Day 23 - Crazy Clothes & Monday's AAM List

So Connor's school is raising money for a play. In exchange for a dollar, they were allowed to wear various things. Pajamas one day. A crazy hat on another. And the last day, today, was crazy clothes day. I wasn't sure what constituted "crazy" clothes, but I got some great ideas with a 5 second google search. And this is what I came up with:

He said he loved it - that his classmates got a kick out of it! I love how outgoing he is :) I think I would have been too shy to do this unless I was sure I had friend's dressing up too :)


And now, it's time for another All About Me list. I was under the impression that it was one blog hosting the weekly list themes, but I guess not. SOOOOO -- I'll just be going off my good friend Danielle's blog (where I found out about it anyways) -- Motherhood Truth.

Anyhoo - today's list was supposed to be a list of 10 things you want to do before you die. However, since I just did a post like that and shared my personal bucket list, I decided to skip this one and do a past one that she's done. My fave one to read (because I'm from Washington too and loved her list) was 10 things about your hometown. So that's what I'm doing:

ALL ABOUT ME LIST: 10 THINGS ABOUT MY HOMETOWN

1. The Rain
Yes, it rains. Quite a bit actually. But not nearly as much as one thinks. It's more that it's cloudy, but rain isn't always falling like people say. Having moved to the desert, I get asked a lot "But doesn't it rain all the time! I could never handle all that rain." Are you effing kidding me!? Water ain't gonna kill you (mostly, lol) ... not the way the damn heat here does! And I don't think I've ever heard someone say "Well, I would love to move to New York, but all that rain is just a deal breaker for me!" ((FYI: New York gets more rain then we do! Just sayin'!!))

2. The Greenery
I actually had this conversation yesterday. I found out someone from my church was from Battle Ground, WA. And apparently she doesn't miss it. I couldn't even fathom liking this hell hole over Washington. Her reasons for not liking it? All the rain (smh - tell me something new! Rain is too easy an answer!). The trees! WHAT?! I guess the trees and all that green are just too much for her. All the hills and trees - it blocks her view. Let me just say - that yes, we have trees (thank GOD!) and they can block stuff. But my God - get up on a hill, and what a view!! True enough - it's flatter than a pancake out here. But the view here? It's like death threw up all around me. I might be able to see for miles (which is what she said she loved), but I can't see crap worth seeing, so what's the point!! UGH! I seriously wanted to slap her (not that I ever would, it just made me ARGH when she said that, lol). I just can't understand someone liking this view over:

3. Coffee, oh yeah!
And I'm not talkin' 'bout Starbucks (which tastes like feet in my opinion). I'm talking about all the other options. You can't go through an intersection without seeing a coffee stand on the corner, lol. (Not really - but almost true, lol). My fave are actually the little mom & pops type shacks. They make the most nummiest of coffee! But if I wasn't near those shops, then my next stop was Dutch Bros. LOVE their coffee (so long as I get enough sweetener! It's pretty heavy).

4. Rivers
Trees, greenery, water - you can believe me when I say we have rivers. And I don't mean tiny streams or the kind of yuck you find down south (have y'all seen the patheticness that is the Rio Grande near Las Cruces? Here's one from above - yes, that brown trail is supposed to be the "Big Grand River" -- as if!!). Where I come from - my rivers are not only blue, but big! If you tried to swim the Columbia River, it wouldn't kill you cuz it's toxic, it'd kill you cuz of the massively fast currents swirling in it! It's an amazing river that only gets wider and more gorgeous when you move away from the city limits.

5. Mountains
I think Danielle said it best on her list: "Real ones guys. I have traveled some and what some parts of the country call "mountains" we call hills. So let me explain our definition of mountain. It has snow on it 10 months out of the year and it risks the chances of erupting at some point. Haha" -- Living in Deming NM, I live in one of those areas where the mountains in the back drop are more like decent size hills to me, lol. Mt. Saint Helens is a very common sight in my hometown. The big eruption of 1980 happened a year before I was born. But the photo below was the mini (yet significant) eruption that happened in 2005. It was amazing :)

6. Zoo Lights, Oregon

We have a pretty spectacular zoo only a few minutes from Vancouver. Well - the drive can be a little longer than that since the Terwilliger Curves are a pain (seriously Oregonians - learn to drive!!!). But it's located close enough! And is an awesome zoo! And in the winter time, they deck the place out with an astounding amount of lights. I tried to photograph it myself (and failed). And all the photos I found didn't really come close to showcasing the awesomeness that you feel while walking through this wonderland of lights. They're everywhere; all around you! It's like a land of glowing magic - and is absolutely breathtaking. It's also so cold that you swear you're getting frost bite, lol - but was so worth the experience!

7. Sternwheeler
I've been lucky enough to ride the Sternwheeler a couple times. It's a neat experience and one I love. I even got to eat a fancy-smancy dinner on there because of a company dinner party thing Tom got invited to. I'm sure there are many more sternwheelers out there, but there's only one (that I know of) in my hometown, and it's something the locals love.

8. Christmas Boats
I love my home at Christmas. Decorations are everywhere - there's a big tree in Portland - people aren't too afraid to say Merry Christmas (though, Happy Holidays are becoming more preferred since heaven help us if we offend someone for wanting them to be happy - argh!). And a local group of boat owners decorate their boats with lights and go up and down the river every night for a few weeks around Christmas time. I went down to the waterfront one year to see it up close and found myself not alone. There are always people out there, braving the freezing cold, to see the decorated boats.

9. The Coast
It's not technically my hometown, but it's still part of my home. The coast is an hour and a half away, and I love it there more than anywhere else. Seaside tends to be the most common destination. I love all the little shops they have there. And the coast is gorgeous and huge. Me & the family always drove there on the Oregon side, and then too the Washington side (a more winding, scenic route) back. The Astoria Bridge is crazy huge and fun to cross. Oh and there are two lighthouses so close to Astoria! I never realized how close. And the views are just Oh.Em.Gee!! That's part of why I love lighthouses - cuz they are always near the best viewpoints!! My fave is North Head Lighthouse because it was the first one I ever saw :) Here is Seaside:

10. Columbia River Gorge, Scenic Highway
This Gorge is an area that I swear, if I make my mind go blank, I can pretend that I'm in Ireland or Scotland. The land there is so lushly green, the water so blue. I can't get enough. The Gorge gets some nasty weather in the winter (that can really enhance the beauty if you're willing to risk the drive), but any other time of the year, and everywhere you look - pure gorgeousness!! Multnomah Fall (minus the snow, lol), Beacon Rock (which I've climbed to the top of), The Vista House (such a great view from up there!) -- all are wonderful! And my fave way of traveling is the old highway. We did that as a family a couple years back, and I loved it! I will say that the road scares me at times, lol - it's not meant for modern-sized cars, lol. It gets scary narrow sometimes, lol - and has these blind curves. But it was so worth it! :)

There's my list. Mostly scenic stuff, but yeah - that's what I remember most of my home. All the beauty that surrounds you! I miss it there so much. It makes my heart hurt and makes my eyes get all moist just thinking about it. I hate living here, but Tom having a job is my reward for living here!! And I thank God every day for his job!! I might miss home, but I don't miss being homeless and hopeless!!! :)

That's all for today!! See you tomorrow!!
~Jen