Exam week (number two)

He's currently taking his second to last exam. Supposedly the ones this week aren't as difficult as the ones last week. However, he studies just as hard for all of them.

Last night he kept me up way too late going over outlines. The problem was that I only understood part of what he was saying and I don't know all the little rules and abbreviations for things. So I'm not sure how much help I actually was. Especially as it got later and later and I got more sleepy.

However its true about how your brain works while you're sleeping. This morning I picked up one of his practice tests that was sitting around and I could answer almost all of the questions. Of course, I didn't know all the details and case names, but I could figure out who would win the case if this or that happened and why. Maybe they should give ME a scholarship.

The best news of the day is that we have less than a week until we fly to visit our favorite people in the world.

Exam number three done.

I need a break!

I know, I'm not the one actually taking the exam, or even doing the studying. But I'm as ready for this all to be over as he is. The stress is covering our entire house like a layer of dust. (I did actually spend my morning cleaning up the real layer of dust--as well as papers and clothes and everything else--that was spread all over). The good news is that he says that the hardest week is over, the next two exams will be much easier.

In the meantime, we are fighting over one cell phone. Mine decided to take an extended vacation without giving any notice. It just turned off the other day and wouldn't turn back on. I took it to the store and they accused me of dropping it the sink or leaving it in the shower or setting it out in the rain: none of which I did. They clearly didn't believe me. They tried to make me feel better by saying that maybe it was "just the humidity". I didn't tell them what I thought of that.

I didn't realize how much I rely on my cell phone, even for just checking the time when I'm at the store or letting Ryan know I'll be home late. How did I ever survive without it?

So amidst the crazy studying this week I am learning all sorts of new vocabulary. The only problem is that I don't actually know what any of it means.

Yesterday we spent three hours just going through more notecards. This mainly consisted of me trying to decipher what the card actually said, since the combination of very sloppy handwriting and law terms made it rather difficult, and then trying to figure out if what Ryan had answered actually matched what the answer on the card said.

But I told him that every time he got a card right he got a star on the card. And when he got five stars on one card he could take it home. And if he was really diligent he could even write his own stars.

That strategy didn't seem to have the motivation and excitement power that it does with other kids. I don't know why.

This morning, he had to brave the wind and rain to get to his second exam. Only three more to go!

exam week (number one)

Those late nights of outlining, the early morning refreshers, the Saturday afternoons of watching football with one eye and reading contracts with the other. They are all about to show what they're worth. It's exam week.

Well, the first of two exam weeks, really.

Ryan could hardly balance on his bicycle this morning he was so nervous.

Once he was gone I cleared away the stacks of paper and 200+ notecards that were scattered all over the coffee table and living room floor. He made it clear that when he got back he didn't want to lay his eyes on a single reference to property law.

His next exam is on Wednesday. I'm not worried for him a bit. He's going to ace each and every one. But I made him promise to go play basketball or catch or something for the sake of his and my sanity.

PS: Wednesday is going to be 70 degrees!

One of my favorite things that I've been doing lately at work has been testing potential students. I always feel a little sorry for the poor kids because they have to sit in a little room for over three hours. But its fun for me because I get to give all kinds of different tests on visual perception, listening, comprehension, etc. I get to be able to talk with the student and get to know all about how they are doing at school and home and how they feel about coming to this big scary place to learn.

Also, as a sidenote. This evening I decided to surprise one of my students, after noticing her "edward where are thou" type t-shirt, by adding a question onto the end of my conference. When I said "finally, how did you feel about that new movie you went to this weekend?" Her eyes immediately lit up and she went into a ten minute monologue about the special effects of wolves and the drama and how it compares to the last movie. Eventually I had to stop and remind her that we did have other things to get finished.

On the other hand one of my least favorite things lately is the lack of good coffee. Besides little gas station stores, there is only one coffee shop in the whole vicinity of where I live and work. I often daydream about the days when I couldn't drive anywhere without passing at least three coffee huts. Instead it's all about sweet tea around here. I haven't quite gotten brave enough to try it. I just keep telling myself its a helpful reminder of my budget. That is...until I drive past that cute little shoe store on my way to work.

I've almost finished up my third week in my new job and all I can say is that time is going fast. I never do the same thing two days in a row and every time I look up at the clock I'm amazed. While not all of my tasks are exactly glamourous, most of them aren't too bad and I'm enjoying getting to know all of the things that go on just to make the actual tutoring possible.

Most of what I do is preparing curriculum for new students, as well as reviewing current students' curriculum, and grading and evaluating the diagnostic tests of incoming students. However I've also spent some time doing some marketing, reception, and a bunch of random other stuff. Of course, I am still working with individual students during the evening teaching hours.

So that's basically my new job, my favorite part of which is the paycheck I brought home today!

Since the waters had finally gone down, Ryan and I went shopping on Saturday evening. He had some birthday money to spend and he was badly in need of some new pants. He ended up with two armfuls of new clothes (all of which he definitely needed).

The next day he tried them all on for me, matching them with his button-up shirts and ties (and new black shoes).

Most of all, it makes me think back on the days when he only wore tennis shoes and green and yellow jerseys and stocking caps. I used to think it was because of me that he started to think about what he was wearing. But now I am seeing that he is starting to get excited about being a lawyer. He's starting to look like one now too.

I may have bought some new clothes too. I don't think my college wardrobe is going to work for me much longer either.

The rain has finally slowed to a drizzle and the wind has died down. The Iowa boy is beginning to wonder if the sun will EVER come back. And we piled up on groceries now that the store has full power again.

My long weekend ended this morning when I got an email that said the power was back on at work and most of the leaks and flooding was taken care of. I was half sad that I couldn't climb back in bed but still happy that the sitting around at home was finally over.

Well the sun isn't out yet, but it does look quite a lot better outside. That is, besides the various lawn furniture and gutter pipes strewn around the lawn. We pulled our chairs inside after they started sliding around on our deck.

Last night we thought that the wind and rain had let up. But as soon as we put dinner in the oven, the lights started to flicker. We pulled out some candles and crossed our fingers, hoping that we could at least last until our chicken was cooked. Thankfully we got our dinner on the table just in time for the power to go out. All I could do was laugh for about 2 minutes straight at our wonderful timing. Plus, I was looking forward to a candle lit dinner. Ryan was not quite so pleased.

Turns out we got all of our candles lit just in time for the power to come back on, so we spent the evening watching a movie instead of well, whatever you do without power.

However 150,000 of our neighbors are not quite so lucky this morning, and that doesn't count the people who had to leave their homes last night to avoid flooding.

We are very thankful for God's protection this week and we're thankful that the sun will be coming back out soon.

I'm sorry but I don't have a lot of better news today. Although Ryan does. His school is cancelled today, and he's not sure what to do with himself.

This storm just keeps getting worse. Honestly, I don't really like looking out the window at the trees getting ripped around. And I'm glad we live on the second floor so we don't have to worry about flooding.

Watching the schools closures scroll at the bottom of the tv screen reminds me of the mornings in elementary school when we used to watch intently and refuse to get ready for school until we knew absolutely that it wasn't closed.

The worst part, of course, is that so many roads are closed we won't be able to go shopping on our day off. Although I may not have a day off...but I'm hoping.

Wet. That's what it's been here, wet.

It all started on Sunday afternoon. A beautiful day. A shorts and t-shirt and picnic kind of day. But before we could enjoy the lovely weather, we had a little problem. I started to make dinner, but as soon as I tried to turn on the faucet, several feet of water started shooting up out of our kitchen sink. "um, honey..." I said. (he hates when I start freaking out about something little). I told him that water shoots up out of the drain when you turn the water and disposal on, there must be a clog. But did he believe me? No, he had to try it himself. Water everywhere. All over the floor, all over us, all over the counter and the clean dishes and the mail. Oh, water and bits of chopped up food--I'm not sure what food exactly.

So at this point, the most logical thing to do would be to turn off the water and try to fix the problem. Is that what we did? no. Let's try it one more time. More dirty water everywhere.

When we finally decided that there was definitely a problem, we decided to visit our lovely neighbor who always parks his plumbing truck next to our car.

We borrowed some tools and Ryan confessed that he didn't actually do all that much "plumbing" when he worked for the plumbers that one summer. But we figured out how to get all the pipes apart. Unfortunately the clog was much deeper in the pipes. And unfortunately our plumber friend had lent his deep-clog-cleaning-tool to someone more important.

The only thing to do was try to salvage our Sunday dinner and avoid the kitchen altogether until Monday morning. Thankfully we did get an apartment maintenance plumber to come in early Monday. He was thankful that we had done all the hard work. And, um, I'm still putting off mopping the floor.

So now that we've recovered from that mess, we've been welcomed to the east coast by a lovely storm. Coastal Flood Warning, High Surf Advisory, Flood Watch, High Wind Warning. I hope this is the closest to a hurricane we get in the next three years. But we've said goodbye to summer and now it's just wet. Wet and very windy.

After a week of filling in for the day care and changing diapers, I am very happy to announce that I have been offered a new job. Well technically its only half a new job since it is at the same place that I have been working at for almost two months. Basically I've been bumped up (I like to think of it as a promotion) to a full time position.

At this point I'll still be tutoring in the evenings with similar but extended hours, but I'll also work in the office during the day doing an assortment of other tasks. Eventually I will discontinue tutoring and build up to an assistant director type position.

Unfortunately I won't be able to substitute anymore, but the concrete hours will be a big relief. I won't have to wonder if I'll get a call at 6:30am every time I go to bed after 10. And I think it will be a great opportunity to gain a large variety of experience.

Of course, the best thing is that I'll still be working closely with all of the students and staff that I've come to know over the last couple of months. And I'll have a good reason (and some extra $$) to do some shopping for new clothes and shoes!

I'm so thankful that I can set aside the job searching for a while and know that God is and always has been providing for us.

Also I'm supposed to blog about some pinball catch thing. I don't know, I think it has to do with football. Apparently it's important.

In case you're still worried about me. My mother came to the rescue. I can at least bear my hair now. Mostly I just try not to think about it. I just have to remind myself of the positives. Such as that I don't have to get a school picture this year to cement this horror in memory forever. And that hats and scarves are popular right now.

Thankfully I've been spending most of my time this week with toddlers and babies. And they don't seem to discriminate based on hairstyle. I've been filling in for a daycare at one of my subbing schools.

I can't say that I was thrilled about the idea of diapers, screaming, and food throwing. But I survived. And after watching a few preschool tv shows, I felt better. I figured that I may not be in my dream job, but neither are the singing, clapping, dancing 30 year-olds on those kids shows. And at least my days aren't documented on film for the world to see.

And besides, the kids have their moments. Such as this morning when one little guy spent 20 minutes trying to decide whether he wanted to eat his lunch or take his nap. Turns out you can't do both. Instead he spent most of his time with his eyes closed, his mouth open and mashed sweet potato all over his face.

If you are on top of the blog reading and you are reading this post tonight, look outside. The moon is beautiful now; it's a tiny little sliver of bright gold. Although if you're in Oregon, it's probably both too light out and completely overcast at this point.

In other night life: as I pulled into my parking spot this evening, I thought I saw a large fluffy cat waiting for me. Instead I realized that it was a raccoon. Not as cute as the disney version, but it's always fun to see random wildlife in the city. However, I'll be honest, I was almost scared to get out the car. He was just sitting there watching me--do raccoons bite? So I made random loud noises as I stepped out to scare him away.

We went to get our hair cut (both Ryan and I) and I had a big "before and after" ready to blog with pictures and everything. That is, until I actually got my hair cut. I decided that an after picture of a person with a paper bag over their head is boring.

That's right, my new hair cut does not deserve to be shown in any public place. Ryan said, "you could just tell people you got run over by a lawn mower." Thanks. He also offered to try to fix it for me.

Ryan's hair looks great by the way.

I should have known that I should never get my hair cut in the same building as him. Even if its cheap. I also should have known that I should leave when I looked around and only old men were in line to get their hair cut. I knew better. But I have had relatively no bad haircuts in my lifetime. And I generally trust everyone with a black apron and shiny scissors. Until today.

The sad part is that I took the lady's offer to come back in to the salon if I didn't like it when I got home. Her second try turned out worse.

Feel free to send hats or scarves or hooded sweatshirts.

Why in the world does elementary school cafeteria food look so darn good at 11:30 in the morning? It starts my stomach growling and sometimes I just want to ask if we can have some caring sharing.

But really. I ate breakfast and I'm not that desperate. mini corndogs and fish sticks shaped like smiley faces? In any normal circumstances = gross. (I realize that some people love corndogs...mother, but ew. especially when paired with chocolate milk and a fruity push-pop).

I really don't understand. But when I get home to eat my own lunch none of my "real people" food matches up. I'm still craving those mushy french fries and deep fried, uh, whatever those are.

Basically, six year olds make you crazy. Even if you're just a "subtitoot"

finally fall.

I know that it is rather midwestern of me to talk about the weather, but I think that we are finally saying goodbye to our last summer days.

This morning we woke up to a stuffy, humid apartment. We promised not to turn on the ac anymore about two weeks ago. So now all we could do was open all of our windows and hope to catch the breeze.

The breeze did come a few hours later and I've found a lovely spot on my patio to enjoy it.

However, just now I've been chased inside by a sudden downpour. There goes our warm sunny weather. I was just starting a habit of going to class with Ryan in the afternoon and sitting by the beautiful fountains on campus to enjoy the late afternoon sun.

Hopefully this rain will clear the humidity and push out those fall colors that have been so hesitant the last few weeks. I also hope that the princess club has made it indoors quickly enough. This morning the girls were sporting a new type of wardrobe. Now they are more than princesses, they're ladybugs, fairies, bumblebees, and scarecrows. I don't think they're mothers will be too happy if their new costumes get ruined before the big day is even in sight.

Traffic and parking fees instead of mist and sea gulls to greet you. High rise hotels instead of sandy cliffs and twisting trees as a background. A $2 walk down the pier instead of climbing on rocks. Walking around people instead of seashells and kelp.

The Atlantic is far far away from the Pacific.

But there's still warm sand to squish your toes in, salty waves that splash higher than you expected, and blue as far as you can see.

The truth is, even he misses it. Can't you tell? It's just not the same.

It is the beach, however. Sun, sand, and water. You have to love it, wherever you are. And we're enjoying it here, for now.

PS: I especially enjoy any chance I get to drag the studious 1L out of his desk and into the daylight. And yesterday, by the way, was a wonderful Sunday afternoon at the beach.

These beautiful orchid blossoms are just barely hanging on. Most of their friends have already fallen off, but these ones are trying hard to stay alive.

This plant is going to re-bloom, though. Even if it takes three years of babying, I'm gonna make them come back. No more forgotten plants on the windowsill. And no more plants freezing because they're sitting too close to the window in December.

Pumpkins!

After a quick pep talk with my mom, I finally gained the strength to go grocery shopping today. I don't feel the least bit bad about the hatred for grocery shopping that I have because it is 100% hereditary.

But I decided to be bold and try out a new grocery store today. From the moment I drove up, I knew things would be different. The parking lot was welcomingly empty. And most of all: there were pumpkins lined up in beautiful rows along the storefront. Pumpkins. Outside. Inside. By the windows, in the produce section. In the floral displays. I could practically smell thanksgiving.

It was the first time that it has actually felt like Fall this year. There were a few leaves on the ground, a warm breeze, and pumpkins. So now I'm thinking about burnt orange placemats and upside-down pumpkin bars.

Now if those trees would just start changing and the evenings would start to cool down we could add refreshing walks on crunchy leaves.

Ever have that sinking feeling that someone is awkwardly close behind you? Like you're walking along minding your own business, and some random person does not have the social graces to give you your space on the sidewalk?

Well that's how I felt yesterday. Except different.

I had a load of laundry in the dryer at the laundromat in the center of our apt. complex, so I started off with my little laundry bag, enjoying the beautifully warm sun and clear sky in the afternoon. And after about 20 steps out of my building I hear this little plop a few feet behind me on the sidewalk. I turned around. nothing. I looked up nothing but the sun, and a few clouds that seemed to have suddenly appeared. So I kept walking.

A few more steps and I heard another plop to my left. This one was close, like 6 inches. Still nothing. Then I felt a little drip on my arm. I started walking faster and suddenly noticed that the sun was gone. I had only walked about 40 steps and I was surrounded by dark, heavy clouds.

As you can guess. By the time I made it to my destination it had begun raining. With no warning. And on the way back? I ran, carrying my load of newly dry laundry through a flash flood! I knew spending a buck on a load in the dryer was a waste of money. I was soaked by the time I got home.

When I made it to my front door, I found Ryan, standing, waiting with his bike, and listening to the pouring rain on the roof. Let's just say he was pretty thankful when I offered to drive him to class.

Now being a native Oregonian, you would think that I would not be one to be caught off guard by a little rain. But in Oregon it's different. There's always these little warning signals. First, the air cools off for a couple of days. Then, the clouds come. After a few more days the air feels a little bit damp. Then it rains.

I have to get used to sun one minute and storm the next. I also need to get used to my high heels doubling as small wading pools.

Football hands are most comfortable with catching and throwing. They're used to lifting weights and pushing and shoving.

But sometimes these hands will surprise you.

Every once in a while these hands will do something new, something they never thought they could do. Like mix up smooth, creamy mashed potatoes.


And make gravy from scratch.

And create a fabulously delicious home cooked meal.

Who knew there was so much potential in a football player?

Would you trade asparagus and tomatoes and broccoli for this?

Ryan introduced me to a new midwest favorite. At least its one of his favorites.

Now I was rather skeptical of this dish, mainly because I generally stay far away from 2/3 of the ingredients. That is, hot dogs and individually wrapped processed cheese.

But he insisted.

And you should have seen the look in his eyes when they came out of the oven. Pure Joy.

He was home again. And I was not. I think that I will file these little creatures in the same category as grits: something that will always be foreign and strange.

I don't think crescent rolls were designed for this purpose. Their flaky goodness was all gooey instead. I could only handle about two of them. But don't worry, none were wasted.

I started working at a learning center this week, tutoring students from 1st grade to 12th. Its mainly one-on-one with some groups as well as SAT prep. The crazy part is that I went in for an interview on Monday afternoon and they hired me on the spot. I came back to fill out the paperwork and get started with all the training stuff later on that day.

The best part is that its really close, just a few minutes away and very flexible hours. Its just part time at this point, so I'll keep substituting for now. But it's so nice that I don't have to focus so hard on job searching.

Ryan has kept his word and has now started cooking even though he is finishing up his first law school paper today. He's probably spent about 30 hours on it or so, but he's been able to make time for making dinner (and of course extra time for eating ice cream cake). I've been trying my hardest not to help him edit or revise his paper; he's not allowed to discuss it with anyone. He seems to be turning into quite the law student and enjoys pulling out his new vocabulary at every opportunity. 

I just think he looks cute wearing his backpack over his white shirt and tie as he rides his bike to class. And when he measures the margins of his papers with a ruler. Its a serious business.

Ice Cream Cake

There's not a whole lot of words that are needed here.

Look  closely. There's an entire layer of cookie dough.

Oh and I got a job. That's the reason for the shameless celebration.

The other day I brought my car into the shop to get its oil changed and some other small stuff tuned up. Now living far away from home, I miss being able to just drive my car up to the maintance shop at the nursery and saying, "Bob, my car needs some attention." And then I come back a few hours later and it's all clean and shiny and the gas tank is full and the taillight is new and we're all good to go.

But now we're in the real world, and Bob the builder isn't here. But he is definitely missed.

Anyways, I had made an appointment, so I was hoping to get my car in quickly and be able to get on with my day (not that I had too many pressing engagements or anything). Thankfully there was a starbucks next door, so I brought along a book and waited. And waited.

About two hours later, I could still see my dear car high up in the air inside the garage. The guy that was supposed to be working on it was sitting on the ground nearby eating a sandwhich. My coffee was long gone and my phone had died, so I decided to walk back over and see if there might be some completed oil changes in the near future.

Instead, I waited for about another hour, this time watching some courtroom show along with an old man who couldn't stop laughing at the blunders of the plaintiff.

Finally, I was given my keys and was free to leave. By this time the rain had started back up and so by the time I started leaving the parkinglot I had to turn on my windshield wipers. After about one and a half swipes, something long, thin and black flew off the windshield onto the parkinglot behind me. I stopped quickly and ran out to pick up the flying object, but when I got back inside my car I saw that there were still two wipers attached to the car.

I looked down at the one in my hand and turned the wipers back on to see if they still worked. Instead all I got was a loud crunching sound. I looked at the clock and at the rain and then back to my windshield. I was really hoping that I could make it home before Ryan left for his last class and I was getting hungry. But I stuck with my better judgement and pulled back around to the front of the shop.

I went inside and walked to the back of the line to wait. When I got up to the counter, I held up the projectiled windshield wiper and said, "This flew off of my car. Is that a problem?"

The poor guy looked at me for a few seconds, and the old man, still watching tv, started to laugh.

It turns out, that my friend the mechanic had been so worried about me wasting my precious time inside the lobby that he had decided to simply set the new windshield wipers on top of the old ones. Maybe four work better than two, who knows. But we ironed things out in a timely manner and I was finally on my way home.

I got my new driver's license in the mail today, with my new name and my new address, all shiny and everything. But the problem is that in my picture I look absent. Like mentally unavailable. They have the whole no smiling thing apparently, so I tried to look as not-angry as I could and it just came out blank. Big eyes with no expression at all.

Now comparing this version to my last driver's license picture, I really can't complain. They've gotten rid of the awful bright blue background, and I'd like to think things have improved a little for me in the last 6 years. Let's face it, you can't really get worse than the awkward, my-shirt-matches-my-skin, still wearing braces, scared 16 year old look. 

So I suppose I really should be thankful.

first graders.

What do you get when you cross a creative student who thinks he might like a new hair ornament and a very large, very sticky sticker?

A pair of scissors, quite a few tears, one frustrated substitute, and about 21 other kids about to go crazy.

Yes, ma'am. It was a very interesting day.

PS: the Princess Club is now practicing their reenactment of Singing in the Rain complete with twirling umbrellas. Let me tell you, they have some talent.

the complexities of social networks.

The law wives club is not the only elite social circle in our neighborhood, especially on a cool holiday afternoon. The two primary cliques that I have discovered (and named) are the princess club and the rubber clogs on plastic trikes.

Now the Princess Club is easy to distinguish. They are found primarily sporting plastic high heels and shiny pink and purple dresses. Most of their time is wisely spent discussing important matters and planning delicious tea parties on the lawn. Only sometimes do they lower themselves to ride their training wheels around the sidewalks and never with helmets (that would mess up their hair of course).

The Rubber Clogs on Plastic Trikes, on the other hand, live for training wheels. Helmets are an afterthought, as are other articles of clothing, and are worn only if insisted by their mothers. Their attention is fully focused on speed and rain puddles, the more the better. The little feet keep pedaling and the plastic wheels soar through the wonderful muddy water and often into the grass. Crashes are a part of life, of course; but these boys are not to0 proud to call for their mother in that event.

All this to say that we are slowly finding our place in this new neighborhood and enjoying the process of making new friends and getting to know the area. In fact, our friend-making abilities have been so skillful lately that we didn't have to eat in our own kitchen from Friday night to Monday morning. 

Went to the beach for a "Law Wives" barbecue. I'm not sure if I want to call myself a "law wife" or join the club, but it was a bring-your-family event and we always go for some free food on the beach. And it was nice to meet some other new people. Though I probably won't be the first one in line for their next tea party.

"Unfortunately, Miss Simpson, we are not writing a musical."

mmm...sometimes only Audrey can make a gloomy day bright.

Open doors and windows

Yesterday morning I discovered a beautifully cool sun calmly shining down on my patio inviting me to take my breakfast outside. I did of course, enjoying the quiet breeze and the last of the summer flowers on the trees. 

This morning, the sun is hiding, but the breeze and cool air are still here: such a relief. So now I sit, with all my windows and my sliding door standing open, and wearing (can it be?) jeans. I didn't even  have to turn on the max ac on the way to my interview this morning, it was wonderful.

I'm dreaming of fall sweaters and trench coats.

With all of our recent shopping extravaganza, we have finally been able to convert the disaster of boxes and stacks of books and papers into a real live office. Well, office/spare bedroom.

And yes, the cheese-head is staying. Apparently it contributes to the learning environment or something?

Now we don't have to sit on the floor to print out resumes or case briefs anymore. And all of our books and pencils and everything else we need are right at our fingertips. (Yes, I do sit at Ryan's desk from time to time and pretend that I have something important to work on).

 But mostly I just sit in my beautiful chair and take naps.

But most importantly, our beloved family and friends can now come to visit us at anytime and be assured a place of rest and hospitality.

 (hint hint)

Would you like internet in a box? Would you like internet with a fox? 

Would you like internet in a house? Would you like internet with a mouse?

Would you like internet here or there? Would you like internet everywhere?

Our new wireless started working today! I can blog on my bed, in the kitchen, on the couch, at Ryan's desk, at the table, on the patio, anywhere I want.

However, this doesn't mean that I'll blog more, I'll just be more comfortable.

read the warning label.

You know how there are some things that have the most ridiculous warnings written on their labels? Like "this curling iron will be very hot when heated" or "do not place screwdriver into electrical outlets"

Well, some things don't come with warning labels and maybe they should.

These shoes, for example, probably should have come with a warning label. They should have been attached with a little sticker that said "These shoes are not meant to be worn as rain boots or any type of running shoe."

Or this chair. Its label should have proclaimed, "this chair does not fold, deflate or collapse in any way. It may be difficult to store or travel."

So maybe the companies that made these products didn't feel that they had to warn buyers about those things. But it would have been helpful. 

It would have been helpful last night when we came out of the store with new patio chairs to find a drenching downpour where we had left a soft cloudy sky. And when Ryan ran to bring the car to the curb but found that then we had to try to pack our car with the overflowing gutter above us pouring on our backs and down our legs. 

And when we put all of our purchases in the car but realized the new patio chairs did not fit into the trunk or into the back seat. And when the rest of the people waiting under covering stopped to watch us try to squeeze the chairs into the car while being soaked by the rain. 

It would have been helpful to know these things when we finally decided to drive the car back to the parking lot and wait out the storm under the covered sidewalk. Because then we got impatient and ran across the parking lot, through the puddles and small lakes with the chairs on our backs to try a second time to fit them in the car. And finally, it would have been very helpful when we carefully maneuvered the chairs into the back seat, only barely avoiding a scratch or dent on the outside of our car or our neighbors, and when we ran back through the parking lot in the downpour towards our next errand.

So what have we learned though this experience? Always have a pair of sturdy, waterproof shoes in your purse? Or a poncho? Always consider the dimensions of your vehicle before purchasing anything? Move to the desert? 

I'm not sure what I learned, if anything. But I do know that every time I look at those silly patio chairs I'm going to remember running and sliding through a drenched parking lot thinking that sometimes people who think they're pretty smart can be pretty dumb.

If only we were still honeymooning in our darling beachfront cabin. 

No worries about job searching or interviews or law homework.

Just savoring each minute that marked our time together.

Making footprints and collecting colorful stones in the surf. 

Maybe when we get old we'll go back and sit together, simply watching the waves roll in.

grits.

Our new friends from Georgia made us grits last night. They couldn't believe that we hadn't ever tasted their southern goodness before. So they prepared us some right there on the spot.

We had the buttery, cheesy, bacon-filled version, which apparently is only slightly inferior to the buttery, cheesy, shrimp-covered version.

Not exactly what we expected, the grits are still a bit questionable for Ryan and I. We probably won't add them to our weekly grocery list, but who knows, we are going to be living down here for three years. Maybe they'll grow on us.

Grandmother's wisdom

Over the four years that I was in college, I was able to spend some extra time with my extended family. During this time, one of my wise grandmothers taught me a simple secret to happiness in marriage:

Don't ever ask your husband whether he likes or dislikes what you cook him. Instead, just ask him whether he would like you to make this meal again.

It seems like a simple rewording of the same question, but it makes all of the difference for a happy husband and a happy wife (or so my grandmother would argue). This way, the husband doesn't feel quite the same pressuring glare of a sweaty and tired out cook as he is eating his cold and squashed vegetable medley. He can simply say that he is very thankful for all the work that was put into this dish. On the other hand, he can give the same praise and adoration of a meal well presented. In theory.

Now with my mediocre cooking skills and the generous amount of time on my hands these days, this question seems to be a vital one at the dinner table. It is always asked in a quiet voice and with large eyes, hoping for the best. But, congratulations to myself, I have done quite well, and gotten votes of confidence from the law student as well. (thankfully he didn't notice the half cup of cooked rice that I spilt all over the floor today--gross. But I didn't put it back in, don't worry). "Definitely," he says, with his mouth full, "you should definitely make this again." 

I also feel that my cooking is wonderfully delicious, it would make my grandmother proud.

u-turn

I remember learning, I think, that U-turns are strictly illegal in Oregon. Now, it's true, I don't remember a whole lot of things that I learned at age 15, but this one I do. So when we moved here and watched car after car turning straight around in the middle of the road, we were a little surprised. We were even more surprised by the parkinglots and roads that were only accessible by u-turn. When I had to make my first dreaded turn around, I looked frantically around for police cars or flashing lights or bright red "do not enter" signs. 

But now, I do them on purpose, just for fun. Today I made about 8 u-turns, and it wasn't because I was lost. I even had an interview at a school the other day that, if I worked there, I would have to make one every day on the way to work. It definitely gave that job a few extra points on my scale. 

Thankfully no u-turns to the beach, though.

Top three reasons that I need to get a job soon:

3) This evening at dinner we discussed the best meals that we used to eat at the cafeteria when we were in college.

2) We've been going to the local furniture stores on the weekends to see what movies they're playing on their big screen displays.

1) We only have one roll of toilet paper left.

the true adventures of an unemployed newlywed.

Ryan often wonders what I do while he is away at class. I tell him about the piles of laundry I conquered, the resumes I handed out, and the lists of necessities that I purchased at Target. However, he usually looks at me and tilts his head as if he doesn't believe a word.

So today I decided I would surprise him. I shuffled through all of the recipes that I could find to get one that matched up with the ingredients that I actually had in my pantry/coat closet, and finally I found one: chocolate chip cookies, just like on the back of the chocolate chip bag.

However, I soon remembered that I don't have a mixer yet. I thought for a few minutes about whether mixing by hand was worth it or not. But then I looked at the chocolate chips and the picture on the recipe, and thought about warm, deliciousness (ok, i was making the cookies for me, not just for ryan). So I turned on my ipod and pulled out a bowl and spoon. 

Now the whole cooking thing isn't usually in my daily activities. I try to follow recipes, but they're so darn picky. I just throw everything in and hope for the best (It's a good thing I never took home ec in high school, because it probably would have ruined my gpa). How important is it really to mix this with this and that with that before putting them all together?

I mean, I was wearing my most adorable apron, so what could go wrong?

I soon remembered the reason they make an electric mixer, and the key word "softened" that is often placed before the word "butter" apparently is important. But not to worry, I have plenty of new wooden spoons, spatulas, and forks. 

And I made sure to eat enough dough to make up for all of the calories that I was using by hand mixing.

Surprisingly, my timing was for once ideal. Just as my hard working law student walked in the door, the timer beeped on the oven. For some reason, the cookies came out strangely square and flat, perhaps because I underestimated the size of the cookie sheet. But he didn't seem to mind. 

He ate them so fast that I couldn't even get a picture of his delighted face. I had to make him stop and pose.

He better not get too used to my scrumptious kitchen adventures though, because I think its all out of my system. Back to sandwiches.

the south.

I am slowly getting used to these southern accents. I can now understand who exactly y'all is referring to, but I'm not ever sure when its rude or polite to throw in a Yes, Ma'am. 

So don't worry, Devon, I'm not picking up any southern drawl or "chit-chattin with Miss so-and-so and y'all down over there."

Although, maybe it would help me find a job :)

My one problem is in the area of food. It seems like it should be so simple. But what exactly is chicken fried steak?

I think I'll just stick with roast and potatoes, I've finally got that one down. And cornbread with syrup.

don't make me get back in there.

Now this picture I love. Not just because it is of my new hubby, but because it encompasses all of our feelings of our entire week of driving across the country.

Here we are, almost to our goal, but yet, one more set of mountains in our way. The end is still not in sight. 

Thankfully for him (and me) we made it. From now on, we're flying.

printer!

My printer came! I accidently left it in Wisconsin last week, and it is the only way that I can get pictures off my camera. My wonderful new mother-in-law sent it right over, so now I finally can take real pictures. 

I'm afraid that I'll have to work through all of the pictures backwards.

So to start, our first look at our new beach.

It still looks so strange and different from what I'm used to without the rocks and clouds and trees. But the water is fabulous.

Ryan started his orientation today, which means I'm here all alone. Thankfully he left me the car and walked to school (which is only about a mile). But I would feel pretty guilty if I spent the day shopping since I haven't found a job yet. So that leaves me filling out applications and calling potentials. And maybe a short trip to target to pick up a few essentials (like tweezers: how is it that I have lost at least three pairs of them in the last eight months? I blame the Mexican government customs for one of those, but the other two were just me). 

We also have discovered some new neighbors: Canadian Geese. There's a flock of about twenty or so of them who just hang out in the parking lot, oh and also apparently they like to take the sidewalk because I stepped in a present of theirs yesterday. (I was not quite as fascinated with it as the little girls who live downstairs). I'm hoping they're going to be on their way south soon. 

home

Well, we've officially moved in. Today we performed our first Saturday morning cleaning (why did I have to get that horrible gene from my mother that does not allow me to rest on an early Saturday morning until the bathrooms are clean?). We also bought a mattress, and in the process met a fellow law student/mattress salesman who will be going to school with Ryan in a few weeks, and who, with his wife, lives just a few apartment buildings down from us. And finally, today, we broke our first dishes. Just a pair of second-hand champagne glasses, but cleaning up broken glass from the kitchen floor just seemed to make the place seem a little more homey. 

So now that we're all moved in, you are welcome to come and visit. :)

carpet, pure and simple.

Do you see it? Do you see it? Look closely. A little lower... there. It's carpet. Clean and clear. No boxes. No dirty clothes. No lonely socks. No empty garbage bags. And most of all, no suitcases. Its all I ever wanted.

We haven't gotten any real furniture or pulled out the new bedspread and fancy pillows, but finally, its clean.

We haven't quite got to the point of hanging up picture frames or clocks on the wall, but our little apartment is slowly starting to feel like home. Mostly with the help of my mother: she sent a beautiful orchid to my door. (I think its to make up for the orchid that she, uh, "forgot" about in her office a few years ago). But It's just lovely and works perfectly in my bare dining room. So one room at a time, we're getting used to this place. My favorite room is still my huge walk-in-closet, of course. But the dining room is a close second.

dolphins, jellyfish and fighter jets.

We are no longer on the Pacific. 

The smell of salt in the air, the seafood shacks, the sand between sidewalk squares. All of these almost make me feel at home. That is until we went all the way down to the beach and felt the burning sand and warm waves. I'm used to swimming in the frigid melted-ice-river that runs past our house and just barely putting my toes into the cold ocean water. But now we're able to dive into the refreshing Atlantic, only after wading through beach towels and huge umbrellas and life guards. None of which belong at my beloved nye beach.

After getting several tastes of the salty water and learning to ride in the big waves to the shore, Ryan and I saw splashing just a few hundred feet out in the water. After a little watching, we discovered that there was a pod of dolphins (dolphins come in pods, right?) They were jumping and splashing and blowing up into the air. At our first sight of live, wild dolphins, we weren't sure if we should get out of the water or swim out to meet them. But they made the decision and started swimming in closer so we could have a better look. 

Now I'm a terrible judge of distance, but these dolphins came in close, I could swear that I heard them clicking and chirping. Ryan even tried to use his valuable echo location abilities to bring them in closer. (it was unsuccessful). But however far they were we got a great view, I just wish I had stopped gawking and ran up to the beach to grab my camera. (This would be something my wise mother would have done).

A few minutes later, I did get out of the water after I saw a graceful blob of jelly floating around with his tentacles dancing. I'm hoping those aren't common around here.

The last proof that we were far away from the pacific was the loud fighter planes that flew by every few minutes, I'm assuming they're going to or from the naval base, but it was neat to see all the different shapes of jets and helicopters.

We're definitely going to take some more trips to the beach, especially before Ryan gets completely lost in the law books and only comes home from the library to eat my fabulous cooking. :)

On a side note: 

Ryan has discovered the unending joy and excitement of the midwestern church recipe book.

Its a beautiful picture.

sharing is caring.

As we move into our new apartment as newlyweds, Ryan and I are learning quite a lot about marriage. We're all the way across the country from our families and we are slowly getting settled into a new community. However, as we learn, we face challenges.

One of these challenges that we have discovered in the last few days is sharing. Not only sharing our time with each other, but now we share our space.

Such as closet space.

It can be difficult to find a way to integrate two very different types of wardrobes into one room's closet space. Especially when we have gone for so long without any closet space at all.

Thankfully, we've been able to figure things out.

no more wedding planning.

I finally made it home, well to my parents' new house, and wedding planning is in full swing. which is rather painful, of course. The only hope that keeps me going is that this is my only wedding. ever. And that when my sisters get married I will still be living far away and can only come for about a week to help them with the last minute details. Then I will only be able to simply reassure them through email in the midst of their stress.

As much as I thought I would hate wedding planning, I do. My mother isn't much better. Which is why we have spent most of our time so far looking at engagement pictures, picking out annuals and hydrangea bushes, and working in the yard.

Thankfully no one has bought me a wedding planning 3 ring binder, because I might have sat down right then and bought the tickets to Vegas.

However, we have finished the invitations, as difficult as it was. I still don't really understand why we just can't call everyone. Wouldn't it be more inviting to hear the bride's voice than to just get a slip of colored paper in the mail?

Whatever, I'm going to the beach today to reward myself for all of that hard work.

the finish line (three more weeks!)

You know how your mom used to always tell you: "don't frown so much of your face will get stuck like that"

Well instead of a frown, lately I've been worried that my face may get stuck in another expression: that "I'm not amused" face.

It seems to be the only one I use these days in the world of fifth grade. That one and the "that was really funny, but I'm trying to pretend that I'm not amused."

There's a few fifth graders who can always succeed in making me laugh when I'm trying to get them to quiet down and behave. Even amid all of their annoying craziness and frustrating immaturity, they can be quite clever and endearing.

I think I might even miss them. Although I definitely won't miss integers and basic algebra. Or the revolutionary war. Or six trips to the restroom per kid every day (but I really I have to go! its an emergency!!!)

From California beaches to Minnesota snow, from seventh grade to fifth, from gourmet cooking to sliced apples and cheerios, but only eight weeks till graduation. 

I can't say that my first impressions of the fifth grade are A+, but maybe the little crazies will become endearing. They were much more excited for me to be there, they haven't quite reached the ability to hide what they're thinking. 

As far as the city, the sun is beautiful today, but still extremely cold. It makes me want to sit out on the deck, but I know that I'd regret it as soon as I opened the door. I am very thankful the roads were good yesterday. I know I was a wimp to wait an extra day to drive up here, but I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't have to worry about any ice.

I was pretty excited when I drove past the town from that movie about the florida executive moving up to minnesota. Right after a huge billboard that said "you betcha!" 

Oh and speaking of midwesterners, in Bible class today, the kids talked about how Minnesotans think they can walk on water in the winter, but Jesus can even walk on water in the summer! I tried my hardest to just laugh with them instead of at them. 

I have a long, quiet weekend in front of me, but then only five days of school and its spring break for me!

the sand and waves.

I have only one more day left in southern california. Today I am more excited to leave than usual, its cool and rainy, and I feel like I have everything finished up. I just need to pack (which may be a bit of a nightmare). 

However, yesterday made it quite a lot more difficult to think about leaving. The weather was sunny and 85 degrees and I spent the day bbq-ing on the patio by the pool and then walking along the beach. The sand was hot and the water was perfect. As was the gelato. A few more pictures of the pacific and the valley from the pier, and I had to turn and head towards the midwest winter. We did drive up on a hill along the point to catch one last and breathtaking view at sunset. The entire valley with two rows of mountains began to turn pink as the sun slipped through the clouds behind the barrier islands. The wind was so strong that I felt a little nervous standing on the edge of the cliff and the palm trees looked like they would nearly snap in half, but the view was absolutely amazing.

Tomorrow I'll have to say a sad goodbye to California, but I have some hope because I know I'll soon be moving back to the ocean, although not quite the same one.

watching the sunrise over the atlantic.

Only 2 more weeks of sunshine. I asked some of my students what I should do with my last weekends in southern california. Their first answer was "go to disneyland!" and then "go to the mall!" but I think I'll spend my extra time at the beach. Or maybe eating fresh oranges off the next door neighbor's tree. Or just grading some more seventh grade poems on the lawn chair in the sun. 

Good news, though. I have some direction as to what may be in store for this coming fall. Ryan got an amazing offer from a law school in Virginia, so it looks like we'll be heading to the east coast! Its sure to be another adventure.

However, I can't think about all those possibilities right now. I'm just going to focus on preparing for the exciting Poet's Chair tomorrow and enjoy hearing some hilarious poems written and read aloud by my lovable middle schoolers.

yumminess.

So I may move to southern california:

This weekend, I had cheesecake-on-a-stick.

As in a piece of cheesecake, on a stick, dipped in hot fudge, and rolled in oreos. 

There's no way that Iowa can beat that.

making new friends.

This weekend (my first long MLK weekend in 4 years) my host family took me all over the city. On Sunday, we took a picnic lunch out to some point or cliff thing that had a little park on it. It was a gorgeous day, and so we just sat overlooking the water, watching the waves come in. About a half hour after we got there, a bunch of people started shouting and pointing. Everyone was like, whales! whales! So we looked out and sure enough there were a whole row of spouts of water. A few minutes later, they came back up and all spouted. I couldn't tell how many were there, but a park ranger/professional whale counter walked by and said there were six. Pretty soon, you could see a whole little line of at least five or six boats following the spouts.

So after the excitement wore off and we got back to eating our yummy strawberries and blueberries, suddenly there were a bunch more shouts. We walked to the edge and saw another whale, far closer than I've ever seen one to the shore. He looked really small, but we could only see a tiny bit of him. He came up and spouted a few times and went back under. Then a few minutes later, he came back up, spouted, and turned on his side to lift his fin out of the water like he was waving to us. Right before he went back under, he lifted his tail just slightly out of the water, flicked it, and then he was gone. 

I think maybe he was the one that Ryan saw last Saturday in Oregon. He wanted to say congratulations. Can they swim that fast? Maybe not.

farmhouses whose doors don't even have locks.

So I had a little run-in today. No, not with a student, not with a teacher. But with an alarm system. My host family has a security system for their house which they thoroughly explained to me. This afternoon, as I pulled into the driveway, I expected--like yesterday afternoon--to be the first home and have to turn off the alarm.

 However, what I did not expect, was for the garage doors to be secured. So as I pulled in (thanking my host family for the wonderful car they're letting me borrow) I heard the alarm beep. But this was not the normal beep. This was high-pitched, panicked beeping that said: I'm about to wake the neighbors with an ear piercing siren.

At this point, I started to get a little nervous, but I quickly pulled in, and turned off the car. Here's where the real problem starts: this garage is full. I know in Oregon we keep our garages pretty full of junk, but this one is full of stuff and they still expect to park three cars in it. So as I push open my door it hits a filing cabinet and stops after about four inches. Not nearly enough room for me to escape. For a moment I think about climbing over the console and getting out the passenger side, but who knows how much room is on that side.

So I shut the door, turn the ignition and drove forward until I touched the ladder and mattress in front of me. Then the siren starts. And all I can think of is the LAPD showing up with guns drawn. 

I didn't even pause for air, but opened the door (now free of obnoxious filing cabinets), sprinted across the other two stalls, squeezed around another car in order to reach the alarm keypad and punched in the code. One more frightening second. The siren stopped. Thank goodness. I thanked God and my hosts for giving me a number that I could easily remember. I shuffled back to my still-open car door, sat down and started breathing. 

I think my hands have finally stopped shaking.

I think I may be ready to go back to cornfields.

one moment at a time.

I have too many words to describe the last days and weeks. And I would use pictures, but I'm too tired to go through that. I can't decide whether I want the next 6 months to go through as quickly as possible or if I want them to last forever. I probably won't have much choice. But for now, I'll enjoy the warm sunshine of california and focus on one day at a time of student teaching.

Sidenote: my first day of student teaching went wonderfully. Everyone is very welcoming and helpful. The family I'm staying with is making me feel right at home and I'm definitely looking forward to the next few weeks that I'll be here.