Early Spring?!

It feels like it’s spring already here in the Columbia River Gorge, as well as much of Oregon. I really feel bad for those friends on the east coast.. but I guess that’s why I stay on the west coast!

I’ve been doing tons of gardening. Yesterday I banged out almost the whole western side of the house. I don’t know when the last time someone lived here was. The gardens were atrocious! Two or three layers of dead leaves from bulbs.. So tulips or daffodils. And the roses. Oh jesus, the roses. They haven’t seen a good pruning in a few years I’m sure. I didn’t do anything drastic, but I did trim them up to force them to grow the right way. Not a big cut back, just some thoughtful trimming.

All was going fine and well until I found a mystery bulb. It looks like grass with long thin green leaves.. and then I ripped some up and they had these white bulbs. So I’m like is this fucking wild garlic? Nope. Lemon grass? Nope! It had no smells!! I have no idea what it is so I left it alone. I figure once it starts blossoming I’ll have a better time identifying it.

I should’ve taken pictures, but you know that whole not having a camera thing.

And then I stuck my (gloved) hand in dog shit and I was done. It wasn’t old. We don’t own a dog. The neighbors fenced in their yard so their dog could be let out unattended.

Fuck people who let their dogs poop in other people’s yards. Backyards no less.

Yesterday I also swept and mopped the entire down stairs, dusted from top to bottom, everything was nice and clean. I’m not a big fan of cleaning, but I think spending 3 hours outside in the fresh air and sunshine gave me a spring-cleaning kick in the ass.

Except it’s February. It is not Spring! I don’t get it but I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Lots of accordion playing! I recently took another trip down to the Willamette valley to see family and visit and my Aunt sent some more books my way to practice. So new videos of that will be coming soon to my YouTube channel.

I’m finishing up my pair of Jackalopes for my friends birthday in April. They’re watercolor and they’re turning out pretty all right! I’m happy about it.

What else? Well, I got a job offer from a local department store and I took it of course because I want a job. They sent me off Monday to take my UA and they sent me to the wrong place and I almost got lost but I didn’t and then I got hte drug test all taken care. Hahaha. I always worry that I’m going to fail even though I honestly don’t have a reason to worry. What if that one time I was standing next to someone smoking pot and I inhaled it shows up?! Yeah, dumb anxiety.

However, I also just got an email from a local PowerSport shop that I had applied to last month asking me to come in an interview. And I’d much rather work with dirt bikes and a shop than in the retail wasteland known as Big Box Retail. Guess we’ll see what happens.

The Dalles

I made it! I survived! Hooray!

Enough exclamation marks. M and I are officially settled into our new house. It was stressful, and we forgot stuff, and it’s COLD here, but over all I really like it. We got a cute turn of the century house that’s since had the interior remodeled.. new paint, new appliances, etc.. It has a large back yard as well as a root cellar and off street parking. Yay!

Our house is, of course, minimally furnished since we just brought what we could hold in our cars. I prioritized with my computer and instruments while M prioritized with TV and entertainment.

But we have a blow up mattress, which is pretty sweet. Beats the hell out of sleeping on the hard wood floors.

I’ve been playing around with Flash Pay via NetSpend and it seems like it’s all new.. Does anyone understand how to use flashpay? Because I sure as fuck don’t.

 

 

Mandate of Heaven (MM6)

You know how much time I’ve been spending playing Might & Magic 6? Too damn much. Like HOURS. I haven’t played it in years and got it off of GOG. I grew up playing all the old school RPGs and I always really liked the first person aspect of MM as well as the fact that I could have girls. Go figure.

Life has mellowed out and thank God for that. Things seem to be getting back to normal.

M and I will be house hunting next weekend. We’re getting excited to be moving to The Dalles in two weeks! I just wish we already had a place so I could quit stressing out about it. Seriously.

Not much else to say! Until next time..

xoxo

Camping in Nehalem Bay Oregon

I’m sure some of you will be glad to know that my iPod made a full recovery while spending it’s time in a pound of white rice. I mean, hell, I know I am. The exterior speaker doesn’t really work anymore and it takes a few minutes to get the charger seated, but I’ll take what I can get. Because my iPod is now working that means I can get my camping trip pictures onto my computer. I didn’t forget that I still need to write about it.

 

And we’re off!

 

One our way south we decided to take the very scenic Highway 101. We drove east from Corvallis and then north from Newport. It was a warn sunny day and we took full advantage. It isn’t often that here on the Oregon coast it’s sunny and warm. You usually don’t get both. We drove through many small beach towns and it was really nice to become more familiar with Oregon while going north from Newport.

We really didn’t have any reason to stop prematurely besides the occasional bathroom break so you will have to excuse my lack of photos.

Once we got to the camp we made quick work of setting up. Sort of. Once we unpack the car and open ourselves a few beers we then set up our tent. That went without a hitch, Mike has done this countless times. But then it got to the fire.. Well, at the coast (every coast I’ve ever been to) there’s this huge likelihood of it being windy. Guess what, it was! Incredibly windy. Windy enough to keep blowing out each of the starter fires that Mike made.  So after Mike gives building a fire an honest try I kick him off of fire duty. I already knew I was going to be cooking so there was no point in there being two people hovering over the fire to make sure it’s right. I split more wood and made the best fire EVER.

 

 

After I got the fire hot and enough coals I moved on to dinner. My camping dinner included lots of beer, some wine, chicken noodle soup and biscuits made in a frying pan! Everything came out of a can, but I’m still pretty proud of myself for swinging biscuits.. in a frying pan.

 

 

In case anyone wants the biscuit recipe its.. one can of biscuits, a bunch (quart stick?) of melted butter. Make sure it gets melted. All the biscuits. Cover with foil. Then you basically poach them. Check the bottom every few minutes. Flip. Cook more. Done when brown on the other side. No raw spots. Also if I have to explain to you how to set up the coals on a fire to cook it you’re on the wrong site.

After replenishing ourselves with soup, biscuits, and beer we decided to make our way to the ocean. It wasn’t far in the sense that it was a long distance away, but we did have to climb over a big soft sand dune which sucked in those flats. I couldn’t find my flip flops in time for camping so I didn’t bring them. I did most of my climbing bare footed.

 

It was a pretty amazing evening at the shoreline. While it was still really windy, it made for some neat views. Unfortunately we are getting close to the end of our photographic journey.

Right after taking the picture of Mike I decided I wanted to go be in the ocean too! Then my iPod jumped out of my pocket in what I can only imagine was a suicide attempt. I don’t know how Mike saw it fall into the water but he managed to run up and snatch it out of the surf.

After this we went back to camp, drank a bit more beer. The next day our friends from Seattle came down and we spent the second night together doing basically the same thing as the first night. Mike and I ate our left over soup and biscuits. On day three, the morning we were all leaving, I made some delicious breakfast burritos and we all parted ways.

Until next time!

Gallery

Silver Creek Falls

Mike and I had a very exciting weekend. We decided to take a day trip up to Silver Falls on Saturday. We hiked around and enjoyed the water. I only rolled both of my ankles half a dozen times. At least I wasn’t wearing flip-flops like Mike was!

 

 

We’re going to be going camping this weekend on the coast. I’m incredibly happy the weather is finally becoming warm and enjoyable. I love being outside. I’m also still very very stoked about my trip to California at the end of June! More pics to come.

xoxo