So yesterday I went for a little hike looking for photos. I was four miles away from home, by myself with no cell coverage in the middle of nowhere. Being out there was nice, it was very good weather, I saw some pretty awesome flowers and this really cool butterfly.
While I was reading the sign, deciding whether or not to go up the Mad River Trail, a man came down from the trail and scared the crap out of me. I realized then that I am truly a city girl at heart. This man was nice enough, explained how he loved the geography of the area and was on his way home. He made me nervous and I was relieved when he went on his way.
I realized while walking a little way on the trail that had I been by myself in “a bad a neighborhood,” and the same man had come up to me, it wouldn't have bothered me in the least. I know how to carry myself in the city. I know how to walk and who to approach and even how to deal with things like whistles and cat calls. But this nice, friendly man in the middle of nowhere gave me the creeps.
It makes me realize how much of a city slicker I really am, even if I am living 40 minutes from a city. And it's a small city at that.
Families are forever ... be smart, don't start.
27 March, 2010
12 March, 2010
Spring Fever!
I have ants in my kitchen again. This, oddly, makes me happy. I am not happy that we have ants again, they ruin many things. But the fact that they are back makes me happy because it means Spring is closer than I thought.
Unfortunately this seems to be bringing out the weirdos to the Entiat Valley.(Photos by Monte, one of they guys on the bus in the morning.) The other night Les saw the dome light on in the car, and it turned off while he was outside. So someone had to have opened the car door, it wasn't just that he left it on. Nothing was missing but it was still weird. Last Saturday night there was a bonfire behind the store for no apparent reason and tonight I called 911 on some idiots who were in the field next door. They had a truck down in the field and flashlights and they started a fire. I've never called 911 for anything other than a car accident before.
Sometimes shit like this makes me want a gun. We just live so far away from anything. I think I would feel better if we had a gun in the house.
On one hand, it's not like we have kids in the house and it would make me feel safer. It would only be a small gun and, ideally, I would never use it.
On the other hand I would really hate for there to be some kind of accident. Plus, really hate those right wing nut jobs who scream about, “the government trying to take away our Second Amendment rights,” because they want to make it harder to buy assault rifles. And I don't want to be associated with them in any way (including being counted among gun owners.) Being related to them is bad enough.
I'll definitely have to think about it.
Unfortunately this seems to be bringing out the weirdos to the Entiat Valley.(Photos by Monte, one of they guys on the bus in the morning.) The other night Les saw the dome light on in the car, and it turned off while he was outside. So someone had to have opened the car door, it wasn't just that he left it on. Nothing was missing but it was still weird. Last Saturday night there was a bonfire behind the store for no apparent reason and tonight I called 911 on some idiots who were in the field next door. They had a truck down in the field and flashlights and they started a fire. I've never called 911 for anything other than a car accident before.
Sometimes shit like this makes me want a gun. We just live so far away from anything. I think I would feel better if we had a gun in the house.
On one hand, it's not like we have kids in the house and it would make me feel safer. It would only be a small gun and, ideally, I would never use it.
On the other hand I would really hate for there to be some kind of accident. Plus, really hate those right wing nut jobs who scream about, “the government trying to take away our Second Amendment rights,” because they want to make it harder to buy assault rifles. And I don't want to be associated with them in any way (including being counted among gun owners.) Being related to them is bad enough.
I'll definitely have to think about it.
07 March, 2010
The Maker of Lists
I am a maker of lists. Lists make life easier, and frankly, I have fun making them. I used to think this made me weird, now I don't care. My life is too much easier with them for me to over think it.
I make grocery lists specific to store and sale price, I make to-do lists almost every day, and I get so much more done when I do than when I just wing it. I make lists of books I want to read, movies I want to see and music I want to download.
But I am most in my list making element whenever we go on a trip, I make a list of things I need to pack. Then I make a list of stuff we need to do before we leave the house. And I always make a list of the things we need pack in the morning after we use them, like toothbrushes and such.
But this has not always been the case. Les claimed his mother used to make lists before every family vacation and would become so frantic over them it made getting ready for trips miserable. So when we first got together I let him have his way and just winged it when ever we went somewhere. I shouldn't have.
I started making lists like this on the first trip after we took after we got married. Not including our honeymoon. In fact it is one of our favorite stories now that it is in the past and we are not miserable.
On the morning after our wedding we got up at 4 a.m. (after going to bed around midnight) and left for Albuquerque. At around 6:30 we stopped in Moab for breakfast at Denny's. Around 7:15 we were done eating and Les went up to the counter to pay. It was at this point we realized he did not have his wallet. So we turned around and went back to Price. We found his wallet and figured since we were in town on a work day we might as well stop and deposit all the checks we had received as wedding gifts. So around 10 a.m. after finding everything and an involved conversation with Bank Aunt we hit the road again.
We did not arrive in Albuquerque until almost 11p.m.! We went straight to bed so it wasn't until the next morning that we realized we had forgotten the bag with all of our toiletries in it. So we spent the second day of our honeymoon attempting to locate a drug store and buying soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc...
So now I make lists. And every time we go on a trip the first thing on every list I make is WALLET!
I make grocery lists specific to store and sale price, I make to-do lists almost every day, and I get so much more done when I do than when I just wing it. I make lists of books I want to read, movies I want to see and music I want to download.
But I am most in my list making element whenever we go on a trip, I make a list of things I need to pack. Then I make a list of stuff we need to do before we leave the house. And I always make a list of the things we need pack in the morning after we use them, like toothbrushes and such.
But this has not always been the case. Les claimed his mother used to make lists before every family vacation and would become so frantic over them it made getting ready for trips miserable. So when we first got together I let him have his way and just winged it when ever we went somewhere. I shouldn't have.
I started making lists like this on the first trip after we took after we got married. Not including our honeymoon. In fact it is one of our favorite stories now that it is in the past and we are not miserable.
On the morning after our wedding we got up at 4 a.m. (after going to bed around midnight) and left for Albuquerque. At around 6:30 we stopped in Moab for breakfast at Denny's. Around 7:15 we were done eating and Les went up to the counter to pay. It was at this point we realized he did not have his wallet. So we turned around and went back to Price. We found his wallet and figured since we were in town on a work day we might as well stop and deposit all the checks we had received as wedding gifts. So around 10 a.m. after finding everything and an involved conversation with Bank Aunt we hit the road again.
We did not arrive in Albuquerque until almost 11p.m.! We went straight to bed so it wasn't until the next morning that we realized we had forgotten the bag with all of our toiletries in it. So we spent the second day of our honeymoon attempting to locate a drug store and buying soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc...
So now I make lists. And every time we go on a trip the first thing on every list I make is WALLET!
Chick Crap
Today I bought the perfect purse. I have been looking for a new purse since July. I am very picky when it comes to purses. I bought a purse when Les and I were in Vancouver last October, but it is a little too small and is made of nylon or polyester or something. It also has Vancouver 2010 Olympic logos on it, it is a nice souvenir, and I will most likely carry it again one of these days. But it is just not perfect.
After trying out several different types and styles of purses, I have finally narrowed down the perfect one for me. It has to be canvas, leather is much too likely to get eaten. It has to have a long strap that can go across me, if it only goes over one shoulder I will set it down somewhere and forget about it. It has to have lots of pockets and organizational structure or I will never find anything and be one of those annoying people who hold up the line at the grocery store.
Most of the purses I have found that meet all of my criteria look like diaper bags. I will not be seen carrying a diaper bag, I put up with enough shit from people already. I can't even get an upset stomach without someone asking if I am pregnant.
Today I found one that is like an organizer on a long strap, but with a purse pocket in the middle. And it is made of canvas. It is perfect and has made me extremely happy. It is rare for me to feel like such a girlie girl, but there isn't much girlier than getting excited over a new purse.
After trying out several different types and styles of purses, I have finally narrowed down the perfect one for me. It has to be canvas, leather is much too likely to get eaten. It has to have a long strap that can go across me, if it only goes over one shoulder I will set it down somewhere and forget about it. It has to have lots of pockets and organizational structure or I will never find anything and be one of those annoying people who hold up the line at the grocery store.
Most of the purses I have found that meet all of my criteria look like diaper bags. I will not be seen carrying a diaper bag, I put up with enough shit from people already. I can't even get an upset stomach without someone asking if I am pregnant.
Today I found one that is like an organizer on a long strap, but with a purse pocket in the middle. And it is made of canvas. It is perfect and has made me extremely happy. It is rare for me to feel like such a girlie girl, but there isn't much girlier than getting excited over a new purse.
05 March, 2010
Population Explosion
Is it any wonder the world is overpopulated?
I know I am of an age where my friends are beginning to procreate. (I won't start on how much I hate the phrase "start a family.") But seriously, without looking I can think of five of my friends just on Facebook who announced they were pregnant in the last six weeks. And I only have 170 Facebook friends.
Five in the last six weeks! That isn't counting the several women who were already pregnant, the at least seven who have had babies in the last few months, any men whose significant other may be pregnant, or any of the people I know who aren't on Facebook. It floors me.
And maybe part of the reason I have a hard time with it is that I have absolutely no desire to procreate myself. Yes, I am 23 female and alive. Shocking I know.
And I really hate it when people tell me that I am still young so I couldn't possibly know if I want children or not, or when they flat out tell me I will change my mind when I get older. Would anyone of those people tell one of my pregnant friends she might change her mind when she gets a little older? Or that she is too young to know if she wants kids or not? Of course they wouldn't! Because everyone is supposed to want children. In fact, I bet if I said I wanted children no one would tell me I am too young or that I would change my mind. I would bet money.
I know I am of an age where my friends are beginning to procreate. (I won't start on how much I hate the phrase "start a family.") But seriously, without looking I can think of five of my friends just on Facebook who announced they were pregnant in the last six weeks. And I only have 170 Facebook friends.
Five in the last six weeks! That isn't counting the several women who were already pregnant, the at least seven who have had babies in the last few months, any men whose significant other may be pregnant, or any of the people I know who aren't on Facebook. It floors me.
And maybe part of the reason I have a hard time with it is that I have absolutely no desire to procreate myself. Yes, I am 23 female and alive. Shocking I know.
And I really hate it when people tell me that I am still young so I couldn't possibly know if I want children or not, or when they flat out tell me I will change my mind when I get older. Would anyone of those people tell one of my pregnant friends she might change her mind when she gets a little older? Or that she is too young to know if she wants kids or not? Of course they wouldn't! Because everyone is supposed to want children. In fact, I bet if I said I wanted children no one would tell me I am too young or that I would change my mind. I would bet money.
04 March, 2010
Photomania
So I have been taking far too many photos lately. But I'm having fun doing it. The most fun has probably been the water photos. If I had a decent camera I would probably be really obsessed with water photography right now. I have a decent film camera and have done some interesting water shots with it. But right now I'm in instant gratification mode and have been sticking with my digital point and shoot. Every once and a while I have access to Les's work camera, which usually turns out awesome results, if I do say so myself.
Spring is not too far away and that should make for some interesting photography. I noticed today the trees around the house are just barely starting to bud. Also it was 83 degrees in the living room in the middle of the afternoon today, when the sun was coming through the back windows. Both of these things make me insanely happy. I really hate the cold.
Things are looking up on the house front. So far it seems like we won't have to move come May 1. This is quite a load off my mind. Our landlord isn't the best in the world, but he is certainly not the worst. As long as he isn't planning to sell we are happy to stay put. We really like the house, and the dogs are happy here, they have a nice routine down.
One last observation, blogging is cathartic. I think I like it.
Spring is not too far away and that should make for some interesting photography. I noticed today the trees around the house are just barely starting to bud. Also it was 83 degrees in the living room in the middle of the afternoon today, when the sun was coming through the back windows. Both of these things make me insanely happy. I really hate the cold.
Things are looking up on the house front. So far it seems like we won't have to move come May 1. This is quite a load off my mind. Our landlord isn't the best in the world, but he is certainly not the worst. As long as he isn't planning to sell we are happy to stay put. We really like the house, and the dogs are happy here, they have a nice routine down.
One last observation, blogging is cathartic. I think I like it.
Newsworthy
We recently saw a clip from Sarah Palin's recent appearance on the Tonight Show. At one point she says she dislikes mainstream media, even spouting Fox News' (now obsolete) catchphrase "Fair and Balanced."
Putting aside that Fox News is neither fair nor balanced, neither is pretty much all of the "news" on cable. For that matter, so much of what's on the major networks is so sensational and driven by ratings, that real journalism is in scarce supply -- particularly on television.
Gone are the days of Walter Cronkite and Edward R Murrow. More than a generation later, news anchors don't report the news. On the rare occasion that a genuine, professional journalist feeds a decent piece of objective news into the studio, it's so mashed up with the opinions of producers, anchors and owners that it's almost unrecognizable as journalism by the time it shows up on screen.
All too often it happens in radio and print journalism as well, but it seems that television newscasts, particularly cable television newscasts are nothing more than a long line of pundits who are willing to say exactly what the network executives want us to hear.
So much for drawing our own conclusions about the world around us.
Putting aside that Fox News is neither fair nor balanced, neither is pretty much all of the "news" on cable. For that matter, so much of what's on the major networks is so sensational and driven by ratings, that real journalism is in scarce supply -- particularly on television.
Gone are the days of Walter Cronkite and Edward R Murrow. More than a generation later, news anchors don't report the news. On the rare occasion that a genuine, professional journalist feeds a decent piece of objective news into the studio, it's so mashed up with the opinions of producers, anchors and owners that it's almost unrecognizable as journalism by the time it shows up on screen.
All too often it happens in radio and print journalism as well, but it seems that television newscasts, particularly cable television newscasts are nothing more than a long line of pundits who are willing to say exactly what the network executives want us to hear.
So much for drawing our own conclusions about the world around us.
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