Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Weekly Update?

Hi everyone,

No, I haven't been abducted by aliens, run off to Vegas with Jason or been swallowed by a giant hole in Iowa (coincidentally in the same town as my uncle--hi, Uncle Jerry!!!). I just happen to be 'living the dream' in BozeAngeles wondering, ever so sparingly, just how the hell I got here in the first place. I don't know about you, but life confuses me.

Anyway, my birthday was fanfreakingtastic. Jason and I had a party at the house where a tidy group of people gathered to eat cheese and drink wine. It was simple, tasteful and just right. I was really struck by how different my birthday was from last year. The group of people I got to celebrate with this year are all relatively new to my life. They're also a tiny bit older, mostly married, and are either parents or will be soon. In attendance were two couples who are expecting and Addie (a friend from work) and her little boy who happens to be a truck-loving three-year-old. Last year there wasn't a single married couple to be found, let alone kids. We were also grilling burgers on my spiffy new tabletop grill and drinking beer in the backyard of my apartment. My how quickly things change. But this is all very good change and I was very happy. I will admit though that I was SUCH a spoiled girl. Here a few pictures from the partay:

Two dozen pink long stem roses from Jason.

Friends at the party

Me and the boy:-P

So what else have I been up to? Well, probably a bit more than I realize. The other day I was in the kitchen cooking dinner, completely lost in my own little world, when my cell phone began to ring. I started looking for it, first in my purse and then at the bar, essentially walking in circles until I FINALLY realized that it was in my back pocket the whole stinking time. Yep. That's how busy I've been. And sleep? Sleep is just a myth (sort of like spring in Montana--the forecast calls for more snow tonight). When I have been able to actually fall asleep and stay asleep for more than twenty minutes I end up sleep walking. The other night I came out of the bathroom after having looked for and failed to find shorts, was startled by Jason, yelled "meh!" at him and then kicked the Cheat (or at least the stuffed version of him) across the room. Good times. And amazingly, Jason still likes me.

But now that things are settling into a bit of routine HOPEFULLY I will, too. In retrospect, I did know that April was going to be a tad busy, but I really had no idea how much life was going to change. This weekend Jason and I are going to visit his cousin and a friend in a Whitefish. It's going to be quite a drive, six hours apparently, but I'm really looking forward to finally seeing Glacier National Park, and what people keep telling me is the prettiest part of Montana. I'm hoping the trip will clear my head a bit and give me a chance to relax and just be.

I'm a lucky girl.

Cheers,
NC

Song of the day: Breakable by Ingrid Michaelson

Saturday, April 26, 2008

It's My Birftday!

Okay, so that return to normalcy thing didn't really happen. Oh well. I'm happy :-)

Life is so good.

Cheers,
NC

Song of the day: Han Cart Bowy by Perfect

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Normalcy?

Hello All,

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a few days. Things have been...well...insane. It's a cheap word and possibly overused, but it's accurate. Ms. Courtney came to town on Sunday afternoon and since then it's been a whirlwind of resettling and getting reacquainted. In fact, as I write this I'm falling asleep. I'll give a full update on everything (work, friends, boyfriends, etc...) tomorrow when I'm a bit more lucid and not completely decaffeinated.

Cheers,
NC

Song of the day: Beer for my Horses by Toby Keith and Willie Nelson

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Flowers

Jason surprised me with a bright, sunny bunch of daisies today. They made me happy so I thought I'd post a photo of them here. I know it's simple, but they're lovely.

Cheers,
NC

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Frilly Skirt

Occasionally I like to dress up and look cute. I am a girl, after all. But when I left Oregon I only took one skirt, and one pair of black pants with me. No suits, no nice sweaters and definitely no high heels. But today I was out shopping with Jason and came upon this adorable little white shirt with a black floral pattern all over it. It's really light and airy and when I put it on I just felt good. And because it was only $12.99 I felt the need to buy the matching blouse, too. It was weird, but it felt so good to dress up. And maybe if I keep wearing spring-type clothes spring will actually get here.
I know there is a flaw in that logic somewhere, but I'm not interested in finding it...not yet.

Cheers,
NC

Song of the day: The Way I Am by Igrid Michaelson

Friday, April 18, 2008

Drug of Choice

Still sick and still slightly cranky. And now my brand new bottle of NyQuill and I are going to bed.

Yay for a rockin' Friday night.

Cheers (and tomorrow will be better),
NC

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Sick and Cranky

I'm still sick and to be completely honest, I only feel worse. I'm going back to bed and back to sleep.

Oh, and it snowed AGAIN yesterday. Today, on April freaking 16th it is only 27 degrees and that ugly white stuff is still all over everything.

MEH!

NC

Monday, April 14, 2008

Spring in Montana

It's sounds odd to admit this, but spring has startled me. Yesterday as I was walking home from work it was well above 70 degrees. There were kids in the streets wearing tank-tops and every car that passed me had their windows rolled down. It occurred to me as I walked carrying my coat in my hand that the last time I was warm like this was last fall when I was living in Wyoming. That was six months ago. And then it struck me that the coming of spring means that I've been gone almost a year.

As I came up to the house where I live, a tidy 1940's log cabin-style home, I saw my dusty Subaru with its Oregon plates. That car has seen a lot of miles now. I guess I have, too. It's just so odd to know that I've been gone as long as I have. I never intended to be out past December. The plan, the original one that is, was that I would go to Wyoming, be there six months and then go back to Oregon to start grad school in June. But instead of going west I went north, choosing an internship in Bozeman over grad school in Eugene. I'd been second guessing, even cursing that decision until recently. January, February and March were tough. There was sickness, family emergencies, work concerns, money concerns and other shortcomings and it was all wrapped in the frigid, gray, biting cold of a Montana winter. I hated it here. I tried to pretend I liked it or at the very least wasn't miserable, but I was. I ignored issues I should have dealt with, letting them eat holes in my life without even realizing it. Every day I wanted to just get up, throw my stuff in that Subaru and not look back.

Come mid-February I had declared I would be gone by March 15th. It was a combination of everything. The weather, the people, the work--all of it. I couldn't and didn't want to find anything good about being here. I just needed to leave. I didn't have a job waiting for me in Oregon, only a couch at Courtney's to crash on. I didn't have a plan either. I just wanted to get the hell out of here. And not having a plan is not like me at all. But I'm stubborn, and when I want to do something odds are I will find a way to do it, regardless of whether or not it's a good idea.

But things change, as they often do. On February 28th Ma called to tell me dad was having bypass surgery. Two days later I was on a plane to Ohio and any plans of relocating were abandoned as I focused on them. I came back and immediately jumped into work with helping to move the offices and the warehouse within a week of each other. I had deadlines to meet (and subsequently miss). After two busy weeks in Ohio I had two even busier weeks in Montana. And then life changed again when my friend, Jason, become my boyfriend. And now, suddenly, it's spring and that long winter I kicked, cursed and stumbled through is over. Life, as it turns out, distracted me while everything else worked itself out.

As I type this I'm sitting on the porch looking out at the yard and the park across the street. My feet, clad in a pair of Frye boots, are propped up on the log railing. A mug of tea, a book and my cell phone are on the ground next to my chair. My roommate has a wind chime that hangs from the rafter and it sounds almost identical to one that my mom had when I was little, though the high note stuck in my memory is missing. Philbert, the barn cat turned house cat, sniffs at the dry weeds next to the porch steps. She doesn't spook or seem concerned when diesel trucks thunder past so I keep an eye on her so that she doesn't go too far. I can see the mountains, still covered with snow from just about every angle in this town. They used to make me nervous, making me feel like I was trapped here. Now their presence makes me feel safe. Funny how that works.

The Subaru remains unpacked these days and my desire to ditch town and run back to the Willamette Valley has all but vanished. I don't miss the rain, that's for sure, and the sun, mountains, forests and rivers of Montana have finally caught my attention. Work, friends, health and family are all great *knock on wood*. To my surprise, spring has found me as a remarkably content person. And now, as I sit here, it feels like this is the calm before the storm, or at the very least a resting point before more transition and change happens. April and May will eventually yield what will happen when the internship is over. Courtney will be moving in in a little over a week, too. But regardless of what happens in the coming months, I am happy about my time here. Yes, I did deviate from my original plan substantially, but I don't regret leaving Oregon and I don't regret coming here. And yes, the thought has also occurred to me that I might not just be passing through Montana. This could very well be the end of the line for a while. How wonderfully strange.

Cheers,
NC

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Of Course...

A spring tease arrived today. Yep. 70 degrees of warm, sunny weather. I was at the shoe store, though. Still sniffling, still coughing and still sucking on gross cough drops. But winter will be back on Tuesday with a high somewhere in the 40's and then come Wednesday there will be snow.

I have never been so ready for spring before in my life!

*Sniffle*
NC

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Meh.

It was 65 degrees today. 65 warm, sunny, happy, blue-sky degrees. There were even happy-looking white puffy clouds here and there. I'm sure it was a wonderful Saturday for most people. In fact, I'm positive it was because from my vantage point on the couch, where I sniffled and coughed my way through the day, I could see numerous people out on the street and in the park enjoying the sunshine. How nice for them.

Me? I ate really healthy, drank a lot of tea, downed copious amounts of cough medicine and read my new book that Jason (a.k.a. the boyfriend) bought online and had sent to the house. Fun times.

Cheers,
NC

Song of the day: Overboard by Ingrid Michaelson

Friday, April 11, 2008

PJs, Tea, Chicken Soup and a Hot Bath

It's official: I have a cold. An icky, achy, cranky, disgusting cold complete with a sore throat and a mild fever. Bleh. And here I am, rich with work and the possibility that Spring just might happen to arrive on Monday or even as early as Sunday and now I can't even enjoy it. Bleh. And for that matter, meh.

I came home from the shoe store, made a giant pot of chicken matzo ball soup and am now sacked out on the couch with the laptop and a new book. But I don't feel better yet. I feel rotten. And cranky. And annoyed. Meh. I hate being sick!

Cheers,
NC

Song of the day: The sound the kettle makes when the water is ready for my tea. I hate being sick :-(

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Strange

Every once in a while I am absolutely smacked in the face by just how strange life is. It's hilarious how it all works. Just when you think it's not going to work out, it does; just when you think it's impossible, and that it could never happen to you, it somehow happens; just when you give up, you're given reason to try again. Isn't that just so strange? I'm not saying that life is always perfect, and I'm not saying that it's always good, but isn't it true that it really is darkest before the dawn?

I think about who I was and where I was year ago today and I am stunned. Here I am, 'living the dream' and it's surreal. And a year from now I'll be looking back and probably saying something quite similar to what I am now. I had no idea a year ago today that I would be living in Montana, working for a magazine and writing every day. But here I am. Regardless of the rough starts I had when I first moved here, I think that maybe, just maybe, it's going to be okay.

Today at work I was in the kitchen with two the ladies in the office and we were all laughing about something together. I don't know what it was, but to us it was hilarious. One of the other ladies came in and said that the three of us just had such great laughs and that it warmed the office up. What a great thing to say. There we were, making tea and coffee while three lovable dogs roamed through the offices and one energetic three-year-old showed off his toys to anyone who would listen. It was lovely.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say tonight. Maybe I'm just bewildered by how much has changed in the past two months and continues to change. Maybe I'm just tried, happy and warm all at the same time so it makes for one very sappy post.

Cheers,
NC

Song of the day: One Step Closer to You by Michael Franti & Spearhead AND Die Alone by Igrid Michaelson.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Pertrubed

I have a lot on my mind right now, but it's not anything I can really post about. There have been good things and bad things going on at both my jobs, but because this is a public page I can't say what. And there are also great things going on in the rest of my life, but for multiple reasons I can't go there just yet. So I guess what I'm saying is that I'm both tongue-tied and superstitious. It's kind of put me in a restless, moody, impatient state. Damn it's hard to be patient sometimes...

Good night,
NC

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Eight Inches

I think I'm coming down with a cold. I'm cranky, tired and just generally just don't feel good. That means a cold, right? It's not a side effect of the never-ending Montana winter, is it? Anyone? It's not the eight inches of snow that fell last night? No? Huh. Could've fooled me.

I'm going to take a bath and go to bed.

Good night, all.

Cheers,
NC

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Skinny Jeans

Ha! I fit into my ultra skinny, didn't think it would happen, dark blue, perfectly perfect jeans. Hehe...and I said it couldn't be done.

Cheers,
NC

Song of the day: Business Time by the Flight of the Conchords :-)

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Saturday Morning

Slept in, fed the dogs, drank coffee, ate really awful made from scratch pancakes (hey--I tried), did the dishes, took a shower and drank more coffee. That has been my morning. Exciting, don't you think? I'm headed off to the see the Museum of the Rockies with my friend Jason and to get a peek at some dinosaur bones. Jack Horner, one of the professors at the university, works at the museum and worked on one of my favorite childhood movies, Jurassic Park. Yay!

Cheers,
NC

Thursday, April 3, 2008

An Ode to Necesssity

At times, I can be a bit of a spazz. That's right, I'm admitting it. In print. I have been known to send mass emails warning of the perils of cell phone do not call lists, call the cops when mysterious cars have been parked for way too long outside my house and write and publish articles that have to do with everything from climate change to what to and not to read. But most of the time (okay--some of the time) I have good reason to freak out about something so good or so bad that I feel the need to champion it's merits and/or pitfalls. I like to say that I'm opinionated about what's important. How's that?

Enter my new favorite toy: a 20 oz travel mug that is also a coffee press. Seriously. I just published an article on buying less, wrote a post about living with less and I work for a company dedicated to doing more with less, YET I have at my side a gorgeous, gleaming, thoughtfully designed salvation to my droopy, decaffeinated soul. It's even candy apply red. I bought it from a local coffee shop here in town but it's made by a group called Planetary Design. As far as I'm concerned everyone should have one of these. And considering that my birthday is later this month, I've written it off as an early b-day gift to myself. And why did I feel the need to essentially drink my coffee straight from the pot? Because the new offices do not have a coffee pot yet and the nearest coffee stand is in the mall down the street. This requires me to leave my office, get in my car, drive to the mall, get out of my car, stand in line (oh the humanity!) and wait for a surly looking, prepubescent barista to get her shit together so that she can brew my trippletallsugarfreehazelnutlattee in my eco-friendly travel mug because I'm an anti-single-use paper cup kind of girl. I'm saving time (it took me twenty minutes to fetch my afternoon cup yesterday), money, gas and sanity by brewing my own cup/small pot at my desk. And while there is quite a bit to be said about what you gain by having less, buying less and even eating less, there is also a heck of a lot that can be said about being a happy freakin' member of society.

Bottoms up,
NC

Song of the day: Catch My Disease by Ben Lee

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Oi

Life is so strange...

NC

March is Finally Over

March was busy. It was also at times annoying, stressful, joyful, cold, warm, lucrative and taxing (pun intended). March, in a sense, was a very moody bitch. There were the lows (Dad being sick), the highs (Dad being okay--yay!), and everything else in between. I was busy with work when we moved the warehouse and then the offices. I was busy with family when I flew to Ohio for two weeks. I was busy with my personal life as I tried to keep up with old friends and simultaneously make new ones. There were birthdays, get-togethers, meetings, car maintenance and late nights. I had taxes to do, a house to clean, dogs to take care of and to top it all of, a bit of stomach flu to get over. I slept less and ate (and drank) more. My cell phone minutes went through the roof. My coffee cup, puffy jacket and laptop were my constant companions. So yes, March was a busy month.

Am I glad it's over? Kind of. There were the good points during March, and I certainly feel like I learned a lot. Dad's bypass surgery was a huge learning experience both about myself and my parents. Work improved, my relationships improved and even my perspective of Bozeman somehow got better after spending time in Ohio. So while March was rough, it was also very good. But now I'm looking forward to April, and the possibility of spring-like weather, parties, more friends and even more change.

April will be great, *knock on wood*.

Cheers,
NC

Song of the day: Hard Sun by Eddie Vedder