Crack Pipe

People sometimes wonder why I tease Danny so much. Example numero uno, people: As mentioned in previous posts Danny has gone into the woods behind our apartment, dug up a fern and now a little bit of what looks to be ivy, dug up some dirt from back there as well, and planted it. Totally normal neighborly behavior. Well yesterday Danny went down there as I left for class and I assumed it was an uneventful dirt digging experience. Apparently not. I wake up this morning and Danny says, "You know what I found back in the woods yesterday?!? A glass pipe!" And I say, "Oh, that's weird." And then he says, "Do you want to see it?!?!" And I say, "You kept it?!?!!?" And he says, "Yeah! It's on the deck, I'm cleaning it." I follow him out to the deck and sure enough there is a glass crack pipe full of water sitting outside. I say, "What are you going to do with it? Why did you touch it?? Why do we now have a crack pipe?!?" And he just says, "It looks so cool!" Danny and I officially own what I'm calling a crack pipe although it is much more likely it was used for smoking things of the marijuana persuasion but still, we have one and I think Danny is aiming to display it once it is finally "clean" because it just looks so flipping "cool". THIS is why I tease Danny so much. Now you know.

The Sassy Pants Portland Police Person

Culture. You cannot go anywhere without interacting with it, and no matter what there are always very slight differences. Here in the Great North West, or more specifically Portland, we have noticed there has always been a lack of or poorly executed use of the vehicular blinker. I know what you may think "well that happens everywhere," which it does. But, believe it or not there is an abundance of turns we have noticed that really make it stand out. No problems, as of yet, have been caused, but it is sort of inconsiderate when people are zooming all over the road around you without giving you a simple flick of the wrist heads up. Well, problems arise when people decide to disregard the laws created to improve the quality of life for everyone.

Caitlin and I were exiting John's Marketplace (actually there really is not any market at all this store only sells a few items and then has a selection of 1000 beers and hundreds of wines) on Barbur Blvd with our beer of choice. As we approach the cross walk and press the button we realize only too soon we were seconds too late. As we pressed the button the light turned yellow dooming us to waiting for another round of cross traffic blocking our path to go home and experience the fermented goodness our brew has to offer. Lucky for us the traffic going parallel with us had no blinkers turning our way, so we assumed it would be safe to cross even with the red hand of stoppage telling us not to go. As we begin to cross the car opposite us decides then is a great time to turn his blinker on and make a move for the left turn. As we walked he did the whole 'I'm half way through my turn and these inconsiderate pedestrians are hindering my progress.' Well it turns out he was a cop and I immediately start thinking 'OH NO, I will be a victim of the infamous J walking ticket.' I was in for a surprise. As he drove by us he stuck his head out the window and says in a snotty I'm a pre-teen sassing back to my parents tone "Yeah, don't worry about the walk signals because they aren't for you or anything" and speeds off. Nothing too crazy I know, but a police officer giving us sassy attitude? Isn't he supposed to uphold all that is good, just, and civilized? I hope this is not an institutional alteration in conduct, and maybe some wittle baby officer having a rough day enforcing trivial traffic laws he struggle to follow himself.

Perplexed and dumbfounded we arrived home and discussed the encounter over a Laurelwood Brewery Stingy Jack Pumpkin ale, which I found quite a treat, where someone else instead said "Meh, it's not my favorite." Bah, go figure I picked it out. I'm sure whatever she chose will be the beer that revolutionized her enjoyment of beer. And that's how life goes.

So here I am doing as I often do preparing myself for a big day tomorrow of activities along the lines of mindlessly sifting through job ads. But then it's ok. Because I was employed this last week and am proud to say I am now a professional mover. Be Proud everyone, and feel all your accomplishments in life be insignificant to what I have aspired to become! I did have fun though. Its rough sitting around attempting to discover my "passion" or some profession which will justify my existence on this world when I am just so darn good at doing labor. In reality what's the one thing I excel at over most others I know? Oh, just my ability and desire to activity myself to death. Seriously I have thought if someday the newest renewable energy source was a person on a bike or running in a mouse wheel I could have some really great job prospects. Until then I suppose I can enjoy my company of one. Caitlin.

It is hard because she's pretty much the only person I have to talk to for days straight, but I don't think she wants to here it most of the time. Hence the long blog posts, rambling sentences, and writing about stuff that really isn't interesting, funny, insightful, or much worth ever being written down. But thank you for being my abstract friend so I may have a unspecified number of "friends" to talk to. I also take comfort knowing at least one person will laugh reading this... My Mom. And just to let you know I hold my head high when I say that, so don't shame me. I also think I just enjoy writing. Probably because it could definitely make me sound pretty darn impressive as long as the person I am talking to does not know my fan base is nearly non existent. Oh well! Until the next rant, please take care of yourselves. And have a lovely day.

And Then Things Got Slooooow

Hello all! I hope the nasty weather back home hasn't been too crazy. It's somewhat ironic because Portland should be having cold/rainy weather but instead, it's upper 70's 80's while you guys have the nastiness. I like to giggle to myself thinking about this because of all of you (you know who you are!) that pointed out "Doesn't it rain, like, 350 days a year in Portland? Gosh, you guys are totally going to get rain all the time. So depressing." Well who's laughing now, huh!? Except we'll soon get that weather but still, we're beating you for now! MUAH HA HA HA!

Ok, I'm done mocking you all. Anywho, life around here has gotten significantly less interesting now that I've started school. I spend most of my free time reading epic amounts of scholarly articles and textbooks which in turn makes Danny bitter while I ignore him. It doesn't help that he usually decides to come talk to me just as I sit down to read or that when he does get the vibe that I'm busy and don't want to talk, he goes to the large empty corner of our living room (what he calls his tumbling area) and does handstands. Frankly, I'm not sure that I appreciate Danny attempting to walk on his hands but I'm also not sure that our neighbors below us appreciate the thumping around that results from this behavior.

Classes are going well, though, and I enjoy the time I spend on campus. It's beautiful up there (and I say up because seriously, the place is on a hill that I have to bike up every flipping time) and I have really enjoyed getting to know my classmates. I know I've brought that up before but most everyone seems pretty genuine and I love our class discussions that we have. Because my profession will inevitably have me interacting with persons of all backgrounds there is a large focus on understanding diversity and also how to confront some of the major issues that play into diversity. This often brings up a lot of interesting topics in class like the effects of gender and race in therapy as well as other factors like sexual orientation, ethnicity, past traumas, immigration, etc. I've always enjoyed discussing these things and finally having a classroom space that does these topics due justice is exciting. I can't wait to begin practicing therapy because of all of these wonderful points of view I'll get to interact with on a daily basis. Too bad that's still a few years away....

But enough about me. As Danny mentioned in his previous (somewhat dry) post it was his birthday last weekend. Indeed it was somewhat lackluster compared to past birthdays but we made it work. It didn't help that it rained that day (which by the way broke a 22 day dry streak here in Portland) which made it somewhat gloomy. But you know, I enjoyed the dinner we made together and I hope Danny knows that I love him dearly and hope to spend many more probably more exciting birthdays with him. Although if he keeps making me buy crappy food there will be hell to pay on some level... Tonight I'm taking him out to dinner (he still doesn't know where to) to make up for last weekend's flop. With the summer winding down there won't be too may nice evenings left for a night of (hopefully!) dining outside and enjoying the city. I tried hard to find some event to go to after dinner tonight but there just isn't much left. But since Danny won't read this until after we go to dinner it won't ruin the surprise if I tell you we're going to a restaurant called Ping. It's the sister location to another restaurant called Pok Pok (which was on food network, I think Danny mentioned that in a previous post). It's mainly Thai food which Danny and I both love so I'm pretty excited to take him there. It's also in Chinatown which Danny has been really curious about so I think I'll kill two birds with one stone by taking him out for Thai in Chinatown. Boom!

As far as biking goes and all of my complaints about it before, I LOVE it now. I never respected the activity of biking as much as I do nowadays. For those of you who despise bikers on roadways and see them as hazards, have you ever biked? It's a fantastic work out, it doesn't cost a sent for gas, you never have to change your oil, AND you get to fly by rush hour traffic. I used to have a lot of negative feelings towards bikers but now after being one and enjoying it so much, I can attest to the benefits it provides. I do end up sweaty and red faced no matter how far I bike whether it's 1 mile or 10 but I enjoy the rides because I get to know the area better and I get to smell all of the lovely gardens people have around here. I'm one of the only people in my program that bikes to campus but I can tell, everyone else is totally jealous :) Occasionally some bad things happen like the one evening I was biking back from class and two men were on their porch smoking cigars and one yelled out "Fu**er!" But poo on that man, I look adorable in my blue helmet and the dresses I wear while riding. And I may never know if he was actually yelling at me or not but hey, I will have a healthier set of lungs that than man ever will.

Other than this life is, as I mentioned before, slow. We've been cooking a lot and have made lots of bread, chocolate zuchini cake, my BEST pizza ever, and Danny's birthday frozen pie thing. We also had a beer last night that we got from a huge liquor store nearby with over 1000 kinds of beer. In Minneapolis there's a bar called the Kitty Kat Club which was my favorite bar and it served this Belgian beer Delerium Tremens. Apparently this brand also makes one called Delerium Nocturnum which we bought (one of those big bottles for $10!) and it was superb. One of my top 10 best for sure. So if you find yourself in a Belgian beer section of a liquor store check it out. Amazingness!

Well that's all for my ramblings today. I probably didn't explain anything too interesting so I apologize if you still are wondering things but feel free to ask if there is something on your mind. I hope you're all doing well!

Oh Birthdays... What to do with them.

Most likely you did no know this, but yesterday was my birthday. Being in Portland sure did make the whole experience a little different than the previous 22 of them. To begin it rained all day so I left the house for an hour to go on an epic adventure to the grocery store. I suppose I didn't realize this but when Caitlin and I moved in together there were going to be 2 people eating the food in the house. Never shopping for 2 before is quite a different experience and I believe we average 4 trips to the grocery store a week. The big surprise came when we purchase the same amount of food I lived on by myself a year ago every week. I had no idea Caitlin could eat so much its dumbfounding. The real culprit of what is to blame our excessive grocery adventures is the ambition for real food, and I can tell you that it isn't me. Trust me I am thankful for the desire to eat a healthy, balanced, and well prepared meal, but those vegetables don't come cheap.

The trip was the extent of my physical movement in the day and it was a very typical one. We buy 10 items each which takes 5 minutes to pick out. Caitlin grabs the first can of diced tomatoes and puts it in the cart. Then I pounce in and scan the prices. Not simply looking at the prices but also the nifty little cost per ounce number right below it so I can find the greatest deal. "WHOA!" I say "we could totally save 30 cents on this smaller can, or if we buy a double we could save an extra penny per ounce! THE SAVINGS ARE ENDLESS!" There are a few factors determining my response: 1. how long have we been in the store 2. how many items have I fought her on that day and 3. have I already annoyed her throughout the day. Unfortunately for me, being my birthday and all with the attitude like I can do what I want, #3 had gone way beyond the tolerance point and then "YOU know What?!?!" I have learned not to listen to the words because she will probably hurt my feelings but I believe her emotions are spoken through her hands. The level of strain in her hands in the karate chop position will show how badly she desires to hit me and every time she swings them it is to emphasize those words to be the most hurtful, so more swings more verbal beatings. I can only tuck my tail and agree with whatever degrading definition of me she can concoct.

The pain was well worth it, because the dinner I decided on will not only feed us for a week until it begins to go bad, but it was also very, well I think it could have been better. I am saying this because I feel comfortable insulting what I have done, Caitlin's contributions were flawless, naturally. (A little PR never hurts). Stuffed peppers, with an artichoke and sun dried tomato pasta salad, and the only thing that was eaten completely... fried potato wedges. Curse the desire to eat pounds of salty fried deliciousness when it is available. Best part of course was dessert. Try and follow this. A crushed vanilla wafer crust with a milk chocolate casing. Followed by a layer of sliced bananas under a goopy layer of peanut butter cream cheese, frozen for refreshing qualities no mortal human should dream of eating without knowing someday a buildup of sugar will develop on your brain and nothing will taste the same again. But why stop there? Add a little whipped cream to top it off and you have a true birthday dessert. It was a good way to cap off a truly immobile day, because there was no way I was moving after that.

Besides dinner the day was just sort of lame. The lameness began the night before when I was playing Danny Housewife and cleaning up the kitchen. Just going to wipe off the stove top and WHAMMY! Danny's head, meet metal stove fan corner. Gah! I hate hitting my head. Especially when it leaves a marble sized ball in the middle of my forehead. Worst part was when I awoke the next day I swear it pulsed with every heartbeat. The rest of the day my head felt like someone kept poking me which made enjoying sitting and doing nothing very difficult.

One enjoyable little quirk came when I talked with my family. Turns out in my memory they decided to have a birthday dinner complete with birthday cake and empty spot for me to sit at the table. Not entirely empty though they placed my senior high school photo in my place as if I were pretty much there. I cannot decide how to analyze this behavior but I have a number of theories. There could possibly be a celebration that the responsibility to deal with me on my birthday has been lifted from their shoulders; therefore, they can fully enjoy the merriment without an actual "birthday boy" to appease. Or they could be mocking my existence by comparing my company to that of simply a picture from my past. Personally I believe my presence is not comparable to that of an inanimate object, but I guess other opinions disagree. Either way Their statement has been heard and I am glad they can enjoy my birthday even when I am gone.

Though I was appalled Matthew attempted to recreate me blowing out the candles. Even considering his pathetic attempts of blowing out candles can imitate my mighty destruction of tiny flames is sheer heresy.

Thank you family and others who have wished me the best on such a sub par day. 23 years of memories only worth recalling because of all the great people I have to fill them with. Peace, Love, Food, and Jobs for all!

Review Necessary

Well as Caitlin so lovingly pointed out there were a number of mistakes made with the Clackamas River cleansing. First it is necessary to read Caitlin's entry "The Good Times and the Bad Times" below posted 9/13 so you understand what I am going to say. First she is in graduate school therefore quoting an REI calendar event should be done so without falsifying information. There was no mention of Preregistration. Anywhere. Also she had full opportunity to figure things out, so Danny's fault I think not. Unfortunately I was also very surprised by the activities taken for the day: sign up, payment, rafts, splitting up, # of people, etc. but I was willing and happy to deal with it. Others, on the other hand, were less accepting.

So, lets begin by saying my inability to research the process did have negative effects on my Karma. When we were placed in separate rafts I believed it would be a blessing since Caitlin was not in a Danny accepting mood. The only way to help was stay away and look more miserable than she did. Luckily for her my raft situation fixed that for me. While she was in a raft with a bunch of people our age who are there by themselves to have fun and meet people I was stuck with a group I titled the Family Blue. Each person in this family of four was wearing athletic shorts and a bright blue shirt and just seemed like one of those families who would have family game night playing charades and making sock puppets all the while saying corny jokes and cheesy compliments. Keep in mind I was in a bitter mood also so my world view at the time was far from optimistic. I was the person in the depression commercials with a rain cloud over my head while someone playing happily with their dog runs by and I think 'what a stupid dog chasing that ball like that.' Well turns out the family blue definitely has different characteristics than what my family does. I attempted small talk "so do you play any sports?" to their senior aged son Chris. "No, but I'm on the debate and speech teams!" he said enthusiastically. I hesitated and looked over the water and then gave a theatrical nod "Well those sure will come in handy some day, won't they." slightly in disbelief what I just heard.

The Family Blue actually turned out to be a very nice group of people and very interesting it just took them a long long time to warm up to the single young male intruding on their family outing. Like Caitlin said it was a very successful day. We picked up trash like no one's business. We actually found a number of homeless campsites where we were cleaning. Near the tent in a bush I thought 'hey look at this a balloon.' Well I guess you know the rest of the story. A flail of the arms, shrill shriek, and a small but nonetheless gag and I moved on. Here is a news article from the event if you are interested.

http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2011/09/trash_collected_during_clackam.html

Now then we move onto the job search. It is really funny how businesses train their HR reps to talk very passionately about businesses and the positions they are seeking to fill, because I could go to an interview thinking 'wow this job would be terrible' and then at the end 'why can't I be more qualified to work as a customer service rep for Netflix the epitome of such positions.' Which I doubt it is but after going to the interview I leave feeling very down on myself believing I "did not fit the position they are looking for." I don't know this for sure, but I believe the sneaky HR person removed me from the group interview very incognito thinking it was the end, but I know the truth she didn't like me. Funny interview though. We sat around a table and we pretended she was a caller and we were customer service. Really weird if you've never done it before, and lets just say I probably did not put my best foot forward. I may have failed the role playing (I'm not sure, but I have a bad feeling) but I blew away the skills test which asked, "what does PC mean?" and "how do you minimize your web browser?" So I am a competent and qualified individual I just need some simple job requirements such as those.

Today. Yes today... Oh boy. This one hurts because it just shows how big of a sucker I am. I knew the company I applied for was a scam company. Their add "Want to make 75k with no experience? Well apply at Archetype!" Oh boy I say. Really I don't remember applying, but they called and asked if I wanted an interview. Mom says "you should go to interviews just for the experience." "OK MOM." Red flags should go up when I go and they never discuss my qualifications, education, or experience. All they talked about was the job fitting me. Oh and it is a 3 part interview. Alright! "and guess what you made it to round 2 when can you come in" "Tomorrow! SCORE one for Danny!" Did I mention they described the job as managing a sales account and meeting with your clients about increasing productivity in your account. I want to point blame to Eric Evans for describing his job he really enjoys to me with similar key words, not your fault, because I knew what this job was, but they reminded me of what he did so I thought it may have been that.. So I was sold only thing the 2nd interview was working and job shadowing an account rep for a day. DUH ok I'll do that. WELL after a 7 hour carefree, no expense paid workday this isn't the position for me.

Before my mom encouraged interviews I said "It's a kirby vacuum salesman scam." I am usually pretty humble, but wow do I know what I am talking about. 7 hours today I followed a sales rep and his trainee all over South East Portland into every shop and business in the area to ask "so, how about your office supplies?" AAAARRGH I'm so stupid! And I know it is a scam because there is no one at the entire office over 30, even the management is probably 25. Also they had 4 other suckers doing the exact same thing I did today. And the poor trainee in my group! You are going to be free advertising for this company, because people are paid strictly on 28% commission and some BS bonuses, and he couldn't sell water in the Sahara desert. No offense, he was a really nice guy, but he can't sell anything. But to slam home my case about very likely scam. I had nearly a job offer, 28% commission, you drive your own car where gas is only reimbursed $50 after making 8 accounts in one week, accounts have pretty strict rules on what kind of companies can apply (Size, # employees) You only get commission on opening account sales nothing after you leave, and you only get certain "territories" that they assign kind of like the poor run down neighborhood where we were today and sold twice for a total of $70 including shipping. So tell me my 5 readers scam, or position my super sly salesman mentality could rake in huge sums of money?

Sorry about the ranting, but I'm a little worked up. Morale of the story, don't apply at places that don't say what they are. So Clackamas River Cleanup, and Archetype "Review Necessary." I need to look into what I do. So all the hugs, kisses, love, and joy I do not receive for my recent exploits out to all of you! Thanks for reading and keep in touch.

The Good Times....And The Bad Times

This last weekend was somewhat busy for Danny and I. Some parts of it were really fun and good and others were not quite so good...

Friday I had convocation which is like the opposite of graduation. It's a celebration of beginning school where all of the programs in the College of Psychology and Education come together to chat about our core value: social justice. We had a quick lecture in the chapel on campus and then heard part of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech "Beyond Vietnam". After hearing about 20 minutes of his speech, we had 10 minutes to write a response to it and then we were split into small groups to discuss what we had written. After all of that was done (and I gloss over it to save you the boredom of "I said this, some other guy said that, it was fun.") there was free cheese, veggies, and fruit along with wine and beer. Joy! I got to sit outside and talk to some people in my own program and other programs and mingle with the faculty. Overall it was a great experience and I got to talk to even more of my peers which is something that I have really enjoyed this whole time.

Saturday Danny and I had plans to go downtown to the Saturday Market and also to just wander around the area for a while. When we got down there we realized Danny's cousin's husband, Robert, was participating in a Dragon Boat tournament on the Willamette River. Dragon Boats are kind of like really big canoes that seat maybe 20 people (?) and have decorative dragons off the front. People can join the club and practice is I think 3 times a week. Danny went once with Robert when we first got here and found himself pretty tuckered after paddling for a couple of hours. So anywho, we found Robert and found out when his next race was and then since we had some time to kill we walked further down the river to the Saturday Market. The Saturday Market is pretty popular around here, especially the produce/food part which is located a few blocks up from the river on the Portland State University campus. We had gone to that one before and the produce is really wonderful. People sell organic/local fruits, veggies, baked goods, vinegars, pops, beers, you name it! It's a bit pricey but the quality is beyond anything you can get at a grocery store so I personally think it's worth it. But the part that we had not yet gone to was the crafts part located down by the river. People sell all sorts of homemade things like art, clothing, candles, soaps, etc and there's also live music and food vendors there too. Of course, Danny was primarily attracted to the weird, kitschy things like tribal masks and some sort of whistle that was popular in Zelda... Needless to say, I lost Danny a few times as he mindlessly wandered off to another vender in a state of useless crap bliss. He also got dragged into a street performing act considering he was one of the few people clapping enthusiastically and with that same blissful look on his face of when he was craft shopping. The guy had him and three other guys make like a human table and also do a drum roll while the guy juggled. Nothing too impressive but funny of course :)

After our time at the market we headed back to watch Robert and his team win their race and then chatted it up with Robert afterwards. He happened to mention that his wife (Danny's cousin Christie) and their daughter were coming back at 4 pm from a week back in Wisconsin and that they needed to be picked up from the airport. Considering Danny is unemployed and I had nothing to do either we said we would go get them. This entailed driving their nice car which I was more than happy to do :) After we got back from that we headed home and I busted out a sweet soufflé for dinner like it was nothing. Danny brags about his "artisan" bread all the time (which he has made once but it still deserves constant praise in his mind) but this soufflé totally rocks the socks off any bread he'll make. It rose perfectly out of its dish and did not fall until we began eating it. Superb. After dinner we went to this really great old theater reminiscent of the Rivoli in La Crosse and caught the movie "The Help". I highly recommend the movie to all of you readers out there and Danny even liked it so that's saying something. A wonderful Saturday it was.

But then came Sunday. Oh Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. Here's a little background info for all of you out there: I recently bought a new bike from REI here because of their wonderful end of the summer sale. After buying the bike we were looking around on their website for something or other and happened upon a local event schedule for things going on outdoors. Hooray, right? Danny found this thing that just said "Clackamas River cleanup. September 11. Pre-register." Danny being one who takes things at their word and does no further research assumes that this info must be all encompassing, no other info needed. Oh contraire mon frere. One thing you should know about Danny is that he brings this approach to most activities, he likes to ignore important details in lieu of focusing on what he wants to see. On one of our recent hikes the trail was a little vague so he referenced the book we were using. "It says there should be a "y" in the trail soon and that another trail passes through in about a half mile". With that in mind we keep walking but I'm not totally convinced so I ask to see the book again only to find that this "y" and trail intersection are much further ahead like a mile and half and also a number of other details Danny had failed to mention because he had not read the book. With this in mind, I should know better by now than to trust Danny's word but yet, I didn't trust my gut instinct to do my own research until we were well on our way out to the river cleanup. I start looking up websites on my phone (there were an endless amount) saying things like "bring your own kayak/raft" "over 400 people attended last year" "get ready for a day on the river!". Slowly I came to realize that I was 1. Inappropriately dressed in shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes since I would be out on a river getting wet 2. Not wearing sunscreen because I thought this would take a couple hours tops 3. Inadequately supplied with food 4. SIMPLY NOT PREPARED. I tell Danny all this and he says, "Oh silly Caitlin, don't you worry. Everything will be fine." All the while a pit is growing in my stomach.

We pull up to the parking area of this park where we're starting to find hundreds of cars with their own kayaks and rafts and people decked out in waterproof shoes, swimsuits, and quick drying clothing. I start to feel out of place... We walk to get registered only to find out, oh woops, you guys should've pre-registered online and most if not all of the spots are taken. Well that's dandy. I look at Danny to see a look of guilty terror coming over his face as the lady goes to check on spots for us. She comes back to tell us there are only 2 spots remaining...in separate boats....and there's a $20 registration fee...and it's a whole day thing...and you'll be walking in the water as you raft down so that you can pick garbage out of the river. Did I mention I'm wearing shorts a t-shirt and tennis shoes? Not a swimsuit? But hey, why not? We just drove 40 minutes out here and I am not about to just go home. As angry as I was at Danny I shoved that aside and tried to convince myself this wouldn't be that bad. Ultimately it wasn't that bad at all. My group was all people that had come alone and we had a generally good time floating down our 5 mile stretch of the river picking up such things as beer cans, an electric blanket, more beer cans, golf balls, bricks, metal piping, fishing line, more beer cans... (people who are reading this and also use the river as your garbage can, I must say I am appalled by you. You should be ashamed of yourselves!). Despite my anger at the beginning of the day, this was a legitimately good experience and I'm happy we stuck it out and went ahead with it. When we got back they provided a wonderful dinner, live music, and the opportunity to pay $25 for Keen brand waterproof sandals (originally $90!).

With all of that having happened my anger with Danny slowly dissipated. But I have learned my lesson. If Danny ever comes to me with a plan again I will check and double check his information until I am sure I have a complete picture of what will be happening that day/night. This will happen for as long as we are together no matter what.

So that was our weekend! Busy busy and angry angry but I had a great time overall. My classes have been going well and Danny actually had/has 2 job interviews today. The first went well although he's still unsure of what is going to happen with it and the second one he's actually at right now. We'll see how it goes! I've been home this whole time baking and so far I've made Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies (amazing!) and two loaves of bread. I have also managed to overhear an intense argument from our neighbors downstairs which resulted in the man throwing a few dishes out onto their deck and then cleaning it up soon after. I thought about calling the police but from what I heard it didn't get violent outside of the throwing dishes and it seems they have resolved their issues from what I have heard since. Hopefully this is a one time thing! Our upstairs neighbor is more of a headache though. Danny has nicknamed him Stomps because he consistently sounds like he is doing a mixture of jumping, running in place or in circles, dropping dictionaries on the floor, and just all around not staying still. He also apparently sawed something out on his deck yesterday that made our whole apartment shake like the apocalypse was upon us. I'm tempted to find an excuse to go up there and introduce myself just to see what the balls he's been up to.

Until next time, adios our dear readers!

We might suck at blogging...

Well hello again our super dedicated readers! As I've just made the blog public on Facebook hopefully that phrase will actually become true soon....

Danny and I were talking and it seems we may be some of the worst bloggers ever born to this earth. Danny posted pictures to his last post and never even explained what was happening in them. I was given the task of doing so but spent my whole post explaining why I'm not as evil as Danny makes me sound and thus, never explained the pictures either. Because of all this, I'm turning over a new leaf. I am going to try to do my best to actually tell you what we're up to. Simple enough right? Let's see if it will work!

Well now I can't remember what all of those pictures were of.... The one of my by a beach is at a place called Cape Lookout on the Pacific coast. We went with my parents while they were here. We're actually only about an hour and half away from the coast so we hope to go camping there soon. Oh another picture was in front of the Tillamook cheese factory which was in a town on our way to the coast. I felt so terrible going there betraying my homeland of Wisconsin. But for future reference, their cheese has nothing on some extra sharp Wisconsin cheddar. Nothing.

As for other adventures around town we've had some more lately than before. We've been doing a lot of hiking/biking around town since I got a bike and since Danny's cousin and her husband lent us a book called "Afield and Afoot" that has ALL of the hikes around the area. As mentioned in a previous post, biking with Danny is hard. In order to avoid his frustration with me, he biked to the trailhead of one of our hikes and I drove and met him there. It kind of defeats the purpose of biking and saving gas but when the trailhead is near the top of the city and my legs have not yet developed into the hamhocks I need them to be this seemed like the best option for all involved. The hike was great as it was in a park just outside of a residential area but it had been really well preserved into still being in its natural state. We hiked up along a creek and then proceeded along a second trail that took us up another 500 ft to the Pittock Mansion.

The mansion previously belonged to the creator of Portland's original newspaper, The Oregonian. We got a great view of the city which also included a nice view of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens. Mt Hood is visible from the city most days when it's clear but Mt St Helens is a bit more difficult although recently with the nice sunny days we've seen it a lot more than we probably will for the rest of the year. On our way down from the hike we ran into the local Audobon Society's National Vulture Appreciation Day which Danny was super pumped about.

We walked over with Danny jumping and clapping the whole way and got to see some birds of prey that they take care of there for injuries and whatnot. I felt dorky being one of the only people that was not a parent or over 55 but you know, sometimes you just have to embrace your genes (my parents are avid ornithologists and Audobon members) and say hey, I like birds too. Overall a great day!

Our other more recent hike was out on Sauvie Island just north of the city. We had heard about it from a few people (my new hairstylist lady and the cable installation man) and our super awesome hiking book detailed a route that Danny thought was fit. Well, let me tell you, it was an adventure. First of all we had to drive along a gravel road past this ridiculously packed beach which also doubled as a nude beach further down. Since it was Labor day I don't think many people chose to be nude due to the HUGE population of people visiting the beach that day. Side note: Sauvie Island is on the Columbia River= amazing! So we finally made it to the end of this super dusty gravel road, parked, got out, and then I came to the awful realization that the trailhead to our trail began on the OTHER SIDE OF A COW PASTURE!

Bah! I have always been afraid of cows. They are so big and dumb it just seems like destiny that one day I will be mauled by one. We had to walk past so many cows to get to this nicely hidden gate and I almost may have wet myself but I didn't so be proud of me folks. In the book it said once you get to this gate you should follow the overgrown maintenance road the whole way to the end. Well, about 30 yards in a small path jutted off to the right and this road continued on to the left. We went left obviously because of the road. We continued to walk down this road for a while and suddenly came upon some "POSTED: PRIVATE LAND. NO TRESPASSING." signs. My gut told me we had gone the wrong way which I so nicely mentioned to Danny who replied "Silly Caitlin, that just means the land off to the sides; the road is still public."So not wanting to upset Danny with wanting to turn around I said ok and we kept on... only to be met by more "POSTED" signs along the way. Finally we end up at this Deliverance style hunting shack out in the middle of a marsh with shotgun shells lying around like snowflakes during a Wisconsin winter and finally Danny decides that indeed this is a good sign that we are no longer on public land. How observant he is sometimes. After walking the mile and half our there we then walked the mile and a half back to the small trail that had originally gone of the seemingly main road and walked 4ish miles through tall grass and brush to get to the end of the trail. The end was a nice beach with an old lighthouse with a great view of Mt St Helens in the distance.

Sadly because it was Labor Day weekend, everyone with a jetski, speedboat, motorboat... was out on the river. Nonetheless it didn't poo on my parade too much and we enjoyed the sand and sun for a while before heading back.

Not before picking a tupperware full of blackberries, though, of course :) Fortunately when we got back to the cow pasture the cows had dispersed and I felt better about crossing their territory.

The next day was my first day of grad school! My first class was an intro to Marriage Couple and Family Therapy (MCFT from now on) as a profession. It went pretty well and although the information is somewhat boring because its a history and a foundation, it was still nice to meet some more of my classmates and learn a little more about them. I also have begun biking to school so that made the day even more exciting. Danny rode with me because he was bored but it was like 90 degrees that day so by the time I got up to campus (I say up because as there are many hills on the way to campus, campus itself is on yet another hill..jerks) I looked like a tomato. What a great way to make first impressions I know. I'm sure my beauty was the first thing my peers noticed about me and my smell was probably the second glorious thing they learned about me. The same thing happened yesterday when I rode to class but I just hope people see my helmet and understand that I don't just naturally sweat profusely. I did bike home last night though in the dark and considering most of the roads I take to school don't have a bike lane it's kind of nervewracking. I'm sure most of the traffic I meet doesn't appreciate me biking after dark either but there's not much I can do about it besides cover myself in blinking red lights and hope for the best while I go up the vertical hill in Marshall Park in first gear sweating balls in the process. Hopefully as my legs develop into dinosaur legs I'll go faster and faster until one day I'll keep up with traffic... I can only hope...

Well that's most of the news from Lake Wobegon! Today we're off to my bank to deposit a check because it's cookie Friday and then we're off to eat vegan bar-b-que from a foodcart downtown. Yes that's right, vegan bar-b-que. You heard me right, now pick your jaw up off the floor and say "yummmmmm, I like alternate sources of protein in my diet". You know you want to try it :)

Oh and I should notify you all that our neighbors probably think Danny is crazy considering he dug a bucket out of the garbage the other day and walked down to the creek behind our complex and dug up a sad looking fern, put into the bucket, and now has chosen to raise it on his own off our deck. We also have a compost bucket Danny started that he decided needed more sun so we have a stinking bucket of compost sitting in our parking spot for all the neighbors to enjoy with us. I'm sure if there was a contest we would be voted most awesome normal neighbors ever.

Hopefully Danny and I will keep up better with this thing! And I hope you all enjoy hearing about our "stuff" we do out here!

And Now More From The One and Only Danny Dunn

Obviously this blog cannot continue without the corrections and or creative twist on things that I am able to bring. First I disagree with the Tilamook Cheese factory and lack of enthusiasm in discussing its existence. If I go back out to the coast I think another visit is in order. First there are innumerable flavors of delectable ice creams to choose from where I found myself saying "the blueberry tastes like blueberry, the mulberry tastes like mulberry" and so on and so forth. And who could forget the comment on the hours of historical reading material about the Tilamook valley and their cheeses! I learned so much like... well I read it not that I need to remember. And the reason I am an easy sell--> Free Cheese samples! BOOM! I love the place! "3 or 4 servings of samples for me thanks," needless to say I didn't leave hungry.

Now real life. I personally believed life was going to be much more laid back and happy, but somehow I find it so easy to fall into a sad stinky funk (for real all I hear about is how bad I smell, usually I blow it off but after a while even I'm getting self conscious, as a psych person I believe Caitlin should realize the long term repercussions her attitude towards my B.O. is going to have on me). My days have all begun with a little green tea, purchased loose leaf and in bulk mind you, with oatmeal. If there is any more depressing meal to eat every single day let me know, because a bowl of oatmeal just screams you lack flavor, spice, and excitement. I ingest my meal as I browse the craigslist category for schmucks looking for any job that says "Have no marketable skills? Well sign up with us and you may get one or two!" Fine print then says minimum wage. Darn.

It really isn't that bad. I usually don't get much done because I run into an interesting job that requires 4,5,6, or 7 years of experience and I sit and daydream about how glamorous it would be to be a pastry chef at a downtown Portland bakery. As customers line up at the door I can say "nice day friend" (I am yet to meet really anyone I can even call an acquaintance yet, but there's still hope right?) then in a sing song voice I reply "Only because I baked raspberry cream tarts this morning!" If it is really a rough day on the online job market, and as I fill out an application it logs me off because I took too long, Caitlin may ask "Want pancakes this morning?" Only for me to get red in the face and say "NO *&^$#%^ pancakes!" As my body pulsates from breathing way too heavily all she can say is "Rough day?"

Luckily, as Caitlin has pointed out the priority of finding a job has not yet killed our adventures. As you can tell from me being in an old chimney from above. One adventure being at the Audubon Society, but I need to point out my favorite person there. We just happened to be by this guy the entire time randomly and I loved his demeanor as the volunteers explained the birds. As we looked at the Kestrels the volunteer would say "We have Alice here because she is missing part of her back tail feathers." Only to be responded with "Ah its left rectix," but like he is talking to himself and not bragging, but nonetheless I may have chuckled when they pointed out the bent back claw and he said "the hallux" if only I had things I could properly educate people about.

There also was a dream come true. After many hours of being forced to sit and "enjoy" watching the food network there actually some positives coming out of it. "Diners, Driveins, and Dives" has all these fairly small and reasonably priced "joints," as Guy Fietti would say, featured on the show which includes a good deal from Portland. The shack like restaurant called Pok Pok specializes in Thai food. Delicious, and it gave me the opportunity to butcher reading my food choice, which always drives Caitlin crazy. The only really odd thing was how many male servers worked there. Not an issue but I felt it was noticeable, because it has never been like that before.

Overall everything seems to be going great. I eat my share of black berries daily and exercise regularly so I stay pretty content. I also desire to complete my little projects. Unfortunately scavenging through a dumpster and digging up your backyard is weird now, I guess I missed the memo. Come on. And my bucket of dirt doesn't just have ferns in it. There are other plants too, and I planted the pit of my Peach (hoping for the best but I have my doubts). So what if I do that and follow up by skateboarding in the parking lot and falling over. I skinned my elbow and it bled really bad. Besides I only cried a little.

So to finish things off the Vegan BBQ was pretty solid. Somehow the tofu really had the texture of meat to it, crazy! But keep us in your thoughts and prayers, especially Caitlin, because if she continues to allow her empty cups she used to drink ULTRA PULP OJ to lie around and lets the pulp dry to the side and I have to wash it... There's just no telling what I may do. Probably drink it and I bet you know how protective she is with her food.

The Real Honest Truth About Living With Danny

So I'm not sure if any of you have read the children's book about the "real" story of the 3 Little Pigs but it comes to mind after reading Danny's entry. In the children's book the wolf explains that he was just really ill and needed some sugar for I think tea but the pigs were so mean and slammed their doors on him and then he sneezed and blew their houses over by accident. I feel like the wolf nowadays with Danny spewing lie after lie of my evil doing. Needless to say I'm here to set my story straight just like the poor wolf.

In saying that our transition from living in the condo to the apartment we're at now, Danny was right that it was weird and difficult. The condo was simply wonderful even without internet or most amenities. The streetcar line ran right past it and was free! Whenever we wanted to head downtown to Powell's (the world's largest book store) or to the library (to use the internet), we just hopped on and off for free. Our apartment now is in something of a dead zone for convenient public transit as well as easily located things like a grocery store. But no matter, we're figuring it out as we go.

But when Danny speaks of his stinkiness and my reminding him of his foul smelling clothing, you all must remember Danny's stance on hygiene. Showers? Never! Shaving? Never! Wearing fresh clothing? Never! I'm just looking out for both of us, especially when we went to apartment viewings and Danny is standing there in wrinkled yucky clothing and his unwashed hair is hanging in his eyes. I can't say we looked like promising renters :) But as far as the difficulty of finding a place, Danny was dead on. State law out here made it really difficult for us to rent because of our finances. We still weren't totally positive that the place we're in now was right for us so we signed a 6 month lease just in case we want to move. I think we probably will considering we're in the aforementioned dead zone. I'd like to be closer to the more exciting parts of town where you can actually walk to a restaurant or bar or grocery store. We've been driving waaaay too much because of what we do at night.

But speaking of transportation and perhaps biking, I would like to state my piece on that as well. Biking with Danny is kind of like traveling with someone that has ADHD. Like yesterday, we had a plan. We needed to go to the post office as well as the local library. I knew it was going to be a long ride but I brought water and cookies and was feeling good about it all. Well, we start off and every time we see a sign for a garage sale Danny whips around off the road to go find it. Danny does not get tired and if he does, he simply pushes past it which is admirable. I do not have this same endurance. I don't wake up in the morning and bust out 150 crunches or do plyometrics for my before bed workout. Thus these little side trips to garage sales and interesting looking buildings don't fare well for my weak little legs. Needless to say, I got a little frustrated yesterday on this epic bike ride. Especially when Danny got us lost in a nice neighborhood and took us in a complete circle that included a few giant hills. When we finally got out of said neighborhood we had to take one of the busiest non-highway roads without a bike lane to get where we needed to go. Did I mention the first part was up an incredibly steep hill and I was in my lowest gear out of 24? By the time we reached the library I literally had hyperventilated my way through most of it. To top it off, Danny didn't even get anything from the library. And he wonders why I am unhappy as we bike together....

But despite Danny's shenanigans he's taken us on some pretty crazy craigslist adventures. Out here craigslist is the thing to use to find anything you could want at a pretty reasonable price. The best part is going to pick up what you bought. We found two lamps that have what look like cherubs climbing up the bottoms for $25 and had to pick them up from a guy on the other side of the river. We showed up and went into his apartment to be met by one of the biggest women I have ever seen. She was SO excited to see us and was absolutely fascinated by what we were doing here in Portland. Seriously. I don't think you understand. She had her hands on either side of her face and rested her elbows on the side of the couch and was just "Oh my! Oh my! That's SPECTACULAR! WOW!!!!". Super nice lady obviously. We also picked up a desk from a guy in the weirdest part of town. All sorts of dilapidated houses not to mention we were over there around 9 pm so it was super dark without street lights and just weird all around. Great desk though and interesting guy! Danny continues to troll craigslist and I look forward to many more similar adventures.

As often as we have adventures, though, a lot of our time is spent here in the apartment cooking. We've made some pretty excellent stuff with the blackberries that grow all over here. Like Danny mentioned everyone out here considers blackberries to be a weed so they don't eat them. They are an invasive species but a delicious one at that. I've made blackberry bread, blackberry/carrot cake cupcakes, blackberry sauce.... We even froze some for a later date. It also helps that a lot of our fruits and veggies are local and super delicious so every one of our meals has been loaded with fresh stuff and I think quite healthy. Danny made curry the other night and has taken a liking to making bread. He does have quite the ego about anything he cooks though, "Wow! Did you taste this?! It's amaaaaazinnng! I make delicious artisan bread! Yum yum yum!!!" It never hurts to be humble..... :)

I also had orientation this last week on Tuesday for school. It was an exciting day and Danny said he felt proud dropping me off haha. It felt like my first day of school all over again with him dropping me out front. "Have a good day! I can't wait to hear all about it!" It was for all of the programs that are in my grad department like Professional Mental Health Counseling, School Psychology, Marriage Couple and Family Therapy (my program), and Professional Mental Health Counseling w/ Addictions Specialization. It was great to meet the faculty for all the programs and I really felt like I made the right choice in coming to this school. They have a huge focus on social justice and equality as well as an emphasis on self care for all of us in the program. I know it sound like a big ol' hippie colony out there and perhaps it kind of is but I think my education will be centered on the aspects of the profession that I value: helping others. Other schools focus a lot on research which is something that I'm interested in but doesn't quite appeal to me. Classes officially start this next week on Tuesday so we'll see how it goes!

Ok so enough "facts" and "chronological explanations" as Danny says. Sorry that my writing isn't quite as creative and fantastical as his but now you may have a better grasp on what exactly has been going on out here...or maybe not. It's entirely possible I just pooed all over it with defending myself. But just like Danny ended his entry, just remember that he and I tease each other mercilessly and we rarely actually fight. If neither of us teased the other, we would have the biggest egos ever. Seriously. So be happy this is how we are, it keeps you from listening to us blab about how awesome we are :)

I hope all of you are doing well and we'll post some more as soon as more stuff happens... which hopefully it does.... but only in the best of ways!

Experiencing The New

Well the first few weeks… I think you could imagine what they have actually been. A little too much excitement here, a distraction there, and then nothing really gets done. I’m not going to say it has been a waste of time though.

The first 2 weeks involved Caitlin and I living in my cousin Christie and Roberts down town condo while they moved out. Fortunately for us they felt compelled to leave us with a basic arrangement of furniture so we could live and relax comfortably. Unfortunately the standards were set very high upon our move because we were living in the best area for location and quality of housing. When we were looking around we had no idea what even to think of other areas. The only experience we had was step out the front door and instantly we had a streetcar pulling in front of us to take us to more location than I personally had the privilege to visit in years past. I would like to say I sort of miss the feeling of La Crosse. Where do you go for groceries? Oh the Festival on 4th near downtown. How about live music, karaoke, or maybe even wings? Downtown! Either way everything felt as if it were a block away no matter where I was. Here on the other hand, if something is on the other side of town it isn’t simply a step away. You have to either walk for what seem like days, sweating balls before you ever get there, or else hop on a trolley and pray you end up in the right spot. I remember the good old days when sweating never mattered, in fact it was a natural occurrence guaranteed to drench your body one way or another on a daily basis. Oh Fiji, how life was so much simpler. Now things are different. I feel uncomfortable in my stanky body. People checking the air like starving wolves looking to make their emotional and prideful kill knowing that is the only way they get by on a day to day basis. If those wolves’ names were Caitlin this is true. The problem being around someone you know very well all the time is that they aren’t afraid to tell you the truth all the time. When I smell, histrionic arms flailing everywhere and a flabbergasted Caitlin “Pew! Hey smelly. You stink!” She always knows how to keep my excitement levels and ego in check. There’s nothing more calming than being excited to go to a busy venue crowded with people to know that you smell poorly, because then the question becomes “Who can smell me?”

After many adventures around town like to the farmers market, where I learned that I don’t like them particularly too much, to the grocery store, and then to food carts, we decided we have been spending too much time and money on gorging ourselves and needed to actually do something with our time. When we went to our first desired location for a dwelling, we were in awe of how clean it was and how much care went into the preparation for a tenant. Here in Oregon State Law requires a evacuated and clean premises before anyone can begin looking into the apartment. A lot nicer than some experience I have had. There are of course many different practices that go along with such nice places and we discovered them as we sat down to discuss the legal parts of renting. The property manager sat down and explained to us a $40 background check fee would be applied to our application. Simple enough, though more than I desired to pay for something that isn’t guaranteed. Knowing Caitlin was a student she b-lined her way straight to funding our rental. When Caitlin explained she did not receive student loans you could tell our host was taken aback. Recovering from the small shock she then inquired about my job and how much it pays. Upon hearing I was unemployed for the time being things got a little weird. She froze, staring somewhere between the desk and floor, and the only movement was a slight a slight twitch in her eye. I broke the silence with “I saved money.” She snapped back. “Well that just isn’t good enough. It doesn’t guarantee me anything” stated in an ever accelerating and rising voice.” All the while I was shot back in my seat staring wide eyed at this woman who is so intense about the fact we don’t have funding the “normal way.” She ended up throwing four background checks at us expressing the necessity of having 2 co-signers and the guarantee of a $1500 security fee.

The next few appointments went the same. It was all very shocking. I guess I can understand rejection for many things, but basic necessities such as housing? I never would have imagined being pushed so low to be undeserving of an apartment. The next few days were only shoved my self worth lower. Whenever I was intrigued by an apartment complex or housing unit I would be reading it to Caitlin and get to the end “low income housing.” And boom we were poor. More signs of our fall from the middle class appeared everywhere. I was rejected from a bank because I did not have a current place of residence, we had to lie on our library card applications, and then when we went running one night we found a free meal cart for the homeless. All of this was quite frustrating, and I seriously wonder how unemployed, poor, or homeless people can make it without some sort of assistance. Moving here I thought I was well prepared to move in and take the city by storm, but I couldn’t even land a house.

Luckily we found an apartment, which turned out to cost way way way more than I wanted to spend, but we were simply sold on the manager. Linda is her name and she is nothing but laughs and smiles even when I cowered in my chair telling her I was unemployed. She very clearly, very nicely explained what we needed to do and now here we are. I am a little mad that I haven’t taken my learned precautions with renting, taking photos, listing every ding in the wall, and whatever else I could think of, all because my property manager has lulled my worries to sleep by being too nice. She baked us cookies, which tells me she can’t do any wrong…yet.

Our big move in was quite spectacular because we shared a U-haul rental with Christie and Robert. In the morning we moved them, and in the afternoon it was our time to clear out our storage unit. Let us just say in the end someone was not up for Danny antics. “Caitlin stop and smile so I can snap a photo.” “NO!” Face down scowl as I take a picture of her moving a box. We didn’t document to move very well to say the least.

From that point all we have done with the place is slowly accumulated more stuff. For example, my big find was free 5 gallon buckets so we could make something that resembles a compost for our porch. It’s a work in process. Personally I believe our apartment is way to big. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard “well at least it took up some of that space.” I really dislike getting things only to fill up a room. One solid purchase took us to the other side of the city where I didn’t feel too comfortable. When we drive through the number of potholes, busted off shutters and fences it tells us this isn’t a downtown condo. We pull up to a closed fence and a man comes out with his child and I swear if he didn’t say weeeeehoooo howdy there, then I must have daydreamed the entire interaction. After asking us if we knew that show Gilligan’s Island I knew this family has lived in a hole there entire life. We talked for a good while because we needed to dismantle the desk we purchased to fit in the car, and at the end of the conversation I was very surprised. “I install green energy technologies onto residential homes, and as a side job I fix computers.” Stunned. This hillbilly many in a “beater” does that? Just goes to show you don’t judge.

I really didn’t tell you anything. I’m sorry, Caitlin says that I really just bull**** the whole time when I write and forget what really matters. And that is why she isn’t writing. So take that. We decided she takes away my creative desire to express myself in a certain way, and I think she writes too chronologically (a.k.a. to me, boring). I’ll let her make her own entries though.

We are happily settled, riding bikes all over, baking, and of course picking the Oregon weed. Blackberries are not enjoyed on this side of America, so it is my duty to make sure every blackberry goes picked and eaten. Though I get in trouble for each activity we still enjoy them. “Danny, you ride too fast, and never know where you are going! Danny, you are too arrogant with your baking thinking it is soooo good! Danny, we have too many blackberries find a job and stop picking them!” Hmm, moving in with someone, questionable if I would recommend it. I’ve enjoyed it. Know all my words are only said in the most heartfelt admiration of the people and places I speak of. I wouldn’t tell you if I didn’t like it.

Hopefully there will be more soon. A stable internet connection is always hard to come by. Thanks for reading, and always remember to use your blinker when turning (PSA of the day).