OH Albany

The people of Albany can be a little strange. I don't mind it, for I find it entertaining. One morning my boss Glory, who also lives in Albany, came in to tell me about the weirdest thing she has seen yet. There was a man that was out walking about the neighborhood, presumably getting his exercise. Normal right? Ha! She said that he was wearing camouflage shorts, boots, NO shirt, and a ski mask. UM YA. 

Then she found this in the Albany Democrat Herald, and I laughed so hard!  

 

A Birthday that started it all...

SEVEN years ago Monday, Greg and I met. My oh my how time flies, and how things change. Little did we know that we were destined to be together from that point forward. Seriously though, we met at a church FHE, that happened to be on the most exciting subject: Food Storage! I was with a friend, and he was with roommates, and we kept giving each other the "eye". You know that "eye" I'm talking about. Anyway, we introduced ourselves afterward, and then all went back to his house to hang out. Our friends ended up making out for a few hours, so Greg and I got to know each other. I even folded his clothes that night.

Two days later was his BIRTHDAY! I couldn't go to his party, but I made him a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. What's funny is that there was this girl that was his friend who was leaving his party as I was coming in with a cake. She gave me the evil eye and a week later gave him an ultimatum of me or her. I won.

That weekend was our first date. He was so stinkin cute! He picked me up on his motorcycle and we went to see a movie. A month later- we were officially a couple. I can still remember the first time he kissed me in public in front of friends- I freaked out! I mean, it took us 3 dates to have our first kiss. Probably a good thing too cause once we started smoochin it was all over...I just couldn't stop kissing those lips! But soon after that first "public" kiss, I calmed down and knew I wanted to be with him for good.
The day we became an official couple he drove on his bike all the way to 24th & Lincoln in Phoenix where I had just started a new job. That drive only took him the better part of an hour- just to have lunch with me and make us "official". We've basically been joined at the hip ever since.

I have to confess here and now that Greg proposed to me about a month and a half before he "officially proposed" to me. It was so sweet....we were sitting on the porch at a cabin up in Pinetop, AZ (we stayed a night there with my grandparents), drinking a cup of tea. We were just snuggly and talking, and then completely out of the blue- he leaned over and said, "Andrea, will you marry me?" Of course I said yes. But then I asked, "Did you ask my dad already?" I was so worried about doing it the "proper" way. A few weeks later he did ask my dad, and then we had our "official" engagement with the ring, and the hike at midnight, and dancing under the stars. Both were just perfect.

Greg and I on the night he first proposed.

My reason for telling all of this right now is just because whenever his birthday comes around, I just can't help but think about how it all started. How I got to be so lucky to have a man that I love so much. He is so incredibly kind, patient, caring, understanding, smart and creative. He is my match and I love him with all of my heart.

Happy Birthday to my man! I love you Greg and am so lucky to have you in my life!

They say it’s your birthday- SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YA!

Or so the Beatles say anyway…. 

I can’t believe that this month is almost over and I haven’t done one post since the first. I’ve started 3. I was going to tell you a gross story about work. I was going to tell you about the weather. I was going to tell you about the March Fourth Marching Band. And here we are today with a post about Birthdays! I know SO MANY PEOPLE born in March. And since I’m terrible about remembering birthdays, and especially bad at sending out cards or anything at all, I thought I’d make a happy birthday list of those I love and care about.

Happy Birthday to

Kristi- 3/2

Chad (18! whaaat?) – 3/4

Patty Mom – 3/7

Betsy (18! whaaat?) – 3/11

Darcie Mom – 3/12

Missy – 3/14

Jeni (big 30!) – 3/21
Janay - 3/25

Karen Mom – 3/26

Jef – 3/27

If I missed you, please do accept my apologies as I’m trying to go off memory here, and like I said, I’m bad at the birthday thing! But happy birthday to you anyway!

Maybe next post will include some pictures or something fun like that. Cause that would be good.

By the way- I really don’t like this new font or anything, not really the layout either, but since I am so un-blogger savey, I can’t figure out how to change it! I try, and it gives me no options. Don’t worry though, I’ll figure it out somehow!

EXCITEMENT!

I’m pretty excited about a few things.

FIRST: Greg has a job! In this crappy economy, he would have taken just about anything, but instead, he got something worth while. He’ll be working at Safe Haven Humane Society, part time. It’s just the perfect thing so that we can get on with his education. I wonder how many more pets we’re going to end up with…..we could end up with a petting zoo in our house if I don’t keep tabs. Though it will be hard to say no…. you know….. those cute little furry animals just tug at the heart strings they do! But I’m holding firm to one notion: we can not have a dog until we OWN a house. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

SECOND: Refer to the first!

THIRD: What was I saying? Oh, yeah. Things I’m excited about. Did I already say that Greg got a job? Oh, yeah. I did. J Ok ok, third, I’m excited because the Corvallis Fall Festival planning is once again underway! I’m one of the Kid Zone planners. I think this year we might try to do sock puppets, and then have a sock puppet play. Would that be fun for kids? I need my nieces and nephews around! Dang- why are all of you in AZ? Oh, yeah, I moved here to OR. Well, if any of you who have kids and actually are reading this, if you would be oh-so kind to leave a little comment of suggestions of crafty things you might like to see your kids doing at a festival. Please? Pretty please?

FOURTH: I started a weekly girls’ night. Tuesday night is now girls’ night at my place. We’ll see how it goes and what it turns in to. Last Tuesday was the initial one, and we had to brainstorm ideas so that we wouldn’t be bored to death during the weeks to come. I mean, there’s plenty of things we could do, but I need them to be cheap. Ultra cheap. Cheap, but not lame. So we came up with some things and I’ll keep you posted. Tonight is PIZZA, and possibly some card making or playing. Or playing Apples to Apples.

FIFTH: Refer to the first!

Tenderoni

 Yowza! 10 days since my last post? Really? It just does not seem that long. Last week, February 10, marked 5 years of our marriage! WHAT? Really...5 years. Crazy. On the day of our anniversary, we did nothing. In fact, I didn't even get home until after it was over, at about 12:30am. It wasn't exactly my choice, I was at work acting in a support role for my boss for a HUGE report that was due at midnight. But hey- that's ok, because we celebrated over the weekend by going to see CHROMEO!!!! If you don't know Chromeo, I  suggest you get acquainted because they are just too much fun!
The show rocked, of course. Justin and Kaitlin came with us. Kaitlin and I got all gussied up. SUPER FUN night!

ME+YOU, BABY WE GO SIDE BY SIDE

my hair- purty

Me & Kaitlin

The 4 of us

 At the end of the show, they dropped glittered confetti on the crowd- how fun is that?

This show was up in Portland at the Roseland Theater. I've never really been in Downtown Portland on a Saturday night, and boy oh boy is it a whole new world! Get this, as we were walking back to our car, we saw a bunch of Drag Queens! One of them was wearing the same tights that I had on! Hilarious! And then, we saw a couple more walking down the road with a midget man! Two DragQueens and a midget! HA! I wish I wasn't so shy and had gotten a photo with them. Next time... next time.

I would give you a Valentines day report, but because it is so close to our anniversary, we really don't do much. We did go to Calapooia and ended up having to sit outside. But we were alone, right under the heater, and it was basically like a private candlelit dinner. Sweet. 

and, I can't sign off without professing my undying love to the man I married. I LOVE YOU GREG!

At the Chatoe

Hmmm, last week didn't start out so well, with that lil trip to the ER and all. And then, I was in a crappy mood all week long. I hate that- stupid hormones! Anyway, so the week got better, then worse, then AWESOME! Why so grand you say? Cause, we got to party! My bro invited us to come along to the Chatoe Rogue. It's a farm house on a hop farm (many many many acres of hop farm) and the hops go to Rogue Brewery. The house was over a hundred years old, and was very well kept up. The farm was just super cool and right on the river. There was a tasting room that's open daily. The host was THE HOSTEST WITH THE MOSTEST (thanks Cat!), super duper nice, and I've actually met her several times before at DCA events. Such a small world. Anyway, Justin's friend Luke is in a band, and all of his band cronies were there and we basically got an awesome show. (Oh,and get this, he played on New years 2009 at Strega, and we totally enjoyed his band and were the only ones dancing in that stuffy highrise restaurant. Like I said, small world.) I have to say, if you are ever in Oregon, this lil place in Independence is the place to go! 5 bed, 2 bath house rents for only $300/night! Crazy good deal! Oh, and we got to sleep on bunk beds. Fun. and play croquet (my team won!). and watch the super bowl. and, I got peed on by a turtle (yeah, a small blind turtle who I swear hadn't peed in a year and let it all loose on lil ol me...it was kinda funny though).

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

Good morning sunshine!

the Old Farm House

On a lot of land

Oh yeah, we are so super cool

Tasting room! Open daily.. I think...

POI (point of interest?)

The farm is on the Willamette river

Don't ya just love old farm equipment? I do.

Kaitlin and I! We can rock it!

The HOP YARD

Much love baby

False Alarm

(Ahh, the infamous hospital pic. Laugh it up folks, laugh it up.)

Soooo, 8 years ago, before my 19th birthday, I woke up one day with a swollen leg. It was a blood clot... or DVT (Deep vein thrombosis to be technical). There was no rhyme or reason for it, no disorders, no good reason at all. It was a pretty trying time for me. I was living in Fort Collins, CO, the first time on my own and I had no insurance to boot. Luckily, lots of wonderful friends and work associates took the utmost care of me.

Needless to say, I'm always on the lookout for anything that might be wrong, or signs of another one. My leg (the same one as before) has been kind of swollen and in & out of pain for about a week. Normally, I might get a little swelling, but I can usually attribute it to some kind of stress (working out, sitting for too long, standing too long, yada yada). I might even get a little pain from that swelling, but I always know its because of my jacked-up veins. This time it was different. More..consistent/persistent I'd say. It actually made me worry. Quite a bit.

I left work about 3pm today and headed to the hospital. Check in, the man says "what're you here for?" I say, "I think I might have a blood clot." Lame. Anyway, I had to go and answer all of his questions, get my little wrist band, and put up with the witchy (<-putting it nicely) triage nurse, then got whisked away in a wheelchair to my room/bed. Doc came in and ordered the blood test and ultra-sound. The phlebotomist missed my vein and it hurt. The ultra sound was fine, lots of goop. 30 minutes later (side note! we passed the time by starting two new books both by Ken Follett: Pillars of the Earth and Fall of Giants- I hear both are super good) the doc struts in and says I'm just fine.

Whew! No cumiden for life on this day! False alarm. I did get to see on screen the scars in my veins from the old one though. So, I guess that's cool. And I am going to sleep really good tonight. ;)