I got off of work early and the sun is shining

So my friend Marika taught me how to cross stitch the other day and I finally made my work friend, Candi, a valentine like I'd wanted to since valentine's day. This took hours and hours. I knew cross stitching was time consuming but I had no idea how bad it was until I made this little guy. Still, I'm proud and that's why I am posting it up here for you guys to check out.

Other than that. Another of my work buddies got promoted to be a manager and they're in need of a new bus person for Fridays. So, I'm going to be that person. That is great news because the bus man typically gets tipped out a fair share. I'm excited about making myself some real money soon.

In non profit based news, I'm going to start volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity Restore in a couple of weeks. I'm pretty excited about that. The Restore is a sculptor's muse. It is filled with awesome, cheap things that you can make stuff with. I'm hoping that it will inspire me to make some artwork. I'm thinking that it will. Especially, if I have a little extra money from my Fridays to buy supplies. It is also a great cause and resource for the community so I'm overall, very excited to bring my skills to help them there.

Look at this orange. I got this orange at work. It perfectly embodies my day. It's so beautiful. Today is a good day. Hope you're having a good one too.

Tax Return

I'm getting my tax return shortly. Well, I just got my VA tax return in the mail and am waiting on my federal.

Since I first found out how much I was getting back for my tax return I started planning what I was going to do with my money. Was I going to save half of it and use the other half to buy new clothes and a new pillow? Perhaps I was going to buy a dresser, and some hangers. Maybe I was about to splurge on a membership to a rock climbing gym. All of those were ideas that I had batted around a bit. I might even want to replenish my greatly diminished earing supply with some of that tax money.

But then I realized my tax money is already pledged. I'm going on vacation to CO this year and that's where my tax return is going. It's pretty nice because it costs almost exactly the amount I'm getting back to fly to and from Colorado but I can't use any of the money for anything else. Is it too greedy to wish I was getting another $400 back from the government? Maybe but that doesn't stop me from dreaming. Oh a membership at a climbing gym... what a dream.

Still, I'm pretty psyched for some good travel and fun family time. That will be really nice. I'm actually looking forward to some of that later this month for Jon-Mike & Jackie's wedding. Yay! travels! I've been pretty homesick for the past few days and it'll be really nice to see those of you on the east coast and the east coast itself later on.

Hope you all have some fun plans in your near future. That's all for now.

Road running

I've got the racing bug. I've just spent the last hour and a half looking up races in the Portland area.

Specifically, I'd love to be able to train for a marathon. I don't know if that's something I could do without a team of supporters but I don't know, the idea is bouncing around my head quite a bit. The race that has me really interested is the Columbia Gorge Marathon. It sounds like a beautiful event. Still, there are a few obstacles for me. One is that there aren't a lot of spectators to lend emotional support and another is I know I should shoot for a half before I try and run the whole. It's hard not to get ahead of myself. Ah!

Who wants to fly out here and help me whip myself into shape? Any volunteers?! Oh boy.... I can't stop looking up races. I've got to get myself back into running!!