Getting ready...

I just got back from a quick trip to Medford to hang out with my parents and enjoy the beautiful Southern Oregon weather....it was a a really good weekend! We didn't do a ton besides shop, go for walks, sit in the pool and hang out -- all in all my kind of weekend. Now I'm ready to get on with the week so that vacation can come faster!

This week will be filled with a little packing, a lot of random stuff at work to be prepared for being away, and hopefully some fun things sprinkled in between. Okay, now I need to get back to unpacking from this weekend and getting ready for the week ahead....

Mary Tyler Moore and Me

So my recent obsession with the Mary Tyler Moore Show has subsided.....thanks to having gone through all of the episodes on hulu.com. However in honor of that recent obsession (and a nice comment left a few posts ago) I thought I'd compare the ways I am like and also not like Mary Richards......



Ways I'm like Mary Richards.....

1) I live in a small apartment with a roommate.

Okay, I know technically Mary Richards didn't have a roommate, but Rhoda was there so often that she was practically a roommate. Sometimes I think I might actually identify with Rhoda more, mostly because of her sarcasm.....but that's another post to look forward to =). As far as the small apartment goes, I've got that one. Although I do really like my apartment, just like Mary seemed to like hers.

2) I live in the "big-city".

If Mary was able to run home for lunch, and be able to see downtown Minneapolis from her apartment window, she must have lived close in like I do.

3) I'm a young "working woman".

I don't have a boss like Lou, but I do go to work every weekday.

4) I might just make it afterall.

So one of the things that cracks me up about the Mary Tyler Moore Show is that in the first season the opening song pretty much wonders if she'll make it on her own. By the second season it's more optimistic...."you're gonna make it afterall". I'm making it on my own....

Ways I'm not like Mary Richards.....

1) I don't have a dinner date every night of the week.

I don't know how or where Mary met so many good-looking, eligible men, but somehow it seems like she was always running out for a date. Or being proposed to. Or being wooed one way or another. Crazy.

2) I can't afford to get a new dress/outfit everytime I'm going to go out.

She was a champion shopper, always with a new outfit for her night out on the town. Impressive really. Maybe one day I'll be an Associate Producer with new outfits when I go out.....yeah, that's not going to happen.

3) I live in 2009, thus I have a cell phone....and caller ID

Mary's life would have been a lot easier if she'd had a cell phone. All those dates to keep track of - and interesting situations that Rhoda or Ted or Phyllis somehow got her roped into....I'm just thinking a cell phone would have come in handy. And don't get me started on caller ID. I hardly pick up the phone if I don't know why it is. Mary got in many an awkward situation thanks to not knowing who was on the other side of the phone line when she picked up.

4) I have a real bed.

No pull out, hide-a-bed for me. In fact, I have a full on bedroom. I can't imagine sleeping on a bed like Mary's... no thank you.

Me and Mary Richards, I wonder if we'd be friends. I guess we'll never know....


P.S. I decided it was time for a new look for the blog....let me know what you think! (good or bad)

Weekend pics...way to go Jet Blue!

Just a quick post this evening to share two pictures from my weekend with Jenn and Lindsey. (Thank you Linds for the pictures!) While I took my camera, had it in my purse all weekend, I failed to get it out and use it. But we do have these two to commemorate the first (hopefully annual) Girls' weekend.

This is the three of us in Old Town San Diego before we ate at the Old Town Mexican Cafe and enjoyed the most amazing Mexican food. I'm not sure why we chose the wagon as our back-drop, but I'm sure glad we did because now we can also look back at the small child hanging out in our picture for all time.

And the second picture is from our Sunday lunch at Stone Brewery in Escondido.
I can't say enough how great it was to spend the weekend with these lovely ladies and I can't wait until we get to be together again!

Oh, and last note....I'm now an even bigger fan of Jet Blue than I was in my previous post. Tuesday I got an email from Jet Blue apologizing that the Direct TV service on my flight from Portland to Long Beach was inoperable and they gave me a $15 travel voucher for the next time I fly Jet Blue. It didn't even really bother me that much, but now Jet Blue earns mega points in my book for knowing how to treat their customers!

Oozing goodness

I had the kind of weekend that just oozed goodness. It was an absolutely wonderful chance to get caught up with a few of my favorite friends (but not all of them in case other of my favorite friends read this). I spent the weekend in Escondido with two of my good girlfriends from Pepperdine, Jen and Lindsey. We stayed at Lindsey and her husband Peter's new home and just spent a lot of time catching up and enjoying each others company.....oh, and we ate very well =). Saturday we explored the area a bit and then later in the evening we headed to Old Town in San Diego, looked around at the shops and ate at an AMAZING Mexican restaurant. There were women in the front of the restaurant making handmade tortillas..... and they were incredible. I have yet to find really good Mexican food here in Portland so it was a special treat to get really, really, really, really good Mexican food this weekend.

Sunday we worshipped at Lindsey and Peter's new church and had lunch at a cool brewery - Stone Brewery. All of their food is locally grown or raised so their menu was different, but the food was very good. It reminded me of a place you would find in Portland actually.

I flew Jet Blue for the first time ever this weekend and I have to say, I'm a big fan. First of all they don't charge you for the first bag you check which means they win points instantly in my book, in spite of the fact that I'm quickly becoming a carry-on only traveler. Second, they give you all the free snacks you want which is nearly impossible to find these days. Then you have to give them props for the extra legroom. I don't have long legs, but I could tell there was more room, and it was appreciated. Lastly, every seat has its own tv set that you can choose your own programming on! Such a great way to keep yourself entertained on the flight. I will definitely fly Jet Blue again in the future.....if only they went to more destinations.

I was reminded how blessed I am to have such wonderful, true friends this weekend and came home refreshed and relaxed. I can't wait to do it again next year Lord willing! Hope your weekend oozed goodness too!

So it's been a little while

Or maybe more appropriately, it's been quite a while. I haven't loaded my camera software on this computer yet, so no pictures from recently, but these are a few of the things I've been up to recently...

- In early May I made my second trip to Texas of the year for Brooke's college graduation. It was great to celebrate her accomplishments with our family. And who doesn't absolutely love Abilene?!?!

- Over the Memorial Day weekend I was blessed with a visit from my mom. It was kinda strange, but refreshing, to not be hanging out at soccer fields all weekend this year. We hiked, shopped, walked and shopped some more. It was a beautiful long weekend here in Portland.

- Oddly enough the weather has been absolutely gorgeous. This time of year it is usually raining and we can hardly handle it anymore, but for the last couple weeks the weather has been totally wonderful, so I've been soaking in every minute of the sunshine I possibly can. I could say that's the reason I haven't blogged recently, but that's only partly true. The other reason I haven't blogged recently is I just haven't made time.

- This weekend I'm off to Southern California for a fun weekend away with good friends from college. I'm very much looking forward to catching up with them!

- New favorite thing..... hulu.com and watching old episodes of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. I know, kinda ridiculous, but I'm so totally addicted. When I'm not working, not outside enjoying the sunshine, not working out, or not sleeping, I'm watching Mary Tyler Moore.

So that's the quick run-down on what I've been up to. I'll try to get some pictures up here soon -- I know that makes this way more interesting.