Tulipanes

So you know how Kristen Bell is obsessed with sloths? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5jw3T3Jy70) Wellll....that's almost how I feel about flower fields. Hahaha I know, it's slightly weird...or NOT. Anyways, I've ALWAYS wanted to just be in a field of flowers. And today was my lucky day. I present to you....the Tulip freakin' Festival :)

Hello April!

Hello April. I know...WHEN DID YOOOU GET HERE?!! I've realized that living in a rainy city for the first time in my life.... I ended up doing what I didn't think I was going to do....freaking hibernate. It's weird how fast these months have just FLOWN by, and when I think about what I've done here....a lot of it consumed of hibernating for all those middle months between my honeymoon phase of moving here to now. It's funny how routine things can get. But if I had one more year here I'd definitely not hibernate so much. But something it has made me do more is read. I mean, that's a huge advantage of it being gloomy, overcast all the time and rainy every other day. It forces you to stay in and READ. It's a lot easier to read on those days rather than on a sunny warm/hot day. Cause when the weather is like that, let's admit it, who wants to really read a book when you can: A) Go to the beach, B) Picnic at a park with booze, C) Run outside and a million other outdoor activities, or D) Pretend you're enjoying a book on a warm to hot day when you really just end up people watching, sweating profusely worrying about your too much clothing on tan line. Well...that's what happens to me at least ;)

So this past week my body was fighting SOMETHING. I've been fortunate enough not to be 'home in bed sick" yet (knock on wood)....however my body is always fighting it I feel. Strangely, it feels empowering when you're in that gray zone of sickness, when your body doesn't know whether it is sick or not...but you can feel it trying to kick some major ass! So, the other day I'm explaining this to my bf in the most 6th grade type of way and I sadly confess to him what goes on in this head of mine, "Whenever my body gets like this, I imagine the good germs in my body beating up the bad germs. But I don't imagine them to look like how they actually look in the body, I imagine them like little people. Like they are jazzercise germs!!"........errrrrrr.....thank goodness he loves me for ME, right?? So he nicely and more correctly says, "Yes! The white blood cells are killing the bacteria! Have you seen that video of the white blood cells killing the bacteria? It's crazy!!".....and for a second in my head, I was like, "ahh yes, that's what they are called and what they do...phew, thank goodness he didn't call me out on calling them jazzercise germs". SO, I youtubed it, but I have to admit, I was a little creeped out and scared to watch it last night. I know, WHO is scared of watching white blood cells attack bacteria?? I am. But I got the guts to watch it this morning. And it is.....pretty freaking cool...but still VERY weird at the same time.

 YES, go immune system!! If you feel like you are catching a cold or SOMETHIN'....and the whole mentality of "I believe I am not sick, therefore I am not sick" FAILS...then here are my pointers:

1. REST REST REST
2. Blow everything out (I blew my nose for 5 days STRAIGHT...tmi, but really, I know it's easy to suck in, but DON'T!)
3. If your nose is clogged...take a Claritin D and 2 Motrins (helps to reduce the swelling)
4. Obviously, the most simple cure...tea lemon and honey (decaffeinated tea)...I suggest chamomile :)
5. PHO....the secret ingredient in there I think is the TON of ginger they put in the broth.
6. If you have access to any type of vitamin store, I suggest getting Umcka...it's like the modern, better all natural immunity booster version of airborne. Take it right away, the moment you feel a cold coming on. It will help shorten the fever/cold/whatever you have....and sometimes even prevent it. It has for me at least in the past years.
7. Don't eat Hot Cheetos.

(Does that video not creep anyone else out....A LITTLE??)

HAPPY HEALTHY EASTER!

AMEN!

Wed-spiration

Wedding inspiration for a friend.

Pretty/DIY/Rustic

(Pinterest)

Check these out for more inspiration:

http://www.stylemepretty.com/little-black-book/oregon/portland/

http://greenweddingshoes.com/real-wedding-jamie-jeremys-rustic-diy-wedding/

http://wildflowersphotos.com/blog/whitney-mark-got-hitched-at-the-pumpkin-patch/

http://www.thesweetestoccasion.com/2011/03/a-rustic-pretty-winery-wedding/

Street cruisin

This past week, Portland has been goooorgeous!! No, not gorgeous like, "It's cold and grey but it's not raining and our windshields aren't frozen?? OMG it's it's beautiful!!!!". Because any day where it's not drizzling or raining outside I actually really consider a beautiful day. This past week has actually been GORGEOUS with the sun out and high 50's. Yes, still a bit nippy...especially for a Hawaii girl. But I've learned to really appreciate these days out here.

SO....I started the day early with breakfast at 8:30 at Mother's Bistro & Bar on Stark street, downtown Portland. It was deeeeeelicious. A cute little breakfast (lunch and dinner) place with free coffee refills ;) Great service and cute decor. Altho my only complaint that I noticed from a distance, since I ordered a scramble....is that their omelets come out looking perfect. Not perfect like, "mm that looks delish!". Perfect like, "is that plastic??". Haha it's just I think an omelet should have texture to it. Their omelets looked a little TOO smooth and panned. Other than that, I liked it. Then later in the day I went to Hawthorne street...a cool street with coffee shops, stores, and Powell's books. My first time in Powell's....the bookstore that is well known and famous for being one of the largest bookstores in the US! There are two locations for Powell's...downtown and Hawthorne. I went to the smaller one. But STILL pretty big for me. Picked me up a Dalai Lama memoir, cruised along the street, and then headed to Mississippi. Mississippi is a street that is similar to the street I live on, Alberta, except less weird people... and a bit more upper scale I guess. The famous Mexican joint Porque No resides there as well as a bunch of other restaurants, shops etc. It's a street I haven't been on since the summer. And it's one of my favorite streets. I LOVE Mississippi. And that was my SIMPLE day :) 

This is random, but did you know you can spell omelet like that, and like this: omelette? I never consciously realized it until it took me 5 attempts to correct it. I know how to spell the word. It was just one of those days where you just CAN'T SPELL IT FOR THE LIFE OF YOU. Then you have to google it and go, "ohhh DUUUUH"....and then do a hand slap to your head....in your head, cause I don't ever really do that in real life. 

 Discovering Portland...one coffee, bookstore, card, and street at a time.

Yes Frank, it is :)

A simple Sinatra mantra

This too shall pass

Some things that always make me feel better include the following:


- Wine
- Musica
- "Let it be" by The Beatles (the one from the soundtrack Across the Universe is also a beautiful one)
- Looking through old fotos
- A shower
- This one is hard....but really really trying to put everything in perspective. And when you truly do, you realize that things ain't all that bad.
- Talking with someone you love. Doesn't have to be a significant other. Sometimes an old friend works just fiiine.
- A simple blog ;)


I am not currently going through a break up or anything. If I were, I'd probably have a lot more to say on here, or wouldn't even be here. Yeeeah girls, you know where I'd be. The bar. Either that or crouched over on a bed/couch/ground balling with music playing. No, no music playing because honestly at that point you're too sad to even figure out what to freakin play. So balling...with a bottle of vino. Aaaanyways, India.Arie's "Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship" album is what got my sis and I through those "devastating" times. I haven't really listened to her for a while now. But the album is so beautiful. The one that spoke to me today was, "This Too Shall Pass". I don't think it needs an explanation :)


I also just wanna go where the wind calls my name (a reference from my homegirl). So hippie, yah?


Love you India.Arie


I also love how wine was the first one to make that list. Man, I'm such a winoo. And I can't wait for Napa.

Neujahr!!

TWENTYTWELVE!!!! WHOO....I am excited for this year. A lot of change and transitions will be happening within this year, and I'm quite excited. By the way, "neujahr" is new year in gaaa-man. That was german in a german accent. And at least that's what google tells me. And when is google wrong?? So at the end of my service here, I will attempt to find a job that could keep me financially steady while looking into graduate schools. There are so many different paths I could take that I am SO unsure of....but I think that's the beauty of life. Not knowing exactly where you'll end up, but just trying to make the best journey out of it. Siiiigh, how I wish it could be as easy and beautiful as it sounds...to just get off the grid for a while and not have to worry about financial obligations, rent, car payments, yada yada yada...bleh. Ha...I'm doing the best I can tho.

Portland had been great. I love what I am doing here and I love this city. It's a city with a small town vibe almost. Friendly and weird people at every corner. I have yet to really explore ALL of Portland. I think I enjoy the down time I get to myself too much. And also, nothing wants to make me stay inside more than cold weather and rain. I'm definitely not a Portlander yet. But I really don't mind the weather. 

The kids at school are a handful, especially my personal finance class of sophomores...BUT I love them. I enjoy making the connections I've made with a lot of them. As if I don't say it enough, these kids are truly amazing. I mean, sometimes they cause my blood pressure to rise and are very inappropriate at times, but they're kids with a good heart. They are what I will miss the most when this year is up. 

The corporate internship program continues to be a handful as well. But I love the opportunity it gives the kids...even though they don't all understand this quite yet. They get real life work experience at such a young age at a handful of companies ranging from law firms, hospitals, restaurants, marketing companies such as Nike and Jordan and more! And they have us, their very own personal corporate internship coordinator to help them and make sure they are on the right track. Yup, all 300 kids. Yowza! Ugh, but such a wonderful program :)

The difficult part is balancing professionalism and compassion. Most of these kids hardly have a good support system. That's what WE are for, to encourage and motivate them while they're facing hardship or abuse at home. Then we also have to keep up with and manage over 75 companies that expect theses kids to be perfect young professionals. But we are truly grateful for the companies who GET our program and GET our kids. It is these sponsors who we truly love and appreciate, because they work with us, and most importantly they work with the kids. Without them, these kids would not be able to earn a high school education.

Sooo. not to speedily change the subject or anything.....

But this wouldn't exactly be a new years post without some new years resolutions! So here it goes...first resolutions I've made in YEARS:

1. SAVE my moolah
2. Find a job (hopeful for Cali) and figure out this grad school sheezy
3. Finish the 4 books on my desk
4. Incorporate more healthy energizing snacks into my diet instead of candy and sugar
5. Figure out some type of life plan
6. Be good to my loved ones
7. Be good to myself :)
8. And for the lucky number 8....keep growing....mentally and spiritually.

BAM!

Happy new year every one!! Let's make it a happy and prosperous one!!