Randomness by Amy

Okay, so it ended up being 224 days.....

2007-11-20T19:59:00.001-08:00

I admit it - I'm a Myspace junkie and I've totally neglected this blog. That's if I even have time to log onto Myspace anymore...... It's the same old story, though ;-) Working too much..... sleeping when I'm not working..... Unpacking boxes and painting our new house. Oh yeah, we bought our first home!!!

I'm having the time of my life in this home. Erik and I were just discussing that we finally feel home. It's our home. It's already brought us closer and we've learned a few new things about each other. Like how I'm not the best painter in the world, but that's a whole other story ;-) Anways, it's been such a blast moving into our own place and settling in. It's roomy, warm and I have an enormous bathtub!

Anyways, dinner won't cook itself so I'm outta here. I wonder how long it'll be before I write again........

78 Days

2007-04-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

Is that really how long it's been since I've last posted something??? Really???

I guess it's time then! Life has obviously been moving at a rapid pace w/o a lot of time for blogging, mainly because of the start of spring and my new job. I'm enjoying learning new things and being a part of something unique, but I'll admit, I have no desire to sit down and think some more when I get home in the evening ;-) I'll write more about my new job later......

In other news........

It's almost hydroplane racing season!!! Our first race is in Moses Lake on the 28th and 29th. So very stoked to get Powerful JuJu back in the water, complete with upgrades and repairs. Oh! And a newly modified trailer that is safe for driving through Kittatas!! (that's for those of you who know - thanks for the memories on the side of I90, but hopefully we won't be repeating history). I'll be posting many many photos of cool racing fun this summer, and hopefully maybe even some video clips with sound, thanks to Erik's new video camera!

Next order of business is Saucy's Pizza. Saucy's is a pizza and sandwich restaurant on south Whidbey Island. Go there. Take the ferry from Mukilteo. Eat tons of pizza and drink a few beers. Why? Because it's the best damn pizza or pulled pork sandwich you'll ever have!!! Especially because it's now owned by the Hadlocks!! That's right...... Erik's parents bought it and Jeff, Erik's dad is not only one of the owners, but head chef as well, and lemme tell ya, I could eat his cooking forever. So, check it out!!

And lastly, just because I feel like letting the world know...... I'm good. I'm really, really good. No, my life isn't perfect. In fact, it's far from it. But I am so blessed to have what I have. A unique but loving family that always surprise me, a loyal and remarkable boyfriend that keeps me laughing, friends that lookout for me and never confuse my silence for anything other than what it is, a boss who is willing to take the time to teach me things I may not necessarily get the chance to learn otherwise, a car to drive (even though it's on loan) and my health. I have all that I need to be loved and happy...... to have less stress and do the things I want to do in this world, I need more money, but that'll come. Right now, I am so very satisfied with who I am and who I know I will become.

Had enough introspective, self-awareness talk? Me too!!

I had forgotten how great it feels to "talk" to the anonymous world. It won't be 78 days before the next time I ramble on and on ;-)

INTERVIEW TIME!

2007-01-23T10:22:00.000-08:00

There is a fantastic opportunity just waiting for me..... I have an interview today with a really great, very sucessfull company in Fife. It's funny, it's right down the street from BMW Northwest, which is where Erik works ;-) Anyways, there's a plan already in place for this position to advance in July, it comes with a great salary, full benefits and this place even has an HR Department! (unlike my last job).

I'm super duper excited for this interivew. A little nervous too, just because I really have to put myself out there and hope they like me.

So, wish me luck!

Off I go!

Winter is here!

2006-12-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

It's funny.....I blog less now that I'm unemployed ;-)

Life has just been busy. Good, but busy. The wind storm threw off my schedule a few days, so I'm playing catch up (thus, why I just finished my Christmas shopping today!). On my way right now over to my dad's, where my family and Erik are celebrating our Christmas. My dad is joining Jeff and Mary down in Oregon with her folks and Erik and I will be with his family on Christmas Eve. Holiday plans are usually difficult to coordinate, but this year it has gone quite smoothly!

And.... we're going to attempt to drive up in the mountains this weekend to go play in the snow! We were going to go on my birthday last Sunday, but the wind storm kinda shifted our plans. I can't wait to throw a snowball at Erik ;-)

I can't even say how much I'm looking for the new year to get here. After the holidays, I can really start looking for a place to live in Tacoma (oh yeah, I'm moving Jan 31st!) and I can also begin interviewing like crazy for a job. I CAN'T WAIT to start working again. I mean, sure, sleeping in is great, but I'm bored and ready to start taking in more $$$.

Anyways! Gotta run! Stuffed Mushrooms won't make themselves :-)

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Stranded for a few days

2006-12-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

Snow is probably one of my most favorite things in the whole wide world. I love the way it looks falling out of the sky...... I love how it makes our yards white playgrounds and our ski resorts crowded. But when I got stuck down in Federal Way for 3 days while I5 was covered in ice, I wasn't liking the pre-winter storm so much. Don't get me wrong, I loved hanging out with Erik for a few days and just relaxing, but after a while, sitting in a cold apartment without the internet can get a little old ;-) So it feels good to be back home with my heating blanket, my computer and my fridge. The storm was fun to watch from inside and on the news and I'm glad I didn't really have to be anywhere at all this week.

But I do have places to be this weekend, so I'm glad it's cleared up a little!!! Tomorrow we're getting up really early to go to the last Pro Rally Race of the year in Shelton. And although rally races are really fun in the rain and mud, I'm glad it's not supposed to rain.... since later than afternoon, we're heading to to the Sheraton in Tacoma to get ready for the BMW Christmas party!! AND! I'm wearing a cocktail dress!! For those who know me pretty well, wearing a dress is not a common thing (I think it's actually been since Homecoming my junior year in highschool since I've worn a cocktail dress). But the black dress I found is fabulous and I'm excited to have fun tomorrow night ;-)

Gobble Gobble!

2006-11-22T22:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! My cousin Mindy and her husband Wayne are throwing the party at their place in Bellingham and the whole fam is going to be there. I'm pretty excited to see some family I don't get to see very often. Erik and I are headed up there tomorrow afternoon!

And so it starts..... Turkey day is here, we're starting next Saturday going to one last Rally Race in Shelton and ending the same evening with the formal BMW Christmas party. My brother's birthday, my 25th birthday, Christmas and New Years. All in the next 39 days.

But I love it ;-)

Discovery

2006-10-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

While flipping through channels, I ran across the movie The Village. I remember it being strange and creepy, but intriguing, so I settled in to watch. It still had its moments of bad acting and weird storyline twists, yet this time, I found myself listening more to the music than anything else. I ended up looking up the soundtrack on Rhapsody and when I found it, I found a mesmerizing song......It's called "The Gravel Road".

There's a sense of urgency to it that I can't explain. I stirs up all sorts of stuff in me...... tenderness, hope, conflict, faith, introspect, panic, resolution

Even now, days later, I can't stop listening to it. I can lose myself in this song. I feel empowered by it. I feel it's an expression of what I've been feeling since I lost my mom. The musical interpretation of my heart.

Amazing how one song can move so deeply.

2 Hours

2006-10-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

My commute this morning was from Federal Way to Kirkland
Distance: 31.58 Miles
Average Travel Time: 37 minutes
TODAY'S TRAVEL TIME: 2 HOURS

Let's do some comparisons, just for kicks.

Kirkland to Olympia: 69.21 Miles
Travel Time: 1 Hour, 15 Minutes
Kirkland to Bellingham 86.7 Miles
Travel Time: 1 hour, 32 Minutes
Kirkland to Ellensburg: 107.31 Miles
Travel Time: 1 Hour, 45 Minutes

That's why I'm moving down to the south end.....I'm apartment and job hunting as we speak!!

Oh, and I'll have some recent photos to post later today. It feels like it's been a while ;-)

The Change-Up

2006-10-09T15:51:00.001-07:00

Shifting. Tweaking. Turning. Improving. Adjusting. That's what life is doing right now.... Just when I think I'm headed on one direction, life turns on its heel and charges in the opposite direction, paying no attention to how I feel about it. Not saying it's all bad, just saying that it's scary at times. I was expecting a fast ball and I got a breaking ball, low and inside.

I lost my job at UBuildIt. And no, I won't go into details.......it's nobody's business. But in my humble opinion, it was partly my fault and partly circumstance. I am UBuildIt's, what, 8th casuality this year? My boss and I were discussing my promotion and raise on Monday and by that Wednesday I was packing up my desk. The only thing that truly stresses me out is the money and I stressed about money when I had a job, so I'm chosing to have a sense of humor and know that if I hold onto the nice severance package I walked out of there with, I'll be alright. I'm always alright :-) And in all actuality, I am turning a job loss into an opportunity to make some big changes......

I'm going to finally finish college! I have a direction, a school, a degree and a new career in mind. More on that later though. My goal is to start winter quater in January, but we'll see how the timing of finding part-time work, financial aid and a new place to live, all right around the the holidays. Ooooo, nice segway!

I think I'm moving to the south end to be closer to Erik!!! We've always said that if we had the chance to eliminate the 40 mile, 1 way commute inbetween us, we should. I'll be in Kirkland through the end of the year and then I'll probably live in Federal Way. I've already started apartment shopping.......We're going to wait on living together for now, which feels right to both of us. Man, we'd be happy not to sit in rush hour traffic for 2 hours just to have dinner together.

So I come back to my original point. Life changes in a moment. And I'm just choosing to be as ready as I can for curve balls........ and the homeruns.

So I really don't believe in daily horoscopes, but....

2006-09-20T16:59:00.000-07:00

I still look at it from time to time. Today, my horoscope didn't predict anything or tell me big money was in the stars for me.....

But it did remind me to appeciate the good in my life, as well as the bad. Here's what it said:

"Not all of the important changes in your life need to be dramatic, Hollywood-like moment of revelation. Having a major turning point or epiphany is nice, but it can be overrated. You don't need to make a splash to make a change. True growth happens slowly...... so slowly that sometimes (like now) you might not even be aware of it. Look around today - did you realize that right now, you're in one of the biggests transitional periods of your life? Let it unfold and enjoy it."

What hit me was "True growth happens slowly". I can't even count how many times I've tried to make a major lifestyle change (exercise more, clean more often, get more sleeping, etc) and failed, because I expected my life to change quickly.

I needed a reminder that even though I don't have it all figured out, I have time.

Time to evolve. Time to get it right. Time to become my authentic self.

I don't have forever, but I do have time.

;-)

Brand Spankin' New

2006-09-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

Ever since I moved out of my parent's home, I've had a "hand-me-down" or used TV. The last one was an old Zenith....... one of the heavy ones encased in wood that weighed more than a 5th grader. Well that tv and I started to have issues when it wouldn't turn on the first try. Or the second. Or the fifteenth. Most of the time, by the eighteenth try it would come on like normal, with a great picture and sound and everything. But after months of battling, it was time.

I looked on Craig's list for a used tv, but decided that I would get what I paid for and I wanted something worth while.

So I put my big girl panties on, went to Fred Meyer and purchased my first ever, brand new tv! It was a little more than I wanted to spend, but decided that was okay, since I'm going to have this tv for years to come. It's a 27'' Sylvania Digital Flat Screen, TV/DVD/VCR Combo....... and I love it :-)

The archaic Zenith went BYE BYE in the dumpster and my new TV is fabulous!

Yes I know, I may seem overly excited over a TV. I guess I'm just easily amused, what can I say?

:=)

Go Hawks!

2006-09-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

It's finally football season!

Lions are goin' down on Sunday..... I can just feel it. Seahawks by 2 TD's.

:-)

(BOOYAH!!! Okay, so it wasn't the prettiest game ever, but it's a win people!)

Fall...... it's coming

2006-08-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

I just need to say that I'm so excited for Fall. I love the Summer sunshine and the nights that last forever..... it's just that I love foggy mornings, the cool breeze and having a cup of soup for breakfast. I enjoy snuggling up under heavy blankets with the window wide open letting the chilly air in.

Life will also slow down in the coming weeks....... I may finally be able to spend a whole weekend at my own home! Maybe even sleep in past 8am :-) I'm am so grateful for the things I have been able to do this summer. Erik and I have gone on a dozen camping trips, seen parts of Washington we didn't even know existed, vacationed in Mexico and were there to see my brother get married, raced hydroplanes, floated down a river, gone to his 10 year high school reunion, gone to a few rally races, sailed around the San Juans in a huge sailboat w/ my family..... I wouldn't have traded a moment of it.

It's just that Fall gives me time. Time to think...... time to do......time to see old friends..... time to just be.

2006-07-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

"Humor is just another defense against the universe"
- Mel Brooks

Without the people in my life that make me laugh both with them and at myself, I think I would have lost my marb les a long time ago. You people rock.

:-)

Oh The Possibilities

2006-07-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

Big things are happening, people. BIG things :-) It's just too soon to spout any details yet......we all know deals have a way of falling through.

But! If things work out, life could be changing in so many good ways :-) I promise that I'll say more when we have more assurance under my belt. Don't mean to tease, I'm just so excited that I had to let y'all know.

Prayers are always welcome...... pray for wide open doors, open-minded loan officers and willing partners.

Thank you!

Is it Time?? I think it's Time!

2006-07-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Phew! I actually have time today to update this…… it’s been a few moons, huh? Well, here goes! Got a few mins?

Mexico
It was fabulous…..absolutely everything I needed and more. Erik and I had the chance to relax together in romantic Cabo San Lucas. We spent long evenings out on the balcony, enjoying the nice sunsets………we went for walks on the beach and watched the enormous waves crash on the rocks…….we ate all sorts of great food, went on a glass-bottom boat ride, explored the open markets and took walks through the marina. My brother’s wedding was also fantastic! Everything was so romantic and simple…… the scenery of the beach and ocean behind the wedding party was all the decorating they needed J The ceremony was sweet, brief and pretty tearful. I was behind Jeff so I got to see Mary’s expressions as she vowed to love my brother for as long she lived – which was amazing…. SHE is amazing. Then, the party got started! Great food, great music and good planning made the party a huge success. I’ve posted some awesome photos on my photo blog – check ‘em out!

Tastin’ N Racin’ Hydro Race at Lake Sammamish – June 10th
It was a last minute scramble to get the engine rebuilt in time for the 2nd day of racing, but we did it! We headed out from Whidbey Island early Sunday morning and made it down to the lake with plenty of time (and right as all the muscle cars were pulling into the field! Ahhhhhh…… there’s nothing better than the sound of a dozen throaty motors). Anyways, Erik was driving that day so we got him registered and his nurse’s check done and did last minute things until it was time to race – and man oh man – it’s so exciting to watch Erik launch and start the motor J The first heat started out really strong! He ran in 3rd place most of the way and the only 2 boats in front of him were larger, 7.5 liter boats (we’re 4.5 liter)!!! WOOHOO! He probably would have won, but on the last lap, he made the choice to cut the engine due to the rising temperature of the motor. We pulled out it and took a look – all was well. Or so we thought. He wasn’t able to make it out to the course for the second heat L Oh well – engine’s break and sometimes there ain’t a damn thing we can do about it. So, we packed up and headed home. Better luck next time! But it was still fun to see Erik FLYING around on that course. Check out the photos here.

Fourth of July – 4 days weekend
Erik and I had started planning our Washington state Camping/Road trip/Exploration-of Ghost-Town-Excursion for weeks! We had originally planned to explore Southeast Washington, a place neither of us had spent much time in, but when we got out past Yakima, we were bored (it was Highway 24 – I DO NOT recommend it). There’s nothing out there – just hills and long, straight, boring roads. Oh, but seeing how hops grow for the first time was cool. So we decided to head up north on Highway 17 towards Moses Lake. We camped that first night in a National Wildlife Refuge Area after getting a permit from some campground. It was beautiful, but we didn’t realize just how many bugs would be present L But it worked out good since we kept the doors of the tent closed at all times. The sunrise was completely unreal….. it was so fascinating to hear nature wake up little by little. As soon as the light started appearing in that pale blueish hue, I heard a few fish start jumping – and as it got lighter and lighter, the fish jumped higher and higher and the birds got louder and louder. I forgot how relaxing it is just to sit through a whole sunrise. We got out of there pretty quick, since the bugs started attacking again and headed back out on the road.

THEN, we headed up Highway 21 towards the Columbia to take a free, open air ferry, through Ferry County and on to Republic. We checked out a few Ghost Towns in Ferry County, on our way to Highway 395, which took us north, following the Burlington-Northern Railroad tracks to Orient, a small ghost town we had some information on. Mostly just old buildings that were falling down, but it was still creepy and cool. From there, we went west on this looooooong road that followed right along with the US-Canadian border, which was kinda cool. We followed that from Ferry County through Okanogan County all the way to Chesaw, WA. We stopped at their old cemetery, which was eerie and pretty cool to see (lots of gravesites from the mid 1800’s). After that, we stayed at a really cool campground and swam in the lake and made uber yummy, greasy camp food. Good times…… good times…..

So this would take us to Monday morning, July 3rd. We made our way through the Okanogan National Forest, stopping at anything cool we saw. We found Loomis, yet another ghost town and started on the Loomis-Oroville road. Well, we took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up on Forest Service Road 23, which later changed to 27 and meandered up and down and up and down through the forest. That’s when things turned upside down L We were heading back down the last pass for the night, driving kinda fast, hitting some unexpected potholes and bad road conditions. Erik slowed down and just when we thought things were good, we hit a small bump and heard a CRUNCH. Opps! I prayed for a flat tire, but when Erik got out and took a look, we realized it was much worse than that. The lower ball joint, a major steering component, had shattered and metal was grinding on metal. ICK. It was 8pm, we were up about 7000 feet in the mountains, MILES from Winthrop, in bear country. Our options were hike about 25 miles out of here, stay the night in the truck or fix it somehow. Well, Erik is a genius and he devised a way to get out of there. He lodged a rock in between some parts and secured it with 2 bungee cords. He wasn’t that hopeful about it working, but it did!!! The only problem is that we had to inch out of there, and I mean, really inch at 4 miles an hour. It was painstaking working……and our adrenaline was pumping. We drove like that from 10pm to 1am and finally stopped to get some sleep. We started again and 4:30am and made it into Winthrop around 7:30 (after the rock had fallen out about 5 times. Each time, we had the jack the truck up, reposition and secure the rock back in and lower the truck down, inch by inch). We made a good team though! It took 6 hours but with Erik’s ingenious idea and my watchful eye keeping a lookout for hungry bears, we made it back to town w/o injury. PHEW! Erik called his parents to ask if they could come out and pick us up. They said, “No prob! You guys have bailed us out a few times now when the hydro trailer fell apart, we can repay the favor”. (which we were SO grateful for). Erik and I waited a few hours while they drove the 200+ miles from Whidbey Island to Winthrop. Poor Erik’s truck……it’s still there, in the public parking lot, waiting for Erik’s dad to come out w/ a hitch and tow it home, which he’s doing today. ANYWAYS! It wasn’t really the ending of road trip we had hoped for, but we’re all safe and had a fabulous first couple days! I’ve posted all the cool photos on my photo blog.

WOW! I think that’s it! It’s kinda nice to write all that down. Good memories and very fun times in the last couple months. I’m so thankful for the people in my life that I can do those very cool things with and depend upon when I’m in need.

And the summer just keeps on rollin’ by! It’s going so fast….. Erik’s 10 year high school reunion is this weekend, we’re headed back to Winthrop to do our annual river float w/ a bunch of friends, my dad is chartering a sailboat for a few weeks – so Erik and I will meet ‘em up in Bellingham or the San Juans for a weekend getaway. I’m loving life right now….. no, it’s not perfect, but it’s fulfilling to be involved with so many things.

Hopefully my next post won’t have to be novel-sized!!!

Have a great summer everyone!

Oh me oh my

2006-06-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

Life has been taking unexpected turns lately.......some positive & some negative, but all things that have kept me away from writing here........ I haven't even written about my trip last month to Mexico for my brother's wedding. Or the last two hydro races. Or about anything else for that matter :-)

What's a girl to do?

I need to find a nice free, quiet evening, pour a glass of red wine, put on Norah Jones and write my little heart out. When? I don't know. But it'll be a doozie!

Hope y'all are doing well.....bye for now.

Opps!

2006-06-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

Mexico trip post coming soon, I promise. I actually wrote it all out one day and when I tried to post, my computer started having "techincal difficulties" and I lost it all! Of course! So, I'm almost done but can't finish today 'cause I don't have the photos on the computer I'm at.

Plus, it's Tastin' n Racin' weekend and we're doing last minute work on Powerful JuJu so we can make it down to Lake Sammamish tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed, people! It's going to be a full day of engine assembly :-)

Stay tuned....

Back Home

2006-05-29T01:05:00.000-07:00

Just got in from a fantastic vacation and it's 1am........so, I'll finish this tomorrow :-)

Buenos Noches!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane...... Don't Know When I'll Be Back Again....

2006-05-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I'll be back Sunday....work with me here :-)

Erik and I are headed off to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! My brother is gettin' hitched to a fabulous woman named Mary and decided to say their vows on the beach..... therefore creating a wonderful excuse for a vacation for friends and family.

We're staying at a fantastic hotel on the Baja Penninsula and our only set plan is the wedding on Thursday. I have a feeling that the rest of the time, we'll be chillin' out in the pool, swimming up to the in-pool bar, having handsom mexican boys wait on us hand and foot and relaxing to our heart's content. Oh, and maybe a massage on the beach and walking in the surf at sunset, too....ya know, just to get the full effect :-)

Knowing me, I'll take copious amounts of photos, so I'll post 'em when I get back.

ADIOS AMIGOS!

Going Racin'

2006-05-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Early tomorrow morning, and I do mean early.......4am..... Erik and I are heading out to Banks Lake, Washington for the first Hyrdoplane race of the season! We're meeting his parents at the Sunbanks Resort, which is also where we're staying for the night.

It'll be a great time....we always have a good time with that crowd. Gorgeous scenery, lots of campfires, lots of beer and lots of fun. Powerful JuJu is all ready to go! Should be a great time..... hopefully the weather holds out, since it's absolutely gorgeous right now.

I'll post photos and maybe some video next week (if I can figure out how to post video, that is).

Here's a pic just for fun....

Closeness

2006-04-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

After my mom passed my dad gave me a few of her personal things.....which I am so, so, so grateful for. I think the items I like the most are two of her watches and I wear one of them every day. One is two-tone yellow gold and silver and the other is only silver, which is the one I normally wear since yellow gold and I don't match very well.

Well, I was putting on the two-tone one this morning and when it touched my skin, just for a brief second, I could feel her. I sensed her love and almost felt as if I was being gently hugged. No, I don't think her ghost was there actually in the room, hugging me. This was a feeling that originated much deeper within me and lasted only a fleeting moment and then was gone. It brought a tear to my eye and I remembered how much I loved her hugs......even though she would inadvertently dig her fingers into my sides and crush my chest so hard it ached :-)

I'd give up so much just for one more hug. Guess I'll have to wait until my time. Until then, I thank God that I have little moments where I feel close to her again......

SIGH Why Did it Have to End?

2006-04-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

I'm convinced that nature is God's version of Prozac or therapy, at least for me. He created so many gorgeous things in this world......mountains, old growth trees, little sparrows, lush forests, hot sunshine and valleys. We went camping this weekend, if you couldn't guess :-) The Oregon Rally Group was putting on the annual Oregon Trail Rally in central and coastal Oregon. Erik and I went, along with a few of his co-workers and their friends or fiances. We had such a blast driving around in the woods, finding cool spots to take pictures and even more fun, finding interesting, hidden places to "relieve ourselves".

The weekend started off with a nice, long drive from Federal Way to Hillsboro, Oregon. We stayed at a place called Horning's Hideout, where Erik and I have stayed a few times before. I've probably mentioned the peacocks in the past :-) Anyways! We built a great fire and tried to stay warm. Horning's Hideout is WAY down a the bottom of a ravine so it was quite cold.....but it was worth it for the scenery. The owners had set up our firepit and even left us a tuplip on the table..... We will definitely be back again next year!

We were up with the sun on Saturday morning and started out with breakfast, which was Fried Piles (a bacon/egg/english muffin meal made Hadlock style). We then went to Hillsboro Stadium to see all the Rally Cars lined up and ready to go. THEN, it was a long drive out to the Tillamook National Forest to start the mayhem :-) My heartbeat jumped when I heard the first car about a mile away from us, roaring down the logging roads. The first few cars are always the fastest and give us spectators a thrill with loud entries, flying rocks and tons of billowing dust. GOOD STUFF. There was a long wait until the next pass through that corner, so we all piled in our trucks and headed up a really steep hill, up to the top of a mountain. There, we had an ariel view of a few sweeping turns, which was awesome despite the fact the cars were kinda far away. We fired up the grill and made yummy burgers and drank tons of beer. Oh and the sunshine!!! We were probably up oh, about a thousand feet or more and it was still over 70! Erik got a sunburn on his neck and face, as did the rest of us. We built complicated rock towers, played with Charlotte (the little Jack Russell that was hanging out with us), ate grubbin' camp food and enjoyed the fresh air without all the distractions of life. Wonderful. Best time ever. Didn't have a care in the world. I wasn't thinking about work or money or my mom or my weight or my issues with friends or anything else....... complete relaxation. Won't ever forget it :-)

Phew! As if that wasn't enough fun, we headed out towards a campsite Erik and I had been a few times. We found a site all nestled back into some trees and got settled in. After getting all our tents set up and things put away, we settled around a huge fire, roasting brauts, drinkin' cheap beer and munchin' on goodies....great times.....beautiful scenery with HUGE trees and a cool river nearby.

We ended up walking down to that river early Sunday morning......it was breathtaking. The sun was hot already, even at 8 in the morning and the breeze coming off the river was just perfect! Eventually, we noticed we were actually at a spot where 3 rivers came together and joined forces, which was cool. Charlotte loved trying to nip at the little shore waves and the boys got a kick out of trying to build rock towers using oddly shaped rocks :-) I took a ton of photos, but not all were digital so I can't post some of the coolest ones here.

The rally race on Sunday wasn't quite as exciting as it was on Saturday, but that's not unusual. After exploring logging roads and cool dirt trails, we finally decided it was time for one last grilled burger and than we needed to make the long trek back up I5.

This last weekend couldn't have been more perfect if I had planned it myself. The people we were with were great, the food was excellent, the rally was good, the weather was incredible, we slept great and got to ignore email, cell phones, traffic and the news....... perfection. All I could do on the way home is recap everything we had done and thank God for creating such a fun place to explore.

I am refreshed........ 100% rejuvenated and ready to take on the next thing..

I've been trying to post photos here but Blogger is apparently having trouble uploading photos........ again.

Oh well! I'll try to post 'em this week sometime.

Time to work now!!

Wanna See Something Really Cool?

2006-04-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

Check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/w/Pikes-Peak-Peugeot-(-Impresionante-)?v=nCgs1LbQtJg&search=mustang%20turbo%20diesel%20truck%20hp%20drag%20race%20strip

You must have Macromedia Flash Player 8 to view it. You may be able to download for free, I'm not sure.

Anyways, check it out if you want a mini-thrill through the eyes of a race car driver :-)

(It's best viewed with sound - and turn it up!)

:-)

Spontaneous Sunday Morning

2006-04-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I think it’s safe to say that Erik and I hate being indoors. Why? Because on Sunday morning at around 3am, we were woken up and couldn’t go back to sleep. It was actually about 4am because of the time change, but anyways. We didn’t want to drive down to his place in Federal Way since he had to be in Everett later and neither of us could fall back asleep anyways. SO! We went for a drive! Seems to be our specialty :-)

We had originally decided to head up to the pass and watch the sunrise……..well, we ended up in Ellensburg and drove all around in the mountains. The sunrise was gorgeous, as you can see.

We had a blast just driving around on bumpy dirt roads, munching on goodies and chatting about this and that.

After exploring some mountains and roads (one of which we couldn’t continue on because of a deep stream right in our way), we decided to head back west. I ended up napping and after a while and I guess Erik was tired too, since we stopped at a rest stop and took a nap. As you can see, it was very bright and Erik wanted to cover his eyes :-)

On our way back, we stopped at Snoqualmie Falls and took a few photos. Neither of us had been there for a long time – it was SO beautiful.

Anyways, it as a great way to spend an early Sunday morning……. Out in the fresh mountain air. I would encourage anyone who can’t fall back asleep in the wee hours of the morning to throw on a coat, get in your car and find a great place to watch the sunrise. It was refreshing to say the least.

Can anyone believe it’s APRIL 5th already?!?!?!

April marks the start of another busy, yet really fun summer……

Upcoming Events:
PNB presents Sleeping Beauty – April 15th (a gift from Erik’s grandparents)
Oregon Trail Rally – April 21-23rd
First Hydro Race – Banks Lake, WA – May 6-7