Picture pages, picture pages

Some photos from the birthday cookout/gathering/party








Me and Mikki












Mikki and T











RM, me and Mik










RM, me, Tracy, Mik






















Me, as a silly dancing queen











The homeboys

30, Flirty and Thriving

Me, at my beach after my 30th birthday party

I had so much fun turning 30, it was really perfect in just about every way. The flight home was easy-peasy (an hour and a half, how cool is that?!). It was so short we didn't feel like we had been traveling at all.

Friday night, my parents gave me the best present they have ever given me -- they made me a scrapbook with pictures from the time I was a baby on up. This is huge. My mother is not someone who does creative projects. And she is not someone who makes homemade gifts, or generally appreciates them. She made a scrapbook for my aunt that came out excellent, and I just raved about how thoughtful it was, so she listened and made me one.

I can't describe how much I love it, how much I love that they put in all this time and effort, choosing the right pictures, the right layouts, the right accent decorations. I will treasure it always.

Saturday was the party, or cookout, or gathering, as I started calling it. I hate things where I am the center of attention, and I haven't had anything for my birthday, other than just my parents, since I was 16. But this was a lot of fun. Some of my closest friends were there. My parents and some longtime family friends, family on my mom's side.

While I obviously didn't get to spend as much time with everyone as I would have liked, it was great to see everyone all in one place. Seeing my friends again only served to remind me how much I miss them, but now I can get back to see most of them on a more regular basis.

Sunday was my actual birthday, and I spent it in such a perfectly me way. We went to my beach, I got to play in the water for a long time since it was really nice and comfortable. Tim even came in with me for a while. After the beach, I went up to the scuba shop to see my second family, the family I babysat for growing up, and then stopped in at another store to say hi to Bailey, their daughter.

It was fun and special and I will now always have great memories of turning 30. Can't wait to see what this new decade will bring!

Traveling!

We will be back in Mass tomorrow night, for the first time since Christmas, and we are both more than ready. One of the many cool parts: we only have a two hour flight to get there!!

Other cool parts: My parents are flying us up

We're having a cookout at my parents on Saturday, and I will get to see almost everyone I really care about all in one place.

I get to go to my beach, one of my favorite places in the world.

And oh yeah, I turn 30 on Sunday. That's not too bad either.

Goodbye to Portland

Last night was my last outdoor exercise class, and it was a nice way to say goodbye to the city. We ran down by the river, and the sun came out after a day of rain and clouds. I got to look at how beautiful Portland is, run by a lot of things I've run by a good number of times, and see my favorite light. It's hard to describe, but the air is really clear here, and once in a while, when the light is right, things kind of glow and have this shimmering clarity around them. That light was out last night.

I usually end up running with Kim, but for at least part of it, I was running by myself, which gave me space to say my mental goodbyes to this city.

Even though Portland didn't end up working out for us, I'm so glad we came out here. I always wanted to live on the west coast and I'm glad I got the chance to realize that dream. I discovered that I am really a trail runner at heart. I reconnected with my inner wild nature child. In Mass...it's harder to feel connected to the earth and nature, because everything is so developed, and now I realize how important it is for me to be around trees and undeveloped areas. Since people out here are so green and environmentally conscious, it made me more aware of little things I can do to make a difference. I feel like I've grown here and rediscovered/discovered parts of me I either forgot about or hadn't yet met.

But now as I sit looking at the truck sitting on our street, waiting for us to load our stuff onto it, and we prepare to move once again...I find myself desperately wanting to be settled. I think Tim and I are going to really work to make North Carolina stick. Lisa stopped by to say goodbye to us and to myrawonderpup, and after she left, I was just a mess. I'm so tired of leaving friends, starting over someplace new with no friends, no one I can call to get coffee when I need to talk. I have three really great, close friends, Lisa, Rosemary and Mik, and now I officially won't live near any of them. I know I will make new friends, but it's hard to leave and uproot and start over again.

Right now, I'm in an ending place, and endings are always hard. Once I switch to a beginning place, things will seem fun and exciting and I'll be looking forward to new adventures. Now I am honoring and remembering what we have here and saying goodbye.

Roadtrip!!

So, I have booked a flight to NC in a few weeks, to check out what it is like there, see if it is a place we could comfortably live, check out what it's like to drive around, trail access for running, all that sort of thing.

I will be there from Tuesday morning through Friday evening, and I'm going without Tim because it would be that much more expensive for both of us to fly out and board myrapup.

But then I was talking to Slunt (my best friend), and she said she would love to go with me. Tim and I talked and said how not only would it be really cool, but it would give us more than just my opinion, I would have more fun, etc. After some back and forthing, and some pleading and cajoling on my end, she will fly down to meet me!

I'll be there Tuesday and Wednesday by myself, and then will pick her up Wed. night and she flies home Fri morning.

I am SO excited. I haven't seen her since Christmas, and we've both been missing each other. Plus, whenever I go back east, I usually only have one evening to spend with her, so it will be nice to get more time with her. And other than when I traveled in Europe, I've never been on a girlfriend road trip, so it just made the trip a lot more fun.

Hooray!!

knit one, bitch two

I went to my friend lisa's house last night for Stitch n bitch -- lisa, her friend franny, me and knitting. Lisa and Franny showed me how to knit (I used to do some knitting in junior high, but I never really knew how to begin or end, so it really didn't count). It was awkward, but I managed to make some progress, and they both said I picked it up pretty fast.

So now I have visions of warm scarves dancing in my head :)

If I get good at knitting, watch out people, you might get homemade gifts!

Stolen from mik

IF YOU'RE ON MY FRIENDS LIST,
I want to know 28 things about you. I don't care if we've never talked, never liked each other, or if we already know everything about each other. I really don't. You are obviously on my list, so let me know with whom I am friends!

Part I
1.Your Middle Name:
2. Age:
3. Single or Taken:
4. Favorite Movie:
5. Favorite Song:
6. Favorite Band/Artist:
7. Dirty or Clean:
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings:

Part II
1. Do we know each other outside of Blog?
2. Whats your philosophy on life?
3. Would you have my back in a fight?
4. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?
5. What is your favorite memory of us?
6. Would you give me a kidney?
7. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:
8. Would you take care of me when I'm sick?
9. Can we get together and make a cake?
10. Have you heard any rumors of me lately?
11. Do you/have you talk(ed) crap about me?
12. Do you think I'm a good person?
13. Would you drive across country with me?
14. Do you think I'm attractive?
15. If you could change anything about me, would you?
16. What do you wear to sleep?
17. Would you come over for no reason just to hang out?
18. Would you go on a date with me if i asked you?
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
20. Will you repost this so i can fill it out for you