onk kronk

Monday:

I slept in as long as possible, and packed with no minutes to spare. But it all got in the car and at 11am off we departed for the great North. It was sunny and warm and the traffic was good. Just past Sacramento we stopped at the Colusa Wildlife Refuge Place, and spent two hours counting birds and peeping through scopes. There was a bird with a barfing dog type bird. Dad snapped some good pics. Onwards we drove. I read Seconds and had The Chambers of Secrets going on the radio. We stopped for the night in Mt. Shasta. A little motel room. Very little. Not much room. Room for two beds. We had dinner at Lily's. I had pasta, Dad had steak, Mom had beet salad. It was all tasty and filling and good to eat after such a long journey (I had a gas station hot dog earlier).

Dozed to sleep.

Tuesday:

Left earlier than the latest allowed by the motel. More Harry Potter. No nature reserves. We stopped for lunch in Eugene. Specifically at Ninkasi Brewing, where the tasting room allows you to bring in outside food. So Ma and Pa got some quesedillas and I got a taster assortment and got to tasting. None would be my favorite beers (not like Sleigh'r) but it was fun to have that sampling. And it aided in me taking a good ol' nap after Eugene. We finished Chamber of Secrets. We listened to other things. It rained when we got into Washington, but it cleared up enough for us to get burgers at Big Bubba's in Allyn. After that break, it was home! Unpacked. Put on jammies. I went to bed and started watching stuff till late o'clock, then I slept.

Wednesday:

Breakfast included hash browns, bacon, toast, and eggs. Mmm. I interneted for a while, then packed up to go home. I left my blanket though. Boo.

My house wasn't as cold as I expected it to be. I unloaded my car. I'm about 90% unpacked right now. I lounged. I nibbled. I relaxed. I tried to relax.

Lots of stuff going on in my life right now that I can't get into on my blog.

Helen & Nathan

Friday

Ma and Pa went to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and I opted out to have some me time. I put on a dress and grabbed the AirBNB free pass to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I took the buss, the Jazz B line, downtown. Easy peasy. The aquarium had clusters of school kids on a field trip, but it was nicely not packed. All the kids were well behaved. No runners or screamers. I could take my time with the exhibits. Had a wonderful time. I saw the otters get fed, saw the puffins get fed, saw the penguins get fed. Saw many jellyfish, which are my favorite exhibits in aquariums, and cuttlefish, and a hammerhead shark in the big open sea tank. Very nice! I had lunch in the aquarium. Ma and Pa picked me up from the front (after I helped people take many photos) and we got ice cream, and then headed out to see cousin Annie and Paul at their hotel. We had drinks in the hotel bistro and caught up.

Then it was back to the hotel to get some rest before the big day!

Saturday

The wedding! The big day! We had our little breakfasts and I took my time getting all lathered up and spackled and false eyelashed. I put my hair up and then took it down. Put on my pretty dress and shoes and then off we went!

To Wendy's! Because dinner wouldn't be for a while. Then up into the hills to the ranch for the wedding. We got there early because we were part of the procession. Hung out in the games room with the groomsmen and the groom, who looked swell. People arrived. Family. Ben, Erin, Muchim, Averie, Dan, Brynne, Celia, Annie, Paul, Carmen, Josh... New family too! Janet! A new Janet in the family. I walked down behind Nate and Ma and Pa with Ben and sat in the front row. It was a nice, quick ceremony. OH! I also was the witness to the marriage signing thing. So that's nice and official.

So the ceremony was nice. Helen cried and Nathan held the tissues for her. Then they were married! Whoooo!!

Photos happened during cocktail hour. I was in a few of them, then I went to join the rabble and drank some lemonade and a glass of wine and talk to this person and that person. The weather was perfect. Warm, with a minor breeze. It cooled down in the evening. Dinner was consumed at a long table, with plates going back and forth. The Carmen and Josh way. I had a bit of everything. Yum! I was seated between Carmen and Garth and across from Nate and Helen, so a prime location indeed. I ate and chatted and the dance floor was opened up, as was the donut machine!!! I had several and they were very good. Fresh, hot, sprinkles. Mmm! I played large jenga, danced a little bit.

The night wore on and I opted to go hang with Garth, Danny, Mike, and Sarah after the shindig, but the drive down left me sick and I ended up just crashing at their AirBNB instead. Oops. Oh well.

Sunday:

Called Ma and Pa and they came and picked me up (an alternate driver wouldn't have been available for a while, and Ma had tickets to this birdwatching kayak tour on the Elkhorn Slough. So I groggily showered back at the place and off we went!

I was tired but it was a wonderful trip. It was just us and the guide, Rachel, out on the water. Ma and Pa had their kayak, and Rachel and I had our own. Oh! And we had wetsuits as part of the tour, so that was nice. I was very cozy and snug. We saw Bonaparte Gulls and and Oystercatcher and a batray, well the fins of a batray, which was very cool! And otters and seals and sail jellies and lots more birds that Mom is better versed on than I. The weather was good. A bit of sun, a bit of shade. No rain. I eventually felt less groggy, though I was looking forward to a nap.

After the tour, we returned to the house and took naps. I stayed behind and vegged and watched TV and got caught up on the internet. Mom and Dad brought back chicken, artichoke, anchovie pizza. I'm not keen on fishies on pizza.

Tomorrow we head back. It was a lovely wedding. Only happy tears.

or(egon) is it???

4/15/2015, 9pm

In Dunsmuir, California! Arrived at 4:15ish after leaving Eugene, Oregon at 11:30ish. Not… a tasking day’s drive. I was brought a doughnut to start the day. We walked around a bit, then checked out of the hotel, and went to Brail’s and got breakfast. I got the breakfast sandwich and a pig in a blanket and coffee and it was all very tasty. I want to hit up Ninkasi on the way back.

We listened to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as read by Jim Dale, who mispronounced bezoar as “be-zshwah”. WRONG!!

I got an Arizona iced tea and some candy and that kept me content. We had an early dinner/late lunch in our Train Car Room in Dunsmuir. This hotel is made of converted train cars. About 20 or so of them. Each car is a room with beds and stuff. Ours is a Queen and a Twin. It’s fun, though not really extremely train like on the interior, but I guess people don’t really want to sleep in sleeper cars.

After settling in and eating we drove up to Castle Crags State Park and checked out the view point. And looked at the Botanic Gardens in Dunsmuir. Then back to the car. I used the wifi outside (it doesn’t work inside) and I came inside to type this up. Got a longer drive ahead of us tomorrow, but we don’t have to check in till 6pm, so not a big hurry.

4/16/2015 10:30pm

Seaside, California! So not totally Carmel or Carmel by the Sea or Monterey like I initially thought. Oh well oh well. It’s still a nice, spacious Air BNB room, with two bedrooms and stuff. Much more privacy than a hotel.

A rather uneventful, if long, drive down. We finished Harry Potter. It got warm and warmer. There really is no rain here. Poor drought ridden California. Lake Shasta doesn’t look good at all. There is a significant orange band around it. How long ago were we here? Did I note how low it looked? Did I note it looking down at all?

I stayed in while Ma and Pa got food. Watched TV. Mellowed. Tomorrow Ma and Pa will do wedding stuff. I think I’ll mellow apart and do some reading or whatever. I’m tired.

Where will I be at 300k?

I'm in a hotel room in Eugene, Oregon. Which isn't that far along driving wise...but Ma likes to take breaks. She isn't a long haul driver when it comes to being out of the MoHo.

Got out of bed at eightish. Showered. Packed. Took out the compost. Made coffee. Left at about 9:10ish. Pulled over to get a shot of my car's odometer when it rolled over to sweet, sweet 250,000 miles! Booyah!

I thought I was running late, but Dad was making lunch and no one was in much of a hurry. We had an easy departure. Filled up the tank. Headed south. Drove around Portland. Went to the Something Slough Wildlife Refuge and looked at birds and did a bit of a hike and had snacks. I napped. We got into Eugene at 7, had ramen at Toshi's Ramen, which was VERY tasty ramen indeed. Good broth.

We are at a motel in the heart of downtown. I walked around a bit and took some pictures and also desperately sought my own space. Can only take so much Ma and Pa, love them as I do.

A little bit more driving tomorrow. We are in no hurry at all.

cavorting and cashing out

Enjoying a nice Ballast Point Sculpin IPA as I take a break from packing. I am absolutely overpacking, but I want to look my best and I'm not sure what functions to pack for. Shirts, dresses, tights...etc.

And I have laundry drying so I have to fold that.

I ran errands today, whoo! I went to the library and dropped off books and picked up The Martian and Horologicon, I went into Silverdale and swung by Kohl's and picked up a few specific brand beauty brushes and there was a cute purse that won me over. White, turquoise, and tan. I needed a nice smallish purse. I'm pretty stoked on it. Nice to have something a bit less cumbersome than the striped tote I've been lugging about.

There was a perusal of the registry at Macy's, but only the toaster remained unbought so I opted out. I did get some Lenox travel mugs. Give one to Ma as a present. Made a Bevmo trip. Then went to Bremerton and picked up the contents of my comic box (Southern Cross, Help Us Great Warrior, Lumberjanes). Then into Port Orchard to get the matching Tiger's Eye stud. Now my earrings match!

I cruised back to Silverdale and made a Target run for hair ties and candy, then went to Silver City Brewery to meet Aaron for dinner. Originally we were going to meet at Hakata, but that place is closed on Sunday and Monday. I had the chai cider which was DELICIOUS and mahi mahi tacos. Aaron had a different fish dish and the porter. We chatted long and it was very nice. I like him.

Got back. Started laundry. Started packing. Makeup took some packing up. Bringing a lot with me, but I want to have all my tools at my disposal.

Full busy day. All I gotta do is roll out of bed, pack my car, and head to Seabeck. Then it's days in the van. Then the wedding!

yup, not going back to Verizon

Thursday:

On site! I photographed and we discussed return policies and tactics and things to do in the upcoming days. Oh! Need to email boss about my time off.

I left early to run a Verizon errand for the boss (which was covered by my wage, not just a freebie favor), which should have been a simple return, but due to the nature of the return it took about an hour and fifteen minutes of me sitting, and talking to various people and them talking to other people. I oogled the cute Verizon guys and fiddled with my phone (gladder than ever I'm no longer on that network and dealing with their service). Afterwards I got a passion fruit boba tea and went to Seabeck. I tried on the Tom's I ordered, and they are perfect! Now to return the second pair that accidentally got ordered (I thought I cancelled the first order, but it didn't go through in time so they both were charged and sent). I had dinner then swung by Trader Joe's then home!

Friday:

Did one test run of makeup for the wedding, a basic red lip & light eyeshadow and eyeliner & brow look. Not bad, though I think the red lip will be hard to maintain through the day. But maybe if I get a better lasting lipstick. If I decide to go that route. I had smokey eyes to try as well.

I have laundry drying right now, and a teeth strip on, and I had potstickers earlier. A mellow day. Didn't work from home. I'll do that Sunday. I kinda spread out my Friday/Monday work through the weekend.

Hanging with Aaron tomorrow, excited for that.

OH!! Reminder to self: see It Follows at Lynwood Theater some time.

shoppinguh

Tuesday:

On site, but earlier than usual due to a meeting. We met with an appraisal expert, and I shall spare his expertise about our industry. But it was an enlightening experience. Lots of facts about this and that. Then I had lunch and then got to photographing and other things. A good day's work.

I deposited my checks, and got some teeth whitening strips to improve my smile for the wedding, swung by the library and picked up a stack of books, then I was back home to chill.

Wednesday:

Today was hanging with Ma! I slept in, then woke up and called her to say I'd rolled out of bed. I showered, got dressed, then packed a breakfast for the road and headed out to Silverdale. We met at Origami Sushi, chatted, had udon and sushi, then began the quest to find a dress for the wedding!

First up was Texas Glad Rags, which was a consignment shop. And after a few poor color choices in odd silhouettes, we found a winner! A Bagdley Mishka...or however that is spelled. Half off! And it is so cute, I can't believe how cute Mom looks in it. It's comfy too. Not all tight and fitted. So happy it turned out like that. We still swung by Old Navy to see what they had. A few things, but nothing that excellent fitting for Mum. Nothing like the B.M.! Oh... that's not a good way to refer to that dress.

Then the Kitsap Mall, which gets more hollowed out every time I end up in it. Fewer stores. I couldn't find the shoes I wanted, so now I'll have to see about ordering them before looking at other shoes. We swung through Sephora but the concealer was tough to match with the lighting available. At Walgreen's, I got Ma to try a few products at my recommendation. My skin has actually been consistently really nice lately. I've settled into a good routine and I only have hormonal breakouts.

Anyway, got Ma treating herself so that's good. Back at home, when Dad returned, we steamed some clams and tried on clothes and I was a real charmer with some timed farts. Yup. Eventually I was ejected from the house.

I swung through Silverdale and picked up a few choice beers from BevMo, and then went to Sephora again, when it was significantly less busy, and Apple the store associate helped me pick out the right color of Anastasia Dipbrow eyebrow pomade. Yes, now my eyebrows will be even more bold and awesome! But I was almost out of the product I had been using, and this was recommended highly so I got it. Also Apple applied it to show how it looks, and it looked awesome. She was a great associate, and gave me samples too.

Then I swung by Michael's to get a few more earring making supp-OH! Mom passed along a few earrings to me. I've yet to take out both my piercings, though the new one should be healed. It feels like the end of an era to do so but I must I suppose, in order to try many new earrings! But yeah, I needed some flat end earring stems to string beads onto. So I have those and shrinky dink material now.

THENNNN I went home, after a full fun day of shopping and hanging out!

Now I'm sitting with a teeth whitening strip on. It's 30 minutes of awkward mouth feel, so this better work, and if not work entirely at least work a little bit.