Bits and pieces

I have so many different projects underway. You guys best be glad that I don't have any way to capture the complete wreck that is my room right now.

I'm making little ambient light arrangements for my room. I'm getting rid of my couch and my desk, stripping a section of my room of two layers of wallpaper and one layer of paint in order to repaint it.

I just procured a loft for free and am now on the rampage fixing my room up. Ordered some sweet shelves for my future, and, am going to repaint my dresser. to match my shiny new wall. Besides that I'm trying to outfit a corner of my bed to be a little couch for reading while sitting up. That's important stuff. Nothing is done. Most of this is still a dream. But it's a dream that can be realized. I have three days a week off from work.

Wallpaper striping formula, primer, white paint, an electric sander, a tiny bit of colorful paint 3 colors, a little bit of wood to build supports on the loft/couch and a drill. That's what I need. I might pull up my carpet after this too. I just pulled up a bit to find that there is hardwood floor underneath of this ugly stuff. Why would you do that to a space?!

Besides that I'm working on some Christmas projects, postcards, and some ongoing yard work. My biggest problem is that I forget to eat when I get all caught up in these things. I've been living off of brussel sprouts and corn tortillas for two days for lack of faster and better things to eat once I realize that I'm starving. It'll all balance out eventually. Plus, brussel sprouts are the best. But seriously, who wants to come over and feed me?

On my own

All of the days of the past week have been spent with one homeless friend or another until tonight. Up until this point, I've been helping people move boxes and furniture, driving stuff to and from different storage spaces, and squirreling people's things away at my house. I've come home from work to a friend (and sometimes a dog) at my house, I go to bed and a friend is on my couch but suddenly things have changed

I'm all alone for the evening and I don't know what to do. I took a deep breath, I worked on my art project, I ate some homemade watermelon sorbet, I've watched the first two episodes of Mad Men and I am lonely. What do you do when all of the social interaction you've been having finds another place to stay?

I think that having my space back and getting to be calm is going to prove useful in keeping my sanity but I have fallen in love with the constant bustle of people, in my room, and generally in my space. I'm used to them needing my help and I don't know what to do now that no one needs me.

Oh, well, I'll go to bed, sleep well and wake up to a spacious room in the morning. It's not all bad.

blackberries

Hey! It turns out if my camera is plugged into my computer I can still get pictures off of it so here are some of the fruits of my yard

blackberries lit by the sun's rays

blackberries next to Sauce's bus

New Home (yes I know, again)

AllRIGHT! first things first, I'll eat your brains.

But next on the list is: Here's my new address.

Rachel Ogburn

2301 SE 39th Av e

Portland, OR 97214

I'm going to be at this place for a year because I'm signing a lease. So! No more moving! yay yay yay! The people seem really cool too. I sat down and talked with them for a pretty good amount of time yesterday and meet everyone and I think that I'll be pretty happy there.

ALSO! the kitchen is really really clean (deal maker #1 for me) and they have a huge back yard where I can grow things! The location is super and the rent is reasonable. I think on the most expensive months it will come out to be close to 410 a month including all the utilities.

The room is big enough that I can do yoga in it and also have all of my belongings fit too which is going to be nice and it's probably 10 minutes away from work for me.

I am super excited!

shmoving

So, The place that I was thinking that I would move into is not such a certain thing anymore so I am currently on the market for a new place to live.

My 1st option right now is a pet sitting gig for most of Feb where I would take care of a cat and stay for a pretty affordable price in a really nice neighborhood. It is right across the street from a park, really close to a 2nd run movie theater, about half the distance from work. I would love to stay there. The only thing is that it would be temporary which is a bit sad since it's such a nice location.

I've emailed some more conventional living situations that are also pretty affordable but only one other has returned my email and I had a weird feeling about it so am not going to go with that one.

Any of those would be nice because I wouldn't have to move again in a month.

Oh why, oh why, did I buy a bed? It makes being in a transient state so much harder.

In other news: I'm going to have my friend Jon's car at my disposal for 6 months while he's gone so moving in that time won't be oh so bad.

gainfully employed...or at least getting closer.

Hope springs eternal! Or, at least, hope is renewed.

I have heard back from one of the places at which I applied to work. It would just be a hosting gig and I would need another job seeing as it would probably only be on the weekends but still, there is hope.

I also, applied to be a bank teller which, as my friend Krista reminds me, could be a job that develops into full time+benefits. That would be simply magical. I even had my first phone interview in pursuit of this teller job.

Other than that, I have been settling in to my new abode. I got a library card at my local library which is all of two blocks away. And as a special thing the library was doing for their website I had my picture taken with my new card. Really integrating into the Portland community here.

I am getting used to my new home but still need a dresser or some serious storage space. I may get a real bed in a day or two. We'll see how things go.

Things are on the up and up and all I could ask for now is a little bit of dessert.

The Hawthorne District

The Hawthorne District is full of hipsters and good food.

Here is a gingerbread cookie and mango "ice cream" sandwich which was so delicious

I'm staying at a really awesome hostel where everything is sustainable. They compost, they recycle, they use 100% renewable energy sources such as wind. It's pretty nice. Today my game plan is to print resumes and apply for jobs as well as to explore the area which will soon be my home. Maybe I'll even head downtown to go to Powells, the awesome bookstore in town.

A place to hang my hat

I found a place to live! I found a place to live! I'm super excited. I've been corresponding with 6 or so different households over the past few days and they have either had residents that were too old, had too many guys, were not in good locations, or they had too many pets. Until now!

Now! I have found a household, of mostly girls all in their 20s and in a pretty convenient location with only one dog at 808 SE 43rd Ave. It's in the Belmont district which I think is a pretty good place to live. I move in on the 25th. Yay!

Just wanted you all to know things are on their way to being settled.

colorful houses, plants, and intersections without stop signs

For those of you who have never been to this fair city, the city of roses, quick update.

Portland is filled with colorful houses overwhelmingly productive gardens and bunches and bunches of intersections that, as far as I can tell, have not stop signs or traffic signals of any kind.

Here is what I've gathered.

Pink house close to where I'm staying

The tree about town, the Douglas Fur.

Blue house

Intersection with no know traffic guidelines

Somebody's delicious looking green tomato and beautiful garden

orange scooter and house with orange trim

yellow house with beautiful old tree in front

Flowers! Azaleas?

New Cities, Jobs, and Homes.

I went to visit a prospective home today. Progress!!

It was a bit spur of the moment seeing as I called the homeowner and he said if I came in half an hour I would have time to see the place before he left for work.

Even though it was rushed, the homeowner seems nice and the room is a good sized room. Maybe too big for someone that doesn't even own a bed. The roommates seemed nice as well and the kitchen didn't look a disaster. There is space for a garden, and strawberries growing out front. There is also a grocery store within a couple of blocks. It is only 2 short blocks from the bus stop as well.

Indeed, I took the bus from where I've been staying and the bus system does seem ideal. It took me about a half an hour on the 72 bus line. That means if I get one of the jobs that I'm applying to in this area I'd have about a half hour bus ride to work or an hour bike ride.

And that brings us to jobs! JOBS, Jobs, jobs. Today I have applied to a grocery store online, several restaurants, a craft supplies store, and a vegan bakery. The day is young but the window for restaurant applications is over so from here on out I've got to apply to other types of jobs. Maybe I'll check out the old idealist.org

Last but not least, cities: Portland seems really nice so far. It's a very neighborhood like place. A lot of houses with porches and residential streets. Not a lot of fast traffic or angry people (not that there are tons of anger people back east). The place that I'm staying has the welcoming smell of lilacs which makes for a good homecoming after all that applying and exploring.

Vegan Vanilla Bean cupcake with Vanilla Ganache Icing.

Last Day in RVA

It's hard to know what to do. There's so much left to accomplish. I can't believe this is my last day here. I've been preparing for so long and I still don't feel like I'm ready. Some good things that have happened though are:

1) My sister has a friend who is house sitting in Portland for pretty much a week after I get there and I'm probably going to be able to cancel my hostel reservation and stay with him when I finish living with my couch surfing host.

2) I got to see the new Virginia Museum of Fine Arts that I'd been waiting 5 years to see, before leaving.

3) I got in some quality time with two of my favorite couples Christine and Daniel and Krista and Adam.

4) I had the best date day with Zachary yesterday.

If I can get WiFi on the train I'll update from there if not it will probably be until the 11th, which is Portland, that you hear from me again.

Upon Checking my Email

Today as I checked my emails what did I find?!?

A friendly little email reply from a soon to be couch surfing host who is going to let me stay on her futon or love seat while I get settled into Portland. Hip Hip Hurray!!

On the Upswing

Things are looking up for the first couple of days that I'm gonna be in town for Portland. Remember when I was freaking out because nothing is going according to plan and I was spending tons of money on credit card mistakes etc? Remember the beginning of the week when I thought I was going to be homeless when I moved to a city where I know absolutely no one?

Well things are definitely on their way to being better. Turns out, my sister has a friend that just moved to Portland that I could, possibly, stay with once she asks him, I've found some fairly affordable hotels, and I am still trying to couch surf if at all possible. See how much better things are?

Other than that I've visiting with both my sisters in Charleston, SC. I'm saying my goodbyes to the east coast and my family for a time and it's been a pretty good, if really hot, time so far.

to the bright and wonderful adventure that tomorrow could be.