Life in Stumptown

Laura, Charity, and I went to see the Sex and the City movie tonight. I loved it. I didn’t expect anything less. That show (and movie…) doesn’t do mediocre. I knew it would be fabulous. I believe they coined the phrase…or the word at least. I’ve come to realize that it’s character development that really makes me fall in love with a novel or a show. That’s where I think the charm and humor that draws you into the story lies. Take FRIENDS for example — you get to joke with them about Monica just like you would to your own friend who might have 11 categories of towels. For the record, I have very few towels and they do not have categories. The movie was like that. It was like a return to characters…people…you know so well. Which is why it was so funny to see Charlotte get angry at Big…and actually express it. But, beyond the endearing qualities of the four girls we’ve all come to know and love, there’s something else that just got me tonight.

It’s called Sex and the City, but that’s just so not what it’s about. Do you really think a girl show is gonna be about sex? It’s obviously about the emotion. And beyond even love, although it is truly about love and fairytale endings, it is about friendship. That other kind of love that happens BEHIND THE SCENES of finding the one. And that is an area where I have been truly blessed — GIRL FRIENDSHIPS. Love them.

When Mr. Big breaks Carrie’s heart again she falls into her the arms of her three best friends. They take over the situation no questions asked. When Miranda is alone on New Years’ Eve, Carrie gets out of bed and walks through the city in the snow to get there by midnight. When Samantha is still with the guy she should be breaking up with, her three friends are the mirrors that show her what she’s afraid to see. I have those kinds of friends. The kind who tell me when it’s time to forget the boy. The kind who embrace my broken-hearted self immediately off the airplane. The kind who makes me buttered noodles when I’m sad. The kind who won’t let me sleep alone after the break up. The kind who understands why I keep going back. The kind who prays over me when there’s nothing else to do. The kind who finishes my sentences. The kind who makes lists for me to calm me down. The kind who lends me her clothes when I don’t like my own. The kind who lends me her mother when I don’t have my own. The kind I can always pick up right where I left off with. The kind I never stop laughing with. The kind I’ve known so long I start to look like. The kind I can look into her eyes and see myself.

It’s hard to find people who will love you no matter what. I found three of them.”

~Carrie Bradshaw, SATC

I haven’t had a big crying fit about moving to Portland yet. I’m sure it’s on it’s way. But, I have had A LOT of time to think about it, given that I’ve been spending a great deal of my time driving alone in my car listening to music. This is what I’ve come up with so far –

I’m not taking the “The Ohio State University” sticker off my back window. I like that when I look in my rear view mirror, it flips it around and read the right way. Looking back, it reminds me where I’ve come from

Tim McGraw had some good thoughts too — “We ride and never worry bout the fall; I guess that’s the cowboy in us all.”

As did Sugarland — “Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate; I believe that happiness is something we create. You best believe that I’m not gonna wait; ‘Cause there’s gotta be something more.”

Leann Rimes too — “I’m gonna buy a one way ticket on a west bound train; See how far I can go (because I can) Im gonna go out dancing in the pouring rain, And talk to someone I dont know; Im gonna buy a one way ticket on a west bound train; Gonna have my breakfest with some pink champagne; Im gonna sail the ocean, Im gonna spread my wings; Im gonna climb that mountain, gonna do everything.”

And tonight, I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes:

“Maybe our mistakes are what make our fate. Without them, what would shape our lives? Perhaps if we never veered off course, we wouldn’t fall in love, or have babies, or be who we are. After all, seasons change. So do cities. People come into your life and people go. But it’s comforting to know the ones you love are always in your heart. And if you’re very lucky, a plane ride away,”

~Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City.

Currently, I’m sitting on the highway in Kentucky about an hour south of Louisville. There’s a car wreck about 200 yards in front of me. Everyone’s cars are off. Everyone’s talking to each other. I’m annoyed and thought I’d be anti-social and write a blog entry on Word that I could later copy and paste. I like to make good use of my time since it looks like I’m going to be here for a while.

I have a Tuesday back at work that I’ve been dreading since Friday at 5:00, so I definitely can’t call in because tomorrow is going to be a long, busy, and stressful day. But, at least I had a fabulous weekend!

I left for Nashville bright and early Saturday morning at about 7:20. Only twenty minutes behind schedule, which is good time considering I stayed up until midnight on Friday to finish a scrapbook for Mike and Emily’s wedding and went to bed without packing. I met my dad for breakfast in Cincinnati on the way. Bethany had a minor incident with her phone that morning. She dropped it and the top part went flying. It still worked, but the LCD was busted and she could only dial if she knew the number, and she could only have people on speaker phone. She was going to try to find a phone store before she left, so Dad and I went to Half Price Books to kill time. This brings me to my favorite part of the morning.

Dad was asking about Portland’s crime rate. I told him it was similar to Columbus’. I kind of made that up, but I’m sure it’s close. I slightly recall reading something like that. He was talking about how worried he was because he just won’t be able to be right there if something were to happen, etc. I told him that I’m scared to, but we learn the most from pushing our comfort zones and taking risks. Dad then said, “That’s not the only way you learn. There are many ways to learn. You can learn a lot from reading and there’s relatively no risk associated with that.” I love my Dad; he makes me smile. He’d rather me read a book about Portland than move there.

So, anyhow, I got back on the road, and it was just a gorgeous day. It’s a beautiful drive with a bright blue sky, sunshine, and endless, tree lined hills.

Okay…so we got moving again. It was only a 45 minute delay. I’m now writing this on my Wednesday lunch hour because it has been brought to my attention that the people need the blog…so I am giving the people what they want.

Back to Nashville (after the lovely drive of course). We got settled in the hotel, after a trip back down to the lobby to get a working key card, and got ready for the day. Bethany decided she didn’t like any of the clothes she brought, so I thought I’d dress her up Portland style.

Please note that the green dress is actually a skirt that we fastened to her with hair clips. Between her and Elena, I’m really wishing I had a new, stylish haircut. Maybe I’ll do something drastic. Not as drastic as the tattoos Bethany and I were considering all weekend.

Anyway, after that, we headed to the Verizon store to secure Bethany a new phone. We then stopped at this designer discount store to look for a jean jacket for Bethany. Then we went to the Opry Mills Mall, which is huge, and put our names in at the Rainforest Cafe while we did some shopping. At dinner, the Chinese Chicken Salad was everything I remembered it as and have been craving for the past three years! Now, after dinner, we did some more shopping. And I must note here that just as the mall was closing, Bethany realized she didn’t have that phone that she just paid 50 bucks to replace. We tried to replace our steps, which was difficult when the voice on the loudspeaker is telling you that you have one minute to get out of the mall. The whole time I’m of course having this conversation in my head that goes something like this, “God, I know you know where this phone is…” And then, all I’m saying is that I remembered how while Bethany was paying at Rue 21 we heard some tights fall under us and decided to be horrible people and not pick them up. We went back, begged them to lift the gate and let us in, and we found the phone. Mini crisis averted.

We went out that night and had a fabulous time. We met some interesting characters. The sock man. The Germans. The army boys who we literally two stepped the night away with. With the time change, I was awake for 24 hours straight. We had a blast.

We woke up around 10:30 and got ready to go get our favorite breakfast ever…PANCAKES! We love the Pancake Pantry! I had apricot lemon pecan pancakes and Bethany had the Georgia peaches. They were just as delicious as we remembered.

After pancakes, we went to tour the Belle Meade plantation. The mansion and the grounds were unbelievably gorgeous. But, it felt so odd touring a plantation. Who would have thought that a slave cabin would someday have tourists taking pictures of it. I mean at one point, there were two ladies, one black, one white. The white lady was taking a picture of her friend the black lady in front of the plantation. I mean, considering our history, isn’t that all kinds of interesting? Doesn’t it just make you think? And then in the mansion, every other thing the tour guide pointed out was there to demonstrate the family’s wealth. They didn’t set sea shells out because they liked them. I mean that’s why my grandma has them all over. They set them out because it shows that they travel which demonstrates wealth. I could name at least 5 other examples of this. I know our society still does this today. Women get ugly purses with initials on them just to show how much money they have. I just hate the concept. We did learn a lot though. The original owner of the Cincinnati Enquirer’s horse, named Enquirer, came from this plantation. Their business was horse racing. They went bankrupt during the revival when gambling was outlawed. We also learned the origin of sayings such as you catch more flies with honey, not vinegar and the whole nine yards. They came from the Victorian period. Anyway…here’s some pictures.

Then we went to Las Paletas to get gourmet popsicles. I found the place on a website called Yelp. Check it out. It’s a posting site all about cities by people who live or visit there. They were tasty. I had raspberry lime and Bethany had strawberry blackberry. We walked across the street to a park to eat them in. And then we walked around the park. This is when Bethany decided she wants to move to Nashville. It has nice suburbs.

We went back to the hotel to get ready for the night. Then we had dinner at a Broadway Brewery and I introduced Bethany to Lambic Frambrois. We had another fun night after dinner. But, unfortunately, our favorite bar had a stupid band there that night. What band in Nashville says they only know 5 country songs and plays John Mayer and Sublime instead?!?! So, we left there and ended up at a Karaoke bar. If you’re wondering what we were thinking, I can’t help you, I’m wondering the same thing. Here’s a normal picture:

And now here’s the story: I thought karaoke sounded like a great idea. Bethany was not certain. But, this club was so awesome. Everyone was singing, not just the people on stage. When “Don’t Stop Believing” came on by Journey it was like “Fame” in there. So, we figured if we picked a song that everyone would be excited to hear, they wouldn’t even hear us singing. We signed up for “Summer of 69″ by Bryan Adams. After a lot of dancing and 16 or so songs later, the DJ came on and said he was so excited for the next song because it had never been performed in there before. We started to get nervous. Turns out it was Soulja Boy. If you’re not familiar with this, it’s the most popular hip hop hit right now and it comes with a catchy dance that apparently everyone in Nashville knows but us. Picture “Thriller” in an 80s movie. By the end of the song there were more people on the stage than on the floor. About 30 people packed on there and everyone on the floor was into it doing the dance too. Now, everyone was so disappointed when the song was over and they called up the next act. Which I should mention was us. Yes, that’s right, the two shyest girls in high school decide to do karaoke and we have to follow Soulja Boy. That whole “they won’t hear us singing” plan didn’t exactly work. I don’t even think people were talking, let alone singing. They were refilling their drinks, going to the bathroom, anything but paying attention to us. Of course that is how the karaoke experience went. Of course we had to follow Soulja Boy. Enjoy the pictures.

So, that’s Nashville. We went to a cute place for lunch the next morning. We missed breakfast. I had a portobella philly! And then we drove back. It was a fabulous weekend with my best friend. I’m sad that we can’t just watch Dawson’s Creek together every Wednesday and have sleepovers just because, but I must admit I like this new trend of weekends together. They are a blast. Bethany is hands down my favorite person to laugh with and we realized 5 minutes into Saturday that we already had a giggle streak going. Laughing 24/7 (or more like just 24/2 as our time allows) is good for the soul

Monday (AKA Day 2 of I feel like I don’t go to work anymore!): So, I managed to fill my car up with stuff to sell/donate.  Stop 1 was Plato’s Closet, which left me thoroughly annoyed.  They told me they couldn’t even look in one of my boxes because it smelled like moth balls.  I should have just put the clothes in my laundry basket instead of the box I grabbed from our scary room in the basement.  The clothes were fine…it was the box that stunk.  They told me they found a pair of shorts and some jewelry they could take and offer me a total of $2.50 for it.  So, basically, the gas money it took to get there.  I took the cash and dug through the boxes myself.  I pulled out a handful of stuff to take next door to Clothes Mentor, the older version of Plato’s.  While they looked through my stuff I ran up the street to find lunch.

This put me in a way better mood.  I found this great place in a strip mall on Henderson called The Great Harvest.  I walked in skeptical that they might just sell bread and not sandwiches.  They immediately greeted me and offered me a slice of bread.  Not a sample, an entire slice, two actually because when I was done with the whole wheat they insisted I try the cinnamon roll bread.  Both were delicious as were the fancy spreads.  I ended up getting a box lunch which included a chicken salad sandwich, a bottled drink, a bag of chips, and a huge homemade cookie for $6.50.  Can’t beat that.  I was eating it all day.  Their loaves of bread are very reasonably priced too.  I’m so bummed I just found this as I’m leaving Columbus.  But, it’s a chain so maybe PDX will have one.  They told me all about how they mill their own flour in the store and a bunch of other facts, but I was a bit too hungry and annoyed at Plato’s to listen.  Perhaps I’ll read up on it later.  Check it out: http://www.greatharvest.com/

I went back to Clothes Mentor and ended up getting 23 bucks, which makes it worth it.  Then I got $9.00 when I went to Half Price Books.  I made a quick trip to the grocery, stopped by the Park of Roses to determine that there weren’t blooms yet, dropped about five boxes of stuff off at the thrift store, and ran by the gym to cancel my membership as of August 16th so I don’t start getting charged for next year too.  I made it home in time for Maggie’s photo shoot at 4:00.

Maggie is my neighbors’ daughter.  We had plans for her eight month pictures.  We ended up at Franklin Park by the conservatory because the roses weren’t blooming.  It didn’t even feel like a photo shoot, just more like me and Amanda talking for 2 1/2 hours.  It was refreshing to have a photo shoot where conversation wasn’t forced at all.  Plus, Maggie’s at a great age for pictures because she sits still and has adorable expressions even when she’s not smiling!  I’ll post some pictures soon either here or on my square space.

After the photo shoot I headed over to Rob’s for a “family dinner” at his house.  He made ravioli, green beans, and bread + some $4.00 wine for his two roommates, two other girls, and me.  It was a good time

This morning I’ve been editing Maggie’s pictures in my pajamas while watching country music videos.  Can’t beat that.  I picked up some bungees from Dan and Amanda because I’m going to buy a cargo carrier for my car tonight from a Craigslist listing.  $15 and hopefully I’ll double the stuff I can bring!  Alright, back to editing before I have to go into work in an hour and a half.  I almost forgot I was employed…

So, as some of you know I took a sick day on Friday to get this little bump I had removed at the doctor. It was a wonderful day! I was done at the doctor’s by 9:30. Elena came over and she hung out and searched for jobs while I scrapbooked. I ended up getting my entire senior year scrapbook done, which was quite the feat. That has been one of the things I wanted to check off my list pre-Portland. I’ve decided I’m done with scrapbooking until I get married and have BABIES. IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHY THIS IS UPPERCASE, IT IS BECAUSE MATTHEW IS SITTING NEXT TO ME AND ASKED HOW I WRITE IN UPPERCASE. He also wonders why I am writing a blog and not going to scubadivers.com.

Back in Columbus now…

So, Friday, I got to spend some time with Elena, get my scrapbook done, relax, and then comes the best part.  My supervisor called me as she was leaving work.  You see, I have training that I am supposed to attend Monday and Tuesday.  But, the interns swear we took this anyway and they lost our paperwork.  I turned in my letter of resignation on Thursday and my supervisor sees no reason for me to take this training.  I’m saving my one vacation day (use it lose it policy…my comp time and personal days will get paid out to me upon leaving) for June when I will need it closer to the move.  In so many words she told me to call in sick.  So, I’m off Monday and the morning of Tuesday!  This is the gift of time and so useful to me right now.  It took a lot of stress off of my back and I plan to use all of my extra time to start getting rid of stuff, figure out what I want to sell, and find jobs to apply to in Portland.

Emily came home with me this weekend, which is why I was writing with Matthew around.  It was a great time.  I felt like it was very restful for both of us.  We had great conversation in the car both ways.  That kind of conversation that has always been said, “I’ll tell you about this sometime…” but we hadn’t gotten around to it in the past two years.  We got to see my brother’s new house, which they will be in when they get back from vacation in a couple of weeks.  Emily came to my brother’s church and got to see what I was talking about for the past couple of years.  She and Mike will be looking for a new church when they move to West Virginia.  John and Renee stayed up late with us to talk about ministry and marriage, which I think was really helpful for Em as she prepares to make these life changes.  Plus, I just really love it when my friends get to really meet my family and vice versa.

Today we took the boys out to breakfast with my dad while John moved all of the big things out of the house.  We also went to Friendship Park down on the river and I got to see first hand what all the hype is about.  It’s an innovative use of space in the city and creative in the way they landscaped and made even signs beautiful and fun.  I love spending so much play time with the boys too and it makes me really happy when my friends get to see the nephews I rave about.  Here’s a quick story:  Matthew is the nerdy one.  He’s so into learning about “interesting things.”  He was telling Emily and I about mushrooms that he found when Andrew, the “all boy” one comes toppling Matthew over because he wants to wrestle.  Matthew continued to get up and tell us more about mushrooms as Andrew would just attack him over and over.  They are such wonderful brothers!  I can’t explain to you how much it warms my heart to be around them and my family.  This is going to be the hardest part about leaving.  There’s nothing like a weekend at home.  It makes me feel so safe and carefree.  I’m sure I will struggle with this in Portland.

We got back to the house just as everyone was taking a pizza break on the porch, so we joined in!  It was so weird to walk into the Ft. Thomas bungalow so empty and bare.  We spent the last hour on the basement floor (no more furniture) playing Hi Ho Cherrio and the like.  I even gave my key back before I left.  Their new house is gorgeous though and really homey.  There are amazing woods in the back that I can envision many forts and cowboys and indians games going on in the future.  It’s just strange that I won’t be starting the next chapter with my family.  I guess this is probably how Crissy felt when they moved to Ft. Thomas.

God’s been really good in terms of making me feel that I’m getting in what I need to before I leave.  I feel done with Columbus.  I feel that with the exception of a few things, I’ve done what I wanted to do in the city.  I will have one more good weekend at home and hopefully a few other random visits, even if only for a day.  I got some really good Emily time in before she gets too busy with graduation and GETTING MARRIED and I’ll be gone when she gets back from her honeymoon.  I get to spend all next weekend with Bethany in Nashville.  Closure has always been a hard concept for me to come by, but I feel like I’m getting it.  As I’m really trying to get rid of a lot of stuff, I feel sad, but realize how much of a new beginning this is going to be for me.

I love how God knows we are constantly itching for what’s next, so He has given us seasons, both in the weather and in life stages.  But, he also knows that we need familiarity, which is why seasons repeat year after year and our life seasons add up to this big cycle of birth, growing up, marriage, kids, etc, that repeats and we can experience the consistent family feel throughout.  Maybe that’s not entirely thought out.  I feel like C.S. Lewis explained this somewhere very well.  I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m right in the middle of excitement and sadness, which is why I think I’m ready for what’s next.

I finally got a full night’s sleep last night. The last five minutes have made me realize one reason why I might have trouble sleeping. I was about to get my laptop from my desk and take it to my bed to blog. But, I wanted to make sure the battery was charged first. The light was orange instead of blue. I checked the status. The battery was 99% charged. So, I thought, oh well, I’ll just wait until the light turns blue. I like it when the light is blue. I like it when my laptop is fully charged. Yes, I realize as soon as I unplug it the battery light isn’t even lit up at all. Yes, I realize as soon as I unplug it the charge starts to decrease. Yes, I realize I should be hospitalized for staring at an orange light for five minutes waiting for it to turn blue. It never turned blue. This is probably why I’m losing sleep.

That was yesterday.  I have a few updates.

1. My supervisor, Luann, has been fighting so hard to let me keep my money per FCCS.  It’s not looking good.  HR denied it and the regional director doesn’t want to take it to the executive director.  Luann is trying to convince her to do so.  I really appreciate her for this, but honestly, it’s okay either way.  Luann says it’s the principal.  I’m getting paid the money either way because I’ll either use vacation for my last seven days and get paid or not and have it paid out to me upon leaving anyway.  They just don’t want another person to use this case as an example to get something they want.  Anyhow, Linda got back with me and the deal with the state is, if I leave early, I pay OSU $13.70 per each day I leave early.  So, that’s like $100.  Not a big deal at all.  So, prayer answered, I’m good!
2. Jacob bought a one way plane ticket.  That means it’s real.  I have to drive him to Portland so he can use it.  That means I’m moving to Portland.
3. I told my favorite 14 year old I’m leaving today.  She told me she’s coming with me so I can still be her caseworker.  I told her I’m moving to Portland, OR and it’s very far.  She told me she’d take the COTA.  (Columbus bus)  I love her to pieces.  Today was our last car ride from school.  It’s been a ritual for me to pick her up and take her to her grandma’s or her foster mom’s.  I love those rides.  Sometimes we talk about her mom being a “third shifter.”  That’s her word for crack head.  Sometimes we just talk about the people we see on the street and I try to tell her not to make fun of everyone.  The girl has got jokes.  Sometimes we talk about her foster sisters.  Sometimes we talk about how she needs to not fail the eighth grade.  Sometimes we talk about everything she wants to change in the world and she reads me her poems.  Sometimes we talk about how she misses her brothers and sisters.  Sometimes we talk about how it’s not good to hit people.  Sometimes we don’t talk at all because we’re both in bad moods.  I always get out of that car feeling so lucky that she gets to ride in it with me.  I’m so proud to know her.  She’s an amazing kid and I just pray she will beat the system because she has so much potential.   I barely knew her when I had to place her when her grandma relinquished custody.  I remember sitting at Huck House (a safe haven for teens) interviewing this girl and thinking I don’t believe a word she’s saying.  For the record, I still don’t.  Not what she said then anyway.  And two days later we were running across the FCCS parking lot sharing an umbrella and carrying a backpack and a garbage bag (trademark suitcase of a foster kid).  She was fine when I dropped her off at that foster home.  She walked right up those stairs and didn’t even say goodbye.  There were other teen girls and it was just a sleepover to her.  That’s what her life has been…tossed from here to there.  Hmm…that’s really all.  I just know I’ll think of her and wonder…

Ever since I was in Portland, I haven’t been able to fall asleep.  It’s gotten worse since I got home.  I lay in bed and think of all I need to do before I get there and everything I’m so excited to do when I do get there.  This poses a problem for daily living in the next two months.  I’m constantly sleepy.  I guess it’s a minor problem compared to the exciting direction my life is going in…

I still haven’t gotten an answer from Linda who is playing phone tag with a guy from the state about letting me keep my $5,000.  My supervisor seems to think it won’t be a problem to waive the agency policy of having to literally work your last day as opposed to taking vacation.  My associate director is going to write a request to the executive director.  So, that’s a big prayer request.

However, as of June I will be renting two homes.  And one will be in Portland!  Beth Livingston is a 33 year old who owns a home in Alberta, which is the same neighborhood the Kennedy School and the Tin Shed Garden Cafe are in.  She’s on staff with Imago Dei and was one of the original ones who met in the pastor’s living room.  She works with a refugee family trying to teach them English, just got into photography, and claims to be a girly girl.  Sarah Wetmore is her roommate.  She’s 26 and went to school in Seattle.  She works at a finance company.  They sound like great girls.  We’ve been chatting via phone and email.  Beth checked my references (Jenn, Elena, and Emiy…thanks for saying nice things, girls) and called me Saturday to offer me the room.  It’s $350/month plus 1/3 of utilities.  My room will have a bed and a dresser so I don’t have to worry about that.  And the bed is the same size as mine so I can bring my sheets, etc.  There’s a washer and a dryer.  Here’s some pictures:

The last thing that seems to be working out so far is the drive.  I’ve asked a lot of people, but no one is really available.  But, last night, Elena realized that Jacob’s off work (his company is closed) the week before I start class.  He wants to see Portland before he moves there.  So, it’s looking like I might drive my car out with him and would hopefully save on the airline ticket/shipping costs.  So, Crissy, how do you feel about having some house guests circa July 1st for a night or two?

That seems to be all for now.  It’s been a good week at work.  I scrapbooked a lot this weekend while watching chick flicks.  I’m determined to get my senior year scrapbook done before moving.  Emily and Mike had a great wedding shower.  I came in second in the corn hole tournament.  Her dad kind of lead our team   I had a photo shoot today for a little boys’ baptism.

I’m watching Beaches right now because I took a three hour nap today.  Which, I guess brings me back to problem number one.  I love girl friendships.  I hope my kids have a zillion aunts from all my best friends.  Well maybe more like three…but you know.  I feel so lucky to have such good friends.

First, a housekeeping announcement: my home internet is not surprisingly a much better connection than the shady hotel Elena and I stayed with. Thus, check previous posts for pictures that are now posted if you’d like!

I apologize for not posting daily, we were just so sleepy when we got back to the hotel. I believe we’re on Saturday. We walked beyond the mall in the Lloyd District, where we were staying, and had breakfast at this cute little cafe called Milo’s. We sat by the window which was great for people watching. This is the first place we noticed two Portland, restaurant trends. They have short ketchup bottles sans neck for easy pouring and no jam packets, but rather a little jar filled with preserves. We asked about this at another restaurant and learned that they just order it and it’s either cherry or raspberry or strawberry usually.

After breakfast, we headed down to Saturday market. The steel bridge that the train goes over was out, so we walked. This would be the first nomad like experience of the day. We began to joke that our vacation consists of wandering around with backpacks only stopping for food and water. It’s really not that far off from the truth. Anyhow, the Saturday Market (and now Sundays too) is a weekly Portland tradition where artists and food vendors set up their stands under the Burnside Bridge and the surrounding area in Old Town. They have jewelry, strange crafts, clothes, purses, woodworking, fudge, etc. I bought a necklace that has the word “hope” etched in it and Elena bought a bracelet. I can’t mention what else I bought, but some of you who have birthdays and the like coming up will soon get it in gift wrap This was the only time that it started to rain the whole weekend. We started to use umbrellas, but no one else seemed to be doing that and we kept hitting people because we were in close proximity, so we decided to just share one.

Then we decided to check out this area called Hollywood. It’s supposed to be a little arts district, but the only cute thing we found was the theater.

We never made it to the Beverly Cleary sculpture park that is also in this neighborhood. Let me tell you why. From here, we wanted to go to this place that we thought was somewhat close (in reality about three miles away). It’s called the Kennedy School.  I can’t figure out how to properly add a link, so here you go: http://www.kennedyschool.com/index.php?loc=57&id=465  It’s an old elementary school from circa 1913 that has been redesigned into a restaurant, three small bars, a hotel, a pool, a brewery, and several banquet rooms.  We wanted to have lunch there.  I use the word lunch loosely since we arrived around 7:00 PM.  We figured we just needed to walk from 42nd where we got off the bus down to 33rd, where the school is.  Once we reached 33rd, we checked an address which was in the 1000’s and ours was in the 5000’s.  Elena thought the addresses might jump once we crossed the highway.  I need to learn to question her more, because I was thinking, why would the addresses jump, we should find a bus.  After about a mile I suggested we stop at the bus stop and use her Iphone to figure out where we were.  Turns out we had 1.6 miles to go, so we thought we’d wait for the bus.  Well, the bus didn’t seem to be coming, so we kept walking and stopped at the next stop.  We did this once more and then she told me I could decide if we should wait or not.  Well, after a few minutes of waiting, I thought we might as well keep walking.  No joke, two minutes later, the bus zoomed past us never to be seen again.  Thus, we continued our two hour walk to dinner, up hill, in an exceptionally cute neighborhood that reminded us of San Francisco.  Once we got to the school thought it was totally worth it.  We put our name in at the restaurant and passed the time by taking a self guided walking tour which told us about the history and the artwork that filled the walls and then had a drink at a small bar.  Dinner was pretty good too.  But, we definitely learned how to catch the bus home and stopped at Walgreens on the way to pick up a box of granola bars and trail mix.  We determined that we were most likely hallucinating from walking all day without eating and should curb this problem for tomorrow.  We should have just bought candy bars instead of trail mix though because after passing back and forth the bag a few times, we realized we were both just digging for the M&Ms.  So much for being healthy!  We had planned to go out that night, but after our journey we were too tired

Sunday.  I woke up so excited to go to church!  We found an easy bus route there and got off a stop late.  Our problem with mass transport continues.  We got off right in front of this huge field with a softball game going on in front of this beautiful building that looked like a college prep academy out of England.  Turns out it was the high school church was in and it just spanned a few blocks.  So, we walked back to the corner and up about a half mile to the school.

Church was great.  I picked up all of the information stuff before the service and we sat down a little early while I read through it.  They have a group called Pear that works with inner city youth and a photography group that meets twice a month…among other things of course!  A small family sat down in front of us and the mom turned right around and said, “Hi, girls, how are you this morning?”  She asked if we had been coming for a while.  We explained our situation and she ended up talking to us about the city, telling me if she saw Don Miller she’d introduce me, and took me email down in case she heard of anyone needing a roommate. She told us the worship band looked interesting this morning.  We agreed and pointed out the cello and xylophone.  She just thought it was weird that there weren’t drums today, but they change it up a lot.

Worship turned out to be “folky” and beautiful.  There was also a grand piano, a clarinet, a few guitars, a singer, and a violin.  After worship the pastor talked about the budget a bit.  Elena said she hates it when pastors do that.  But, I just see it as a reality of church and I thought it was great that he kept the church informed.  He talked about how 12% of their budget goes toward the facility and 17% goes toward inner city missions.  He compared it to a person only spending 12% on rent and 17% on tithes.  I think it’s cool that they don’t have a building.  Even though a building would allow the church to house events to help the community, this way the church can just go out into the community.

The message was part 6 of the life of David; rugged spirituality.  He talked about how God had blessed David in great ways and David wanted to pay God back for this.  But, God rejects that.  We need to realize how minuscule we are in the scheme of things, but God still loves us so much and blesses us.  It’s never going to be an equal relationship and that makes us uncomfortable and vulnerable.  But, we need to recognize that and worship God through service, not try to pay Him back.  It was Samuel 7.

Then they did Communion, which was interesting.  There’s a table at the front that wrapped around the stage.  Everyone just approached it either by themselves or in groups, but not in a single file line or anything.  Some people knelt down, some prayed over one another, etc.  It was very come as you are kind of style.  It was pretty cool.

We worshiped a little more and it really hit me during Amazing Grace.  It’s funny because grace has been kind of a theme word for me this year.  It was one of those amazing moments where the spirit just speaks to you and I just heard that beyond the shadow of a reasonable doubt I should be in this church, in Portland.  I felt a tear roll down my cheek and I just knew it.  God will fill in the details.

After church, I went to the guest forum.  It was about 8 people in a small classroom and a guy told us about the church.  There are four core values.

1. Meaning and Truth.  Basically they believe in the gospel.
2. Missional Journey.  We are not standing still.  We are here for a purpose.  Many people come to this church for healing.  The church’s main mission is to LOVE Portland, to bless the people in the inner city, and to mirror the Image of God (Imago Dei) as they do this.
3. Worship and Beauty.  This is mainly done through art.  A lot of artists go to this church.  Sometimes people paint during worship.  They believe that art is not just a means to an end, but a gift from God that mirrors His image because He is a creative God.  They use art in many different ways to bless people and to form community.
4. Authentic Community.  Of course most churches say they have this, but how can you really be sure?  I guess I have my first example.

After this group, I went up to the guy and explained my situation.  I told him I needed some roommates.  He asked if I could come to a community group that night.  I explained I couldn’t because I wasn’t going to drag Elena to that.  He said we could definitely solve this problem via email.  I explained that I didn’t want to put a burden on him to find me roommates, but perhaps if he could just connect me to someone that might be in touch with the 20 somethings.  He explained to me that their purpose is to help one another and he would absolutely figure this out.  He gave me his email and also took me into the hallway looking for a tall British woman named Heather.  First we found Marjory.  He introduced me to her and asked for a ride home.  Then we found Tamara.  He also introduced me to her and told her my situation.  Then he apologized and asked if I was embarrassed that he was introducing me to everyone.  I said I thought it was great.  Tamara said she knew of one girl and she took my email address.  She has since emailed me that information and a link to a google groups that Imago Dei has for needs in the community.  I responded to the initial request and a few others for roommates.  Tamara also included her phone number and asked that I give her a call when I get there so she and the gals could take me out and welcome me to Portland.  Then we found Heather.  Heather gave me her email address, told me of one place she was thinking of, and told me she would absolutely find me roommates.  All of this made me a lot less nervous about moving across the country!

After church we went up to the Hawthorne District and had lunch at a place called Bridgeport Ale House.  We sat by the window again and played a game called Guess How Many Dogs Will Walk By and also First One to Spot a mohawk, bohemian skirt, non-natural hair color, reusable grocery bag, etc. Wins!  The food was delicious too!  We went in a few shops along the strip and right after lunch walked to this place called The Bread and Ink Cafe which apparently has a “Waffle Window” on Sundays.  It’s a walk up window where you can order different varieties of waffles to-go.  Elena got a chocolate one which does not go well with sunshine or hair   You can fill in those details.

We hopped on the bus and were going to go across town to the International Rose Test Garden and the Japanese Gardens, but realized the bus wouldn’t bring us back that late.  So, we just went back to the Pearl District instead because we really liked that area.  We got a drink at a place called District that had all day Sunday happy hour.  We sat outside in the sunshine and did more people watching.

Then we went in some shops, galleries, etc.  We went back to Nob Hill and ended up getting pedicures.  We stopped by Pete’s Coffee and Tea to get some cold drinks.  We noticed here that customers find and punch their own frequent shopper cards on the honors policy!  Oh, Portland…

Eventually we ended up back in the Pearl District for dinner at Touche.

Monday.  We got up and got packed.  We went back to Alberta (by the Kennedy School) to have breakfast at Tin Shed Garden Cafe.  This place is so cute.  It’s in a little tin house.  It has an outdoor patio that is heated and gives you blankets in the winter time.  They show old movies on Wednesdays.  Their breakfast was amazing.  I had a burrito with scrambled eggs, garlic, artichokes, yams, pesto, tomatoes, and I think some other things with a biscuit.  I can’t even explain the cuteness factor on this place.  They offer a doggie menu.  Special note to Cris: Portland is way dog friendly!  The dogs go everywhere including restaurants.  Most are small dogs though which makes me happy.  I want a beagle and I want to name her Lucy!  Anyhow, this is probably my new favorite breakfast place.

We got on the train and almost got off on the wrong stop on the way to the airport.  Unlike the midwest, people are nice in Portland and advised us to stay on the bus and told us where to get off!  And I guess, long story, short…we’re back home now.  I’m using today to rest up and recoup before heading back to work tomorrow.  I finished editing some pictures for a client, unpacked, filled out my FAFSA for 2007, found out that I did fill out my application correctly, called admissions and they told me my letter should be processed in a week, have gone back and forth to different people about being registered for summer AND fall, and that should be sorted out in a week, and I still don’t know about my $5,000.  It’s going to be a stressful two months getting my ducks in a row!

Thank you all for your love, prayers, support, and comments!  Keep reading…this blog is about to get exciting

Well, we woke up bright and early this morning at 5:45 AM. That would be thanks to a coworker who thought I was working today in Columbus, where it was 8:45 AM. We tried, but we couldn’t really fall back asleep. So, we talked for a while, got ready, and finally left around 9:00. We hopped on the train, got off in the middle of downtown at Pioneer Square, and made our way south toward campus.

It’s an urban campus and there’s a lot of commuters. We wondered around for a bit, but couldn’t really find a good breakfast place. Apparently there’s no real strip like High Street with restaurants; there’s just a few here and there. We ate at some Big Town Hero sub place or something like that and had breakfast subs. They were okay. We walked around some more and found some great coffee place that brews Stumptown and was called Cafe Ono. Elena had a chai tea that she loved and I couldn’t even tell you what I had but it told me I would taste strawberry lemonade and maple syrup in it. I think I did, but Elena said it just tasted like coffee.

We got to the social work building pretty early. We spoke with the receptionist for a while. She moved to Portland from the Midwest in the 70s and says she just loves it. She gave me some pointers on where to look for an apartment for cheaper. There’s two neighborhoods southeast of downtown. I think they’re by Imago Dei. We’re going to check them out on Sunday. She also informed us that there are random checks by train officials to see if you paid your fair. If you did not, you get kicked off with a $500 fine. So, we’re going to start paying more attention to where we are on this train now.

I met with an admissions representative who was so incredibly helpful and kind. The cost will be about $21,000 total, which I just don’t think is that bad, considering it’s out of state. She said while the program is usually ranked in the top 25, it’s very hard to get into because there are so many applicants. This year there were 750 for the regular MSW program and only 150 slots. There are only 16 advanced standing students, which is what I will be. She doesn’t want me to miss orientation because that is when I will get to know the students I will be taking all of my classes with. She said this year’s cohort was very close and would always have pot lucks together…which of course immediately made me think of my social work friends. Anyhow, I asked her about social welfare in Portland. She said that it’s still a small town and everyone has a lot of pride in their community. They all want to make it livable for everyone, including the “street people.” There are a lot of neighborhood committees so individuals have voices. She answered all of my questions, told me what to expect, told me she’d have some students email me to answer my questions, and gave me a tour around the floor. I was able to meet with the person who does field placements and she is going to try to get me a placement in a hospital doing therapeutic work in an oncology department. She said she didn’t know if she’d be able to, but she took down what I want and want I don’t want. I will only have to do field two days per week and class at least one day, so I will be able to get a job. She told me a helpful link to find one with some community agencies. She said a lot of the students do on call work.

After that, I went to the financial aid department. She said I actually need to fill out the 2007-2008 FAFSA too for summer quarter. And admissions told me that the department has not sent them my acceptance. I called the social work office back but the lady I met with wasn’t in and the lady I need to talk to wasn’t in at all today. So, I’m going to shoot her an email. Everything is just so slow and laid back here so I’m not all that concerned, but I know I need to pray about it. I still haven’t heard from Linda about my $5,000, but I don’t feel all that worried.

We walked up the green in the middle of campus and there was a bohemian band just playing in the middle. A crowd had gathered and a handful of people were dancing. It was practically a free concert in the middle of a Friday afternoon. Elena was taking some pictures when a line of pre-school children holding hands came through. I’ve noticed that children are the only people who wear pastels here, so I might need to change my style. Elena and I stick out big time. Because of this, people stare. And some boys whistle. It’s very uncomfortable. Anyhow, the children were adorable. They started dancing and one of the cute bohemian dancers joined the kids. I felt as if my heart were just breaking because I loved this moment so much that it needed to expand to let more love in or something. It was just perfect.

Then we headed north toward downtown again to buy Elena some shoes. We do this everytime we travel together…it’s either shoes or a jacket…we’re never prepared. We were in Pioneer Place (picture a successful City Center or Tower Place) and my tote bag that we had been using to carry everything in (umbrellas, maps, etc/Elena had the camera backpack) completely broke. So, luckily we were shopping already. We went to a Nordstrom outlet. I bought a cute bag to replace the broken one and Elena found some shoes.

We went to Rock Bottom Brewery for lunch. They had one in Chicago and we didn’t get to go. It’s kind of a long story. We always said we’d go in Portland and it was right by where we were. They have really good root beer. Seriously. That’s what we got. We got to eat outside. By the way…the weather was perfect again today. About 70 degrees and sunny. It said it was going to rain the whole time we were here, but it just hasn’t yet.

We went back to Pioneer Square and stopped in at the visitor center. We sat on the steps by the fountain and read through our new tourist magazines. There were others just hanging out on the steps. I can’t even explain this city. There are trees absolutely everywhere and they are this brilliant shade of green that is not the same as those in the midwest. There are people everywhere. There’s no trash. The city is not dirty. It’s quiet. There aren’t sirens. It’s not crowded. Everyone looks happy and relaxed. And they decorate everything. There are huge, colorful fish on the side of a parking garage. There’s art everywhere.  Here’s some other examples:

Anyway, we got back on the light rail and went up to Old Town. We were in search of a store called Made in Oregon, but we don’t think it’s there anymore. So instead, we walked along the riverfront and took pictures for a while. Then we went to Old Town Pizza. It’s a historic restaurant that used to be a hotel. The atmosphere was really cute, but the pizza and the service were terrible. Don’t get us started! We were going to go to the Cinco de Mayo festival, which claims to be the largest in the country, but we decided to just walk outside the fence and not pay $8.00 to get in and some more to ride the ferris wheel and eat a funnel cake.

At this point, we were just exhausted. So, we came back to the Lloyd District where our hotel is, walked to Wendy’s and had frosties and french fries to replace the crappy pizza and came back to the hotel. Elena fell asleep and I’m watching ET. I’m going to go to sleep now. I’m sorry I didn’t post pictures — the internet connection is pretty crappy, so I will try again tomorrow.

So, here’s a slight update for those of you I haven’t shared this with yet. On Tuesday, I received what I interpreted as some bad news. First, actually, I got good news. Columbia sent me my full financial aid letter. They were going to give me $34,000. About fifteen minutes later, they sent me a revised financial aid letter and took away $24,000, leaving me at my original $10,000. Apparently there was an error. Long story made short — my financially savvy friend Rob came over to help me crunch some numbers and complain about ill fortune. We spent three hours doing this and pretty much ended where we started. I was upset and scared to death to spend $55,000 on an education for a career that barely puts food on the table. I started to look into Portland by emailing my field liasion about whether or not I can keep my $5,000 if I leave early, etc. Alright…now that you’re caught up to speed….

It’s funny how clear things are now that I see what God saw. I was so antsy about Columbia. People would ask me my plans and I’d say, “I mean I guess I’m moving to NYC and going to Columbia.” I just couldn’t see the full picture. I can’t see the full picture here, either, but I do know I have a TREMENDOUS feeling of peace. Let me tell you about it.

Our day started at 4:30 this morning with five hours of sleep under out belts. We arrived at the airport, got checked in, grabbed some coffee, realized we had to drink that coffee prior to passing through security, chugged some coffee, and went on our merry way to our flight. We had a layover in Chicago for two hours (our plane was delayed). I thought my power cord for my laptop died, but it seems to be working now. Please pray it keeps up! Let me tell you about how long our morning was. I have never seen so much morning. Ever. Groundhog’s Day, we’re talking. Only worse. Because it just kept being 6:30 in the morning. We got on the plane to Chicago at 6:30. We got off the plan in Chicago at 6:30. Then, we got off the plane in Portland, at 6:30. Crazy fast flight. Just kidding. The plane ride to Portland was excruciatingly long. Three hours and thirty seven minutes. And when we landed, they said, “Good morning, welcome to Portland.” And we thought, seriously. It’s still morning?!

Anyhow, we got our baggage and found the train. We vacillated for about 10 minutes on which ticket to buy…meaning how long the pass was good for. Luckily we just got the two hour pass. Because, we quickly learned, no one pays for this train, no one checks your ticket. Elena requests that I specify the ticket booth is inside the airport. No one would notice if you didn’t buy the ticket. No one is there to notice, in fact. Throughout the day of using the train, we saw some people buy tickets. It’s confusing because there’s this giant area in the city, where the light rail is free. We were outside of this area. Therefore, we figured we should pay. We just don’t understand. So, perhaps Portland just has free public transportation. I can’t wait to see how the bus works.

We saw that there was an IKEA! It opened this past summer. See, the west coast is so much more progressive than West Chester. By about a year.

We easily found our hotel, located in the Northeast part of the city by the convention center. It was right off the train line. When we made it here, it was 12:10. Officially afternoon! Our morning was 11 hours long. Normally, Elena doesn’t even see morning. This was a change for her. We were able to get a free early check in and free wireless. Excellent. Everyone was very nice. We have a sliding door that overlooks the parking lot with no screen or patio. Imagine that.

Elena started looking at lunch (since breakfast was 10 hours ago) options while I unpacked. We saw a few options, but decided to just get on the train and figure it out. So, we headed into the city. We got off in Old Town. Then we went to China Town. We saw where the Saturday Market is held. And then we saw a phone booth! With a working phone! We ooohed and awwwed and regretfully did not make a call. Then we realized people were looking at us because we were both squeezed in a telephone booth not making a call, so we walked across the street. Which was great! Because cars stop at crosswalks here! Even if you’re anywhere near it! Pedestrians so have the right of way. This is great because I never really mastered looking both ways. We’d also like to mention there is an abundance of portable food vendors, some painted vibrantly, lining the streets. It’s like a fair, but just everyday life in Portland. We passed those up and saw a restaurant we had looked at earlier. It is the oldest restaurant in Portland and it is called Huber’s. It has an antique feel to it and the staff is sooo enthusiastic and cheerful. The cuisine — turkey. Seriously. They just had turkey everything. Flashback to Kennedy Commons. They did have other options, but sooo much turkey. I got a turkey, artichoke, spinach crepe which was amazing and Elena got some smoked salmon pasta. And lunch was on Mr. Herman…thanks Dad!

We saw a small congregation of Anti Authoritarians. Which, ironically, they were gathering in an orderly fashion. They were an extreme example of how people seem to dress here. I’m going to go with grunge mixed with punk mixed with urban chic mixed with hippie…but everyone seems to shower. The city is so clean. There are trees everywhere. Lining the streets. It’s very much like Washington DC in the way that there aren’t towering sky scrapers so much as adorable neighborhoods in a downtown that is being utilized.

Then, we headed over to the Pearl District, which is a former factory district that used to make buttons that were made out of oyster shells, hence the name. Now it is a trendy area full of galleries, hip restaurants, and boutiques. First we took pictures of the Lovejoy Columns. These are in an area that used to be a railroad. One of the workers etched drawings into the support pillars in the train station in his downtime. The paintings are gone, but they put pictures of the paintings on these columns.

Then, we happened upon an adorable bakery called Cupcake Jones. (High school, anyone ) They had six delicious flavors of cupcakes available in large or mini. We each got a mini peach cobbler. Delicious!

Then, we found Powell’s. It’s a huge bookstore, new and used, that takes up a block and is three stories tall. They have a lot of authors read there, not to mention a certain favorite of mine…Donald Miller! We browsed through the books for a while…I mean really it’s huge and we could spend hours there.

Then, we headed over to a shop called Buffalo Exchange. Think Rag O Rama but a little pricier. Then we went to the very first Whole Foods!

Then, we really just took so many pictures all around. It’s an incredibly photogenic city. There are people everywhere, but it’s not crowded. Just active. There’s not traffic either. No honking. It doesn’t smell. There’s little construction. And there are homeless people. But, it’s kind of hard to tell who’s homeless. They don’t seem to carry belongings like in a cart. They are younger, like we expected. The population as a whole seems younger. Another thing that perplexes us is how Portland is very bilingual. Everything is in Spanish and English. But, they have a very low Hispanic population. A large Asian population though.

We saw a bit of First Thursday, which is the Gallery Hop in the Pearl District, but felt like moving on. So, we went over to a neighborhood called The Alphabet District in Nob Hill. They are late 1800s/early turn of the century apartments and homes. They are extremely well taken care of. Trees seem to canopy the streets. Very populated. Full of 240 DLs, which made Elena happy. There aren’t many Honda’s out here. It seems highly residential. We stopped at a Fred Meyer, which is the same as Kroger. We did some price checking and it’s very much on par with Columbus. And then we just happened to stumble upon another thing on our checklist — 23rd Street. It’s a little avenue lined with fashion boutiques by Portland’s newest designers along with brand name stores that sell home goods. And cute European cafes, etc. And, there’s a hospital. I love that it’s so much a city in the way that you can just walk from one thing to the next and there’s churches and houses and hospitals and grocery stores all in there together.

Then we hopped on the streetcar, which again, we’re unsure of the going rate, but we didn’t pay, and took that back to the Pearl District in search of a dog bowl/fountain that William Wegman (photographer known for shooting Weimeraners) designed for the city. We also happened to see a large bronze elephant statue that is very Chinese like in design. It was a gift to the city from someone in China. I can’t remember the whole story, but it has to do with trading cultures. Anyhow, luckily Elena made a joke about this teeny dog bowl on the ground being it. I walked over. It was it. Otherwise, we would have missed it. There’s these fountains all over the city that always have water coming out. It’s odd. This one was in dog bowl form in the middle of a few concrete squares in the grass. We were glad we didn’t miss it.

Then, we happened upon a Street Festival. There were all these skateboarders doing ramps and tricks, etc. It had booths set up too with services the community had to offer people to make them aware of what’s out there. Very random, I know, but I just can’t even explain it. This was right near Chinatown and the Chinese Garden was free for the occasion. So, we got to go in. It was absolutely beautiful and so peaceful. It’s like a little, peaceful haven in the middle of the city. No cell phones allowed!

Then, we hopped back on the train to go to our hotel. We grabbed take out from a Red Robin and ate in the room. We’re both exhausted. It’s 1:15 AM Columbus time. So, I’m going to hit the hay, but I just can’t even express how amazed I am at the Lord right now. Tomorrow I have a meeting with an admissions lady from Portland at 11:30. I’m hoping He can fill in the details, because I just love it here. I have such peace about it. I hope I love the school and church on Sunday just as much. I could see myself staying here for a while It’s amazing how perfect everything is working out. We feel like we accomplished so much on our list in just one day. The weather was beautiful. Not hot, not cold, not windy, not rainy. Fluffy white clouds, sunshine, and just the perfect temperature. We finally had a vacation where we dressed appropriately and didn’t have to buy a jacket or different shoes. We weren’t moody. We’ve had rough vacations together in the past…haha. We just seemed to happen upon everything we were looking for or didn’t even know we were looking for. It’s just been great. Elena wants to move here too. So, I feel like for once, I’m getting a pretty clear message. All in the Lord’s time I guess. We’ll see what He has in store tomorrow.