Oregon's Summer

Ah, the start of summer. Here in the northwest, we are just beginning to experience sunlight. Everyone has been complaining about how late the sun was this year, though I'd like to point out that in all the years I've lived here, it's rained throughout most of June.

But regardless of that, what we do in Oregon when the weather gets hot is go to the river.

In California it's all about going to the beach. Oregonians are very proud of the Oregon Coast, but it's a completely different experience then it is in southern California. The water is usually extremely cold and the weather is usually rather rainy.

This past week I've been to the river twice in between long hours of babysitting. I am hoping to acclimate to the warm weather before Breezy and I leave on the 6th to descend into the lower state.

Summer Has Begun

Boyfriend and I have been together a month and still going strong. Well other than the fact that I no longer have any friends, but I'm too busy babysitting to see them anyways. Sigh.

Bre actually drug me out to a rave Friday night. At the rave I actually had a lot of (guilty) fun and am happy to announce that the hottest guy there wanted to dance with ME. I was going to ask him dance, but I kept chickening out and dancing with other people. Then he walked right next to me and we made eye contact for a half a second and he just shoved the other guy aside. It was pretty funny. His name was Tudor and he was Russian with the accent and everything. He made me give him my number and keeps asking me to go get coffee with him. Yeah right. That's how it started two months ago with G. "Wanna go get coffee?"I'm happy without hot Russian dancer.

My hips and calves are sore because I've started jogging again. I haven't really jogged at all since basketball senior year, but I'm getting back into it. We went out to a trail in Estacada and walked/jogged/ran three miles last night and this morning I ran in the neighborhood. Planning to keep this up. Jogging always puts me in a good mood.

Can't Imagine Not Moving

I know a couple of people who have never ever moved in their entire lives. They came home from the hospital in the same house they are sleeping in right now. Me, my life didn't work like that.

My brothers and I refer to houses by their street names. I can't imagine what it would be like to grow up in one house and not leave. Not having to switch schools, not having to say goodbye to all your friends and promise to keep in touch, even though you won't.

At some point though I just said fuck it. I'm not doing the cross country moving thing again. I've lived in enough cities to know that I want to live right here, not in California. Will my mother let me? Absolutely not.

It really irritates me when at this point people tell me to understand how she feels. I honestly don't care if she misses me. She's almost pushed me to the point where I want her to cut me off completely. If it wasn't for my 5 siblings I might have already done it.

I claim the right to be selfish. I claim the right to live my own life. I claim the right to be happy.

12 Step Plan For Ukraine, Developed While Stuck In Bed With A Cold.

Ukraine is irritating me right now. Three weeks ago I decided that there wasn't any chance of them transitioning to democracy, but now I see it's really simple.

So this is my checklist of how to make Ukraine into a democratic country.

step 1) Win the trust of the people. Talk really pretty.

step 2) Convince the legislature and executive to work with each other. Have them bake cookies together.

step 3) Decentralize power.

step 4) No more rigged elections.

step 5) Take away all the taxes.

step 6) Make a new budget with workable taxes that the people are willing to pay.

step 7) Excuse all people who have not paid taxes in past so that they will actually pay new taxes.

step 8) Provide tax breaks for new businesses.

step 9) Remind people that born again Communists are not going to be very helpful at this point.

step 10) Decide on a new value system while avoiding nationalism.

step 11) create new social programs to help get people on their feet.

step 12) election time.


And then you have a happy country. See it's not so hard.