Spectacular news!

I GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not so good news to my mother I am sure. That means..........SHE'S STAYING IN THAT DREADFUL PLACE!!!!

Now I am off to spend what money I do have; venture downtown Portland and watch the ships float by while snapping photos with my new digital camera!!!

Asher's new digs

Can you spot the turtle?

Yes, the pool is a bit dirty.

So I built a new place for my turtle, Ash. It's pretty nifty don't ya think? Actually, my dad built it, I sorta just stood there and watched and occasionally scratched my arm against a screw that was sticking out of the board.

First thing Ash did when I put her in the new place is ran laps around it about 500 times (ok, exaggerating but still a lot) and finally decided to lay in the HUGE pool. I say HUGE because she used to have a pie tin as a watering dish. This new plastic tub could fit two other turtles, so it's nice and large for her to swim around in. She set up her new living space, no not under the shade in the cool wet dirt where she usually burrows, she wanted to burrow under the grass. She is so very odd. I guess she has to be if she is around me! So that is now where she lives the majority of the time. She comes out to do a lap or two around the box, eats, swims and goes back to her little spot under the grass. I will eventually get her a playmate but probably not until after I get back from China, so I don't have to find two turtles homes while I am gone. For now she is all alone but I think she likes it that way. Either way, she is used to it. She has been alone for the last 13 years except for me blabbing to her!

Here are a couple pictures of my turtle, Ash. Isn't she just so CUTE?!?!

Out and about

This is the MAX. It gives me a seat whenever I need one.

This is usually how I get downtown Portland.

This stop is in the heart of Saturday Market.

The Saturday Market sits right along the waterfront

which makes a beautiful backdrop.

This is a picture of the other side of Saturday Market.

Nothing really to say about this one except the architecture should be noted.

I love how Portland keeps things like this intact.

There are two parts to the Saturday Market, this side

is for anyone to sell items (i.e anywhere in the world).

The other side is strictly Oregon made. I got my sister

a strictly Oregon made item, which is cool!

(picture of item soon to come, after she receives it)

I just thought this was a cool mural of the reggae legend Bob Marley.

It is located above a cool record store which, when

I get some money, I found something my mom would enjoy!

This mural is located a few blocks in from the waterfront.

Rollerblading

Since I have been out of work, I've been trying to keep myself busy. Especially now that the good t.v watching is over except for the few comforts of Las Vegas, Monk (BIG smile) and Dead Zone. But that doesn't keep one entertained very long so I decided to start up a hobby that would both let me lose weight and have fun at the same time. So I gave rollerblading a crack at it, and it is quite the exercise regiment. I haven't fallen yet but I bought wrist, knees and elbow pads for that inevitable trip on a rock.

It has taken me a week to just master rolling up and down the driveway. I mustered up the courage to roll along the street a few days ago and 20 minutes later I wanted to lay down and die. I was so out of breath it was not even funny. So yesterday my wonderful brother and I decided that I would start at 10 minutes and roll my way up to 20 and eventually to an hour. Besides running I heard it was the best exercise that is fun too. As soon as I get a job I am getting a membership to a racquet ball club that is just a couple miles away so I am excited about that.

On a side note- I am also going to buy a digital camera as soon as I get a job to put more pics up here. I have lots of regular pictures but until I get a program (ahem, A.K.A! hehe) that I can actually run, my pictures will be limited.

Wish me luck with the rollerblading!! :)

Am I expecting too much?

Am I expecting too much from Hollywood? I recently rented a few "Oscar" nominated films, Dreamgirls, The Departed, Babel, The Queen and who could forget Borat. I never saw Little Miss Sunshine but my sister did and I know she didn't come back raving about it. All of these movies were touted upon as the greatest movies ever. I guess I am just not seeing the greatness in any of these movies. They all lacked a quality you expect to see in an Oscar film. I know everyone has their opinion and I know a lot of people liked The Departed but I was incredibly bored with that movie. Dreamgirls was an ok flick but I was expecting something great along the lines of The Gladiator or A Beautiful Mind but I just didn't see it in any of these films. If any of these films were to win it should have been Dreamgirls, if we had to choose between those movies. Definitely not The Departed.



So I just wanted to ask am I expecting too much from Hollywood? I think Hollywood has gone down hill. I need another A Beautiful Mind, The Aviator or something exceptional like that before I will watch those awards again.

Highway 101

Sorry about the late post. It's been interesting trying to figure out the scanner thing here on a new computer and not having a Paint Shop Pro program doesn't help matters. But on to the exciting stuff.....

My sister and I went on a mini vacation before she went back home. We had a blast visiting all these little towns and meeting new people. I wish I would have been more open to stopping at the places my sister wanted to stop at. But all of you who know me, knows I am a planner and my plan was to be at the beach by mid morning because I heard a group of people put out blown glass globes on the beach in the morning for people to look for and I wanted to be one of those people! But of course like so many of my other adventures, I didn't get what I wanted. Oh well, there is always next year!

So, we drove down Highway 101 along the Pacific ocean and it was beautiful as always. We went to the sea lion caves which were stinky but pretty cool. There were about 100 lions in the cave and there were two particular lions who seemed to be putting on a show for the folks watching them. One was standing on a rock and the other was swimming in the water. The one in the water was biting the one on the rock. It was very cute to see but I am sure that lion was very serious about getting on that rock! The cave itself was kinda creepy, very dark and cold. My sister and I both forgot our cameras (yes, DUH!!!) so we bought disposables and none of the pictures inside the cave turned out. :(

Then we stayed at the Umpqua Lighthouse campground which was pretty neat. I thought it was on the beach but it was near a lake instead. We stayed in a yurt. If you have never seen a yurt, there is a picture above there. This campground was surrounded by TALL trees, it made a beautiful sight. My sister and I hiked through the forest to the beach and that was an amazing part of the ocean! It had a sand dune and walking on the sand was incredible! You could walk right on the sand without sinking in.

There is a picture there of my sister near the campfire that we attempted to build. HAHA! That was a hoot. If I ever got lost and had to make a fire, I would die. I have never made a fire before and it was an interesting experience!! Then making smores. Oh don't get me started on those!! Sheesh, you'd think I couldn't do anything! I guess I have always had people doing stuff for me. I didn't think I was spoiled like that but apparently having 4 older brothers to do all that for me, I was spoiled. I am sure a lot of other stuff happened but it was a while ago and I have forgotten. I had to get all the pictures developed and that took a week. Geez I really gotta get me a digi camera. Well thanks for reading and sticking with the blog :)

Destination:Washington

Hi everyone!!

Me, Kisty and Grandma have made it to Washington safely. Kisty and I arrived at about 11 p.m last night and it was a pretty good drive. I don't like driving at night especially around the Columbia River. That wasn't very fun but we did it thanks to my wonderful driver sister! (and a kind truck driver's reflective trailer to guide the way) Grandma drove with my dad and arrived about 12 a.m. My sister and grandma will spend the week with me before driving back home. My sister and I are going to the coast tomorrow and the next day and spending some last few minutes together. I will miss her but she knows we will always stay in touch through email and phone and this blog so all is good! The radio stations here in Washington are great! They play a lot of cool music I never hear back home. Well I am hungry and going to eat a cow (and you know that is hungry!) if I don't get something soon. Therefore, we are going to go eat Sweet Tomatoes on the riverbank. Love you all lots! (Thanks for the support, Lord!)

Leaving on a coal train

Tonight is my last night with my mom. I spent the last week with her and my family and it was wonderful! We went out to dinner a lot, baby-sat my new born neice who is the cutest bug ever!! Tomorrow my sister, brother and I drive to Grace, Idaho where we will spend a day and night before driving 12 hours to Washington. I will start my adventure there going to school and living on my own. I will miss my family but I can't live in fear of being alone because if I did, I would never do anything and create a future. I'd be a caged animal the rest of my life and I just can't see myself like that! I love my family!!! :)