I can't believe it's been three years now since I started this blog! A lot has changed since then. I was reading my July 28, 2005 entry:

Top 10 things I'd like to do before I die (in no particular order):

1. Write a novel
2. Record an albumn
3. Travel the world
4. Ride a Harley
5. Set up a trust fund for my son
6. Ensure that my loved ones know how much they mean to me
7. Go to college
8. Have a career that fulfills me & reflects who I am
9. Meet my soul mate
10. Become skinny (or at least toned!)

and I'm well on my way to accomplishing most of the items on my list.

Anyway, back to present day... Upon TG's suggestion, I wrote a letter to my advisor stating my grievance with the math prof. I've stopped going to most of his classes & have just been doing the work on my own. I'm not the only one in my class to take this route, either. I got an A- on my second speech & we haven't had any more yet. It looks like I need to get a job or pick up some extra transcription work. Apparently, none of my money for fall term gets distributed until October 11, and I do have bills to pay before then.

Tomorrow, Lisa & I are hanging out together for her birthday. It'll be nice to get caught up on all the talking we haven't been able to do one-on-one. On August 3, Krista is coming down for the Steve Miller & Joe Cocker concert at the Lithia Ampitheater. Other than that, life is pretty much the same ol' routine.

Here I've been feeling guilty because I haven't blogged in so long, but - lo & behold - Christine's last blog entry was June 21, Allen's was February 3, Laura's was May 20, and even Kathy hasn't blogged since the 3rd.

Summer term started on the 7th. I got an A on my first speech in Public Speaking yesterday & have another due tomorrow (they get longer as the term progresses - the first one was only a couple of minutes). My core & cardio class is a killer, but as long as it kills some flab along the way, I will (almost) gladly suffer through it. The prof is a lean, mean, fighting machine! She's the epitome of the aeorobics instructor/drill sergeant, complete with marching & grunting. I've already signed up for her class again next term. My math class is annoying, for more than just the obvious reasons. My instructor is undoubtedly a bright man & has many degrees, but he is so disorganized that I've learned very little from him. Seriously, like today - he introduced the material discussed as section 3.3 all the way through class until one of the students corrected him that the section was actually 3.4. This was after he once again confused the x & y intercepts (as if I can't do that well enough on my own!) & made a couple of major math errors that were also caught by students. I'd like to say that I was one of the students pointing out the errors, but I was busy doing my homework in class, as I've already decided that I learn more from the homework than I do from any lecturing or misguidance the prof is providing. Annoying, I tell you...!

Tyson started summer league basketball. He had his first game (after only two practices) on Saturday. Because they hadn't even decided teams until the game, there were no drills & it wasn't a real pretty game to watch, but watch I did, along with my favorite companion, TG.

TG also helped us celebrate the 4th of July. We went to a potluck at Lisa's & then bought some fireworks & headed to Medford for the big show & to find a spot to set ours off. We ended up in a cul-de-sac that seemed perfect until we lit up the final firework & had an old, crotchety couple drive up & tell us that they'd call the cops if we didn't leave & that what we were doing was illegal. The lady actually stared us down while sparks from the fountain sprayed up & into her passenger side window! After the run-in with them & retrieving Tyson's cell phone from the storm drain, we were ready to go home.

We returned to Chadwick's the last couple of weekends for more comedy & karaoke. We were going to check out another place on Saturday, but decided to go see the 10 pm showing of Hancock. I have a lot of fun going out, but I must admit that some of my favorite times with TG are when we're hanging out around the house or going for a walk.

Well, I am absolutely exhausted from my work out today, so I'm gonna wrap some stuff up & try to have an early night tonight.

Last night, my nephew, Johny, & his girlfriend came to stay with us. It was his 22nd birthday, so I baked a cake & we visited for a while, looking at old family photos & stuff. We got up this morning & decided to do a photo shoot in Ashland, since I've done that for both Mary & Heather & also because they didn't have any pictures together during this trip. I took most of the shoot with Johny's camera so they'd have the pics & made him promise to send them to me to add to my Picasa albumn. Here's a link to the pics taken with my camera, which turned out pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself:

Johny's Photo Shoot

I just had a surprise visit from my cousin, Nissa, & her two beautiful little girls. They live in So. Cal. & were on their way up to Eugene to see my aunt for the 4th. So, anyway, that was cool to see them, even if it was short.

I went on Friday to see TG's friend, DianneStrong, sing at Chadwick's (really, the Rogue Regency part, but I know at least some of you are familiar with Chadwick's). Here's a video of hers that will give you an idea of what she sounds like:

After eating dinner & listening to Dianne, we stayed for comedy & karaoke. Yesterday, I popped in for a little bit at Darlene's to wish her a happy birthday & bring her a bottle of bourbon, which has kinda become our birthday thing. Later, we went to my friend, April's, wedding out in Jacksonville, before heading on out to Hugo.

Seth called & said he wanted Tyson to come stay with him for a couple of days - he just moved into a new place not far from mine (that could be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it). He tried to guilt trip me by saying that I was never home with Tyson anymore, until I pointed out that he still sees me a lot more than he ever has while I was working.

I'm trying to get my mind school-ready again, since summer term starts on the 7th. I think I'm going to read the first chapter in my public speaking text & try to stay a chapter ahead. Really, I should do this in math, too, but how do you read a math textbook...?

Well, I'm going to lay down & read for a while. It's really muggy outside & I could go lay by the pool to read, but I think I'm just gonna veg inside with the AC. Ty's back from his dad's, so we'll probably watch a movie later or something. Man, I love vacation!

My boy is back home!! I really missed him, especially the last couple of days he was gone, but I don't think I realized how much until we were driving back home & he was regaling me with hilarious tales from his advetures. He's becoming such a teenager in so many ways & he doesn't talk to me as much anymore, so it was cool that he jabbered on the whole way... He was singing "Sweet Home, Talent, Oregon" as we got closer to home & professed his love for his room & his home when we walked in. I'm sure he'll quit appreciating it by day's end, but forgive a mom for relishing the rare (and decreasing daily) moments when her child wants to be home & acutally missed her!!

I met my dad & his girlfriend, Sally, at Denney's in Crescent City a little after 6 pm. In addition to Tyson, Dad also brought me some homemade banana puddin'!! (That was devoured after he bought us dinner - thanks, Dad!) Ty & Dad were in rare form & bantering back & forth. It's really cool that my family is getting to know who my son is & that they can appreciate his personality, because it is different - but then again, I guess it makes sense that they would, since his sense of humor & attitudes are pretty similar to mine. Besides, my parents already put up with 7 smart-ass kids, so I'm sure it just kinda rolls off 'em now. I enjoyed visiting with Sally, too. The only other encounter that I've had with her was at Thanksgiving with everyone else & she had a headache. I was thrilled to see how much she giggles & is goofy & makes my dad laugh. It's obvious that she just thinks the world of him!

Well, I'm gonna roll out of bed & get ready - I'm meeting my lover for lunch today, then I'll probably see if Ty wants to go to the pool with me, but I think he's pretty preoccupied with renewing his acquaintance with Halo 3 for the time being...

Well, obviously I'm back from Eureka, just slow on getting blogging done. As most of my readers already know, I didn't end up taking the trip to San Diego. I underestimated the cost of getting to San Francisco & storing my jeep, & it just would've been too much money. I've basically been hiding out at TG's place & being the laziest I've been in a veeeeeeeeerrrrrry long time. Tyson was down in California with my brother for the week. He unfortunately didn't place in his events in order to progress to regionals, but I think overall it was a good experience for him & he had a good time, so that's really what matters!

I'm meeting Lisa & Susan for lunch today. I popped into the office last Friday to pick up tapes & was informed that it was Gary's last day & that Barb (another tech that's been there for over 7 years) had given her 2 week notice. Then, in speaking with another employee (I won't name names, cause you never know who reads this), I found out that she is looking elsewhere. I just now got a call from Lisa - looks like she's working through lunch & leaving early since she has a sinus infection, so I'll just be having lunch with Susan, unless she wants to reschedule too. Oh, well, like I said, I'm really enjoying this mini-vacation I'm on, so it doesn't really bother me one way or the other!

I'd better go so I can call Ty & try to figure out what's going on with him getting back up here...

I'm down in Eureka. I brought Allen down for Carey-Anna's graduation & put the pics on Picasa from yesterday. Here's the album link:

Carey-Anna's Graduation

I brought Ty down to stay with Knuckle Schmo (aka Uncle Joe) for the week to train for the Junior Olympics next weekend. (He's going to run the 800, the mile & try his hand at shotput.) My original plan was to drive down to San Francisco on Monday to fly over to San Diego to see Sarah & Maya until Thursday, but I didn't realize that SF is a 5 hour drive from Eureka. Between the gas, time, parking cost & everything else, I'm not sure if I'm going to go.

The police made an arrest in the case of the stolen wallet - unfortunately, they didn't recover the wallet, but at least they caught one of the two perps.

I'm thinking about taking my brother, Deland, to see The Hulk today. Tyson's supposed to be doing a bake sale with Joe & Joey to raise funds for the trip. I haven't been down to the boys' house to see if that happened or not. Dad's computer is painstakingly S...L...O...W... & I've been trying to upload the grad pics. I don't think I'll even bother checking my email this weekend! I think we're gonna try to arrange a BBQ tomorrow for Father's Day & Allen & I are trying to convince Dad that he needs to whip up some banana pudding.

I'm all done with spring term & I won't know all of my grades until the 16th, but my math grade is an A! (Of course, I'm in such a low math class that it's a Pass/No Pass, but I still know it's an A & that's what really matters!) I'll be out of school until July 7th, when summer term starts. I'll be taking public speaking & math, which are both requirements for my degree. I wanted to take a PE class, but the only one they offer is in the evenings. I'm considering signing up for yoga with my yoga teacher outside of school, but I'm not sure yet.

TG, Ty & I went to Eugene last weekend for the Ford Scholarship awards banquet. The guys went shopping while I was at the orientation for the scholarship recipients & met me at the luncheon. I couldn't believe my eyes when they walked in! Tyson was wearing black slacks, a blue button up shirt and - get this - a TIE!! Chalk up one more point for TG! We stayed with Krista & Dustin & had a great time. They love TG (as I knew they would). We all went to Putters, a mini-golf, family fun center type place, and Dustin, TG & Ty played laser tag. Afterward, Ty stayed with the lil ones while the four of us went to Quackers for some adult fun. They had a live band (which honestly wasn't that great) & we did some drinking & dancing into the wee hours of the morning. We came back on Sunday & after dropping TG off at his place on the way, Ty & I went to see You Don't Mess With the Zohan (Adam Sandler's newest flick). I was so tired that I kept nodding off, but from what I saw, it was just as we expected - incredibly cheesy, but funny. The rest of the week, Ty & I finished up school. He's now officially a 7th grader & I now officially feel ancient!

Breaking news on the case of the stolen wallet:

Luckily, the officer on the case is a nice young man who is quite motivated in nailing the perps. I went down to the station today & looked at the security tape from Wal-Mart, but couldn't identify the couple. However, it was good to know for sure that it wasn't the neighbor kid that I was half suspecting due to prior conflicts Tyson & he have had. The officer was planning to show the video to my apt. manager to see if she could ID the thieves & is also waiting to hear back from a mini-market where they tried to withdraw money from an ATM. In the meantime, I'm in the process of renewing all my ID & cards. I seriously considered using this as an "opportunity" to change my last name back to Adams, but Kathy pointed out that, with all the other ID issues, this is probably not a good time to be changing names...

Soooooooo much to post, so little time. I'm in the computer lab in between math & yoga. I haven't had a chance to post about last weekend, and an abbreviated post won't begin to do it justice, but I'll summarize it, anyway:

Seth stayed at my place with Ty Friday & Saturday & I stayed out in Hugo with TG. The birthday party for his friend ended up being a lot of fun & I wasn't the only stranger there; she invited a lot of different people who didn't know each other, so that made me feel a lot more comfortable. The next day, we went to Boatnik in downtown Grants Pass & TG did the MANLY thing & won me some prizes. Afterward, we went to his grandparents' house, where the rest of the whole fam damily was. They're a great bunch & made me feel right at home. TG's dad picked up the banjo & the guitar & we had a little sing-along on the front porch. That night, we hung out with his dad, cousin, & uncle & just had a great time visiting. We made plans to go out shooting guns(sorry, I meant to say "firing weapons") the next day. We got up Sunday morning & picked up Tyson to come shooting with us. We all headed out to the family property & set up targets & proceeded to have a blast! (Heh, heh, get it? "Blast?") We got a lot of great shots (really, no pun intended there, but I'll take it) & even took some video of us shooting. Tyson was in hog heaven. He'd never really shot before & I think he also really enjoyed being around a bunch of guys. Monday was a holiday, so I didn't have school, but I honestly can't remember right now what I did...hmmm...

Anyway, that's Memorial Day weekend. I really don't have time to post about anything more current, except to say that my wallet got stolen this last weekend & it's been a huge pain in my arse, since the perp has been using my credit card & has all of my personal & financial info. I'll try to post before too terribly long & get caught up on the more recent stuff.

It's been a while since I posted, so here's my obligatory post (yup - that was for you, L!):

I registered for summer & fall terms this morning. I'll just be taking 2 classes this summer - Math & Public Speaking. I'm looking forward to having a real summer for once - I've been working every summer for the last 20-22 years (that statement really ages me)! I'll get a break between terms from June 12th through July 7th. Next week, RCC is having a recognition/awards ceremony for the RCC foundation scholarship recipients (i.e., ME!) & then it's up to Eugene for the Ford Scholarship banquet & orientation on the 7th. I had my psych test today & I feel like I did really well, although I felt that way last time & only got a C!

My brother, Joe, called & wants to get Tyson involved in the Jr. Olympics, so I'm going to drive down to Eureka (I was already tentatively planning on bringing my brother, Allen, down for his daughter's graduation) on the 13th. Ty will stay with Joe for the week so he can train with the rest of the team before the Olympics on the 20th. I found an amazing deal online last night & decided that, since I'll already be down that far, I may as well drive on down to San Francisco & fly out to San Diego to see Sarah & Maya. I talked to Sarah & her mom will be back from Italy & visiting during that time, so I can hang out with her while they're at work. It's gonna be such a blast!

I have a 4-day weekend starting tomorrow. TG's friend is having a birthday party in Grants Pass that he invited me to - I'm a little nervous, but I think it'll be fun. We went to Crater Lake last weekend & out to karaoke, which was a blast.

Last but not least, Susan ended up in the hospital this week because of an allergic reaction to the chemo & Lisa's son is going in for a biopsy of a growth they found on his kidney. Needless to say, she's a wreck. Becky just called me & told me that she got the job she was applying for in Grants Pass - just in time for her to move in with her boyfriend, Kregg. I'm happy for her, but it sucks that she won't be at SEC anymore. It seems like a lot of changes all at once, but I guess that's just life for you...

Mom's offline. She told Allen & Allen told me so that I could let everyone else know. Mom, make sure you let us know when you're back online, ok?

I got it! I got it!! I got the Ford Family Foundation Scholarship!!!! I came home from school today to find the letter in the mail. As soon as I opened it, I saw the fateful word: "CONGRATULATIONS!" I really believed that there was a big possibility I wouldn't get it - this is such a huge relief! I'm still not 100% sure on all the particulars of what this really entails, but I do know that I'm essentially set for the next four years & possibly grad school after that (as long as I maintain a 3.6 or better). They're having an orientation workshop & awards banquet on June 7th in Eugene & they will also be notifying the local paper in August. Because of the realistic person I am, I couldn't count on something like this to help me through college, but I really did feel like things would fall into place if it were meant to be & now it has, which makes me feel like I am supposed to be doing this.

Up way too late again doing homework. I know it sounds ridiculous, because I am doing well in my math class when you get down to it, but I'm really struggling with this section we're studying right now... I'm trying to keep my mental blocks at bay, though, so I'll get through it.

We had a sub in Psych today who is a practicing psychoanalyst (aka therapist) with great energy. He encouraged a lot of interaction, which we don't usually get with my regular prof, as much as I like him. It was pretty cool, because he demonstrated with a volunteer how he would approach therapy from four of the main types of therapy: psychoanalysis (dealing with subconscious & past), behavioral (altering one's behavior through reward/punishment), cognitive (dealing directly with thoughts and how we perceive things) and the humanistic approach (which is a lot more abstract, but basically operates on the belief that we all have the power within us to be our best selves - has a lot to do with transcendentalism, or internal growth). Sorry if I come across as writing a paper for my psych class. A.) I've been writing a lot of papers for my psych class! and B.) I love the fact that I get to learn about what my career is going to be like! I'm just excited that, at 31, I finally figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up...

Anyway, as usual, I'm writing way too much & I wasn't planning on staying up this late. My intention of this post is actually to mention that I picked up an application & talked to the Director of Clubs & Organizations for the RCC Student Government today. I saw a flyer that you can make up to $800 by being in government & it would look good on scholarship apps. She said that she felt really good about me & wanted me to take over her position. I may be too late for the application process, though, so we'll see. There's always the school paper, too.

Alright, enough of that school BS - I gotta get some beauty sleep!

Well, I suppose I've kept everyone in suspense long enough - time to regale you with the increasingly exciting events which my life consist of...

Ok, so it's not all that, but I do have a pretty fantastic life, for which I am incredibly grateful. Is it just that I'm an optimist, or is life just really great for me right now (or both)?

Still going strong in school - I recently turned in a compare/contrast essay for my writing class, in which I discussed the differences & similarities between myself & my siblings. Apparently, it pays to have such a crazy family, since I got an A+ on the paper!!

I went up to Eugene last Wednesday to interview for the Ford Scholarship, which I think I mentioned in a previous entry, but just in case, I'll debrief you: it is a renewable scholarship that covers 90% of expected costs of living during the next 4 years. In addition, if I graduate with a 3.6 GPA or higher (which, of course, I plan to do!), I can apply for grad school, too. I didn't feel very confident about the interview, but I spoke to two other applicants from RCC & they both thought they flopped, too, so maybe that's just how they make you feel...I guess we'll have to see! I will be notified either way by the end of May, so I'll keep you posted on that. I did receive a letter from the RCC foundation awarding me a $750 scholarship & am still waiting to hear back regarding the OR Opportunity Grant & 3 other scholarships from that application, in addition to the countless scholarships I've applied for in the meantime. I heard back from one of them today, stating that I didn't get it, but that was the one I got back in the mail a month after the deadline for insufficient postage, so I certainly wasn't counting on it, anyway... I'm looking into possibly joining the student government &/or the school paper. I emailed them both tonight, so we'll see what happens. I think it's important to be involved in school, especially for someone like me, who is counting on scholarships. Besides, I found out today that you can get like $800 for being in student government, so why not, right?

I went to an NA meeting with my big brother, Allen, on Saturday night to celebrate his 180 days clean! I am SO proud of him - even through the depression & all, he has still managed to stay sober & I give him MAD PROPS for that. I know it hasn't been easy (trust me, I know - I've tried to be there for him throughout this process)!

And, of course, I'm ecstatic that I got to spend the last two weekends with this fabulous guy we have come to know as "TG". I'm thinking maybe I don't blog often enough for him to check anymore, so maybe I'll indulge in a little gushing: he is FABULOUS!!! Smart, hilarious, thoughtful, attentive, honest & sweet. He just gets better all the time...*sigh*...

I'm not sure if I mentioned that a good friend of mine from work was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, but she has undergone a mastectomy & has been recovering incredibly well. She's such an amazing lady - I want to be like her when I grow up! She never complains - just takes things for what they are & makes the best of them. I'm praying for her continued good health.

Well, that's all, folks - Bones is on & Ace from last year's American Idol is guest starring. Should be good, if for nothing else than the aesthetic value...

Brief update, as it's pretty late & I want to watch the online episode of Grey's Anatomy, which resumed last Thursday...YEAH!!!

So, school: I had to write a narrative essay for Writing 121 on a person or event that changed my life. I wrote a five page story about Shannon & I got my grade back today & it was an A! I took my Psych 202 test over 4 chapters last Thursday & my prof actually called me at home last night to check on me following the oral surgery & informed me that I did better than most of the class, but still only scored high in the 70%. The good news is that there's an extra credit project I can do by May 8th that will help bump that up, which I fully intend to take advantage of! Yoga is yoga; how hard can it be? My College Success & Survival course met for the last time on Thursday night, so that's a done deal. I turn in a final essay tomorrow for the final grade, but it's pass or no pass, so it's no biggie. The prof is a poetry therapist, though, & I have a feeling I'll have her for a writing or sociology class down the road, so it can't hurt to make an early impression, if ya know what I mean... And, finally, Math. I've been worried about this one from the get-go, but I decided to just breathe deeply & remove my mental block where math is concerned. I completely forgot that we had a test over the last four sections this morning, but that turned out to be okay, because I just checked online & I got 100% on the test!!! Woo-hoo! There's a place where I can check my overall grade in Math & I'm at 93%. And I may or may not have mentioned it, but I got notified by the Ford Scholarship Foundation that I was selected as a finalist to interview in Eugene on May 7th. This scholarship alone pays for 90% of estimated cost of tuition, room & board, books, transportation, etc. The example they listed in the paperwork was for just under $11K. I'm going to take an interview prep training that RCC offers to prepare for this. I'm also going to attend a free luncheon/seminar that is being held at the library regarding higher education. I'm sure the topics will be insightful, but there are 3 scholarships offered as door prizes, so that's my main incentive for going...that, and free lunch!

Well, that's school. And this isn't the brief update I intended. Oh, well... As far as TG goes, if he didn't read my blog, I'd be gushing right about now, but suffice it to say that I think he's absolutely fabulous & I had the greatest time hanging out with him last weekend!

Transcription & work are still going smoothly. I emailed Brenda, the lady I do a lot of subbing for, and informed her that I'll be looking to pick up some extra work at some point in the near future. I'm reluctant to take on a whole lot more right now, but once I get through this term & settle in a little more, I think I'll be able to handle more work - and I know I could definitely handle some more cash!

So, there's the latest & greatest. I'm signing off to watch Grey's now...(yawn...)

In case there's a living soul out there that doesn't already know, I love my dentist!! I took my happy pill an hour prior to the appointment & Lisa came by & picked me up to take me in for the extraction. After being greeted warmly by the friendly staff, I was immediately taken back to the room. Dr. Schmidt came in within another minute or so, with a big smile, and inserted the IV needle quickly and painlessly. (This in itself is amazing, because I absolutly abhor needles!) Before I knew it, they were telling me that it was over & it had only been 45 minutes! The tech told me that the dentist didn't have to do any cutting, but just wiggled & pulled the wisdom teeth out easily, so not only would I have less pain & a quicker recovery, they charged me about $60 less per tooth extraction! Since they were done so early, I had quite a while to wait for Lisa to come back & get me. The tech made me sip an Ensure along with a Vicodin & I just took a little nap. At one point, they needed the room, so they wheeled me out into the waiting area, where I continued to snooze. I woke up at one point & my dentist was smiling at me & offered me a blanket & proceeded to tuck it around me all nice & cozy.

Then I came home, hung a blanket over my window & slept the rest of the night. Tyson came in around 9:30 pm & we had a great talk until 11, when I realized it was a school night - oops! Anyway, other than being a little groggy this morning, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm going to try to get away with just taking Tylenol for the pain today so that I can have a clear head & hopefully go to Dave's surprise party with TG tonight.

Ok, so I finally decided to leave my motel room in Portland...We're back home & I'm almost done being sick! I've been pretty drained lately, between having this stupid cold & trying to stay on top of school stuff & still make time to hang out.

I went to my Student Success & Survival class last Thursday & had somewhat of an epiphany. I've been skating by (yes, getting good grades) just doing the minimum required. I took a mental inventory & thought about my goals & how/when I need to accomplish them, & decided that I need to commit to school & studying more, especially at this stage in my schooling. Since making that decision, I've stayed more on top of things & applied for even more scholarships. From what everyone tells me, I shouldn't go to school full time during summer term, because they condense 11 weeks' worth of lessons into an 8 week term, and also because I need to save some of the financial aid money for the rest of the year.

I have my dentist appointment on Thursday to get my wisdom teeth out. I'm not sure if I wrote about it before, but they had to cancel on me at the last minute when I was scheduled before because the dentist got sick. Of course, this was after I took the happy pill...For my birthday, my friend, Susan, bought me an extra month of dental so that I'd get my teeth pulled, so really have to do it now.

I went out last weekend with "TG" & Samantha to go see an albumn debut concert of a friend of ours & had a great time, if I don't think about all the drinks I had & the ultimate effect they had on me. Let's just say it wasn't pretty! I, however, did look pretty fine in a new top that I got just for the occasion...

Tyson will be starting spring basketball before too long & he's pretty stoked about working with the 8th grade varsity coach. I've still been going in on Fridays to the Eye Center, but I don't know how much longer that's going to last. I've been dealing with some cleanup, but eventually I'll have that all done & Steve's getting pretty confident, so I'm not as indispensible as I once was, which is a double edged sword.

This weekend, I'm supposed to go to a surprise birthday party for Dave, my friend Becky's dad, who's an absolute hoot. I hope I'm feeling up to it, but I really don't know what to expect after getting my teeth pulled, so we shall see...

Anyway, I'm gonna go study for my Psych test (over 4 chapters) & print out my narrative essay for writing & stuff. Trying to get it all done so I can watch American Idol with Ty.

I'm sitting in my room at the Ramada Inn & Suites, getting ready to do my online math homework, but I thought I'd steal a few minutes in order to post about the trip to Portland.

I'd like to say it's been a total blast, and incredible, & I've had so much fun, but I believe honesty is the best policy. Actually, it hasn't been completely terrible, but I've been sick, which tends to dampen one's enthusiasm, for some reason.

We started on the road about 11 am yesterday - a later start than I'd intended, but I really didn't want to be stressed & rush out the door, and the important thing was to be in Portland in time for the game. I always understimate the drive time, because I once made the trip in just over 2 1/2 hours, but I have to remember that I didn't have kids with me, I was in my Honda, & that it was between midnight & 2 am. This drive was closer to 5 hours. I started getting progressively more sick the further we drove & my sinuses were on fire, my throat was raw & I had a hard time keeping my eyes open. We did make it safe & sound, however, & found the motel with relative ease. I was dying to take a nap, but realized upon check-in that we had just enough time to eat dinner & catch the shuttle to the airport, where we would take the Max to the Rose Garden for the game.

I was a little nervous about the whole Max thing, because I know how easy it is to get misrouted on buses & trains in a big city & I had three boys with me. But I asked a gangsta looking guy for help & he steered me in the right direction. So, we board the Max to discover that the half the city of Portland has been experiencing a power outage, which affected the train, which meant we were rerouted to the public bus system, who was going outside their normal route & taking at least twice as long to get there. By the time all was said & done, we arrived at the game right around 8 pm & it started at 7 pm. Once we entered the stadium, all of that stress disappeared & the awe set in. The boys were completely enthralled by the entire scene & of course knew all about the different players.

The halftime show consisted of a local drumming band, who were absolutely incredible & had so much energy. The performance was choreographed so that, at one point, there was a loud pause ended by all the musicians jumping into the air & landing in unison with a thundering drum beat. By the end of the performance, their band leader was standing on his stool thrashing on his drum set in a frenzy. (Obviously, this was the highlight for me!)

The Blazers won 107 - 104, so that was really cool. Also, because they scored over 100 points, everyone in the crowd got a coupon for a free chalupa at Taco Bell, which had the boys stoked.

After the game, the Max ride was essentially uneventful & we were shuttled back to our motel, where the boys set up camp in the other room. The setup worked really well, especially with me being as sick as I was last night. All in all, I succeeded in giving Tyson a memorable 12th birthday.

Now I've got to finish my homework, get the guys some grub & hit the road. I have 4 tapes waiting for me to transcribe when I get home!

You all know I'm basically a pretty optimistic & positive person. So I try to keep my serious blogging to a minimum.

However, I did want to acknowledge the 4 year anniversary of Shannon's untimely death. Do they call it an anniversary when it's not in celebration of something? Of course, I start thinking about Shannon more than ever on her oldest son, Kyle's birthday, on Krista's birthday, on my birthday, on Tyson's birthday, on Spring Break (because that's the last time Tyson & I saw her), and on Easter. Then, along rolls the 10th. Enough time has gone by that I can basically deal with the idea that my best friend is gone forever, but the time will never come when I don't miss her.

Shannon was my partner in crime. She loved nothing else than to have a secret, devious plan, which I would be assigned to concocting, & she would encourage me & play along. Shannon was also my biggest fan. The last time I stayed the night with her, she asked me to sing "Teen Angel" to her twice in a row. She was always the one who stayed behind in choir with me & told me to "sing it in my loud voice". And she was my confidante. I miss talking to her. She & I could be raunchy & laugh together, or we could read the bible, or study together, or go for an all day walk or bike ride, or we could cry together.

As cheesy as it sounds, she really was the wind beneath my wings. I know exactly what Bette Midler is singing about in that song. Shannon was the one who gave me the courage & confidence to be the person I was, and she would stand quietly by, sometimes almost in awe, when I shined because of the strength she had given me. I know that she would be so proud & supportive of where I'm at in life & what I'm doing.

We all know Shannon wasn't perfect, & I don't want to falsely glorify her or the way she died, but I did want to acknowledge today how incredibly special she was to me & the major role that she played in my life.

Happy Birthday, Christine & Allen!!!!!

And now, the goings-on...

Well, as you may have heard, there is a certain someone I've been spending time with. Not nearly as much as I'd like to, mind you, but we did manage to get some quality time in this weekend. Can I just say how much fun I have with this guy?! It's so cool to finally meet someone that I can be myself around. We didn't do a whole lot - went to the bowling alley & played air hockey (still in search of a good air hockey table!) & Deal or No Deal & some other games with his friends, Mike & Chelsea. We got a bunch of tickets & brought home some souveniers (my personal favorite being the rubber chicken keychains). Afterward, we went to see 21 at the movies, but actually left early cause it was getting late.

On Saturday, we downloaded a pinball game onto Tyson's XBox 360 (thanks, L!) because there were no pinball machines at Lava Lanes & I've really been wanting to play. I have never actually played on the 360 before, so I wasn't really sure about it, but Lance did convince me & I proceeded to whup his narrow behind! It was so cool - you really get the feeling that you're playing on a pinball machine, complete with the sights, sounds & shaking from the controller. I grudgingly stepped away from the 360 in order to take Lance to an audition in Medford & then we met up & played some pool. Actually, he played some pool - I just sucked really, really badly! Afterward, we tried out a new Chinese food place that was really good & the waitress had an uncanny sense for what we did & didn't like, which we found a little disconcerting. I guess you'd have to be there...

We came back to my place & Lance & Tyson & his buddy played some video games while I did some transcription. (By the way, Ty was with his dad & grandpa Friday night & most of Saturday.) Then Lance & I went for a long walk & enjoyed some good conversation, as usual.

On Sunday, I got to experience Rock Band at his house. For those of you who don't know, this is a video game where you have almost life-sized instruments, such as a bass, guitar, drums & a mic. It was such a blast & I just love the fact that I can hang out with a guy that I like & still be such a dork & have such a good time!

Anyway, that's enough about "The Guy" - don't want him thinking I spend all my time writing about him & sighing...

I finally rented a "parlor suite" for us in Portland for the Trailblazers/Mavericks game on Saturday! I'll have the king bed & give the boys the living area & just have them bring sleeping bags - screw paying an extra $30 for rollaways! It's about 5 miles (20 minutes) from the Rose Garden, where the game will be, but the motel offers a shuttle to the airport, less than a mile away, & we can take the metro from there, so we won't have to worry about driving & parking. I think we'll have a blast!