My jumbled thoughts this week...

I love my niece- she cracks me up. today when I told her that Ashton lives with us she says..."Oh cause he didn't have a home?" So funny, as if I am just picking up lost kids off the streets and bringing them in.

I have poison oak. I hate it even more on my face. The left side of my face looks like I am a frusterated teenager with horrible acne- the the right side looks pretty normal... I like playing... camera one, camera two while turning my head in the mirror. It is groose!

I can't decide if I should run the 1/2 marathon or the full in a week. My inner competativeness says no way in hell I am running the 1/2, but my body is saying... "be careful, don't hurt me"...

I think I am a dorky mom cause I got one of those wagon things to pull behind my bike so we can all go on bike rides... It's kind of a Eugene thing I think.

We really want to buy a boat.

Only 12 more days until we leave for St. Croix. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

I don't like watching professional basketball. College hoops are SO much better. These guys are lazy

Why do we have this bran new fridge and it doesn't have an icemaker? Bugs.

I miss my friends in Salem. Wish just one would move to Eugene. I know someone else would love it here! It's great!!!

I am the luckiest woman in the world. Chris Rice is the most amazing man. He makes me so happy!!!

I love talking about wall ball with Paityn. Yesterday I taught her what a "baby" and a "skimmy" was... she told me the other day after school, "mom, I was the king of wall ball today, no one could beat me" :)

Why do I like watching 16 and pregnant? Why is that entertainment? yuck.

week two

Simply put, I love it here! Week two under my belt. One full week of the new work, daycare etc. routine... and yes, I love it. Why one must ask... let me elaborate.

One may say, well of course you love it, you live in a lime green house on a street full of "normal" colored houses... we are that house that you drive by and say to who ever is sitting in the front..."why on EARTH would someone paint their house that color"... sometimes I want to post a big sign in the yard and say, "we didn't pick this color, our landlord did"... hummmm, that may be a good idea I have going... But anyways, it's not the color of the house that grows my love for being in Eugene now...

So many things. this place is like a runners paradise. If only I had more time to go out and explore the running possibilites... I know that someday I will get to. People running all over the place. Paths taking you from here to there, this town just makes me want to get on my running shoes and go... now if only it would stop raining for one day- that'd be nice.

I love work. The people are great and it feels so much more relaxed than in Salem. I feel like I get to do the things that I love...interacting with people and doing social work. Now of course there are many of the same paperwork demands and non stop policy crud to cover us... but the feel of this branch is just so much more laid back. Have lots to learn, but each morning when I am driving to work I get excited for the newness of what is ahead.

I love being with Chris. Being here has made our relationship feel so much more real. More normal instead of visits here, heading back home, driving back and forth and the dreaded..."when do I get to see you next question"... I love coming home to him every day. He has been encouraging me to be a better mom each day. And I get so excited for the days when we get to have five kids in our home rather than four... I know, sounds crazy, but having Ashton is double the blessing. It is fun to watch him interact with the kids and I love that they ask each day on the way home "Does Ashton get to be with us tonight"... oh, and Nolan plays cars, trains, basketball and BOY THINGS with him!!! :) Love it.

Overall, I feel like each day is a breath of fresh air. It is kind of nice not knowing anyone on some days. I would like to make a few friends, but I am sure that will come. After 30 years in the same place I really just wake up and feel like the world is ahead of me for that day.

And I have my first visitor tomorrow.... I can't wait :)

There are just a few of the nuggets into these last two weeks here in Eugene. I am a happy woman!!!!

headed back home

So I realized that the real reason that I moved from Salem is because Java Crew never put my name up for a free coffee... all I ever wanted to see what "Free Drink for any Brandyn"....
what a bummer :)

After my first week here in Eugene we headed back to Salem for Easter. As we drove back I found myself being really excited to get back in Eugene. I am excited to go back to work tomorrow and just excited to be here...

The first week was pretty great. This town feels so comfortable to me, if only I could have few friends here. That's all that's missing... guess that will come in time.

Wendy's

So today I am sitting in Wendy's... enjoying a nice meal with a wonderful 12 year old on my caseload... and as we are eating our fries, I peer across the restaurant and observe some of the fine people also enjoying their lunch at the Wendy's on Lancaster Drive in Salem.

The first couple that catches my eye is an older, clearly retired couple sitting at the table to my right. They are obviously done with their meal, with their table cleared and just their soda cups left, they are sitting sideways in their chairs, people watching. The man turns to his wife, with a very disgusted look on his face "Do they have the heat on in here?" He asks her. "They must," she says very angerly back at him. They both spend the next two minutes in utter frusteration talking back and forth at how the just could not believe that the restaurant would have their heat on at this time of day... I chuckled inside and thought to myself- Really, if you are hot and done eating... I have an idea... leave. But no, they remain there, getting more and more upset, adjusting the collars of their shirts, rolling their eyes and looking around as if they would be able to see a heater and turn it off or something... Really it wasn't that hot in the Wendys in my opinion... I didn't tell them that.

Next a lady to my left, just across from the "hot couple". Sits down and is about to get down on her yummy meal. She opens up the silver wrapper of her sandwich and takes a big bite. She could hardly wait to taste that fish through her mouth... but then, she stops mid bite and gets a very angered look on her face. She looks at the sandwich, examines it inside and out- then marches back up to the counter. (at this time the "hot couple" notice that something is wrong with her meal and they begin to inquire to one another about what's wrong with her sandwich)...
The lady comes back and sits down, clearly very upset. The "hot couple" says to her... what happened with your sandwich? The lady responds "I ordered a fish sandwich and this is a chicken sandwich". "WHAT" the "hot couple" say in disbelief. "That is not right, they need to correct that and give you the right sandwich". .. The three of them go back and forth, griping and complaining about how horrible that is, how they just can't believe this place and how this is so unacceptable...

As I continued to listen to these three get themselves more and more worked up it took all that was in me to not turn to them and say "Don't choose Wendys and you may be happier"

My chicken sandwich was great, my fries were just right. Could have used a refill on my coke, I wasn't too hot and my little pal loved every minute of his double bacon burger and oreo milkshake... To me, it was a good day at Wendys.. but not for everyone..

make me run

Just renamed my blog

Looking for something that kind of defines me a bit... here's where I come from with it...

Make me... I tend to be someone who struggles in following rules- not all rules, just some (gosh I hope Chad isn't reading this and see's that I am admitting that)... :)

If you look at my driving record, you may notice my problem following the rules of the road. If you have ever been in my car with me, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

And run... I think about when I used to play basketball. I hated to run. I would gripe and whine ( I know out of character right) each time we had to do any extended running or conditioning.

Now, I voluntarily run miles a day. And love it. No one's making me, I could sleep in an extra hour or so each day- but I don't, my body get's up and the treadmill switches on...
There are some days I have to "make" myself do it but for the most part- my routine owns my days and has created somewhat of a robot in me....

The venture

Each day I have a different thought. I'm excited, sad, nervous...

A fresh start
Clean slate

Lots of change at once

Excitement to start a life with a wonderful and amazing man

Nervous about not knowing anyone
Looking forward to not knowing anyone

Sad to not have my parents right up the hill

Excited to take such a big step

Excited to establish my family in a new place
Excited about the school the kids will go to



This is my last four days here in salem. Same job for the last 8 years. Same town for the last 30. Drive the same route to work, get the same latte, generally eat the same lunch... my days are pretty much routine--- and in four days it all changes.

Most of my house is boxed up... This week I wrap things up and off we go...

I will continue to update my blog with all that this new venture holds

Watch out Eugene, here come the Millers! :)

Can't believe I'm doing it. Can't wait.

10,950

I have only 15 more days as a Salemite... Wow. After 10,950 days of living in the same place, I'm beginning to wonder what life will be like outside of these wall. I thought I would take some time and reflect on the things that I have loved most about this town I call home... hum... maybe I'll share some dislikes too while I am at it.
First of all, why did Salem EVER get rid of Cindy's Cinnamon Rolls? I mean really. It was the perfect meeting place at the Salem Center Mall for your parents to pick you up. They would make these gigantic sugary cinnamon rolls that were always warm as they hit your mouth... then, one day they just went out of buisness, leaving your only option for that sweetness like that to Cinnabon.... which by the way was my employer for about two months. You know it! I was a cinnamon roll expert-
Lets just go through and share a couple of the places I was employed here in Salem while I'm on this thought. My first job: Roths IGA. I really only worked there because Sarah Mills worked there and Liz Hannan worked up in the video department. When they hired me... I was a courtesy clerk. I had to go to a bagging class for a whole day. Well, six hours of learning the proper way to put canned foods and fruit into a brown bag... Really- ah well, I learned some great skills- that I used for a month. Thats how long I lasted there- a month. There were other things I wanted to do, like go to a dance when I was scheduled to work.... see ya later Orvile I said... and never looked back.

One more place of employment for me... Tony Romas. Unfortunatley this was even in my later years in Salem. I believe I was even like 22 when I worked there. I started working there with the hopes that they would let me be a server. Pam( she was the manager) promised me that I would be a server in no time! That the tips would be flowing and life in Rib-land would be wonderful. I spent another day in a training getting my liqour licence even.... and never made it a step above the delivery driver. I drove that little hatchback all over town- delivering ribs and getting one dollar tips.... So this madness lasted about three months until I wanted to go to a wedding and they wouldn't let me have it off... so I called Pam on the phone and told her that I couldn't make it into work... and that I was quitting... And that was the end of my delivery driving days...


So, there is a bit about my life in Salem over the 10950 days... we'll see what I can think of tomorrow... :)