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Category: June 2004

Almost Done [06/30/04]

[Blogging and Web Stuff]

I'm almost done tinkering with my site. I think the only page left to upgrade is my styles page and some Christmas pages. I need to remake all my skins. I also need to surf through my blog entries and clean some things up. If you see any pages that don't look upgraded, let me know.

Then I need to get all my pictures from Portland together and make a photo album. I have three days off this weekend, so I should have plenty of time. Yay! smile

Having trouble with my comments? [06/29/04]

[Blogging and Web Stuff]

Anyone else besides boogaboo not able to open my comments with a left click?

Great Mail! [06/28/04]

[Webcam Fun | What's Going On?]

I've had some great mail come my way lately. Today, I got a six bottles of Torani syrup.

  • Watermelon
  • Black Cherry
  • White Chocolate
  • English Toffee YUM!!!
  • Chocolate
  • Raspberry
I also got the new Lori McKenna CD, "Bittertown." She's one of my favorite songwriters and singers.

LORI MCKENNA: Bittertown


On Friday, I got a box of checks I ordered with Lily's picture on them. They're so cool!!

Then I got a new webcam. It's a Creative NX Pro. Here's a sample:

Kim in her new webcam


I also got some nasty bills in the mail. Bleh. But I guess you can't usually have good mail days without getting a nasty bill in the mail at some point. heh!

Unconscious Mutterings [06/27/04]

[Memes - Unconscious Mutterings]

Unconscious Mutterings
  1. Lounge:: Music
  2. Photograph:: Haunting Me
  3. Catacomb:: Poi Dog Pondering
  4. Crucifix:: Cross
  5. Fired drill:: Grade School
  6. Tube:: River
  7. Dropped:: Floor
  8. LTD:: Car
  9. Panther:: Black
  10. Formica:: Counter Top

Sunday Weigh-in [06/27/04]

[What's Going On?]

Sunday weigh-in: PZ -15 LW +1 (lost 15 pounds total, gained 1 pound since last weigh-in)

I didn't post a weigh-in last week, but I hadn't lost or gained anything. This week, things are moving again. smile

I've run out of Portland trip journal posts, so I guess I'll have to start thinking of new things to say. I'm still revamping my entire website to make it accessible to people who use assistive technologies. Right now I'm working on my song pages. I think when that's done, all that's left is my blog and making alternate skins.

I made myself stop sitting at the computer for about an hour last night. I put Stephen King's "Storm of the Century" DVD on and sat down on the couch to watch it. But then the bad guy scared me, and I decided I shouldn't watch a scary movie that close to bedtime. Gak.

Day 9, Part 3, Portland [06/26/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

June 5, 2004 8:00 p.m. Central

I think I'm somewhere over Arkansas. The clouds look like what some would think Heaven looks like. I think if there is a Heaven, it probably doesn't have clouds. Clouds are tied up too much with planetary atmosphere. Ummm... anyway...

The flight in to Chicago was nice. I didn't have anyone sitting next to me. O'Hare airport wasn't bad. We had to taxi a while before we got to our gate and then again before take off, but inside the airport was fine. I didn't have to rush and had time to get a Big Mac to eat on the plane. When I got on, there were two people sitting in my row. When I told them my seat was the window seat, they let me in. But shortly after, the lady went to another seat on the plane, so I don't have anyone sitting right next to me again. I've been really lucky on this trip.

I was sitting on the wrong side of the plane to get a good picture of downtown Chicago, but I saw it through the window on the other side of the plane. I almost saw St. Louis, MO, too, but the clouds got too thick as we were approaching. We're supposed to fly just east of Dallas, so if the clouds break, I'll be able to see that. [Alas: it was getting dark as we flew over Dallas, so no decent pictures.]

I saw the little commuter train in Chicago. That's kinda cool. They had one in Portland, too.

I guess this will be my last journal entry from the road. I can't pick Lily up from the kennel until tomorrow after 3:00, so I'll have a lonely night at home tonight. I need to call my Aunts to tell them I made it home okay. Until next trip...

Day 9, Part 2, Portland [06/25/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

June 5, 2004 3:30 p.m. Central

I'm somewhere over Montana or Wyoming. I think I got an almost decent picture of downtown Portland from the air. I could see the bridges going into downtown. I didn't see Mount Hood from the air as it was too cloudy. I saw quite a few snow capped peaks a little while ago, though.

I had a turkey sandwich, Ruffles and a brownie they served on the plane. I hope they have another meal on the next flight, but my ticket says they won't. The brownies they have are awesome.

I've got my iTunes playing... listening to The Refreshments "Suckerpunch."

Riding around Portland this week and flying over the mountains and rivers, I keep getting a strong emotional feeling... a wish that someone would take me away from where I am in my life right now. The houses in Portland are so beautiful. I just don't believe I'll ever have anything like that. I know if I want it, I need to start doing something to get it. I just don't want to do it alone. And I'm too picky and impatient with people to think I'll ever meet someone I can get along with and who will put up with that.

When I was waiting for my plane in Austin, I looked around the terminal gate and wondered how many guys there were single and available. Then I wondered how many of those were non-smokers who don't drink very much. And how many of those were in my age range and who love animals. And if there are any of those, whether we would get along very well. *pfft*

I gave little Gizmo some lovins before we left for the airport. He's getting old, and it makes me sad to think that next time I visit he might not be around anymore.

I'd really like to go back again next year. I'd like to rent a car and take some road trips on my own. I've never been to Crater Lake, and I'd really like to see it.

I am looking forward to getting home, though. Sleeping in my own bed, surfing the internet, and getting back on my diet. I suspect I wouldn't be as emotional as I am if I wasn't so full of sugar.

We just passed over some city and the pilot said we're headed for Dupree, SD.

Day 9, Part 1, Portland [06/22/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

June 5, 2004 9:50 a.m.

I'm sitting at Starbucks at the Portland airport. Looking out the window, I see 4 Alaskan airlines planes. The tail of each plane has an Eskimo face on it. I like Eskimos, but I've always found that face somewhat creepy.


I was hoping to get a picture of Mount Hood on the way to the airport, but it clouded over and got all nasty rainy overnight.

I spent my last evening sitting out on the deck, reading my book, and watching the boats go by. There were some folks racing waverunners, too. I've read almost half my book, which is really nice. I didn't sleep worth a darn last night. I don't know if all the rest I've had is catching up with me, or if the change in the weather messed me up. Or it could be eating poorly that messed me up.

Oooo... I got here just in time... there's a long line at the Starbucks now. My flight leaves in two hours. I have to change planes in Chicago. I really hope the clouds clear up, and I can get some good pictures out the window of the plane.

Day 8, Portland [06/21/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

June 4, 2004 4:45 p.m.

I took pictures of my Uncle's dock for his permit renewal. He needed a picture from land and a picture from the water. I braved the wild, and walked down to the stairs to the dock. I got an itchy-scratchy place on the back of my knee from some weeds I brushed up against. After I took pictures from that angle, I walked over to the marina and got out my telephoto lens. I got a couple pictures from that angle to serve as the "from water" pictures.

We took my camera card to Walgreens, and I used the machine there to get prints. That's a great thing. When I get back to Austin, I'll pick out some pictures and make prints and send back to my aunts.

We went to Lake Oswego to a shopping center where my cousin Hoyt works. He works at a clothing store called Pendleton. They specialize in wool clothing. A morning show on Channel 2 was filming a short segment about the store. Hoyt was a model along with a couple other men. I collected a hug from him and walked over to the lake for a look around.

On the way back to Aunt Alice's house, I looked for Mount Hood. I saw it peaking over the trees a few times. I wanted a picture, but only succeeded in getting a poor one where I can see the mountain, but I'd have to point it out to anyone else looking at the picture.

When we got back, we had leftover Chinese food and strawberry shortcake. Uncle Emery showed me his dad's safe that was made some time around 1913.

Dream Journal - Radio Interview and ilikekim.com [06/21/04]

[Dream Journal]

I dreamt this in Portland, Oregon the night of 6/3 - 6/4 2004

I was supposed to do a live interview with TJ Higley of That's Power on a radio show. I was going to be the interviewer. The interview was on Friday. It was Thursday night, and I'd never done a live broadcast before. I knew it would take a lot of time to set up and to teach me how to do it. I was going to have to get help from Denny or Adam. I hadn't written the interview questions yet, either, and I realized I was going to have to go to work on Friday. I didn't know how I would get it all done. I talked to TJ a little bit.

I also saw a girl who said, "I saw you on ilikekim.com." Her name was Kim, too. She said she loves that site. I think she used it to flirt with guys.

I was thinking I needed to postpone the interview, but I had to get ahold of TJ to see if that was okay with him.

Day 7, Part 2, Portland [06/20/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

June 3, 2004 10:30 p.m.

My cousin Melissa and her man Mike came out and we went for Chinese dinner. We sat at a big round table with a lazy susan in the middle. That was neat. Melissa is really cool and energetic. She seemed so excited to see me. I've only seen her a couple of times before. She's about 14 years younger than me.

I've got one more day here before I go home. I think we might try to go see my cousin Hoyt. The week sure went by fast.

Day 7, Part 1, Portland [06/20/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

June 3, 2004 5:30 p.m.

Today we went to Champoeg State Park to see where the early settlers of Oregon voted to set up a government and make Oregon a state. It was a close vote... 52 to 50. The trees there were gorgeous... big fat pine trees.

On the way back, I finally caught a glimpse of Mount Hood; so majestic off in the distance. I couldn't get a picture, though, as I was sitting on the wrong side of the car.

After lunch, I worked crossword puzzles and then went outside on the deck and read my book for a while. It's around 80 degrees, but the deck is in the shade of a great big tree. There were some boats out on the river. After a while, Uncle Emery came and got me and told me to come out front. He let me drive his little tractor around the front yard. Yay! That was fun. I've never driven a little tractor before.

Unconscious Mutterings [06/20/04]

[Memes - Unconscious Mutterings]

Unconscious Mutterings
  1. Abundance:: lots
  2. Casino:: dice
  3. Shell:: fish
  4. Overpriced:: rich people store
  5. Cancellation:: class
  6. Eternal:: flame
  7. Lyrics:: song
  8. Faith:: George Michael
  9. Because:: Beatles
  10. Wimp:: name calling

Dream Journal - Mixing Chemicals [06/19/04]

[Dream Journal]

I dreamt this in Portland, Oregon the night of 6/2 - 6/3 2004.

I think I was a student at a college. There were a couple of school buildings in the dream, and I remember a lot of stairs.

The part of the dream I remember the clearest took place in some old houses. There was a guy I liked named Chris. He's not a guy in real life... just in the dream. He had thick wavy dark blond hair. It wasn't short, but it wasn't long. And he had black wire rimmed glasses. I don't know whether he liked me, too.

At one point, he was at my table trying to study, but my table was really cluttered. He said something about it, so I started cleaning the table. There were some open chemicals on the table. I picked up an upturned lid with some clear liquid in it and was trying to figure out if it went with an open container. I decided it did and poured the liquid into the container. Then I realized the lid didn't fit, so I knew I had mixed chemicals.

I picked up the container and the liquid started bubbling and gas was coming out. I ran to the kitchen and was going to dump it down the sink, but then thought better of it. I set the container down on the floor.

I started telling to everyone that we had to evacuate because it might blow up. At first they just stared at me, but then they got out. I started to leave, too, but I needed tp get my purse and LilyDawg. I found my purse, but I couldn't find LilyDawg. I went outside and found her at the door. I picked her up and started going across the street.

A guy was coming up to the house. He said someone had told him what was going on. I asked if that meant I didn't need to call 9-1-1. I think he said someone already did that. I ran to the house across the street and went into the garage where everyone was. We watched a group of hazardous waste guys go to the house. Two of them had a man by the arms. The man was struggling, but they made him go inside. I thought maybe he was a criminal, and they were going to make him check out the chemicals.

A hazardous waste guy stayed outside. He had a backpack and was examining it. I think it was the criminal's backpack.

There was an earlier part of the dream where I found some keys in a lock on a garage. I think it was the garage of the house we ran to. I got the keys and was asking people if they left them. I asked that Chris guy, but he said no. I can't remember if I kept the keys or gave them to him anyway.

Day 5, Portland [06/18/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

June 2, 2004 7:45 p.m.

I worked crosswords and other puzzles today. I also played a couple games of Tri-ominoes with my aunts. On the news here, the top story is a girl who went missing this weekend. There were also some kids who got killed on a railroad bridge when a train came along and they couldn't get out of the way. A lady also who got killed walking her dog on a car bridge when a car went out of control and hit her. The dog got hurt, but he's going to be okay.

A fire broke out on the Seattle monorail, too. That's strange because the last time I was in the Pacific Northwest, there was a bomb scare at one end of the monorail route and they had to evacuate the area. I was in the area that time.

I got to do a little driving today. I was glad... I like to drive in new places, and I've never driven around my aunt's neighborhood before. I only went a short way... to take Aunt Alice to Walgreens, but it was still nice. I think next time I come here, I'll rent a car, so I can go off exploring on my own sometimes.

Aunt Mary took Uncle Emery and I to lunch at Shari's. It's like a cross between Denny's and Marie Calendars. I had a Mega Melt sandwich (ham, turkey, bacon, tomato, swiss and cheddar cheese on grilled sourdough). I also had S'more's pie. YUM!!

I'm proud of myself, though... except for one small glass of sparkling cider, the only thing I've had to drink the whole time I've been here is water.

I walked down to the marina again, but there wasn't much new to see. Just some fishermen. There were some ducks, but they were across the marina. I walked over there to see them, but by the time I got over there, the paddled over to the side from which I just came.

I saw my cousin Jackie today, too.

Two more days here. Not sure what we're doing, but I think I'll be seeing my cousin Melissa tomorrow night.

You Found Me How? [06/17/04]

[You Found Me How?]

Searches to my blog:
i want to be a actor like harry potter
pics of girls plumber's cr·ack
blue + deodorant + stability

Dream Journal - Dog Shelter [06/16/04]

[Dream Journal]

I had this dream the night of June 1-2 in Portland, Oregon:

I was driving somewhere on a really wide street. It was in the morning, but I don't think I was driving to work yet. I looked over to the left, and there was a dog kennel. A gate was open and the dogs were just about to start getting out. I got over in the left lane, and it took a minute to be able to turn.

I turned in and got out of my car. The first dog to come out was a black and white furry dog. I grabbed him. Then someone who worked there noticed the dogs were about to get out. She was chasing a dachsund. I trapped the dachsund under me. I had a skirt on and his little head was poking out the back of my skirt and his tail out the front. I was thinking dachsunds had bad backs, so I needed to be careful. I was kinda sitting on him. I think I got another dog, too, so I couldn't move around much without losing a dog.

Someone came to get the third dog. I reached down and got the dachsund in my left arm. I was afraid the two dogs might growl or wiggle and try to get away, but they didn't.

They finally took the dogs from me and then realized there was a new lock on the door or gate and in all the excitement, someone closed it and no one could get out because they didn't have a key yet. Then someone said I needed to check out at the front desk. I walked around the facility until I found the front desk. I told the girl there what had happened, and she didn't know how to handle it. She told me I needed to talk to the manager guy.

The manager guy babbled stuff about how I needed to clean some carpets and write some stuff down that evening. I asked him to repeat what he was saying and tell me why I had to clean carpets when I only stopped by to help. He said that I didn't have to clean carpets.

While I was waiting to be let out of the building, I was thinking that my dog was home alone and that my work had no idea why I was late.

He opened the door to the parking lot, and I was looking for my car. At first I couldn't remember what kind of car I had. I looked around the lot, and couldn't find my car. Then I remembered what I drove. It wasn't there.

So the guy went next door to a junk yard and started pulling car parts out. They were parts from my car. While I was helping wrangle dogs, they had sent it next door to be taken apart. I started crying and getting really angry.

The manager guy was now a lady. I was yelling at her that I had stopped to help and they tore my car apart. I said a few curse words, too. She told me that I didn't understand how much something she had recently bought cost her. I yelled at her some more that it was irrelevant to me. Just like how much something cost me was irrelevant to her.

I also had another dream about taking an exam and passing it with flying colors then having to take it again the next day and not remembering all the answers in detail. I was hoping they would take the score on the first exam as the final score. There was a lot more, but I don't remember it.

Day 4, Part 3, Portland [06/16/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

June 1, 2004 10:10 p.m.

I walked down to the marina again today. There was a cool little double decker houseboat there.

On the way back, I noticed an almost full moon. I don't know if it's getting full or it was already full the other night.

Earlier, I saw a strange sight. A vine growing across the top of a fence with some spikey bulb things hanging down. I asked Aunt Alice what they were. She said they're wild cucumbers. Weird! They're not edible and they grow really fast. More of a nuisance, I think.

For dinner, I heated up some leftover turkey and dressing and giblet gravy. Once it was hot, I dropped some cashews into the dressing and gravy. It gave it a little crunch... yummy!

Tomorrow, my cousin Jackie is supposed to come trade cars with my Aunt Alice. Aunt Alice's car is making a noise, so Jackie's going to take it to be fixed.

I heard on the weather report that it's supposed to get into the 80's the next few days. Yay! I'm glad I brought my shorts now. smile

Day 4, Part 2, Portland [06/15/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

June 1, 2004 5:00 p.m.

Not eating right is taking its toll on me. I feel awful. Headachy and tired. I got 11 hours of sleep last night, yet all I wanted to do most of the day is lay down and nap. It's a good learning experience, though. I think I posted in my blog at least once before I started dieting that I rarely ever felt good. Now I know why. Ugh.

We drove around Wilsonville today, and I got some pictures of a few historical things. A historical marker at a park, a wood mural at the library, and the Oregon Korean War Memorial. That was fun. Then we came home and had sandwiches. Yum... I love those sweet pickled peppers on a sandwich.

The weather is a bit warmer today, so I'm wearing my shorts and giving my long pants a rest. The water on the river was so still this morning; it was like glass.

Day 4, Part 1, Portland [06/15/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

June 1, 2004 9:45 a.m.

Cousin Emily and her husband Jerry came over last night for Turkey dinner. It was great to see Emily, and she seemed really happy to see me, too. We had stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, deviled eggs, and fruit salad. For dessert, we had strawberries and butter drop biscuits and that was really good.

I've slept real good here at night. I've been having a lot of dreams, too, but few that I can remember in detail. In one, my Aunt Alice asked me if I knew the band Footfall, and mentioned something about Hotline. That's the Ampcast chat service. Footfall is the chat name of a guy in the band Second Story, but in my dream, the band's name was Footfall. I was really surprised she knew the band. I asked her if she knew John (the guy whose chat name is Footfall), but she didn't. She knew the other band members.

I messed up on packing. I packed way too many pairs of shorts. It's too cool here for shorts. I had 2 pair of long stretch pants, but at the last minute, I decided to take the pair of black ones out and wear my new black jeans instead. The jeans are a little too tight and the button part cuts into my stomach. I wore them on the plane trip up, and now I have sore spots on my belly. I have another pair of blue jeans that fit okay, but that just gives me two pairs of long pants to wear for the whole week. The joy of traveling...

Unconscious Mutterings [06/13/04]

[Memes - Unconscious Mutterings]

Unconscious Mutterings
  1. Colorblind:: Counting Crows
  2. Shallow:: Pool
  3. Erotica:: Sex
  4. Figment:: Epcot Center
  5. Eviction:: Rent
  6. Composed:: Together
  7. Chill:: Ice
  8. Girl:: Pigtails
  9. California:: Sunny
  10. Bond:: James

Sunday Weigh-in [06/13/04]

[What's Going On?]

Sunday weigh-in: PZ -14 LW +2 (lost 14 pounds total, gained 2 pounds since last weigh-in)

I am up 2 pounds since I weighed 2 weeks ago. But that's a good thing. Last week, when I got back from my trip to Portland, I was up 7 pounds! So really, I'm down 5 pounds. heh!

I just got back from the store where I stocked up on good food like pork chops, strawberries, and tomatoes. I also finally remembered to get batteries for my flashlight. I didn't remember whether it took C or D batteries, though, so I got both. Ended up to be D. I put them in the flashlight, and it works so good now!

Let's all applaud brykMantra for being named Blog o' the Week over at Y'all Blog. Y'all Blog focuses on happenings and other things in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. You can count on brykMantra to update every day and to bring a chuckle or two to your day. Yay! brykMantra!

There are men all around my duplex building a fence. I have my webcam pointed at my gate right now. So if anyone wants to see men building a gate, take a look. smile

Day 3, Portland [06/12/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

May 31, 2004 4:00 p.m.

Aunt Alice fell this morning and dislocated her shoulder. Aunt Mary took her to the hospital where they put her back together. They knocked her out first. She said she doesn't feel any pain, so that's good. Uncle Emery said it's a good thing we're here because he can't see well enough to drive. They would have had to call 9-1-1.

Aunt Mary drove Uncle Emery and me to the store just now to get strawberries, shortcake and Cool Whip. They were out of shortcake, so we got butter drop biscuits on the recommendation of a guy who works there. We'll see how they are.

I saw Tangerine Diet Rite soda there. I've never seen it anywhere before. I thought about getting some, but it only came in a twelve pack, and I was afraid I wouldn't like it and be stuck drinking a whole twelve pack in the next 5 days. Gak. I also thought I might like it a lot... that would suck because then I would know what I was missing.

I saw a train go by today filled with logs. I read an article in the local paper that says the loggers aren't allowed to do their thing everywhere because of the Spotted Owl. But it said the Barred Owl is taking over and kicking all the Spotted Owls out. The environmentalists don't really know what to do. And the loggers want to start cutting down trees again because the Spotted Owls are gone.

There's a turkey in the oven. We're having turkey and dressing and corn and probably some other stuff tonight. My cousin Emily is going to come by, too.

Risk Taker [06/12/04]

[General Goofiness]

I am such a risk taker. I mean... today... when I was walking Lily... I walked halfway down the street with a shoelace untied... and I *knew* it was untied!!

Day 2, Part 2, Portland [06/11/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

May 30, 2004 10:15 p.m.

Tonight, Aunt Alice, Aunt Mary and I played Triominoes. It's kinda like dominoes except the playing pieces are triangle shaped with numbers on each point. You have to lay down pieces next to each other matching the numbers. Aunt Mary won all but one game. Aunt Alice one the other one.

Then we watched a couple of shows on PAX. One had Billy Ray Cyrus as a doctor. He didn't have a mullet, though. The other show was about a deaf FBI agent named Sue.

I had a chicken and turkey sandwich for dinner with swiss cheese that I brought from Texas and some of the sweet pickled peppers from Harry and David. Oh my... those peppers are awesome.

Now it's time for bed. I'm going to read some of my Robert Jordan book until I fall asleep. I was reading some earlier... laying on the couch and periodically looking out the window at the river. I even napped a little. It's so nice here. smile

Day 2, Part 1, Portland [06/10/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

May 30, 2004 4:45 p.m.

Today, Aunt Alice drove Uncle Emery, Aunt Mary and me to Woodburn Outlet Mall. We went to Harry and David and they had so many good things, I was a bit overwhelmed. I got some sweet pickled peppers which I haven't had since I went to Ohio in 1997. Aunt Alice got some cherry butter. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure I'll love it. (Edit: I loved it!!) Uncle Emery got some peanut butter filled pretzels.

We also went to Super Walmart for some groceries.

My Uncle Emery is a hoot. We were having lunch and he put cheese and mayo on a peanut butter cookie. I think he put some pepper and onion relish on there, too. hah!

I took a walk to the marina down the road and took some pictures. Walking on the floating docks is fun, especially when the water gets a little choppy. There are flowers everywhere. I saw some cherries on a tree. And some quinces, too. I'm not sure what a quince is, but I saw some just the same.

It looks like it's going to be 97 degrees in Austin tomorrow. It might get into the 70's here. hehe

Day 1, Part 4, Portland [06/09/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

May 29, 2004 10:15 p.m. Pacific

I'm at my Aunt Alice's house now. I love it so much here. She lives on the Willamette River. My bedroom has sliding glass doors out onto a balcony that overlooks the river. There's a railroad bridge right nearby. I can't wait for a train to go by. I love the sound of a train. I climbed up on that bridge the last time I was here.

The last time I was here was 8 years ago. I can't believe it's been that long. That was the year I went up to Seattle by myself. I came back down here to Portland for about a week after Seattle. It's great to see my Aunt Alice and Uncle Emery again. I was happy to see when I got here that Gizmo the little dog is still around. I fell in love with him last time. He's 14 years old now. Such a cutie. smile

I saw downtown Portland from the plane while we were landing, but I couldn't get a good picture because it was really cloudy. I downloaded all the pictures I took today. I couldn't believe it... there were 45 pictures, and most were from the window of the plane!! Most of those weren't that great, but when you've got a digital, you can just keep snapping shots and hope some of them turn out good. Some did!

I'm not even going to attempt to diet while I'm here. I forgot what a sweet tooth my Uncle Emery has. He fed me donuts as soon as we got to the house. haha I'll be good and drink water, though.

I had to set my watch back 2 hours. It says 10:15, but I'm tahred. My body thinks it's after midnight.

It's great to be here!!

The Most of Love [06/08/04]

[Music - Mine]

Kim SingingNew Song - The Most of Love
Got another new song for ya! My buddy Dennyvan wrote it. It's about love and how it takes a lot of courage to go find it. Adam Kittle produced it, too. Yay!

Day 1, Part 3, Portland [06/07/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

May 29, 2004 6:00 p.m. Central

We're flying over the Rocky Mountains. I just saw a ski resort. There are a lot of clouds, so it's hard to see anything for very long.

The seats on this plane are so very uncomfortable. People complain about Southwest Airlines, but American seems worse to me. There's a contoured head rest, but it's contoured for someone else's head. Oh wait... I just noticed I can push the countours back into the seat and make it flat. I wish I'd discovered that three hours ago. I've had headrest "arms" poking me in the shoulders all this time. Ah well... I'm more comfortable now.

Aunt Mary got on the plane, but we didn't get to sit together. The flight is full, so no one is moving around. Before we took off, she came back to my seat and gave me crackers, goldfish, carrots and a brownie. One of the flight attendants was worried about me, too, because all the passengers getting on the plane got a bag with a sandwich and chips. Since I stayed on the plane, I didn't get one. But they dug up a kosher sandwich meal from somewhere at the front of the plane. I'm pretty sure it was better than the meal everyone else got. The sandwich had salami and turkey. Everyone else just got turkey. It also had a container of "coffee whitener." haha I've never seen it called that.

I've been drinking ginger ale. I sure love ginger ale. smile

I'm sitting next to a nice man and his wife. I remember now when I picked my seat, I purposely got one on the side of the plane where there are three seats in a row. I figured if I sat on the side with two seats, I might end up having to talk to the person next to me.

I took a nap earlier, and then I read "The Eye of the World" for a bit. That's the first book in Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series. I've read about half the series. I had to start over before I read any more of the books, though, because it's been a long time since I read what I read. I really want to start reading again. That means making myself go to bed earlier. That's when I like to read... just before bed.

Someone keeps kicking or hitting my seat from behind. Maybe slapping the tray table.

Parking... I parked on the airport lot, but in the far parking lot. I was trying to decide whether to pay more to park close. They were having a special... park in the covered garage next to the terminal for $12/day. The far lots are $6/day. So I thought... what if someone offered me $48 to walk from where my car was to the terminal. Would I do it? Heck yeah. So I parked far. There were lots of open spaces in the garage. 'course... if it's raining when I get back to Austin, I'll wish I had parked in the covered garage.

We're going to fly over Boise. We might be over it right now... not sure. Boise is Jake "The Snake" Plummer's hometown. smile smile

The pilot says it's 57 degrees in Portland. That's 30 degrees cooler than it was in Austin. I should have brought some long sleeved shirts.

Day 1, Part 2, Portland [06/06/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

May 29, 2004 3:30 p.m. Central

I made it to Dallas. I'm sitting on the plane at the gate watching for Aunt Mary to get on. The flight to Dallas was full, but only me and this other guy are staying on to go to Portland. A teenage boy (or maybe pre-teen) sat next to me. That was great. I always fear I'll have to sit by someone who will want to talk the whole way. I hope that doesn't happen for the leg to Portland. Sitting by my Aunt Mary would be fine, but we have assigned seats, so that's probably not gonna happen.

I don't have the best window seat, but it could be worse. I can see forward, but the tippy front of the engine is right outside my window. I can't look straight out or behind me. I got some pictures of downtown Austin from the air, though.

I brought a baggie full of swiss cheese as snack food. I stuffed a big chunk of it in my mouth just as the flight attendant came by to ask my drink order. She had to wait until I finished chewing. D'oh!

I better put this laptop away before the next wave of passengers starts boarding the plane.

Day 1, Part 1, Portland [06/06/04]

[Trip Journal - Portland]

May 29, 2004 1:30 p.m. Central

Here I sit at Gate 13 Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. I'm about to leave for Portland, Oregon with a brief stop in Dallas to pick up my Aunt Mary. We're going to visit my Aunt Alice. The airport is a lot more crowded than last time I was here, but it's a holiday weekend so whatcha gonna do?

I've got iTunes playing on my laptop with headphones. Right now it's playing "Halo" by AnneTenna.

I got here a couple hours early. No problems going through security.

This is going to be a 6 hour flight with no meal, so I got a brisket and salad plate at Salt Lick Barbecue. Such a nice low carb friendly meal. smile

I weighed this morning, and I was back down to what I was before I binged my way through that three day training class I took earlier in the week. Whew! I suspect I won't be able to be strict on my diet while in Portland, but that's okay. It's vacation!

I woke up this morning at 5:00 a.m., and did a little stretch. My calf cramped up in a big way. The kind of cramp that when you feel the muscle with your hand, there's a big dent there. Then I realized both ankles were cramping, too. Ugh. I got up and walked around. It finally subsided about 15 minutes later. Bummers.

Lily's at her daycare place for the week, and Little Bird is staying with my friend John.

k... nothing real exciting so far...

Unconscious Mutterings [06/06/04]

[Memes - Unconscious Mutterings]

Unconscious Mutterings
  1. Charity:: United Way
  2. Scale:: Weight
  3. Jennifer Lopez:: Butt
  4. Coercion:: Intimidate
  5. Meter:: Parking
  6. Pressure:: Bandage
  7. June:: Dad's Birthday
  8. Infestation:: Ticks!!
  9. Serial killer:: True Crime TV Shows
  10. Anguish:: Pain

I'm baaaack!!! [06/05/04]

[What's Going On?]

I just got back from Portland, Oregon, and boy did I miss the Texas heat. Not!

Yay! I'll have trip journal entries that I wrote on the road soon and pictures to go with them. I didn't do a lot of sightseeing as it was a trip to visit with my Aunts and Uncle, but I still took a boatload of pictures. I just need to get them off the boat. wink

I have a few dream journal entries to post, too... I had some weird dreams in Oregon three nights in a row. Stay tuned...