Monthly Archives: January 2009

At Home in CO

A glowing endorsement for riding the bus…

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I walked all the way to the bus stop today and then discovered that I had forgotten my bus pass, which means actually paying $2 to ride the ten blocks to campus, or however far it is, which sucks.  So, I got the money and decided, just in case the driver would be nice, to ask if i could get to campus today without it.  It’s my first day back on the bus for the new term and I was hoping he’d feel generous.  And, he was.  He not only let me on and was totally nice about it, but he also was feeling quippy!

He made jokes to me, and the next guy who got on without his pass because he was new, and the next set of people.  He asked the first one on, “Did anyone order a bus?”  The idiot had headphones on and didn’t appreciate the joke, but I thought it was amusing.

When we pulled into the campus he announced on the loud speaker “Alright, ladies and gentlemen, we are now leaving warp speed and entering CSU airspace.”

And, lastly, when I pulled the cable to make my stop he grabbed the loud speaker and said, “Okay, who pulled that cable?  Whoever that was I’m afraid you’re going to have to exit the bus at the next stop.”

These might not seem that funny, but if you rode the bus every morning in the land of headphones, scowls, and/or ridiculously loud conversations about nothing anyone else ever needed to hear about, you would be able to fully appreciate the lovely break this was.

Best bus ride ever.

Adventures in Colorado, At Home in CO

Home at Last!

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Home at last, Yay!  It was a lovely break but I’m so glad to be restarting my real life.  I guess the more used to being busy the weirder it becomes to relax and have so few obligations.  I will miss the almost entire days mom and I spent watching Veronica Mars and CSI but I am excited to start classes again.  I’ve got two tomorrow, an analytical essay writing class and Emotion, Culture and Rhetoric, which has the best reading list I ever seen since the short story class where we did not have to buy books at all…aaah the olden days.  I have 17 textbooks this term but managed to save probably about $50 by buying them through Amazon, assuming they all arrive and in good shape.

So, Break.  So much happened I don’t know where to start.  On our much delayed way home we got to stop and see Dorothy, Timmy and Clarence which was awesome, it’s been too long.  Then we got stranded on the wrong side of the Blue Mountains and had to stay over in a white-out (practically) in La Grande with a million truck drivers and a hotel full of angry greyhound bus passengers.  It was kind of scary because there were not enough rooms and we hadn’t put down money on our reservation.  But, we got a room were safe and sound and made it very slowly home the next day.

I spent bunches of time with Mom, not enough with Dad, we got to go to the Christmas Party which was very much fun.  I met Vern, my mom’s new boss, whose conversational style resembles a hurricane on repeat.  We recorded tapes on Fox News and the Military channel for him all break…. I never thought I’d intentionally put any TV on those channels but I survived admirably.  I even watched two – count them – 2 football games with Vern and his wife, Laura, because she’s into that.  It was boring, but the conversation outside of the game was interesting and now I can say I’ve seen a play-off football game.  So, go me.

After Matt left I went to visit Amy, Robin, Nanook and Nola in their new house in Veneta.  I’m so jealous – homeownership.  How crazy grown-up my friends are.  I stopped by the Book Bin on the way to and from and bought a ridiculous amount of books in preparation for my eventual nightmarish comp exams.  Mom and I went to Ikea, always sooo much more fun than it really should be.

Matt picked me up in Denver on the 14th and we picked up our new TV on the way home.  It is a Vizio 32 inch and it is so bright and clear and loud and pretty, but huge, it’s still hard to adjust.  There is no buzzing, however, and that is beautiful.  We are watching obsessive amounts of Lost trying to catch up for the new season to start.

Friday I painted another wall in the bedroom of our apartment with Karyn and am totally in love with it.  Who knew one wall could make so much difference in a room?

Today Matt and I drove to Colorado Springs with the dogs to meet my favorite Niki who was visiting a friend there.  We had lunch at a brewery (much to Matt’s delight), took the dogs on walks around the Garden of the Gods, and climbed some giant rocks with great difficulty.  It was the perfect end to the vacation, especially because it was warm and sunny… in January.  I love Colorado weather sometimes.

Now, more Lost.

Tomorrow, classes, buy a notebook, and fill out more job applications.

yours,

alaina

At Home in CO

January in Tillamook

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So, if the bizarre feet of snow weren’t enough, it is now officially winter in Tillamook.  I.E.  It’s flooding!  Supposedly the Wilson was going to crest at 19 feet and you have to take detours to get to the other side of town.  Woohoo…

Anyway, Becky and I are sitting at Main Street listening to the arcade machine noises (the techno version of The Simpson’s theme) and I’m finally getting to use internet of proper speeds that I’m borrowing from the Radio Shack down the way.  How sad is it when the Starbucks in this town doesn’t even have wifi?

And, now for the exciting part!  I’m typing on my new mini notebook!  It’s an Acer Aspire One, and it’s beautiful and so far very lovely to use.  I think it’s a pretty quick and powerful little thing too.  I’m a little irked it doesn’t come with office to stay, only a 60 day trial.  Grrrr.

Happy 2009!  I’m still in Tillamook for a couple weeks, Mom and I have big intentions for housework and improvements.  We might paint, we will clean out and I’m not sure what all else she has planned.

Okay, much else to do unfortunately and no idea how long this whole borrowed internet thing will last…

yours,

Alaina