Fish! Anytime! Anywhere!

It's been a while since YouTube has had anything worth posting- until today. This afternoon a commercial came on for an ingenious new product. Keep in mind this exact commercial ran on t.v. today.

Fish Pen

Wookie In Heaven

In 2001, On June 29th as it were, I was scheduled to have all four of my wisdom teeth removed. A week or so prior my friend Tiffany and I discussed the probability that my cheeks would swell like a hamster after the surgery. My cheeks are round as it is, but we imagined that the trauma would round them out to new widths. If you know Tiffany at all, you know that she loves rodents. It is as though they are drawn to her:



Anyway, Tiff and I decided I should buy a little rodent friend of my own to commemorate the surgery. We made a trip to a tiny local pet shop that was once a house. We stepped into a side room where the owners kept all the hamsters. I noticed a cute little brown hamster with the sweetest eyes. She was small, and to me she definitely looked like a girl and I liked that. I held her close to my face and examined her eyes. She had to be mine. I picked out a white and pink two level cage for her. Tiffany gave me an old purple hamster ball for her to run freely about my house and we were set. I named her Wookie.

Wookie brought me joy for the next two years. She was very smart, and learned how to open her cage. I realized this one day when she was missing from her cage, with the door ajar. I was so scared she may have run outside or been stepped on. I called her name and she came scurrying down the hall. She stood on my foot and looked up at me. She was rad. In 2003 while I was in Africa Matt and Stephanie took care of her for me, and she died while I was gone. Matt informed me and the rest of the family through an obituary he wrote about her short life. He found this picture recently and named it "wookie in heaven."



I miss that little face. My favorite was to feed her baby carrots and watch her push it into her cheek forcing her cheek outward. I miss that fatty.

Your Guess Is As Good As Mine

I thought I was confused, now I am bewildered. Shortly after posting my rant this morning I picked up a voice mail from the coffee shop manager. She said she needed to know what my fall availability will be. Against my better judgment I called her back:

me: "Hi, I am just returning your call. About my availability- I am really open right now, but in the fall I have an 8a.m. class three days a week, and a 9a.m. class two days a week."
manager: "So is the 8a.m. on Mon. Wed. Fri.?"
me: "yes."
manager: "Ok, thanks. Bye." click

Did she call me just to taunt me? She didn't even say anything!!! I would just like to mention to any future coffee managers, or anyone in any kind of management position- your communication should exceed that of a potential employee.

The paint crew position has been filled, and KK never called. So there we are, nowhere really. Now my new plan is to offer myself as an unpaid helper in a marketing office to get some experience. Really, can anyone turn down free work? I guess we will see.

Coffee, Gadgets, Or A Paint Brush?

This whole job thing is border line out of control. It is so weird. Since my last post I met with my old manager at kitchen kaboodle, I have followed up on an application at a coffee shop, and applied to work on a paint crew at my school.

I went back to kitchen kaboodle only to learn everything has changed and no one I worked with is there anymore. That made me feel uneasy, but when we met I learned that the hours they are offering are awful! It wouldn't be so bad, but they want me to work Saturday and Sunday! Pretty sure that is the only time I have with Kevin. And, we are still in our first year of marriage, which means we are not yet willing to compromise on time spent together. The funny thing is that the manager went on vacation the day after we met together. So I called the assistant manager and told him I can work there, but I can't work Saturdays. So, they are deliberating (I assume) and I imagine I should hear back today.

I applied at a cute little coffee shop that is very close to Kevin's work which would be great since we share a car. After turning in my application I called to follow up, because call me crazy but I think that is how you get a job. Anyway, when I called the shop the manager was out so I left a message asking her to call me back. She did not call me, so I called her again(how's that for initiative??) Our call went something like this:

me: "Hi can I speak to the manager?"
worker: "yeah."
manager: "Hello?"
me: (ever so excited to be actually speaking to someone as wonderful as a coffee shop manager- or that's what I want her to think anyway.) "Hi, my name is Melody and I turned in an application to work there, and I am so excited about the opportunity and I look forward to meeting you."
manager: "Ok."
me: "Well, I just wanted to see if you need anymore information from me, and I wanted to let you know I am free this week for an interview."
manager: "Oh, well we are waiting to get a lot of applications, and then we will call for interviews."

Seriously?? Waiting for a lot of applications? Sheesh, why not just tell me you don't want me to work there.

Yesterday after reading craigslist for the 80th time I called my school. I spoke to student employment and I was told they "may" be hiring for paint crew, and that I should come in and apply. Manual labor never sounded so good! I applied and now I am waiting- assuming that the coffee shop is a bust, not knowing if they actually have a place for me on said paint crew, and scared of being offered a job at KK for fear of the new messiness there and not knowing why an entire staff has left, seems sketchy to me.

In the midst of it all I just sit and pray, the prayers of a temporary schizophrenic who cannot decide if I am truly thankful for God's provision, or if I am mad that I don't have a job yet. Kevin is so patient with me, and my crazy ideas. He has not even forced me to take a job just to have one. I know he wouldn't... but I still appreciate it.

jobless loser

I hate being unemployed! This seriously blows and I am not amused.

What's the gorge?

Today I felt like we had gorged ourselves when we had some friends over last night. So I proposed to Kevin that we head to the gorge to work it off with a rigorous hike. To my proposal Kevin asked "What's the gorge?" I paused, thought to myself well it is a gluttonous meal- much like the meal consumed the night before of shrimp scampi, ciabatta bread, and raspberry ice cream:



But it is also the canyon 30 miles East that the Columbia river runs through:



I explained- "You know, the place we hike near Multnomah Falls." As soon as the slight confusion was gone we changed clothes and drove East to hike Elowah falls. It was beautiful and any guilt that remained from our hefty meal has dissipated. Man I love Oregon!

DTS, PDX, BFF

Yesterday two of my wonderful friends Ryan and Lindsay came to visit Portland! These ladies have a special place in my life because we lived together in Switzerland and Lindsay and I travelled through Africa together. Ryan is living in Colorado these days while Lindsay lives on a Naval base in Washington. Ryan came to the Pacific Northwest and they made the trip south to visit Portland.

I was such the little tour guide. First stop, The Rams Head on 23rd for lunch. Ryan exclaimed at the cheapness of food here in our great city. She recently spent a year in Boston and was quite happy to have a burger, cajun tots and a beer for less than $10! We walked the street looking at the little boutiques and stopped in "Turkish Imports" we found rugs from Afghanistan and dishes from Tajikistan somewhat lacking in the "Turkish" department.

Next we climbed the floors and navigated the color coated rooms of Powells. My two friends are avid book readers and could really appreciate the "city of books". We drove back across the river for coffee at Bipartisan and picked up Kevin from work. The four of us then went to Flying Pie for Pizza and arcade games.

Ryan and Lindsay gave Kevin and I a wedding gift that is so amazing! Both of these ladies are also avid tea drinkers. They picked a tea set for two- blown glass tea pot and tea cups. The sneaky part is that this is a teaposy tea set and came with a box of tea blooms. These are little bundles of tea leaves that bloom when you pour hot water on them. And look like this:



I am so excited to have ladies over to show off my new tea pot and tea blooms I can hardly wait! Erin- we will have to pick a time for a girls-only tea party for two. And all the women of my family- drive here, fly here, just get here so we can share a bloom, and some conversation. Thanks Cookies and Fred! You girls are the best!

Spidey-disappointment

Let me say that if you have not seen Spiderman 3 and you want to- DON'T READ THIS.



I LOVE Spiderman 1 and 2 and I own both. I was excited for number 3 and today, being cold and rainy seemed to be the perfect day to check it out. We sucked it up and paid to see it in the theater. I want my $13 back!

There were hardly any good fight/sky high chase scenes. I can think of only two that rivaled previous Spidermans.

Two new characters were introduced, and I won't really give it away, but the "sandman" is awesome and used some great special effects.

Spidey goes through some sort of ridiculous period of finding himself in which he becomes a weird emo-looking aggressive guy who attracts the attention of all women (including absurdly gorgeous black women who would never look twice at an emo white kid who is half their size, note the photo in the top left of the above collage). He struts the streets of N.Y.C. for about 10 scenes, ending in a very strange/cheesy dance scene. Come on now, Spidey's gotta dance??

Line after line of cheesy quips and life lessons, I was ready to vomit by the time Spidey teams up with the green goblin and forgives his enemies. The end alludes to a happy ending, but shows nothing. After 2 hours of love, friendship, rainbows and puppies, you give a mysterious ending? You might as well show the wedding of Spidey and MJ and why not throw in the birth of Spider-girl, for good measure.

This movie was so silly, and I do not recommend it. If you must see it- rent it. But don't invite me over to watch it.

It's my party, or it was my party

So Tuesday was my birthday, and now I am the big 2 3. Right. So I had a really great day- made especially enjoyable by my husband, Kevin. First, he woke me up and we went to my favorite coffee shop for a bagel and coffee. Then he had work and I had Summer school. Around 11:45 a.m. mid-lecture I looked out the window of the classroom to see Kevin carrying a big bouquet of pink and yellow balloons!




This was so surprising because he was at work, and I had our car. Behind him were Erik and Erin they all walked into class with a bag of cupcakes and milk for the whole class! That was pretty special.

After school and work we came home and I opened presents from Kevin and his mom. Nancy made me an apron!



We changed clothes and went to our favorite sushi place....mmmmmm



6 rolls, plus one extra special "crazy roll"!





After this we went to Papa Haydn for some really good dessert. During the day I talked to my parents and Tiff, and all three of my brothers called. I felt pretty special. On Wednesday we had a package waiting at our door. My mom and dad shipped me their cards, plus my mom bought me some really fun gifts for my house. My favorite being this really bright patterned table cloth. All in all, a great first married birthday.

Consumed with learning

Back to school back to school.
One week to relax and now I am back in action, in class from 8:30a.m. to 4p.m. I am currently taking A.C.S.- Anthropology, Christology, Soteriology taught by the one and only Dr. Wayne Strickland


I am reading this:


and this:


So I am a bit consumed with it all.
This weekend I will ride a Ferris wheel and I think that makes everything better.