Dishwasher

I unload and Bob loads the dishwasher. Well this morning I noticed it was clean and since we've been trying to stay really on top of things and we have people coming over tonight, I thought to myself, "I'll unload when I get home, how much can Bob dirty in one day?"










I had forgotten he was making a pie for tonight!

Garden time, finally

Overnight Dill Pickles










I let the bees and hummingbirds enjoy before I cut and brought inside












New side yard garden, may be a bit out of control...












Established backyard garden beds









Love having flowers to bring inside!

Summer Updates

Giant Jenga!











Bob's birthday meal












Berries from our yard, cherries picked at a harvest party










Spencer on a local bike race - he won!

The JOB

I am about to wrap up my fourth week back to work and I am still liking it! When it is sunny I ride my bike (so far no balance problems) and I get there at 8 and then ride my bike back home at noon and have lunch with Bob and from there each day differs! I should say that even at work each day is new and exciting. Let's look at this week for example...Monday I reviewed a couple set of plans, Tuesday I went to Lincoln City with my supervisor to inspect a dialysis clinic, Wednesday I went to state training for new managers (in my title, I don't supervise anyone though) and today I started reviewing an Oncology clinic. The co-worker I share an office with has been on vacation the last two weeks so it has been even quieter than normal (there are only 5 of us total, 3 of us on the 2nd floor). I quickly lose track of time and find the morning flies by. I don't have a badge yet because they really aren't necessary in our department, but I do have my motor pool rental card. I have a state ID number, my own phone number and starting August 1, new health insurance and a first paycheck. The 8-noon schedule lets me make my lunch meetings for the AIA and Housing Committee and two weeks ago it meant we left earlier than traffic to spend our anniversary in Sunriver (9 years, can you believe it?). I still don't have all of the details for my maternity leave and we need to crunch some numbers to see if taking 3 months off will work. It sure would be nice, but in any case, I'll still only be working 4 hours a day so I hope that makes it easier to go back. Bob has less than a month now until his classes start up and he is still working his tail off to wrap up the dissertation.

Always wear your helmet!

On June 30th, Bob went mountain biking with Spencer and some guys on a new trail. I went to dinner and was running errands with my sister when I get a text message from Bob's phone that read "Spencer here, call Bob's phone when you have a chance." Small panic begins on my part. At this point I am now at Winco and my phone starts to ring, I answer but cannot clearly understand Spencer. What I do understand is that Bob is headed to Good Samaritan's in Corvallis and I need to meet them there, but he is okay. Okay? What does that mean? So my sister graciously offers to accompany me to Corvallis and proceeds to find directions and start texting Spencer for more info, she calls our mom, I call Bob's mom and then she tries to just keep me calm on the way there. We enter the Emergency area, I sign a form and then we are shown back and told what curtian/room he is in. As I wander through I think, "No major problems here people are in slings, sitting up etc." Not Bob. I get to room 14 and see his feet and a sheet covering him and tears begin to fill my eyes. I walk over to his side and he has a neck collar on(because they did a scan of his head) and I reach out and touch his shoulder because he still has blood running down his face and I don't want to try to kiss any thing that might hurt more (as it turns out the shoulder I chose was one with a big scrape, but he didn't say anything because the look on my face nearly broke his heart.) We've now been married nine years and in that time neither of us has seen the other in the ER, we've had minor injuries or surgeries, but this was different, this was not planned. By now it is close to 10pm. Everyone is tired, Bob and Spencer are starving, we're still waiting for results of the scan so the collar stays on, but everyone is in good spirits. Once the scan comes back and everything is fine, the collar comes off, Bob's brother and our nephew came in for a visit and then Spencer left for home. Now it is time for stitches (and Bob thought the collar was uncomfortable!) We don't know how many there were, a couple here and there and then 'bunches' was what the guy with the thread said. I couldn't watch. Around 11pm things are wrapping up, the doctor has given me paper work and they are checking Bob out. We gather his cracked helmet and slowly walk out to the car, a small, but very welcome miracle.

Last Friday Bob went back to have the stitches removed, because they do it for free after your trip in there! He is healing nicely and doesn't seem to be suffering from any long term concussion symptoms. He is sporting a goatee because he can't shave around the stitched area as it heals. His knees are almost bandage free and he has a new helmet, because he'll be back out there in 2 weeks.

Timbers Event

I've now been to 3 Portland Timbers' games and they are SO much fun. The next big one is on the 10th against Seattle!! We went last week to a season ticket appreciation night. We collected signatures, bought a jersey, walked on the field, saw the locker room and kicked around a ball. Here are some pictures of Bob with his brother Kris (season seats, goal kick, corner kick, goalie) and then of course Bob and I.

The biggest news is sometimes small...

... Bob and I have been playing things very casually the last few months, but since I have a job lined up...We're expecting a baby girl in early October!! I apologize if we weren't able to tell you personally or even over an individual email, so please do not hate us if we had not called/written you. I feel quite strange telling people sometimes, I know everyone is generally excited and happy for us, but it is still weird. But in case you are wondering, I have felt pretty good (I am 26 weeks), just mostly tired and joint pains plague me. Soon this blog may be filled with pictures of my belly and updates to the room, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum. Here are the fabrics I picked out and Bob's mom will turn into wonderful items for the room (for those of you paying attention, our old bedroom now that the upstairs is done.) The three patterns on the right are for the crib and the one on the left is for the curtain/valances.

Job!!

I have accepted a part-time position with the State. I'll be reviewing construction documents for health facilities in Oregon. This includes hospitals, retirement homes and facilities in between. I'll be riding my bike the 1.9 miles for a job that is 5 days a week, but only 4 hours a day. My benefits are partially covered by the state and I'll make more than my unemployment check - plus I can enjoy my afternoons and no longer job search! So right now I'm enjoying my last two weeks of going to the gym when I want and sleeping in, although I have a huge binder of paper work to start looking through. (Here is the house my office is in. I'm on the second floor and share it with one other person.)

Two week update

Sorry it has been a while and for some one without a job, what do I spend my time doing if it isn't blogging? Well, I have had 2 interviews since the last post, been looking for a futon so we have a guest room, still working on small upstairs details (now there is both a handrail and guardrail thanks mostly to my parents helping mid week) and I planted my garden. Now this is on top of the four committees I have monthly or bi-weekly meetings for all they ask of me and the continuing search for a job, as well as laundry, cooking and other household stuff, not to mention being a supportive wife to my dissertation writing, summer school teaching hubby.

Missoula and Davis

Because Bob starts teaching and we are still hoping I get a job soon, we crammed in two wonderful trips in the span of 8 days. We spent three days in Missoula (plus two driving) with wonderful friends and then were home for two night and one day before flying to Davis for a goodbye send off and Bob to check in with advisors. I only wish we could have brought more of the weather back with us. I didn't take many pictures, but here are Bob and Alden in Davis and Diana and I in Missoula.

Bin Laden

I have to say the death of a terrorist sure makes Americans act strangely. We are not celebrating the winning of the Olympics, the end of hunger, poverty or even a war, but oh how I wish we were. Celebrating a death like his only makes us look bad, it makes us, no better than he was. The debt trying to find this guy was huge and I don't see an end to it. Traveling and security is still ridiculous. I wish we could focus on issues that affect people in the US more directly - enough money for schools, to feed hungry kids and families, continued Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and affordable health care for everyone.

Spring

Spring in Oregon, always coming a bit later than desired.

Remodel updates

Here are some before and after floor pictures, an updated bathroom and bedroom. We still have more to do of course!

Memory Lane

Today, as I was filling out a job application and needed to know my CA license number, I took a little walk through my old blog posts and pictures. I also spent an hour yesterday talking with a friend from Davis and oh how I miss some things about it! I saw pictures of us moving in, camping trips, sunny days, bike paths, wine tasting, barbecues, wii playing and dear, dear friends. Now of course I love being back home in my house with my family close, that is what broke my heart in California. But those 2 years there it turns out were a lot of fun and we met a lot of great people. I hope we get to visit soon, I only wish everyone we call a dear friend was still there to visit. The nature of graduate school is of course that you all find jobs and move on. Hugs to Davis, there will always be a special place in my heart for you.

TIMBERS!

The boys, being Bob, his brothers and his dad, went in together on 2 season tickets for the Portland Timbers (Soccer). Bob and I toured the stadium and took pictures from the seats. The first game is this weekend, but the first home game is a month away.
In the seats
(We were pretty excited)








View from Standing









View from seated

Trip to the Beach

I've had a terrible cold and one day I woke up feeling even worse and Bob decided we needed to drive to the beach. It was beautiful for a March day!

Remodel update

I apologize for not updating this sooner, but the truth is, I want you to come and see it for yourself, or help us finish it, but I understand not all of you are able to do so.

Washington DC

At the beginning of the month my local, professional chapter (AIA) sent me to DC for a leadership conference. Bob joined for a little research. I hadn't been to DC since I was a teenager and a lot has changed. The buildings at the capital all have funny entrances and additions for security reasons. Not that I got to much of the capital because my flight was a day late due to weather and the conference was in a basement of a huge hotel. None the less, I
met with a Senator and some staff one day and Bob and I walked the mall one night.













We started at the Lincoln Memorial,










Then on to FDR (and his dog)










And ended with the Jefferson Memorial. What impressive men. We also saw construction has begun on the Martin Luther King Junior Memorial.

Hawaii

A brief trip to the warm island seems like it was only a dream now. We joined my family for a couple days thanks to their generosity. This wasn't our first time so we mostly hung out and it was wonderful not to have a plan every day except eating and going to the beach. We took turns cooking, shopped at a farmers market, tried some new
fruit and even saw turtles. Bob and I rented bikes to get around for a day.


Bob and Cait









Bob and I rode our bikes here










And Here










Looking for turtles




















Sunrise looking at one of the volcanoes












Last Sunset

NYE

From swords to...










Our annual game













How else do you cut onions?










Goodbye bad things in 2010


For the past 5 years or so a group of us have been spending the New Year holiday in Sunriver. Snowshoeing, playing games, wii, eating, drinking and last year we added a new tradition of burning effigies. This year's list included budget problems, endless remodeling projects and lack of jobs. If only those things would disappear as quickly as they burned...
But as always it was a good time with great friends.