Sleepiness

I'm so sleepy but I haven't written in a few days and if you aren't one of my facebook friends then you're probably wondering if I made it to Panama City safely.

I am here and completely exhausted but catching up on sleep and very excited that I'm not in a moving car.  It was surreal driving up the road I grew up on and coming into the house.  Now that I'm here for the second night, Oregon feels like a dream.  I miss it.  I miss the weather and the geography.  I miss my new friends and even my room.  

I have a lot to do before the cruise and a lot of stuff to go through and figure out what I'm taking back with me.  I'm not looking forward to that part, but it has to be done.  

It's nice to see the family.  I missed them.  We're gonna have a lot of fun on our cruise. :)

This is what happens...

When I spend lots of time driving....I think.

I have 2 topics to write about but I'm exhausted so I may have to expand on them later.

1.  Where do thoughts come from?  How to they appear in our heads and what makes us either act on them or not act on them?  I know that scientifically they are charging electrons from synapse to synapse but where does the actual topic originate from?  Our subconscious?  Are we born with them and they just rear their heads at the time we're mature enough to blurt them?  

There have been so many random, insightful, healing, teaching thoughts that have presented themselves on my trip that it's probably meant to be that I didn't fly.

2.  I've learned that it is far more fun to drive with no destination in mind than it is to drive towards something specific.  If I could physically drive straight through I would.  All I want right now is to see my family and hold my dog.  My little dog keeps me going.  

Ok, 2 more days and I'll be there.  For now, I need to get some sleep. :)

Driving fool...

It's hard to believe I'm heading back to Florida today. I'm so excited to see the fam and my friends, and of course go on the cruise. But I still can't believe how serendipitous it was to find my place here in Oregon. I can't wait to get back for more great adventures. :)

Beach House!!

So yummy

Crab legs

Potatoes au gratin

Coast

Awesome day at the coast. First time for crab legs and fish and chips for a mid day snack. Definitely opening my seafood horizons. Love my friends...

:)

The Big Cry

Well, it's taken me a week but today I cried.  Long and hard, for so many reasons.  I cried for all of the decisions that I have made, haven't made, are too scared to make, regret making....and I feel really good.  

I'm driving away from Oregon in less than a week.  My dilemma was: should I come back or once I get to PC, will I want to?  It's hard to find your 'place' when you have no job and no real human interaction everyday.  I have roommates, but while I LOVE living with guys because they stay out of your business...well, they do just that.  Girl feelings are hard enough for me to live with.  I don't want to come home one day to my stuff just chillin' on the front lawn, lol. ;)


I had thought about going back to Panama City, possibly to return for good.  But I don't think that helps me.  And I think I would regret not giving Eugene, Oregon a chance.  I like it here.  And I'm pretty sure that once I get a job, hang out more with my new friends and don't have so much free time influencing my thoughts, that things will be much better.  I've decided that I would more so regret permanently moving back to Florida than I would coming back to Oregon and giving it a chance.  I still want to go to a Ducks game.  I want to take my dog to the park and watch her run around.  I still love biking.  I'm going to the coast for a couple of days tomorrow.  And I still want the people who can, come visit me so that I can show them around this great new city.  


I've decided that after the cruise, when I get back, that I'm starting a new blog.  Not a travel blog anymore but a life blog.  Something that I probably won't write in everyday but that I can turn to when I feel like either speaking my mind or filling in my friends and family of my experiences.  I'd like to think of myself as mending in certain regards, but I also know that life is a process that we take one day at a time.  Going 'back home' will recharge me.  Spending time with my family and friends will remind me that people are good.  Love is good.  Life is good. 

Last but not least...my mother is the most awesome person in the world and I would say that every day to her if it helps her when she has to listen to her crying daughter.  I love you mom. :) 

One Week

In one week I will be getting on the road for my trek back to Panama City.  I want to bring my car, but I don't want to drive, lol.  Can anyone figure that one out for me??  I can't wait to see everyone and my little dog, and all of the restaurants and clubs that I haven't been able to experience since I've been here in Oregon.  I'm excited. :)

This week I haven't really done much of anything too wild and crazy.  My check engine light came on the other day and I realized that the gas guy didn't put my gas cap back on tight enough.  I had to go to O'Reilly's and have them use the little thingy to make the light turn off.  She told me that if the light comes back on that it's more than just the gas cap and that I should go and have it looked at.  So far so good though.  I'm not sure if everyone knows this or not but it's illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon.  So note to self: check the gas cap when they're done....

I have found Grey's Anatomy on netflix so I have been having mini-marathons throughout the day.  I'll be glad when I get back here so that I can get a job and actually have a purpose, lol.  Still trying to figure out what I want to do but I know a few people that work at a local restaurant so maybe I can get in there.  If you've seen the movie "Waiting", lol, it's kinda like that.  But with no game.  I think it would be fun.  Definitely broaden my friend horizons.

Tomorrow I'm going bike riding, no matter what the weather is like and then the movie in the park.  Tomorrow's movie is Jaws.  Should be fun. :)  Saturday is a Ducks game but I don't think anyone will be able to go with me, they all have jobs, so I think I'm gonna head to the Saturday Market to wander around.  That veggie curry rice was good.  Sunday I'll probably just veg and do laundry to get ready for the coast trip on Monday.  A few of us (not sure how many) are going to head to the coast with food, booze and games and hang out for a few days.  I'm really looking forward to it and I'll be sure to take my camera.  We'll get back Thursday in time for me to do some more laundry, pack the car and get a good night's sleep to leave out on Friday.  

Whew!  I have a feeling this week is going to fly by!  :)

 

I miss my Cha-cha

Oh, how I miss my little pumpkins.  Just a few more weeks now and I'll be in PC gettin' puppy kisses from her.  I've decided to delay by a few days to go with some friends to the coast.  They're renting a house or cabin (don't remember which) and hanging out to eat, drink and be merry.  So it'll probably a few days later when I get on the road.  But I'll definitely take some great pics.  :)

 

Biking Clears My Head

Saturday fun! - Yesterday, my plan was to go get some pancakes and head out to Coburg for the 24th annual Antique Fair.  I got the pancakes, the fair was another story.  I had been up really late the night before and the fair was only from 8-4 so I missed it.  I had texted D to see if she wanted to come too but unfortunately she had to work.  She, of course, invited me up to the restaurant for a drink so at about 6ish, I headed up there.  

I had a couple of drinks, and then eventually some food.  It was really good. :)  Then D's boyfriend came to pick her up after her shift and we decided to all go out and check out some other bars.  After a couple of bars, another friend texted me to hang out so I went over there and ended up hanging out there for a while.  This morning I woke up a little late and decided to go on a bike ride to think about things.  

Tonight is going to be pretty chill.  Both the roomies are at work so I have the whole house to myself.

I am so Hap-pay!!

Frickin' awesome day today!!

I got up around 11, bright eyed and bushy tailed and made my way into the kitchen to make my coffee and toast.  I decided I didn't want to stay in the house today so my plan was: run to Borders for a few trashy romance novels and head to the park.  I packed my bag with a blanket and a bottle of water and was off!  If you haven't heard, Borders books is going bankrupt and right now all of the books still left were 80 to 90% off.  Yeppers, got my books for about 50 cents a piece, lol.

The park was awesome (as usual) and it was great to enjoy the weather.  Not very crowded out there today.  

After the park I decided to have my own little party back at the house and picked up some beer and clamato.  I got home, ate my leftover crab and artichoke dip and popped a cold one.  Just as my friend Kevin, whom I had coffee with the other day, texted me to see if I wanted to go out.  OF COURSE I DO!!  So he gave me about an hour time line, I finished my beer and headed downtown.  We stopped at a coupe of really awesome drinking joints and I got to meet a few of his friends.  I think I really impressed him because he went on to say how he had placed the ad in craiglist not really hoping for anything, but excited in the responses he received. (I found out that the other girl in our group had also met him through craigslist.)  It made me really think about life and especially how I got to where I was tonight, sitting at a table in Oregon meeting new people and drinking great beer.

I want to tell everyone that reads this blog.  If there's something you want or want to do...DO IT! Stop worrying about what everyone else will think, or if you're too old, or too poor, or too whatever.  We only have this one life and it's much too short to hate things that are going on around you or to you.  Put your desires out into the universe.  Pray.  Think positively.  Because honestly, with as much shit as I have received from people in the last 3 months....I am the happiest I have been in my entire life.  And I mean that as coming from every aspect of life.  I love where I live, who I associate with, what I do (and I plan to get a rewarding job).  I let go.  And I'm learning that it's the fun things that happen to you when you don't have a care in the world.  :)

 

So full....

Lord have mercy, I am stuffed!  McGrath's Fish house, so yummy.  Enjoy the pics. :)

Healthy Salad, lol

Crab and Artichoke Dip

Crab Cakes

Dessert Mojito

 

Tastes like chicken...

Last night was another super awesome night with some great people.  D texted me around 7ish that they were headed back to the house and had decided to grill out again.  Little bit of drinking but no where near the night before.  I got ready, ran to walmart for some cookies, wine and cherry coke and headed to her house.  I forgot to take a pic of the food before I dug in but it was pretty much like the night before.  Chicken kabobs with onions, zucchini, red peppers.  Home fry potatoes and corn on the cob.  It was delish and was made so much better by the company.

Today D has to work but I told her I would come up, visit and have some dinner.  I'll probably head out here in a little bit b/c I'm getting hungry and only had an English muffin for breakfast.  

I've been trying to decide on the time frame of driving back home and I think I've chosen the 21st of this month.  That'll give me 2 weeks before the cruise to visit people, get my storage shed situation figured out and sell the things I've decided I don't want to store.  My goal is to pair things down to the necessities.  I'm so ready to see my family and, of course, my little munchkin.  But at the same time I'm ready to get back here, get a job and commence life.  So that gives me 2 weeks to pack, prepare and map out my route.  Oh, and make a list of all the restaurants that aren't here that I'll need to visit when I get to PC.  :)

 

Pics

Smiley Face!!

Life is so good!  :)

I guess I need to back up just a little bit because I haven't posted in a few days.  Sunday was bowling and I had lots of fun.  Monday I met a new friend, Kevin, for coffee at a local, hole-in-the-wall coffee shop downtown that had a lot of personality.  It was great to get to meet him and talk about the area.  He seemed really knowledgeable of the local breweries so I may become a closet micro-brewery professional, lol.  After coffee we parted ways, I went and got something to eat and headed home.  My tummy was still feeling a little tender from the party over the weekend.

Yesterday ran into this morning and it was the most fun I've had here in Oregon since I got here.  Shad invited me out to play disk golf and we drove down to Dexter Lake, southeast of the city, where they have an actual disk golf course.  We met up with a couple of other people and started the game.  It was a GORGEOUS day, as always, and I have to tell ya, the game was very fun.  The course ran through the woods and I forgot my camera but I remembered to take a few pics here and there with my phone.  I'll work on getting those loaded after my post.  

After the game, the general consensus was bar-b-que so we headed back to the city, stopped by the grocery store and then on to Danielle's house.  We got all the fixin's for shish kabobs with a few extras (wine and vodka :)) and I stayed, ate and partied with some really awesome people.  I passed out on the couch around 2am and the next thing I knew, we were all waking up at about 9 the next morning.  Danielle's boyfriend went out and brought back breakfast and after I ate, I decided to come back to my house as everyone else was headed back to bed.  So I got home, fell into bed and got up and moving around 2.  They went back out to play some more disk golf and I bowed out.  If anything else goes on tonight, D said she'd text me and let me know.  

So right now I'm just taking it easy, sipping on some coffee and loving life. :)

Finally...

Karen is finally moving on up in the social scene. :)

Last night after Matt got home he invited me out to his friends house for a small get together.  Of course I jumped a the chance to get out of the house and after stopping for some beer, we were on our way.  His friends didn't live too far away and were already in the middle of socializing.  Thankfully Matt was driving as I have no idea how many drinks I had but I had a great time and met a few really nice people.  Last night I was invited to go bowling today and even though only 3 of us were able to go (me, Shad, Cory), it was a blast!  I hadn't been bowling in a while.  

Tomorrow I'm having coffee with someone that I've been corresponding with from the craigslist 'strictly platonic' section and so we'll see how that goes.  For those of you who are worried about my safety, please let me say that I am very smart, and I've been using craigslist for years now finding furniture, a room to rent, bikes and what-not so I'm not afraid to meet someone in a coffee shop.  Shad then invited me to go frisbee golfing (I've never heard of it, should be interesting) on Tuesday so I'll be sure to write up a good report on how that goes.  I'm gonna ask and see if the roomies want to get in on that.  

All in all I feel really good about having met some new people.  I'm also thinking of, since I don't have a job for the month of September, heading back to PC a little earlier than I had originally planned to spend some more time with the fam.  I've been going back and forth with regards to driving and flying and based on what I want to bring back and the advantages to having my own car while I'm in PC, I'm going to drive.  I get this strange feeling that some people may not think I'm going to come back to Oregon after the cruise is over but trust me...I love it here and I will definitely be back.  It'll be Operation: Find a Job after I return. :)

Game 1 (with Shad's head in the pic)

Bowling Alley

 

Game 2

Gettin' Homie :)

The new dresser I got today for a great deal.  It fits perfectly inside my closet.  I finally get to say that I am completely living outside my suitcases now.

I also received my new corner tv stand so in October when I bring my tv and stereo back, I'll have a nice place to put them.

:)

 

I wanna go dancin...

I never thought I would want to go hang out at a club as much as I do now.  My roomies aren't really club people and the only other person I know here works all the time.  Looks like I'm going to have to take an ad out, lol. ;)

Today I woke up waaay too late but, pshh, not like I have anywhere to be.  I took a shower, ate some shreddie wheat and headed to the store.  My corner entertainment center came in so I went and picked it up and also grabbed one of those foldy chairs for my movie in the park.  By the time I got home the boys were already gone to work, so I had the whole living room to myself to put together my tv stand.  After I got that up and in place it was time to make some dinner.  I put together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, grabbed some chips and a drink, my blanket and headed out the door.  I thought the movie in the park was going to actually be in a park but it wasn't.  It was at the end of a road between two buildings that have businesses under them and apartments above.  They had blocked off the street for people to sit.  So I set up my chair, snuggled in and ate my dinner.  The movie was "Ferris Beuller's Day Off".  It was nice to get out of the house and I enjoyed the movie.  Then I just came back here and have been hanging out with the guys.  

Tomorrow is the Barks and Brews so I'm probably going to head there and just hang out.  I wish I had my dog to take with me.  I could take one of the roomies but I'm not sure of their temperament out with other people around and I don't want to chance it.  Maybe I'll meet some people.  I'll definitely get some beer and food.  And I'll be sure to take my camera with me.  I took a few pictures tonight but they didn't come out that great.  There will be others, I'm sure. :)

Everything Changes...

And right now the weather is definitely changing up here in Oregon.  The sun still shines but it's starting to get chilly at night so I'm sure it's on it's way to being chilly during the day.  In a way I wish I had gotten here sooner, to enjoy the weather more.  I haven't even floated down the river yet.  I can't wait until next summer. 

Yesterday I headed to Starbucks but unfortunately for me, no Pumpkin Latte yet. :(  So I got the next best thing, my Samoa in a cup and sat outside.  I then drove around and did a little window shopping.  There is a Pet Smart not too far away from my house and I'm missing my dog a lot so I went in to look around.  There was a little room where all the kittens for adoption get to run around so I went in to play with them.  Sooo cute!  I found one that had I been able to, I might possibly have adopted it.  Small fluffy black little thing that had a great little purr motor.

Last night the roomies and had hung out and had a little party and I can't even remember what time we all got to bed.  I just know that I woke up around 2:30pm.  I got a bike ride in and then headed home for dinner.  Tomorrow is the movie in the park and I'm really excited about that.  Can't wait! :)