Driving around in my mom's hot little car - windows down, Led Zepplin blasting, dancing and singing at the stop light - I forgot how great the weather is in SoCal. It was even a bit chilly at night (to me since I was used to 90 degrees and tons of humidity at midnight).
So, home is good. I sort of remember why I didn't stick around ... but it sure is a nice place to visit.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
will i ever stop moving?
I am waiting for my queen size bed and ikea dresser to be picked up right now ... they won't be here for at least an hour ... and I am thinking. Uh oh ... thinking. Yeah - I agree, its a dangerous past time.
But anyway - I am doing it. Thinking about moving ... past, present, and future. I leave on a plane tomorrow headed for LAX and really I don't know when I will be back on the East Coast. Geez, I am totally getting sad. My parents have lived in Southern California for pretty much their entire lives. I joke with them that I have lived in more states in my 24 years than they have in their 35 years of marriage. As I am looking at my life packed up in suitcases I can't help but wonder when will this end? When will I feel comfortable enough to "settle down" and actually live in one place for more than a few years. I am not even talking about just living in one city or area ... an even bigger accomplishment would to be live in the same house/apartment/dwelling for more than one year. Well thinking back to my college days, I did live in one apt. for two years but I lived in a tent for two months in between those two years ... but still, I think that is the time frame to beat.
For fun - lets chronicle the locations:
1. House I was born in - Irvine, California - January 1983 - August 2001
2. Deseret Towers - Provo, Utah - August 2001 - May 2002
3. House I was born in - Irvine, California - May 2002 - August 2002
4. Sparks Apt. - Provo, Utah - August 2002 - May 2003
5. Foxwood Apt. - Provo, Utah - May 2003 - August 2003
6. Campus View North Apt. - Provo, Utah - August 2003 - May 2004
7. Tent - Escalante, Utah - May 2004 - July 2004
8. Campus View North Apt. - Provo, Utah - July 2004 - May 2005
9. House I was born in - Irvine, California - May 2005 - September 2005
10. Crystal Plaza Apt. - Arlington, Virginia - September 2005 - August 2006
11. Rhapsody Condominium - Washington, DC - August 2006 - August 2007
12. House I was born in - Irvine, California - August 2007 - September 2007
13. Hideaway Apt. - Eugene, Oregon - September 2007 - June 2008
Let's count it out people. That is 13 moves in 6 years. Two of those are across the country and 7 of them are from one state to another. I am tired, how about you?
But I am excited for this new adventure. Sad to leave behind my many good friends that I have made here, as well as those of you who have been in my life for awhile but happen to be here with me. It has seriously been soooo great. I love the East Coast and I love everyone I have gotten close too. I know that this move is a good one for me (as have so many of the previous moves) and I look forward to the challenge of school and meeting new people. I am also very excited to serve the Lord in a new way in a smaller church setting in Eugene - I know it will be good for me.
So, here goes nothin'.
But anyway - I am doing it. Thinking about moving ... past, present, and future. I leave on a plane tomorrow headed for LAX and really I don't know when I will be back on the East Coast. Geez, I am totally getting sad. My parents have lived in Southern California for pretty much their entire lives. I joke with them that I have lived in more states in my 24 years than they have in their 35 years of marriage. As I am looking at my life packed up in suitcases I can't help but wonder when will this end? When will I feel comfortable enough to "settle down" and actually live in one place for more than a few years. I am not even talking about just living in one city or area ... an even bigger accomplishment would to be live in the same house/apartment/dwelling for more than one year. Well thinking back to my college days, I did live in one apt. for two years but I lived in a tent for two months in between those two years ... but still, I think that is the time frame to beat.
For fun - lets chronicle the locations:
1. House I was born in - Irvine, California - January 1983 - August 2001
2. Deseret Towers - Provo, Utah - August 2001 - May 2002
3. House I was born in - Irvine, California - May 2002 - August 2002
4. Sparks Apt. - Provo, Utah - August 2002 - May 2003
5. Foxwood Apt. - Provo, Utah - May 2003 - August 2003
6. Campus View North Apt. - Provo, Utah - August 2003 - May 2004
7. Tent - Escalante, Utah - May 2004 - July 2004
8. Campus View North Apt. - Provo, Utah - July 2004 - May 2005
9. House I was born in - Irvine, California - May 2005 - September 2005
10. Crystal Plaza Apt. - Arlington, Virginia - September 2005 - August 2006
11. Rhapsody Condominium - Washington, DC - August 2006 - August 2007
12. House I was born in - Irvine, California - August 2007 - September 2007
13. Hideaway Apt. - Eugene, Oregon - September 2007 - June 2008
(then who knows ... will I stay or will I go?)
Let's count it out people. That is 13 moves in 6 years. Two of those are across the country and 7 of them are from one state to another. I am tired, how about you?
But I am excited for this new adventure. Sad to leave behind my many good friends that I have made here, as well as those of you who have been in my life for awhile but happen to be here with me. It has seriously been soooo great. I love the East Coast and I love everyone I have gotten close too. I know that this move is a good one for me (as have so many of the previous moves) and I look forward to the challenge of school and meeting new people. I am also very excited to serve the Lord in a new way in a smaller church setting in Eugene - I know it will be good for me.
So, here goes nothin'.
see ya later
Because self-portraits should always have Tara in the background sticking her tongue out ... it just makes sense. Well, maybe not ... but it does make me smile. I will miss that girl.
Monday, August 06, 2007
sick days should always be this fun
A few weeks ago my sister and mom came to visit me. I should have posted this earlier, but I got distracted by the opportunity to see Senator Reid speak. Plus I called in sick to spend time with them and I didn't want to blog about it while I was still employed. But since I no longer work - I feel like its ok to show photographic evidence of my sick day. The photo is not dated or anything, hehehehe. Not the greatest photo of us, but family is so great that its still worth posting.
Mom, Sarah, Bethany ... taken in the reflection of the Vietnam Memorial.
It was my sister's first time out to DC and she got to visit without kids! It was a fun vacation for us all, even though we were reminded of how very very different we are. Its funny how siblings can be so different. But diversity (even in the family) makes the world go round and I am thankful for our differences. I hope one day it won't feel like they are so big, but until then I hope we continue to love each other for all those little things we each bring to the table independently. I am really glad I got to share this city with my big sister and mom for a few days ... it was great!
(Lets see how long it takes for my sister to actually realize that I posted this ... she doesn't read my blog much and I get on her case about it all the time)
Mom, Sarah, Bethany ... taken in the reflection of the Vietnam Memorial.It was my sister's first time out to DC and she got to visit without kids! It was a fun vacation for us all, even though we were reminded of how very very different we are. Its funny how siblings can be so different. But diversity (even in the family) makes the world go round and I am thankful for our differences. I hope one day it won't feel like they are so big, but until then I hope we continue to love each other for all those little things we each bring to the table independently. I am really glad I got to share this city with my big sister and mom for a few days ... it was great!
(Lets see how long it takes for my sister to actually realize that I posted this ... she doesn't read my blog much and I get on her case about it all the time)
Friday, August 03, 2007
Field Trip!
DC is wonderful when you don't have to work! I have been walking all over this town, meeting up with friends for lunch and running errands while everyone else is workin away in their offices. It is the best because I get to go on field trips too! Yesterday I went to the Natural History Museum and was amazed by a few things:
1) Geology is the coolest! I always knew this ... I would have totally majored in geology if I could just understand chemistry ... tooo much chemistry to understand how all those metamorphic, sedimentary, and ionic rocks are made. Heat, pressure and atomic elements - its really amazing. I was memorized by the minerals and gems.
2) PLATE TECTONICS ... I have always thought that this was the most interesting concept. The earth's crust is broken into different plates that float around on magma and slide, crash, grind, and slip past and into one another! Crazy!
3) Women/mothers that go to the National Mall on a hot hot hot day with more than two children in tow are AMAZING. I saw multiple women with gaggles of children and they were still having a good time! It was awe-inspiring. But I was not envious. It was soo hot and soo crowded - they are good mothers to be still braving it all to give a little fun and education to their kids. I solute you mothers of the world that visit the National Mall in August ... you are rock stars.
2) PLATE TECTONICS ... I have always thought that this was the most interesting concept. The earth's crust is broken into different plates that float around on magma and slide, crash, grind, and slip past and into one another! Crazy!
3) Women/mothers that go to the National Mall on a hot hot hot day with more than two children in tow are AMAZING. I saw multiple women with gaggles of children and they were still having a good time! It was awe-inspiring. But I was not envious. It was soo hot and soo crowded - they are good mothers to be still braving it all to give a little fun and education to their kids. I solute you mothers of the world that visit the National Mall in August ... you are rock stars.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
getting tagged a few months later
Bea tagged me for 8 things ... but I did something similar a few months ago ... remember how Lindsey tagged me?
So I add a few more, just because I only listed 5 for Linds. Hmmm ... some people know these ... others might be surprised to learn these:
6) I am not a good pet owner. I am not really that fond of animals ... but I don't HATE them (Lis tried to spread lies about me at work! hahaha). But I feel that this makes me a responsible citizen of humanity - I know I am not good with walking, feeding, bathing, etc of household pets and thus I don't own them and treat them poorly. However, I think if I had a little lap dog it might be different. We always had smaller big dogs (too big for you lap but not really considered big dogs). But I think if I had a purse dog it would be nice. Oh, I like cats too, but I am a bit allergic.
7) I have a hankering to buy a house. An old house that I can restore and make my own. Its not happening ANY TIME SOON. But that's the thing I really want (besides all the normal other stuff ... a cool job, marriage, babies, blah blah blah) right now and I hope to pull it off by the time I am about 31-32 ... that gives me 7 or 8 years (secretly my time line is 30 ... but that might be pushing it considering school loans). This also requires that I settle down and not move every year! That actually would be nice.
8) In my very first Anthropology class at BYU my freshman year (I now have a BA in Anthropology, just in case you didn't know) I earned an A+ on a paper ... an A+!!! I didn't even know that teachers actually gave those out! I had been concerned about the whole college thing before - could I do it? Would I fail out of college? The pressure! But after this - I was golden. I thought: "I can do this college thing!" (For reals, I remember thinking that very phrase). My paper was copied and given to each student in the class proceeded by a lecture on how much better their papers needed to be ... like mine. I have thought that I am a great writer ever since. Blame my big head on Dr. Crandle ... hehehe.
Bonus:
9) I have a secret wish to grow a garden one day. This came about in the past few months and perhaps will leave when I actually have the space to do it ... but I think it would be really great to grow fresh veggies and have plants. I will start small by having potted plants and then planting mature plants and gradually move to starting from little seeds. I want to have some awesome pots for my potted plants someday ... sigh. A girl can dream right?
So I add a few more, just because I only listed 5 for Linds. Hmmm ... some people know these ... others might be surprised to learn these:
6) I am not a good pet owner. I am not really that fond of animals ... but I don't HATE them (Lis tried to spread lies about me at work! hahaha). But I feel that this makes me a responsible citizen of humanity - I know I am not good with walking, feeding, bathing, etc of household pets and thus I don't own them and treat them poorly. However, I think if I had a little lap dog it might be different. We always had smaller big dogs (too big for you lap but not really considered big dogs). But I think if I had a purse dog it would be nice. Oh, I like cats too, but I am a bit allergic.
7) I have a hankering to buy a house. An old house that I can restore and make my own. Its not happening ANY TIME SOON. But that's the thing I really want (besides all the normal other stuff ... a cool job, marriage, babies, blah blah blah) right now and I hope to pull it off by the time I am about 31-32 ... that gives me 7 or 8 years (secretly my time line is 30 ... but that might be pushing it considering school loans). This also requires that I settle down and not move every year! That actually would be nice.
8) In my very first Anthropology class at BYU my freshman year (I now have a BA in Anthropology, just in case you didn't know) I earned an A+ on a paper ... an A+!!! I didn't even know that teachers actually gave those out! I had been concerned about the whole college thing before - could I do it? Would I fail out of college? The pressure! But after this - I was golden. I thought: "I can do this college thing!" (For reals, I remember thinking that very phrase). My paper was copied and given to each student in the class proceeded by a lecture on how much better their papers needed to be ... like mine. I have thought that I am a great writer ever since. Blame my big head on Dr. Crandle ... hehehe.
Bonus:
9) I have a secret wish to grow a garden one day. This came about in the past few months and perhaps will leave when I actually have the space to do it ... but I think it would be really great to grow fresh veggies and have plants. I will start small by having potted plants and then planting mature plants and gradually move to starting from little seeds. I want to have some awesome pots for my potted plants someday ... sigh. A girl can dream right?
the wonder years
This is one of the greatest shows ever conceived. The voice overs are amazingly funny. I rediscovered it tonight and man oh man - amazing! The drama and intensity of Kevin's adolescence is perfect.
Tonight's episode was about Kevin and his 14 year old friends trying to crash a 10th grade girl's slumber party where they were convinced that there are lacy nighties and pillow fights - all night long. Oh, and as long as they have beer - they are in! Hahahaha ... why do boys always think that girls are scantily clad and feather's flying?! Has that ever happened? To anyone? Who came up with that? And why is that hot?
Anyway - if you don't know about The Wonder Years - you missed out on A LOT.
Tonight's episode was about Kevin and his 14 year old friends trying to crash a 10th grade girl's slumber party where they were convinced that there are lacy nighties and pillow fights - all night long. Oh, and as long as they have beer - they are in! Hahahaha ... why do boys always think that girls are scantily clad and feather's flying?! Has that ever happened? To anyone? Who came up with that? And why is that hot?
Anyway - if you don't know about The Wonder Years - you missed out on A LOT.
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