Friday!

Well, it doesn't really matter because I'm not actually working M-F. Actually, maybe I should be sad because I have to go to work tomorrow (but I'm not because it's $$)!!

Still! Friday brings exciting things as I am about to go to Brides against Breast Cancer and help set up dresses and such for an expo.

Also, I get to take the little dog that lives at my house out for a walk beforehand. Obviously, my life is full of crazy thrills.

I'm about to start on my dog walking duties but just wanted to check in and let everyone know things are moving right along in Portland, OR.

I've made a new friend named Dennis. Yesterday he showed me around a popular bike/walk ride on the river. I've also found a donation based yoga/running class only a few blocks from my house so both of those things are exciting.

On the job front, I've been turned down for the bank teller position that I applied to as well as a position to be a seasonal card sales person :(. I heard back from a guest house that they will be hiring in December and that I should keep in touch. And I have heard nothing back about the parking garage work, event planning internship, or the office assistant position that I have applied to. Still, my hopes remain high. I will get a job!

Thanks for checking in and until I have more adventures of which to tell.

Getting Social (plus crepes)

Look at what I made!! Cheesy Crepes, Sautéed kale, and heirloom tomato slices. Delicious. You can tell by my obsession with food that I am still not totally flourishing on the social front but good news on that note. Things are getting better.

That's right. I'm on my way to no longer lonely. This week I made a serious effort to be proactive about my social situation so.

Monday, I had coffee with a potential friend. A friend of my friend Amber (thanks lady for the connection). It was a good meet up. We talked for hours and I think that he was very sympathetic to my social plight.

Tuesday, tonight, I went to a $3 movie with my friend Cory. He just moved here too and stayed in the Hostel with me. So, we're kind of in the same situation.

Wednesday, tomorrow night, I have no plans.

Thursday night I'm going to go to a track where the Oregon Road Runners Club has people meet to do workouts. It will be good to meet some other runners.

Friday I'm volunteer setting up wedding dresses for a program called Brides against Breast Cancer. It is only a couple hours but it will take me to a totally new part of town and that will be exciting. Plus, I'll get to meet some fellow volunteers and hang up pretty wedding dresses. What could be bad about that?

Saturday and Sunday I work and will be in contact with other employees of the restaurant at which I now work.

This adventure is becoming less lonesome bit by little bit.

Lonesome Baker

Lately, I have not been occupied with having a job or friends. And not having a job, I have not had the money to spare on fun things outside of the home (nor do I have friends to do those fun things with). And I have been baking a lot to occupy my time.

Little did I know, before moving to Portland, how depressing it is to make enough rolls or cookies to feed 8 people happily and then having to eat them all yourself because you don't have any friends. That was a lesson I soon found out.

Luckily, now I have a job and while it's only a weekend job and maybe won't make me a whole lot of money, At least I'll get a chance to make friends. Until then I may try to hold off on the baking.

Pale September

OK so first things first I still love Fiona Apple. But secondly, and no less importantly, fall, the season with all the best colors, the time of changes, the collection of moments when things are the most perfect that they can be, autumn, is HERE.

Let me preface the rest of this post by stating that when I first came to Portland some of the people that where staying at the hostel with me thought it was funny to deceive me and tell me that the leaves probably wouldn't change color here and if that's what I needed than maybe I had moved too soon! LIES!

Fall is here. Fall is here! I've seen the leaves beginning to change colors, I've seen piles of dried leaves on the ground, I've smelled the smell of bonfires. And while it is an uncommonly warm (almost 80 degree) end of September day I know for sure that the real fall is on it's way. Here are some pictures I took as evidence of the beginning of this fair season.

One of the trees in front of my house beginning to turn.

Tree in front of the library where there were also leaves on the ground.

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.

Yard Sale! Yard Sale!

The past two days have been days of acquisition.

Yesterday, I bought myself some beautiful sheets from an estate sale ($2 total) and today I bought myself a beautiful print ($1) , some very pretty coasters (.75 total), a useless but whimsical clock ($4), and a very cute desk to do my computing on ($10)

My room still has a ways to go as I'll probably need something to put my coasters on and to hang my print with but I'm still pretty thrilled. Here are a few pics of my new treasures.

My new desk. So cute!

Close up of my clock. You can see why it isn't functional

Coasters with real pressed flowers in them!!

Beautiful print on Indians/Native Americans

My bed with yellow sheets, my desk & computer, and of course the quilt that Mamaw made for me.

Rainbows, Reservoirs and Wrought Iron Fences.

There's a man in camouflage pants sitting in an old lady chair in the entrance way of the lobby and as I sit at my tiny, Nickelodeon green slimed computer there are two others at the table with me, also, on their respective computers.

A Bostonian boy in the corner on a the couch relentlessly questions a French hiker and this is what I am a part of as I finish my night at the hostel. The day has been at some points long and at some points very short.

I spent a painful hour and a half being turned down by restaurant after restaurant at the street on which I've been wanting to work but then I went on a beautiful bike ride and remembered how nice the city can be when the sun comes out.

I ended up at a park known as Mt. Tabor Park and saw a beautiful view, a reservoir, and a rainbow. That was all very scenic. I also came "home" to a very talent filled open mic night and a surprise skype call from the very best of boys, Zachary Ward.

In short, the day ended well although I think that little, if any, footing was gained on the job front.