Listing West

I have not been posting on the regular as of late. Sorry kids.

Things have been somewhat busy but even more than that somewhat uneventful.

Still, I was thinking the other day of all of the things I still want to do here on the east coast and some of the things I want to do in Oregon when I get back west.

Let's see. I'm really trying to go see my friend Andre's  show in Philly before I leave this side of the country and I'm also trying to hit up NYC if at all possible. I still have a few restaurants in Richmond to get my stomach into,  and I've only been to the beautiful Byrd Theater once since I've been here so I will try to get a date to a movie for sure. Maybe, I will be trying to go to Agecroft Hall as well. Dinosaur Land is on my list but it is way down there and I don't think it's going to happen in the next three weeks. But, really, who can say for sure.

I'm only here for three more short weeks (in Richmond, VA) that is. So, I am, for sure, trying to see all of my friends for a few more good times and am looking forward, in a really serious way, to the Monument Avenue 10k which is my favorite race ever. I'm super excited for my family to come visit with Mamaw and me. And am also eager to make the brief venture up north to see my mom for her birthday. I'd like to point out (for good daughter points) that I have not missed one of my mom's birthdays since moving across the country.

When I get back out west I have so many things to do in mind (besides finding a job). I want to redouble my volunteering efforts. I've got a month's pass of unlimited yoga that starts two days before I get back home to take advantage of. I'm trying to buy a jalopy and drive to the Oregon High Desert (ok the jalopy part isn't true but the desert part is). I'm going to go whale watching off of the Oregon coast with some friends and visit some hot springs too.

I am going to go see some shows. Namely those of Yours, And And And, Death Songs, and My Autumn's Done Come. I cannot wait to be back in town to see all of these guys in action. I really hope they have shows close to my return. Culture! Oh yeah, I'm also going to hit up some museums that I haven't hit up yet in Portland and check out the famous rose testing garden (double culture!!)

I can't wait to ride my bike, run, and do yoga on a regular basis. I'm excited to make vast quantities of food that I really, really like and eat Thai take out from down the street. I can't wait to see all of the people in Oregon that I love and have friend dinners. But, I will desperately miss my family and friends who are sticking to their guns here on the east coast. I will be sending mail. Don't you east coasters worry. You will hear from me. Hopefully  I will also making some sweet stuff in the near future. So, maybe you'll see some art posted.

All the best kiddos I've got to get the ball rolling on this stuff.

Online Shopping

I think, that since I bought my first winter purchase (a sheepskin on which to sleep) online, I have been growing increasingly more addicted to the special kind of gratification that comes with online shopping. 

Never having to step foot in a store is a certain benefit for starters. Not having to travel at all to get a new product is another. 

But honestly, probably the best thing is getting something sweet in the mail (that you may or may not have forgotten about ordering). Sometimes, just getting something new that is really cool is enough to perk a person up. So, in order to curb my online spending habit, I've decided to make some of the things that I want from online (or my own versions of those things). Now, if only I could send them to myself.

Lately, I've been looking at a whole bunch of different U.S. state prints. They've ranged from road map print in the shape of a state to highly stylized geometric state approximation. Some have little symbols for different terrain. Some, list all of the cities of note in the state. They are (excuse me, I'm already sorry) all over the map in style. 

What I like the most about them is the idea of getting all of the states that I've lived in collected and having them as decorations. Here is what I have for myself.  

 Virginia

Delaware  

I'm obviously unfinished since I haven't even started Oregon yet.