Day One...foregoing craigslist

I am at an age where I can still remember a time before the internet and emailing became the only way to contact a person, when you had to go to a music store to buy your music and a bookstore to buy books, and when, if you wanted to buy something used, you had to look through the Thrifties or the classifieds, and then pick up the phone and inquire about the kitten, tractor, or rare iguana you were interested in. Even though I can remember these times, I have not picked up a phone to call a stranger in quite a while. It does not even occur to me, especially when email is a very viable and safe option! If I could do everything over the internet I would, and we are definitely heading that way.

But the other day Frenchie came home with a small strip of paper torn from an ad on a lamppost selling furniture. He thought it would be a good idea for me to call them because it seemed like it might be one of the beautiful Brookline houses which may therefore have some beautiful furniture, not the crap that people sell online. It is my job to make phone calls in our marriage because Frenchie is self-conscious about his accent (even though I think most people understand him) so the task was left to me.

I put it off. Because I was scared to make a random phone call! You have no idea who is going to be on the other line! I never even pick up a call unless I know who is calling and what type of person would just blindly pick up my call without even caller ID??

Of course that type of person is the older generation who still puts signs on posts with little tabs to rip off the phone number, that's who. Obviously not somebody to be afraid of. So I called. She was nice, in a Boston sort of way, and said I should call back later to schedule an appointment to look at her furniture because she was busy with somebody else right then.

I'm already scared for the callback, but a little less than I was to make the initial call.

Day One - mission accomplished!

New Blog Theme Announced!

I haven't thought of a name for the new blog yet, but the theme will be that I am going to do something every day scares me. Now, I think I will have to take the term "scare" loosely because there are some things that don't so much scare me but I just really don't want to do them. : ) I'm sure everybody can relate to that. Those will count.

I thought of this during Obama's speech last night and the video they made of his life. Of course, it was produced in a way that was supposed to inspire us and make us impressed by his life of public service, but it made me think. Why do some people have so much courage and so much belief in themselves that they know they can serve others? I have always had the desire to help people and I often have the urge to talk to strangers who seem to be in distress. But I have always been too scared. For the past 27 years, I've had other excuses as well, like school or work or a personal life in shambles, but right now I spend my days watching TV, wandering the neighborhood and exercising. And it is not very fulfilling.

Now I'm sure eventually I will get a job and there will be multitudes of scary things to face every day, but for now I need a challenge. So I will post later with today's moment of truth...

Haircut

What should I do? Back to this?

Baby Fever

Let me start off by saying there is NO way I will be having a baby anytime soon, so don't get your hopes up quite yet (or worry, depending on who is reading this).

Maybe it is the result of me being surrounded by the mothers with their infants who, like me, walk around all day shopping, sitting at coffeeshops, etc. Or maybe it is daytime TV trying to sell me information about raising my baby. Or, maybe it is because I am in my prime baby making years and my hormones can't help it.

Whatever it is, I'm obsessed. I watched this wonderful documentary made by Ricki Lake the other day called The Business of Being Born. I was sobbing, watching these women have their babies and marveling at how strong these women are, whether they had their babies at home or in the hospital. Amazing. I also spent yesterday reading the Heather Armstrong's blog Dooce archives about her pregnancy experiences and her committal with postpartum depression. Also very intense.

This baby fever has also translated to me wanting a dog. Let me just say, while I am definitely an animal lover I am not a dog person. I don't desire to pick up poop or listen to whining or to be followed around, but I do like the idea of going for walks, teaching it tricks, and snuggling with a big doggie. I'm especially attracted to Wheaten Terriers. They are like giant stuffed animals!! Anyway, I'm not getting a dog either. I think I am just wishing for something to take care of and the cats are just not doing it for me right now.

I have to keep reminding myself that I should be taking care of myself by a) finding a job, b) fulfilling my dream of living in Oregon with Frenchie, and c) being more healthy. That should be enough to focus on, but I still feel like I'm looking for something else.

Beautiful weekend

Boston had the most unbelievable weather this weekend. In the 80s, no clouds, no humidity. So Frenchie and I headed off to the coast on Saturday. We decided to go to Rockport, MA on the North Shore. It took about an hour to get there which moved quickly because we were listening to a hilarious book on CD called The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir Listen to it, it's funny.

Going to the beach on the east coast is so different than a trip to the beach on the west coast.
First of all, you usually have to pay to park to go to the beach. Frenchie and I went to one beach a few years ago where they charged us $20 just to park! WTF! It was definitely not worth it.
Second, the beach towns are so picture perfectly cute you just want to throw up a little. Not that Oregon doesn't have cute beach towns, but these are sickeningly cute (of course, they still sell the same cheap crap).
Third, the beach is insanely crowded. I mean, I remember going to beach, trying to pick a spot to sit and rejecting them because we could see other people. Here, you can see them, you can listen to their conversations, you can smell their sandwiches, and see the tatoos that can only be seen when they are in their skimpy bikinis. It's not so much a much a bad thing, especially since I love eavesdropping on strangers, just very different.
We left the beach and walked around the cute town, thinking we should find some place to have a beer and watch the boats. As we walked around we noticed the complete lack of bars and restaurants serving alcohol. All of the sudden, like a lightbulb went off, we remembered that Rockport is a dry town! Another strange Massachusetts phenomenon. So we had to leave immediately. OK, actually we had some ice cream and then took off.


On Sunday we walked to this great bakery and our favorite store, TJ Maxx to buy more crap that we probably didn't need. Then I decided I am going to try once again to play the guitar. I mean, I'm not really busy doing anything else right now, so why not? I'll keep you updated on my progress.

Waiting

Waiting for the next step seems to be the theme of my life right now. Patience has never been one of my strong points, and while I am sure nobody likes waiting, I think it actually causes me pain. I like things to happen NOW and to have answers NOW.

Right now I am waiting to find out my bar results, for Frenchie to get his work permit (only 10 more days until we are screwed), waiting to get a job, and sort of waiting for life to begin. Not that I am not enjoying myself because I am. I have been baking, working out, reading, catching up on TV and movies and following the Olympics. At the same time, I am deep in transition mode. I can't plan anything more than a couple weeks away because I don't know where I will be or if I will be working.

For now I am just going to try to live in the moment as much as possible and not worry too much about things I cannot control.

Here is a picture of cuteness of my daytime companions.

Watching the Olympics Dinner

Jazzz

Frenchie and I went to the Newport Jazz Festival last weekend to see one of his favorite people, Wayne Shorter. We arrived a little late after the GPS system, "Garmin," decided to have a mind of its own and took us on a bit of a wild goose hunt of Rhode Island. It really made me think how much we rely on technology now. If the GPS systems and google maps were to suddenly break, would we still follow them wherever they told us to go? Would we follow blindly while we drove in the opposite direction of our destination, just trusting this device? Well, it turns out we will!

Anyway, we got there and it was a gorgeous day in a gorgeous location but many of the seats on the lawn were taken. I led us through the maze and we sat down between two groups of what turned out to be giant douchebags. On our left there was the typical young couple who glared at us for sitting so close and could not even bear to move their giant bags so we could have a little more room. On our right, was a couple with a very unattractive man and cute woman who I think were on a first date or something. The guy was trying to impress her with such lines as "I know I am overweight but I have great blood pressure" and "I understand why you are the way you are." I honestly believe it may have been this guy.

The night ended with Aretha Franklin who was awesome but slightly crazy and another wild ride home with Garmin. Whew, another New England adventure!

I did it!!

The bar is finished!! For now at least. Since last Wednesday night life has been pretty darn good. I spent the first two days sleeping, watching TV, reading and basically doing nothing. Saturday my friend and I went back down to Eugene and hung out with friends which was really fun and a last hoorah to say goodbye to what was my home for the past three years.

Last Friday night I met with some old friends from high school. I graduated 10 years ago and haven't seen some of those people since then. We are all surprisingly the same as we were in high school and my nervousness about having to tell everybody that I have no job nor do I know where I am going to live, was quickly assuaged by the fact that I felt completely at home with these girls. Reminiscing was hilarious, hearing stories about people that I had mostly forgotten. My actual high school reunion is supposed to be this fall, but I think I've seen most of the people I wanted to see already! Plus I have a new plan to go to Costa Rica this fall. Just need to dig up a little bit of money, a new bathing suit, put off getting a job and I'll be off!