And on that note of the post below, I am very curious about what to do with my life. There are a few options.
I was looking at jobs today, and trying to find something in Vancouver so I can be closer to home. Everything pays like crap, though. Probably because it is in Vancouver :) Though if I could make ends meet I would welcome being something menial for a while and making it home in time to help with homework and maybe get a little exercise.
I could ride out this current work situation for the next 3 months and see if the Portland office becomes available. I've already been told that if I just start producing again, I would be given a shot at something. Hence the fact that my phone call was listened to... I think I am beginning to be valued again. However, do I really want to get almost a 70% raise and a slightly more fulfilling job at the expense of my brother, who already has to wait for me to get home until 6:30pm (thanks to the new sadistic hours we are required to work).
Houston holds some appeal, mostly because of the weather, and the really awesome interview I had out there a few months ago. That job has most likely come and gone... but it opened my eyes to the opportunities that exist in bigger cities and I kind of want to go interview my butt off and see what I can find. However there is moving, Quinn finally starting to do ok in school again, and blah blah blah I won't bore you with it.
Interesting tid bit of the day. All of my college classes suck... except History. Go figure. History is damned interesting. Furthermore, this fact has helped to solidified my perspective on schooling, which is that it exists only to make one far more delightful and interesting during small social gatherings.
As all of the intellectuals say... cheers.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Confessions
Do you just ever need someone to talk to who can be completely impartial so that you do not get upset by their advice? It's probably called a therapist, lol. Had a great one in Houston. She was like a best girlfriend/paid professional all in one. Oh, and she called me "Girl" and "Miss Tavia." Very one of a kind in my experience. Oh how I miss her.
My mom was extremely opinionated but she was good at listening... and pretty much knew that even though she gave her opinion openly, I would tell her to shove off and just go do my own thing. I just wanted to bounce ideas off of her and hear what she would do or what she would have to say. Other people might not know that about me, so when I ask advice and they give it, and then I openly do not follow it, they are probably frustrated. So be it.
My latest desire is to add about 2-3 middle names to my current name and move to Virginia. I will take Jeff, and we can be alone, and I will give him a big long hug, and smell fresh mountain air, and then we will cook something wonderful, and all of you can come visit. I think it sounds fabulous.
I also have some confessions. I like coffee. Every morning. And I like beer. Once in a while. And I got my new manager "talked to" today for being a jackass. Nobody from work reads this, so I can say that. I can also say that it is kind of nice to have that power, of being able to pick up a phone, say "so and so has some great ideas but is being a jackass" and then hear the phone ring 5 minutes later, only for so and so to emerge a much nicer person after the call. It is not completely about power, though. It is also about the fact that so and so really could be good, but really needed a jackass intervention. And it was nice to be listened to and have my opinion valued instead of laughed at.
Sometimes I want to be sweet, but other times I want to be trouble. And maybe that's just normal.
Anyway...
My mom was extremely opinionated but she was good at listening... and pretty much knew that even though she gave her opinion openly, I would tell her to shove off and just go do my own thing. I just wanted to bounce ideas off of her and hear what she would do or what she would have to say. Other people might not know that about me, so when I ask advice and they give it, and then I openly do not follow it, they are probably frustrated. So be it.
My latest desire is to add about 2-3 middle names to my current name and move to Virginia. I will take Jeff, and we can be alone, and I will give him a big long hug, and smell fresh mountain air, and then we will cook something wonderful, and all of you can come visit. I think it sounds fabulous.
I also have some confessions. I like coffee. Every morning. And I like beer. Once in a while. And I got my new manager "talked to" today for being a jackass. Nobody from work reads this, so I can say that. I can also say that it is kind of nice to have that power, of being able to pick up a phone, say "so and so has some great ideas but is being a jackass" and then hear the phone ring 5 minutes later, only for so and so to emerge a much nicer person after the call. It is not completely about power, though. It is also about the fact that so and so really could be good, but really needed a jackass intervention. And it was nice to be listened to and have my opinion valued instead of laughed at.
Sometimes I want to be sweet, but other times I want to be trouble. And maybe that's just normal.
Anyway...
Sunday, September 28, 2008
More Home Improvement
I am a total dork, but I am having such a good time making the house look pretty. I totally understand my mom now. I used to laugh at her when something like a new light would make her really happy. Now I wish I had done a bit more to help make her life full of pretty. I am using a lot of the materials she had picked out for our house, and it is coming together really nicely.
Our new outside lights...
Another view, with the new black house numbers...
Our new outside lights...
Another view, with the new black house numbers...
A random shot of Lily, with Quinn's hand. He always tries to do the movie star thing and put his hand in front of the camera, but this time I got my picture perfectly anyway. Ha!
Finally, our beautiful new bathroom sinks and faucets!
We put a new toilet in yesterday, too, but I won't put pictures of the toilet up until we have our floors done. Otherwise it looks like a brand new shiny toilet next to a nasty old floor that needs replacing. I am really debating between tile and vinyl for the bathroom and kitchen floors. Tile would be a major chore, and I am not sure how much it would up the house value in the little part of town we live in. Our area is nice, but it is the more basic part of La Center... not ritzy like up on the hill. I love tile, but I am pretty sure we would be the only home that has it. Still, that could be a good thing. Vinyl is easier in terms of prep work, and I picked out a couple really nice samples that I could order. I am open to suggestions. In fact, I am going to put up a poll.
Next weekend we get our leaky kitchen sink and dishwasher fixed. What my cousin discovered when he took pictures of my kitchen plumbing to work is that the old kitchen sink, that came with the house, was not put in correctly. Shocker. That would make sense as to why we always had problems with it clogging and not working quite right. So when we bought a new sink and things were in the wrong spot, I though I had gotten the wrong sink. Now I am being assured that sinks are pretty standard, and the builders just did a whacked out job on the little aluminum nasty sink that was originally there.
Next weekend I will also finish painting the house. I have to borrow Aunty Gail's pressure washer, and then I can get the top of the house painted before the bad weather sets in. I tried to crawl up there a few months ago and clean, but the angles are so weird, and scrubbing by hand requires so much elbow grease, that I almost busted my butt up there. Hopefully when I pressure wash it won't be so powerful that I go flying off the house!
Friday, September 26, 2008
mORE rANDOM tHOUGHTS bEFORE i fEED cOSMO
Cosmo hates me now. I have more blogging to do before Quinn's computer time, though.
First, let's talk about the yard. Each year I lose more and more of the yard to the poor drainage job that the La Center Library did when they erected their annoying building right behind me, and to the 20 beloved dog feet that go sailing through the yard each day.
I was out assessing the "damage" yesterday, trying to decide what to do before rainy season sets in. I've determined that the bare spot, seen in the top picture, will soon have barkdust and maybe a few green bushes to soak up the water. The barkdust will, of course, be between the gravel from a few years before and the gravel path I made last year to cover up the muddy slip and slide that became our yard.
Below, we see the lucious piece of lawn that keeps on growing and is very lovely. I think a little weed and seed might be in order to keep its strength up, as the dogs will be walking through it soon. You can see the part closest to the gravel trail. It starts with a dirty dog path and is kind of bare between the dog path and the gravel path. Not sure what to do to preserve this. any suggestions before it is too far gone?
First, let's talk about the yard. Each year I lose more and more of the yard to the poor drainage job that the La Center Library did when they erected their annoying building right behind me, and to the 20 beloved dog feet that go sailing through the yard each day.
I was out assessing the "damage" yesterday, trying to decide what to do before rainy season sets in. I've determined that the bare spot, seen in the top picture, will soon have barkdust and maybe a few green bushes to soak up the water. The barkdust will, of course, be between the gravel from a few years before and the gravel path I made last year to cover up the muddy slip and slide that became our yard.
Below, we see the lucious piece of lawn that keeps on growing and is very lovely. I think a little weed and seed might be in order to keep its strength up, as the dogs will be walking through it soon. You can see the part closest to the gravel trail. It starts with a dirty dog path and is kind of bare between the dog path and the gravel path. Not sure what to do to preserve this. any suggestions before it is too far gone?
Below, Bud... the kind soul that he is, waters my tree. With his pee. So we have a brown spot now. Thanks Bud!
Lily sleeping peacfully and calmly in the chair. She was sitting there in my lap while I did homework (she makes a great table) but then I moved and she decided to stay.
And finally... my favorite snack. Blue gummy sharks. Not just any gummy sharks. The BLUE ones. The other colors are artificially flavored, and I am allergic to artificial flavorings. I feel a little guilty biting their heads off, but they are just so good!
Find Your Top Spot..... .com!
This site is one of my favorites, and recent conversations prompted me to visit it again, mostly for blog kicks. The site is www.findyourspot.com and it's a lot of fun. I will try to keep this short, because the look on Cosmo's face tells me that he is going to die soon if I don't feed him breakfast.
Just to clarify to everyone who saw my recent poll that had a "poor Tavia" slant to it, Jeff is not evil. Most of you already know him and know that! I am actually really proud of Jeff for all the branching out he's done this past year and a half that I've been away (we had become such a "couple" socially that I was a bit worried). He has some new friends, some new interests, and even teaches a class that he's really enthusiastic about. Most Saturday afternoons I find myself text messaging with no reply, only to call and find that he is off doing something cool and living life very easily as an independent man ;) It's actually really nice to hear about! The downside is, that he is even more rooted in Houston than he was before!
I, on the other hand, am turning into a big Washington person... at least for now. I enjoy Houston (mostly because being young, single and in Houston is a blast) but I also really like it out here. Fresh air, small suburbs, family relatively close by, my house is looking AWESOME, and I have totally enjoyed reconnecting with all of my old friends who I have known for years. Plus my brother is in a school program that, while it is not what I want, is allowing him to catch up from what he missed freshman year. The only thing really missing is, well, stinky rotten Jeff.
People reading this are probably thinking we need to just go our seperate ways and live our lives... however we are totally unwilling to do that. I tried to picture myself dating or married to someone else and got all teary eyed... sigh, that is so pathetic. So, we WILL get it resolved. The point of the Find Your Spot website, however, is this... we decided that once one of us gives in and lives somewhere they don't neccessarily want to live for a few years, we will then find a spot where we BOTH want to be and finally settle down there. So I took this quiz, trying to keep both of us in mind when answering, and found our "best places." Drumroll please...
1. Hickory, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
This makes perfect sense to me, because I lived in Roanoke Virginia for college and absolutely LOVED it (SW Virgina... not northern, where Jeff has lived before and hated it). It's the perfect climate (all the seasons but never dreary like it gets in the northwest) with just enough to do but somewhat small town-ish. Plus beaches for Jeff and his crabbing.
2.Whidbey Island, WA
3. Morganton, North Carolina
4. Hopkinsville, Kentucky
I might read about this, but Kentucky????????
5. Mount Vernon, Washington
6. Paris, Tennessee
7. Page, Arizona
8. Gainesville, Georgia
9. Branson, Missouri
10. Greenville, South Carolina
Other places (I came up with 4 pages of possibilities) of note, either because they were funny or we might actually like them are: St. George, Utah (hilarious... though I am convinced we will end up in Utah one day just because we are both so passionately against it), Grand Junction, Colorado, Fredricksburg, Texas (a place I have always wanted to go and check out because I am convinced I would love it), a couple more small towns in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Kerrville, TX (also in the hill country, but a small town), Guntersville Alabama (PLEASE SAY THAT WITH A TWANG!), Marble Falls, Texas, Port Townsend, Washington, Sequim, Washington, and yet a few more places in the Texas Hill Country and Blue Ridge Mountains.
As silly as some people think these quizzes are, this is actually quite funny. I am noticing a trend leaning towards the Texas Hill Country, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and all the sunnier parts of Washington state. With a few redneck towns mixed in, of course... and sadly, thinking about me and Jeff that doesn't completely surprise me, though I would never live in some of them. Looks like some vacations may be in order!
Just to clarify to everyone who saw my recent poll that had a "poor Tavia" slant to it, Jeff is not evil. Most of you already know him and know that! I am actually really proud of Jeff for all the branching out he's done this past year and a half that I've been away (we had become such a "couple" socially that I was a bit worried). He has some new friends, some new interests, and even teaches a class that he's really enthusiastic about. Most Saturday afternoons I find myself text messaging with no reply, only to call and find that he is off doing something cool and living life very easily as an independent man ;) It's actually really nice to hear about! The downside is, that he is even more rooted in Houston than he was before!
I, on the other hand, am turning into a big Washington person... at least for now. I enjoy Houston (mostly because being young, single and in Houston is a blast) but I also really like it out here. Fresh air, small suburbs, family relatively close by, my house is looking AWESOME, and I have totally enjoyed reconnecting with all of my old friends who I have known for years. Plus my brother is in a school program that, while it is not what I want, is allowing him to catch up from what he missed freshman year. The only thing really missing is, well, stinky rotten Jeff.
People reading this are probably thinking we need to just go our seperate ways and live our lives... however we are totally unwilling to do that. I tried to picture myself dating or married to someone else and got all teary eyed... sigh, that is so pathetic. So, we WILL get it resolved. The point of the Find Your Spot website, however, is this... we decided that once one of us gives in and lives somewhere they don't neccessarily want to live for a few years, we will then find a spot where we BOTH want to be and finally settle down there. So I took this quiz, trying to keep both of us in mind when answering, and found our "best places." Drumroll please...
1. Hickory, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
This makes perfect sense to me, because I lived in Roanoke Virginia for college and absolutely LOVED it (SW Virgina... not northern, where Jeff has lived before and hated it). It's the perfect climate (all the seasons but never dreary like it gets in the northwest) with just enough to do but somewhat small town-ish. Plus beaches for Jeff and his crabbing.
2.Whidbey Island, WA
3. Morganton, North Carolina
4. Hopkinsville, Kentucky
I might read about this, but Kentucky????????
5. Mount Vernon, Washington
6. Paris, Tennessee
7. Page, Arizona
8. Gainesville, Georgia
9. Branson, Missouri
10. Greenville, South Carolina
Other places (I came up with 4 pages of possibilities) of note, either because they were funny or we might actually like them are: St. George, Utah (hilarious... though I am convinced we will end up in Utah one day just because we are both so passionately against it), Grand Junction, Colorado, Fredricksburg, Texas (a place I have always wanted to go and check out because I am convinced I would love it), a couple more small towns in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Kerrville, TX (also in the hill country, but a small town), Guntersville Alabama (PLEASE SAY THAT WITH A TWANG!), Marble Falls, Texas, Port Townsend, Washington, Sequim, Washington, and yet a few more places in the Texas Hill Country and Blue Ridge Mountains.
As silly as some people think these quizzes are, this is actually quite funny. I am noticing a trend leaning towards the Texas Hill Country, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and all the sunnier parts of Washington state. With a few redneck towns mixed in, of course... and sadly, thinking about me and Jeff that doesn't completely surprise me, though I would never live in some of them. Looks like some vacations may be in order!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Family Plumbing, Part II
Yesterday started phase 2 of the family plumbing series. In need of a new kitchen sink/faucet, new dishwasher, 2 new bathroom sinks/faucets, and 2 new toilets (yes, my house is a mess) I called my cousin, the almost master plumber. Ok, well, he finished plumbing school and is working at one of the Rooters around town, but by the time I am done with him he will have the experience of a master plumber!
Family plumbing is, of course, not without its challenges. There are the good parts, which surprisingly include the fact that family is not afraid of yelling, swearing, and telling each other exactly how they feel. The reason I say this is the good part is because I was delighted when we girls did not have the arm strength to hold the sink while my cousin Chris was hammering away at something underneath, and we started hollering for Quinn, who was at the computer. His response was "Uuuuuuuuh..." to which Chris screamed "Don't uuuuuuuuuh me, get your butt in here!" and Quinn emerged from his room and had to help. Yep. That was good.
The challenges are, of course, that we are a bunch of rookies. We had to run across the cul de sac for tools, the new sink did not fit the old pipes and we sprung a leak, so we had to go to the store and get new fittings. The new fittings didn't fit. We were missing a bolt. At the end of the day we had a leaky sink and dishwasher, which should be fixed in about 30 minutes next weekend after we shop for the right parts. They look nice, though!
We had a really good time, though, and it is a lot of fun to be with family. We had dinner, Quinn and Chris played Guitar Hero, and Chris and I got to chat over coffee at Shari's while we waited for his wife to pick him up. All in all a good day.
The new kitchen sink and faucet
Bunny, waiting somewhat patiently at the baby gate. She really wanted into the kitchen to be part of the action, but we tried to explain to her that she should be content being the only dog actually allowed loose in the house on plumbing day.
Our cousin Chris, underneath the sink. He's grown up a lot. I remember him being little kid when I was a tweenager, and he once bit my stomach and would not let go because I took Aunty Gail's stackable boxes away from him.
Family plumbing is, of course, not without its challenges. There are the good parts, which surprisingly include the fact that family is not afraid of yelling, swearing, and telling each other exactly how they feel. The reason I say this is the good part is because I was delighted when we girls did not have the arm strength to hold the sink while my cousin Chris was hammering away at something underneath, and we started hollering for Quinn, who was at the computer. His response was "Uuuuuuuuh..." to which Chris screamed "Don't uuuuuuuuuh me, get your butt in here!" and Quinn emerged from his room and had to help. Yep. That was good.
The challenges are, of course, that we are a bunch of rookies. We had to run across the cul de sac for tools, the new sink did not fit the old pipes and we sprung a leak, so we had to go to the store and get new fittings. The new fittings didn't fit. We were missing a bolt. At the end of the day we had a leaky sink and dishwasher, which should be fixed in about 30 minutes next weekend after we shop for the right parts. They look nice, though!
We had a really good time, though, and it is a lot of fun to be with family. We had dinner, Quinn and Chris played Guitar Hero, and Chris and I got to chat over coffee at Shari's while we waited for his wife to pick him up. All in all a good day.
The new dishwasher
The new kitchen sink and faucet
Bunny, waiting somewhat patiently at the baby gate. She really wanted into the kitchen to be part of the action, but we tried to explain to her that she should be content being the only dog actually allowed loose in the house on plumbing day. 
Our cousin Chris, underneath the sink. He's grown up a lot. I remember him being little kid when I was a tweenager, and he once bit my stomach and would not let go because I took Aunty Gail's stackable boxes away from him.
Happy Birthday Jeff!
Today, September 21st, is Jeff's birthday! He finally gets to enter his late 20s today!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!
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