Monday, July 16, 2007

A synopsis of life lately.

This summer has been busy and yet I've taken time to "Breathe." It's been filled with old favorites (such as the Grandma Fredrickson blanket featured in this picture) and new favorites such as Marrakesh, Tad's Chicken 'n Dumplings, and hiking in the Columbia Gorge.




On June 15th I went home for the weekend to celebrate my Mom's Birthday and also Father's day. On Saturday Christi took Jared & Cassadie to the Zillah Public Library to get their own Library cards--which caused a flood of fond memories as I waited outside the little building. It was in that tiny library that I first fell in love with detective and mystery novels--I think I read every book they got in the "Saint" series as well as Sherlock Holmes and others.



One friday afternoon late in June I went to an early movie with my friend Bethany and afterward we went to AppleBees to get 1/2 price appetizers. We actually missed the 1/2 price appetizers, but when we came out of the restaurant, the sky was beautiful. I'm sure the other restaurant patrons thought I was crazy as I stood in the parking lot taking pics of the sky.



For the Fourth of July, my sister Christi and her family came over to join us for the second year in a row. We went down to the Fort Vancouver Celebration and had a great time. It was very hot, but we took plenty of beverages and snacks. Last year we struggled to get all our gear to the park, but this year my smart brother-in-law Alex brought the kids' wagon and we just piled everything in there. It was a good time.


After my sister's family left on July 5th, my parents came on July 6th for my sister Beckie's 30th B-day. We went to this great restaurant called Tad's Chicken 'N Dumplings. We sat in the dining room pictured above . . . it overlooks the Sandy river and all those windows fold back to make it an open air seating balcony. And they serve their Chicken 'N Dumplins in this great big goblet looking dish with the biggest spoon I've ever seen. We had a lot fun . . . for a further report of Beckie's birthday festivities, you should check out her blog. It's listed under "Sites & Blogs I read."

The next day, Mom, Dad, & I headed down to Sweethome, OR for the wedding of our good friend Tim Wyatt! It was a fun little roadtrip and the wedding was sweet. Congrats Tim & Megan.


And what have I been doing with the rest of my time? Working, of course. This is me on a break, sitting at my desk at work, trying to take a decent picture of myself. Summer is a busy season at work and so I've been working hard to keep up. But my job is fun . . . I really like it. I have yet to go camping this summer which is a bit of a disappointment, but there have been plenty of other exciting adventures to fill the gap.







Monday, July 2, 2007

Hey there, Delilah!


My friends Sami, Naomi, and I went to the beach in honor of Sami's Birthday. We made a day of it, leaving around 10:30 am and driving the long, but interesting way to the Coast and eventually ending up in Seaside, Oregon where we spent a couple of hours on the beach having a picnic, drinking sweet tea, and trying very hard to play frisbee in the wind. We got lots of advice from people walking by about how best to throw the frisbee in the strong wind.



Then we moved on down the beach to Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Ecola is beautiful and we spent lots of time hiking around and just sitting at a picnic table eating muffins and drinking more sweet tea--enjoying the beauty that God has given us. It was a rare sunny day on the Oregon coast. We felt blessed.






Here are some of the highlights.


Sami & Naomi with Cannon Beach coastline in the background.


Random guy surfing or boogy boarding . . . hard to tell.



Sami, Naomi, and I trying to take a picture of us and the beautiful ocean behind us.




Sami, Naomi, & I--much better with someone else taking the picture.




While we were trying to take this pic, a cute little family further down the beach offered to take a pic of us if we would take a pic of them. While we were waiting for their family to gather the father nonchalantly told us their 3rd son (there were 4 total) was going to climb over the top of this large rock (at least 10 feet tall, maybe 15) at any minute. Imagine our surprise when their barefoot 3 year old climbed to the top of this big rock and walked over to the edge to wave at us, much to his mother's distress.



We finished the day with cherry limeades and burgers from the only Sonic around on our way back into town! What a lovely day with two of my favorite people:) The theme of the day was "Hey, there Delilah" by the Plain White T's. It's a sweet song. If you've never heard it you can go to http://www.plainwhitets.com/ and give it a listen. We heard it on every station we turned to that day, so about 10 times within 10 hours or so.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Does every path that goes up lead to picnic tables?

At a recent conference I was challenged to be obedient to the 4th commandment, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."--Exodus 20:8-11 That might sound a little conservative and old fashioned . . . and a little common sense. Maybe it is.



As I sat on a bench looking out at Cannon Beach after the conference was over , things seemed clear and the task before me not so difficult. (How could it seem hard to bask in the Rest of the Lord when you are looking out at this beautiful beach?)


The thing that I liked about the "Breathe" sabbath as it was presented to us is that they weren't advocating legalism or more "religion". They were advocating freedom--freedom to spend a whole day, 24 hours, without creating, without being productive--just as God modeled for us in the creation of the world. But none of that makes it any easier to obey.


I've been trying it. It's been hard.


I think what I've learned is that I'm a narcissist. I think too much of myself. If I don't do my part of take care of my life, it will fall apart. What an arrogant thing to think--really, my attitude is telling God, "Why don't you just let me do it? You're just going to mess it up." As if I'm thinking, "If I take one day off, God isn't going to be able to handle to details of my life. Everything will spin out of control. I won't get my laundry done or I won't make enough money."


The irony is, my life spins out of control when I'm in charge, not when God's in charge.



The first time I tried this Sabbath keeping my roommates and I went to Moulton Falls--a small county park about 45 minutes from our house. The falls weren't spectacular, but they were pretty. We spent a least an hour taking pics and hiking through the woods on trails that we found around the park. We were actually looking for a second falls that I thought should exist according to the map I'd seen on the internet. But we didn't have the map. All we kept finding were picnic tables (which as you can see from the map, is really I'll you'll find).
I sat down on one of the picnic tables to catch my breath and asked in a purposefully forlourn voice, "Do all paths that go up only lead to picnic tables?" We are all started laughing. And then I asked, "If so, what kind of spiritual implication does that have?" We were just having fun and making the best of these trails that we kept hoping would lead us to another waterfall, but it really made me think. Picnic tables make me think if camping and fun and feasting together. So, really, in a way, the spiritual path that leads up does lead to picnic tables. Revelation 7:16 says, "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst . . . . We'll be feasting forever with God in heaven.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Why don't emergency rooms have valet parking?


I was reminded last night just how funny the comedian Brian Regan is. My birthday present was a ticket to see Brian Regan live and on April 12th Jessica, Beckie, and I journeyed up to Tacoma, WA. Up until this point I had only heard Brian on a CD and watched a short clip on Beckie's I-pod.


He is so much funnier in person.



By the time we left the theater, my sides hurt from laughing for over an hour. If you get a chance to see him, I'd take it. And the best part is that he's clean. His jokes are hilarious, but I haven't heard any curse words escape his lips on stage and his subject matter is all PG as well.



I was reminded of this fun little trip last night when I got home and my roommate was watching him on Comedy Central. She graciously rewound it for us (the beauty of the DVR) and again we laughed. It was even funnier to see his facial expressions that we hadn't been able to see at the theater where we watched him live.


Hat's off to Brian Regan for good clean, side-splitting humor. Here's the link to his web-site if you want to check him out: http://www.brianregan.com/index.html.


Here's a little comic strip that takes off from one of Brian Regan's most famous jokes:




Sunday, May 20, 2007

Notes on Young Grandparents

By the time I got to college, I realized that my family was young--my parents are both the eldest children of parents who married early in life (not unusual for their generation). In addition, my parents got married fairly young (also not unusual for their generation in the area they lived in) and the result is that I grew up with young grandparents. Actually, until I was about 10 it often seemed like I had three sets of parents instead of Grandparents. At the time I didn't always appreciated the relationship I had with my Grandparents, but in hind-sight I realize how special it is.



Almost every summer I went to spend at least a week with my Mother's parents. It was such an important tradition for me that the first summer I had my driver's license one of the things I was most excited about was getting to drive to my Grandparent's house all by myself--it was an hour away and my first big road trip without any parent along. As you can see from this picture, my love for traveling started early!







Sometime around 13 or 14 years old I took a trip across country with my Father's parents in their big 'ole Cadillac. It was so cool because it had cigarette lighters everywhere and Grandma and Grandpa had this little TV that plugged into them so I could watch TV as we drove. We drove to North Dakota and went through Glacier National Park on the way.













I'm blessed to be part of two fabulous families.



I love that my Dad's side of the family is big and rambunctious and fun--full of mixed up generations where nieces and nephews are older than their aunts and uncles. Great Job! Grandma and Grandpa B on raising up a terrific family.







I love that my Mom's side of the family is smaller and more intimate and still fun--and here too there is a little generation drama: my youngest cousins are close to the same ages as my sister's children. Great Job! Grandma and Grandpa F on raising up a fantastic family.



What brought on this contemplation of my young Grandparents? I've been guilty on more than one occasion of sharing the fun fact that my Mother's Mother was only 37 when I was born . I've recently been corrected on this fun fact--she in fact was 36, just a couple of months shy of 37 when I was born. Whenever I share this fact I get the same response: What? 37? She was so young. But this statement really hasn't hit home until just a few days ago when I realized that I am 34. My Grandmother was only 2 years older than I am right now when she was a Grandmother. Wow!!! I am approaching an age were, under different circumstances, I could have been a Grandmother. But I'm young. I don't feel old enough to be a Grandmother. And I bet they didn't feel old enough to be grandparents either--they still had their own children living at home for the first years of my life. In fact, my Dad's youngest sisters are only 7 and 9 years older than me and 15 years younger than my Dad. No wonder I had three sets of parents--they weren't really Grandparents yet.


So here's to my young Grandparents: Lloyd, Phyllis, Wayne, & Dorothy! I'm so privileged to know you and am blessed to be part the incredible families you have worked so hard to nuture and support. I am happy to have been born at the beginning of the grandchildren line up and I cherish the memories of time spent with you camping, cleaning, making lefsa, sewing, crocheting, traveling, picking up bales of hay, and the list goes on.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Long Time No Blog

So it's been a long time . . . I've been willing to tell ya, I've been wanting to tell ya, I've been waiting to tell ya . . . what's been going on in my life. My excuse? I have none. Except maybe that I work too much or my life is so jet set that I just don't have time to sit down and type for a few minutes and post a few pics. Well, I probably do work too much . . . which is a lifelong habit I'm trying to break (thanks, Dad & Mom, for instilling such a great work ethic), but I do have time to sit down and type a few words. So, I'm going to be a marathon blogger today in order to make up for lost time. So much has happened in the last two months. Of course, for those of you who read my sister's blog (click on Beckie's Blog on the list of Sites & Blogs I visit) most of what I'm catching up on will be old news, but for those that don't read hers--let me give you a bit of advice, save the best for last--read my version first, then read hers.

It seems with me the urge to write is feast or famine--here's the feast:) I'm enjoying it while it lasts. (BTW--grand prize for anyone who knows where the reference in the first line of the posting comes from).

The Mirage of Maturity

This year I turned 34. There's nothing special about 34. It's not an acceptable mid-life crisis year, your life insurance premium doesn't jump a bracket--in summation, your life doesn't suddenly get better or worse.


But sometimes I seem to be having an out of body experience--I look at myself in the mirror and think, "yep, she sure looks 34," but I don't feel like I thought I would feel at 34. I don't have it all together like I thought other people around me did when they were 34. This is a phenomen I've noticed as I get older--you're never where you think you're going to be when you get there.


That's a little confusing.


Here's an example. I remember walking to school when I was 9 or 10 thinking about what my life was going to be like in the year 2000. I was in awe of the fact that I would be 27 in the year 2000. I remember thinking that I would surely be married and have a career and children and you get the picture--everything Barbie promised me I could have with her pink suit and her little Barbie Briefcase. Of course, my life hasn't been like that at all, which I'm okay with. I'm on a great adventure that has led me all over the world and currently has me living in Southwest Washington. I love my life most days. But at 27, 28, 29 or now 34, I still haven't "got it all together." I still don't know all the answers. And now I'm looking at friends and family in their 40's & 50's and thinking, "Man, they sure have arrived. I hope I've arrived when I get to their age." But I know, due to this phenomenon, I won't think I'll have arrived when I get there.



It's like those mirages you see when you're driving down an asphault road on a hot day--it looks like there's water over the road in the distance. Until you get there. And you realize that there never was water over the road. It was the heat waves from the sun playing tricks on your eyes (at least that's what I think it is, but I'm no scientist). When your 10 looking at 27 the Mirage of Maturity makes you think 27 is it--you'll be satisfied and happy and you'll have life figured out. But when you get to 27, you realize it was a mirage. While you may be satisfied and happy, you won't have life figured out and there will be just as much to learn as there was at 10. So, you look toward 34 and again you see the water over the road and think, "I'll have it together by then." But now I've reached 34 and again there is no water over the road.


I don't mean to sound discontent because I'm not, but there are things about my life I'd like to change or improve. Which is why I think I continue to look toward the Mirage, continue to look toward those older than me and let myself think, "They surely have it all together." Because it gives me hope, to move one day closer to 40, one day closer to figuring out life's secrets, one day closer to a new, improved Ang. Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision the people cast off restraint (or are discouraged), but blessed is he who keeps the law" (ESV). The Mirage of Maturity is the vision that keeps me from getting discouraged and helps keep me focused on the possiblities of what my life can be, spurring me on toward a future that's as bright or brighter than today.

Rosemary Garlic Chicken Jerky


So my mother has opened this shop in Zillah, WA called "Kate's Kitchen: Meals for Families on the Go". It's a place where you can come and make one meal or 12. All the ingredients are there for you, chopped up, ready to measure out and put in the freezable container. Then the choice is yours--you can take them home and freeze them for another day, or you can take them home and make them that night. It's a great invention for those of us who are too busy to shop and chop, as my Mom's website says (www.katesmealsonthego.com).




Last time Beckie and I went home, we brought back 4 meals (two Mom donated, two we purchased). The first one we ate was the Island Pork Chops. The flavor of the sauce was great--a little spicy, a little sweet. Unfortunately, I didn't have the presence of mind to take a picture of that meal.



However, last night we had some friends over for dinner and it was so simple. We just popped the Rosemary Garlic Chicken in the oven--no chopping, no shopping, no measuring--and let it cook covered for just shy of two hours (exact time was hard to tell due to an accidental oven being turned off mis-hap) and then uncovered it for the last 10 minutes. I confess that when I uncovered the chicken and potatoes, I was skeptical. The steam escaping from the pan smelled fantastic, but the chicken looked white and pasty, and definitely unflavorful; however, after 10 minutes of being uncovered the chicken browned right up and the meal got rave reviews from all partakers. Both the chicken and the potatoes tasted wonderful.


Mom also includes a side of bread with her meals--and so we took the frozen breadsticks out of the freezer, put them on a cookie sheet, brushed a little melted butter on them and placed them in the oven along with the chicken for the last 10 minutes to brown them up. What a wonderful addition to such a simple, but tasty and elegant meal.



The picture was taken today, when I warmed up the last piece of chicken in the microwave with a baked potato. It was just as good the second time, even though I left it in the microwave a little too long and turned it into Rosemary Garlic Chicken jerky.



Okay, so the end of the commercial is near, but one last thing. If you live anywhere near Zillah, WA (and if you do, you know who you are) then I'd suggest dropping by Kate's Kitchen and picking up a meal or two. It's easy, it's fun, and it's delicious.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

I serve a risen Savior, He's in the World Today; I know that He is living, whatever men may say.

Every year I celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ-or at least I've been celebrating it since I was at least 3. That's apparently when my parents began attending church regularly. Previous to that year I'm pretty sure I just hunted Easter eggs. And the Easter Egg dying and hunting didn't end at the age of three, but a new dynamic was added--I began to learn what Easter is all about in the Christian tradition. Of course, this is all speculation and recreation from vague memories.


Some memorable Easters include, but are not limited to:

  • Getting baptized on Easter Sunday after becoming a believer 3 months prior (1981).
  • Hunting Eggs at Aunt Judy & Uncle Allan's house next to Barbee's (I'm guessing 1984 or 85 based on the dress I was wearing in the pictures)
  • The Tribute to the Soup Nazi (1995 or 1996--can't remember for sure)--This particular Easter came about because there were several of us who couldn't or didn't go home for Easter weekend while I was at Wazzu. So, we had 4 or 5 people make big pots of soup and ended up with about 25 or 30 students eating lunch at my house. It was a great afternoon!
  • Huebner & Fortsythe Easters!!! (1997-2001) The years I lived in Kansas coming back the NW was out of the question for Easter. So, spending it with my Family away from Family, the Huebners and the Forsythe's was out of this world. Thanks for always making me feel at home!
  • Yakima Valley Easters!!! (2002-2004) Being able to spend Easter with my Family after being away so many years, priceless:)

And that brings us to this year, 2007, Easter at the Rose Garden. This year, my roommates and I decided not to go home for Easter since our presence had already been requested at a "Welcome Home from Arizona, Grandma & Grandpa Fredrickson" party the two weekends after Easter. And while we live close enough to the Valley to drive home for the weekend, it makes for a long weekend and I don't usually want to go home more than once a month or every 6 weeks.





So, instead we decided to attend the service of a local church. We've attended this church off and on over the last couple of years--mostly on Saturday evenings. While we don't attend there regularly, it is a nice place to worship in a way that supplements our regular worship at the churches we normally attend. Usually the church has multiple services during the week, but the church decided they all wanted to worship together on Easter.





So, they rented the Rose Garden.



For those of you who aren't from around here, it's where are NBA Basketball Team, The Portland Trailblazers, play. I'm not sure of the exact number of people it holds, but it was pretty full. According to the local newspapers and the blog of the church's pastor, there were well over 14,000 people in attendance at the service and over 700 people baptized. It was an interesting experience.


I loved getting ready in the morning with the girls, listing to a local Christian radio station that played Keith Green's the "The Easter Song" every hour. I had a surreal moment as we sat at a stop light near our house. We were singing along with Keith Green at the top of our lungs (windows rolled up) and I had the sudden urge to roll them down. I wanted to shout, He is Risen!! For a moment I felt an overwhelming urge to run into the middle of the intersection and get the attention of the many cars passing through on their way to Fat Dave's for breakfast, Home Depot for fencing supplies, or maybe a nursery in search of the perfect landscaping project. We were celebrating an event that dramatically influenced the history of our World forever. And more importantly, I was celebrating the fact that the God of the Universe is alive and well and cares about me more than I can imagine. I wanted everyone to know how overwhelmed with love my heart was at that moment.


And then we sat in traffic for almost an hour. What we hadn't thought of was that all 14,000+ people would be trying to get off on the same exit at exactly the same moment. But, thanks to the Christian Radio station we where cheered by "The Easter Song" once an hour (yes, that's a hint of sarcasm) and we were the teeniest bit late . . . but then, so was everyone else.


We left the Rose Garden a little after 1:00 pm, when we realized that the baptisms were scheduled to go on until 5:00 pm if need be, and headed south to the OC (Oregon City, that is). We met Beth and Rea at Beth's apartment for a fabulous homemade Easter Dinner. After dinner we visited for a while until Rea brought out her guitar. We listened to a few song's she's written and then we began to worship. It's so sweet to sing praises to Jesus in a laidback, chummy environment like that.



Friday, March 30, 2007

Sushi & Bubble Tea

My Birthday was on a Tuesday this year. I should have gone to my Managerial Accounting class, but instead, I called my professor and became an annoying non-traditional students who said, "I know that your class is important and I hope this doesn't hurt your feelings. I really enjoying going, but it's my birthday and I don't want to come tonight. Are we going to have a quiz, because if we are I'll come, but if not, I'm not coming." I guess in that moment, I thought honesty would be the best policy.


Fortunately for me, my teacher was gracious and told me we weren't having a quiz, so I didn't go. Instead, I came home and my roommates decided to take me out. Jess said, "Ang, it's your birthday, so you pick the place. We'll go wherever you want to go." "Wherever I want to go?" I'm sure I squealed out of excitment. My sister Beckie said she knew in that instant that I would want to go to Sushiland, which is pretty incredible because I hadn't even thought of Sushi yet, but ultimately that is where I asked to go.



We drove 20 minutes across town to Fisher's Landing and the closest Sushiland restaurant. Sushiland is unusual, even for sushi, because the dishes go by you on a conveyor belt and you choose the plates you want to eat. There is a menu with pictures so you know what everything is and the plates are color coded so you know how much it costs. It's actually a great way to try something new because the cost of each plate ranges from $1 to $3. So, if you don't like it, it's okay because you haven't made a big investment.


Here are some of my favorites:






After Sushiland we went to Bubble Bubble Tea, a local chain of Bubble or Pearl Tea shops. It's my new favorite thing. Bubble or Pearl Tea is tea with Tapioca balls in the bottom. Or if you don't like Tapioca you can get flavored jellies in the bottom of your tea. You drink the drink through a very fat straw so that you suck up the bubbles or jellies while you are drinking.


A word of caution: If you have texture issues, this is not the drink for you.



However, if you like black or green tea, especially with milk in it since Bubble Tea is traditionally made with milk, and you like Tapioca, chances are you'll like this. My favorite is just the traditional Bubble Bubble Tea with black milk tea and Tapioca Bubbles. At most of stores around here you can also get a wide variety of fruit flavored black and green teas as well as slushies, etc. There are so many choices it sort of makes your head spin.


As you can see from the pictures, they seal the tea into your cup with this great machine which I think is half the fun of drinking the drink. On my birthday, I branched out a little and got Mango Black Tea with Bubbles. Unfortunately, you can't see the bubbles because the tea is so dark, but it was really good:) I had a great Birthday--thanks Bec and Jess for being willing to try new experiences with me on my birthday! I loved experiencing conveyor belt sushi with you. All except for the hairy peas--those were not fun, but that's Beckie's story to tell.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Tattoos . . . and other edgy things

Last May I got my nose pierced. I'd been thinking about it for months and I finally just went out and got it done at a little shop in Seaside, OR (where I happened to be when the urge struck). I ran into this guy who had multiple piercings on his ears and face, and I figured who better to ask so I asked him where the best place to get pierced was. He pointed me to the Nine Lives Tattoo and Body Piercing shop just down the street. I had a great experience at their shop--the girl who pierced my nose, Jenny I think her name was, was really good and I only felt a pinch. It really only felt like I'd plucked a deep eyebrow hair--you know, when you pluck the kind that makes your nose itch and your eyes water. It took several months to heal, but now my nose ring rarely bothers me, it looks cute, and I'm completely pleased.



This good experience has led me to consider more seriously the next step in the Urbanization-Northwestification (completely made up term) of myself.


I've been thinking long and hard about--getting a tattoo. Until recently, I've known where I want it and about what size I want it, even possible colors, but no idea exactly what I want it to look like. I try not to make these kind of decisions lightly (that usually works out badly) , so if I'm going to have something that's on me "forever and ever" as the 13 year old of some good friends reminded me last week, I want it to mean something. But what? I thought about a Cross or even a Triquetra (symbolizing the Trinity), such as the one shown on my blog with the circle of God's eternal love running through it. But somehow, those symbols seem a little trite, or overdone, or maybe just plain watered down in today's society. So I vetoed them. But finally, last week, I was reading in the 4th and 5th chapters of Revelation and (pun completely intended) I had a revelation. I know what I want my tattoo to look like . . . at least in my mind's eye I know what I want it to look like--one of the four creatures hovering around the throne of God and never ceasing to say, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, God, Almighty; Who was, and is, and is to come."




I've looked on line for a good artist's rendering of the creatures described there, hovering over the throne of God, never ceasing to praise Him, but I've not been able to find anything that comes close to what I picture in my mind. I guess I'm not in any hurry . . . it's taken me well over a year to decide exactly what I want and now that I know, I'm sure it will take me close to that long to find an artist and save up the money to pay for it. So in the mean time, I'm doing some research and I think I'm beginning to learn the difference between a poor tattoo and a good one--I want a good tattoo artist. I've been watching Miami Ink on TLC and I even bought a tattoo magazine last night at Wal-Mart, much to the chagrin of Jessie, my roommate. There were so many cool tattoos in the magazine--it mostly focused on these incredible works of art that have taken months and months and hours and hours to create. I was inspired and feel like I see more clearly what it is that I want--take for example this peacock: it's incredibly beautiful. I want my tattoo to be in this style of tattoo, which I think is Japanese, but I don't want it to be nearly that big. While this tattoo takes up this whole girl's back, for now, at least, I just want my tattoo to be right in the center of my back, about 1/3 of the way down from my neck, color, and about 7 inches in diameter.




So, I'll continue to keep you posted on my journey toward being a skin art collector. Let me know what you think and definitely let me know if you have any good tattoo artists hiding up your sleeve:)

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Single by Natasha Bedingfield

There's always discussion in our house about being single. It makes sense. We're all single. I don't pretend to know what my roommates are thinking, but for myself, Natasha Bedingfield's "Single" says almost exactly how I feel. I am happy and content in my singleness . . . I feel a freedom, maybe the same freedom Paul felt as he encouraged the Corinthians to remain single in chapter 7 of 1st Corinthians. I could say more, but I'll let the words to the song speak for me instead.

"Single" by Natasha Bedingfield

Ah yeah that's right
All you single people out there
This is for you

I'm not waitin' around for a man to save me
(Cos I'm happy where I am)
Don't depend on a guy to validate me
(No no)
I don't need to be anyone's baby
(Is that so hard to understand?)
No I don't need another half to make me whole

Make your move if you want doesn't mean I will or won't
I'm free to make my mind up you either got it or you don't

[Chorus:]
This is my current single status
My declaration of independence
There's no way I'm tradin' places
Right now a star's in the ascendant

I'm single
(Right now)
That's how I wanna be
I'm single
(Right now)
That's how I wanna be

Ah yeah
Uh Huh
that's right

Don't need to be on somebody's arm to look good
(I like who I am)
I'm not saying I don't wanna fall in love 'cos I would
I'm not gonna get hooked up just 'cos you say I should
(Can't romance on demand)
I'm gonna wait so I'm sorry if you misunderstood

[Chorus]

Everything in it's right time everything in it's right place
I know I'll settle down one day
But 'til then I like it this way it's my way
Eh I like it this way

Make your move if you want doesn't mean I will or won't
I'm free to make my mind up you either got it or you don't
'Til then I'm single

This is my current single status
My declaration of independence
There's no way I'm tradin' places
Right now a star's in the ascendant

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Second Annual Single Awareness Day Dinner

So yesterday was the 2nd Annual Single Awareness Day Dinner!


The 1st Annual Single Awareness Day Dinner just sort of happened. We all decided we didn't want to sit home on Valentine's Day: instead we met up in a little Chinese restaurant in Clackamas called Wan Lung. The food was great; however, the whole time we were there 15 to 20 people were waiting for to go orders, standing about 5 feet from us in a little 6 foot by 6 foot waiting area--some waited over an hour--and it felt a little like we were in a fish bowl.

As Rea put it, it's hard to enjoy your meal when you have people starring at your food like vultures. I'm sure they didn't mean to be starring. I mean, I'd be hungry too if I had to wait over an hour for Chinese take out.

So this year we decided to put a little more thought into our choice of restaurant. This proved to be a little more difficult than we anticipated; however, after many phone calls we finally settled on the Delta Cafe, located on Woodstock and about 46th, I think, in South Portland. The food was fantastic--between the 5 of us we covered every traditional southern dish: chicken and dumplings, real homemade macaroni and cheese, cauliflower casserole, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and red eye gravy, pulled pork barbecue, gumbo, hush puppies, cornbread cake, fried okra, and more that I can't remember. And most of us washed it all down with 32oz of sweet tea served in a good ole' canning jar! If this has made you hungry and you decide to try the Delta Cafe for yourself, take note that they are only open for dinner.


Of course, all our thought did not help us choose a restaurant that takes reservations, so this time we were the ones waiting, crammed into the small waiting area with 13 parties ahead of us when we arrived at about 6:45 pm. We waited for about 45 minutes but we were expecting the wait and made the best of it. We discussed the eclectic decor, the huge pecan pie and chocolate cake on the desert table right next to us, and the unique diorama on the wall next to my roommate: it depicted the cafe itself; however, all the people had skulls for heads. Mostly, we just tried not to salivate at the tangy smell of barbecue filling the air and tried not to stare at the plates of the tables we could see through the open door or the plates being prepared right in front of us. Did I mention that the waiting area is pretty much in the kitchen?


All said, it was a lovely evening with friends and good food. What more can you want out of life?