Doing For Me

Most of the time, when I take time off, it is for family things.  I love family things!  And quite often, I'm gone for work and I manage to slip in an extra day for fun things.  I love fun things!  It has been a really long time since I've taken time off and had nothing else to tie me up except for wanting to do something fun for me, not with family or work commitments attached.  But I decided, seeing as how I'm not super excited about the fact that I'm now 36, to take myself to the Oregon Coast.  Happy Birthday to Me!

There were so many moments, now documented in the journal o' fun, which are hard to describe, but I will do my best to give you the highlights.

-Driving insanely long days.  Sarah & I went straight there on the 24th of July.  We drove straight back, complete with Eliott (aka Pepe), on Sunday the 28th. 

-Meeting BobbyRay and Becky and their pup, The Faithinator.  Originally, we decided their names were Wanda and Carl.  They were chilling out at McDonalds in The Dalles, Oregon, hoping to find a ride into Portland to meet up with people who could help them get Becky to her new job at a casino somewhere in Oregon.  We couldn't give them a ride but we did give them a bit of money for gas or bus tickets.  Note to Self: Get a concealed weapons permit so I can safely pick up hitchhikers.

-Meeting Carol (don't really know her name) at the year-round Christmas shop in Cannon Beach.  She had moved to the coast with her husband so he could live out his last years in the peace of the coast.  She loves everything about Christmas and jumped at the chance to work at the store.  Note to Self: Creepy merpeople Christmas ornaments are awesome.

-Eating lunch at the Driftwood, sitting by a gas fireplace, talking to couples from New Jersey and 
Washington.  Pretty sure the couple from Washington involved a cougar- she worked at a high school.  It was chilly outside.  They were drinking chardonnay (her) and whatever beer was on tap (him).  Sarah got asked if she was over 21.  Note to Self: Buy a scarf before sitting outside in the seaside chill in July.

-Being approached by two dashing young men.  Sarah and I were sitting on the beach, watching the sunset, when Tyler & Peter approached us.  They were entering a website contest where they were trying to take the highest number of pictures of people in random places.  Tyler took a pic of Peter with his arms around Sarah & I.  Then they moved on.  Tyler is from Washington, has blonde hair and wears glasses.  Peter is a hunky brunette guy from Salem, Oregon.  Note to Self: Next time that happens, invite them to hang out and walk on the beach.  That's the stuff stories are written from.

-Taking the opportunity to chastise two missionaries who were where they ought not to be.  Following it up with a  phone call and being told I did the right thing.  Note to Self: Take time to encourage positive behavior.

-Getting 42 of 50 state license plates and 6 Canadian provinces.  Not bad considering we only went to Oregon from here.  We didn't get: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Vermont or West Virginia.  We did manage to get Hawaii, Maine and Rhode Island- three of the hardest states to get!!!

-Meeting people we'll call Daniel & Kristen.  They were biking all the way from Vancouver, British Columbia to San Francisco!  They have 10 more days to get there.  Good luck to them!  We decided that if they aren't already, they'll be in love by the time they get there and he'll propose while they're riding over the Golden Gate Bridge.

-Getting a free drink in Seaside, Oregon from Jacob, the lovely gas station attendant who pumped our gas.  In Oregon, you can't pump your own gas- never exactly figured out why.

-Walking through tide pools early in the morning because the tide is far out enough to discover barnacles, sea urchins and purple and orange starfish!

-Feeling calm in my heart as I stood in the ocean and recognized the wonder of this amazing world of which I am a part.  

-Hearing a dear friend who rode back with us say to me "I wish I was a king so I could give you everything you need/want." and knowing he meant it.  Sometimes, a girl just needs to hear things like that and to be told she is loved.  A hug and a kiss on the cheek means the world.

-Going to a salmon bake in Corvallis for my birthday.  It was so nice of 1,500 of my closest friends to show up!

-Getting a free glass of organic honey lemonade because I smiled and said it was my birthday. :)

Random quotes that are situational, but awesome nonetheless.

- (on the way to church in LaGrande, Oregon) "This road construction is hampering our efforts to be righteous!" immediately followed by the song "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" coming over the stereo.

-(sampling Werner's honey glazed beef chunks purchased at the Tillamook Cheese Factory): "I have achieved beef nirvana!" (Seriously people, try these.  They are amazing!)

-(driving through Western Oregon): "I think God kissed this country".  (100 miles later- not so green and lush any more): "God's lips just aren't that big."

-(unable to get my drink open): "Pepe, I can't open my Dr. Pepper!" "I got this.  Thank you massage therapy forearms!"

Most of the pictures are on my Facebook profile.  Feel free to look there for a more complete pictorial of my trip.  But, here are a couple for your viewing pleasure.

I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world, Heavenly Father created for me.