagers when the song originally aired, could sing a song that could be described as either passionate or eloquent. afterall, the song sounds like a bunch of mumbling nonsense but, if you read the lyrics, it's actually a song about relationships. it's about knowing which relationships are real and important and realizing that they can be gone in the blink of an eye, or an "mmmbop."

it's these kinds of songs, the ones masked by their "get easily stuck in your head" tunes that catch my attention. i love that moment when you're singing along to some catchy song and it just clicks, and you say, "that's what they're talking about? oh, i like that."

so, i'll leave you with the lyrics to the song. (obviously due to length, this is not the complete song)

"mmmbop" by Hanson

you have so many relationships in this life
only one or two will last
you go through all the pain and strife
then you turn your back and they're gone so fast
and they're gone so fast
so hold on to the ones who really care
in the end they'll be the only ones there
and when you get old and start losing your hair
tell me who will still care
can you tell me who will still care?

plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose
you can plant any one of those
keep planting to find out which one grows
it's a secret no one knows
it's a secret no one knows

can you tell me who will still care?
you think you can but you don't know
which flower will grow

mmmbop, ba duba dop
ba du bop, ba duba dop
ba du bop, ba duba dop
ba du, yeah

oh yeah
in an mmmbop they're gone
in an mmmbop they're not there

happy days are here again...

this past weekend i went home to be with my mom for mother's day! luckily zillah's community days also happened to fall on this weekend, so i got to join in the festivities. it's always a little bit surreal to once again be a part of small town life, where everybody knows everybody and you run into people you went to high school with. here are some pics from the events...

every year the lions club cooks breakfast for the city. this is the line we stood in...we got there at 9:15 and they had been serving since early that morning. i have no idea how many people they served, but i guarantee it was a lot.

pancakes, eggs, and ham, delicious!

it's tradition for the parade to begin with police cars from zillah and the neighboring cities. i really like the new cars, well done zillah!

zillah's royalty! the theme for this float was never figured out, but assumed to be some kind of fairy tale story. i can't help but wonder if the girls got to pick out their bright pink dresses.

this might have been the cutest part of the whole parade.

when the shriners came through this guy stopped to pose for us!

pink cadillac, plush velvet seats, riding in the back, cruisin' down the streets!

what's a parade without horse drawn carriages. sidenote...beef stake's are on sale at the Zillah Food Center this week just in case anyone is interested.

baba ganouj...

i have a friend who i like to call my culture guru. i'm sure that there is not one ethnic restaurant in the portland metro area that she has not tried. well, maybe one. but, thai, morrocan, ethiopian, middle eastern, she knows them all. i like spending time with her because she gently nudges me to be more adventurous, while allowing me to stay in the safety of my comfort zone. meaning that she doesn't push me to try the craziest most outlandish thing on the menu. if i want to play it safe and have the kabobs, i can have the kabobs. she also takes the time to explain the menu to me, which makes my decision easier.

because of our friendship, i have gone to some very cool restaurants, places i would not normally have tried in some neighborhoods that i normally wouldn't go to. last week she took me to a very popular part of portland where we visited an eclectic bookstore, perused an italian meat market, and ate crepes at a french bistro (served by a waitress with more tattoos than i could count and the largest gages in her ears i have ever seen). this week we ate hummus, baba ganouj, and falafel at "Ya Hala" a lebanese restaurant. this cultural education has reminded me just how culturally diverse the northwest is. you can walk down the street and feel like you are in a completely different country. it has also reminded me that it's important to have people in your life that stretch you and encourage you to grow. i think it's so easy to get caught up in your own little world and lose sight of what is going on around you. you don't always have to cross an ocean to impact other cultures or for them to impact you, sometimes you just have to cross the street.

what's a motto with you?

for those of you who are not aware, portland has a motto..."keeping portland weird." now, i'm not sure if this is the official motto, or if it's something that somebody made up. but, you can buy t-shirts and bumper stickers, so that seems pretty official to me. i think it's fitting, because portland is kind of a weird city. however, among the weird you'll find quite a bit of the cool as well. and this is what i love about this city, it's extremely eclectic. i think this point is proven when you go out to dinner downtown and somebody can make the following statement..."i've always wanted to go to the building with the giant octopus on it!"

this building houses a great restaurant called "greek cusina." there was nothing odd about the restaurant itself, just the giant octopus outside and maybe the octopus lights inside. which makes me question...is there something about Greece that relates to the octopus that i don't know about? anyway...this was Ang's choice for her birthday dinner....Happy Birthday, Ang! (much better choice than sushi last year...i'm just sayin') i'm kind of surprised how much i like greek food, in fact i'm salivating right now thinking about the pita's.

after dinner we went to a coffee shop called Rimskey's.

it's in this really cool old house and it might just be the definition of eclectic, complete with its mismatched dishes, rotating table, and random decorations hanging from the ceiling. although, we soon found that the strangest thing about this cafe, was the bathroom...i'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

gives whole new meaning to the phrase performance anxiety. yes, those feet are hanging from the ceiling and Jess wins the price for bravery. overall, it was a fun night and a great new experience with portland culture.

uselessness, just taking up room...

alright, i'm going to let you in on a little secret. i wake up with random songs stuck in my head (this morning it was taylor swift's "teardrops on my guitar"). i also quote movies, trying to pass off clever lines as my own genius. i drive my roommate's crazy with random tidbits of trivia while watching movies and tv shows, such as which actor was originally up for the role, or who shares their birthday with who. the "fun fact" i'm quoting is usually something i've read somewhere, or heard on the radio or tv. it most likely stems from my slight obsession with the internet movie database (imdb.com) where you can find anything you've ever wanted to know about actors, tv shows, or movies. i'm just not sure why my mind absorbs this information and locks on to it. i'm pretty sure it's an illness. i call it my tumor (not unlike john travolta in phenomenon).

so, since this useless knowledge is taking up room, i though i would share it with all of you. here goes...

1. the wonder years...i loved that show, but i think i loved the theme song more..."with a little help from my friends" by the Beatles. great lyrics! i would hope that a good friend would still be there if you sang out of tune (although i've learned that my cat hates it. he will lie on the ground rolling around making funny noises, weird). and aside from the line about getting high, i think i really do get by with a little help from my friends.

useless trivia: the girl who played becky slater (kevin's first girlfriend) originally tried out for the role of winnie cooper, but lost out to her sister danica mckellar. takes sibling rivalry to a new level.

2. the emperor's new groove... (one of my all time favorite movies)
pacha: uh-oh
kuzco: don't tell me. we're about to go over a huge waterfall
pacha: yep
kuzco: sharp rocks at the bottom?
pacha: most likely
kuzco: bring it on

i feel like this conversation between pacha and kuzco could apply to so many areas of life. i think far too often i live life in such a comfortable place that my true response is "sharp rocks at the bottom?" well, then i'll do my best to paddle in the opposite direction because that doesn't sound like something i want to be a part of.

useless trivia: patrick warburton (aka: putty from seinfeld) improvised when "kronk" hummed his own theme song....the disney legal department had patrick sign all rights to the humming compostition over to them.

3. this really is of no use or importance, but much like left ear in the italian job, i want a "house in spain with a room for my shoes".

useless trivia: edward norton only agreed to be a part of "the italian job" because he was contractually obligated to. he had a three movie contract with paramount and apparently this movie was the lesser of the evils.

just in case you were wondering, the freakish memory also applies to somewhat normal day to day things, such as birthdays, or my cousins address from about 15 years ago (even though she's moved about 20 times since then), and my 5th grade "boyfriend's" phone number. i tell you, it's a sickness.

useless trivia: john rich, of big & rich, turned 34 in january, which only makes him 3 years older than me. scary! it tend to think people who have accomplished as much as he has must be older and much wiser than me.