Happy Birthday Oregon! I love you!

150 Years! Wow, that's quite the achievement.

I haven't lived many places, haven't really quite visited that many places either, but no matter where I've gone, where I've lived or how long I've stayed, Oregon is and will always be my home.

I remember, when I was younger, we'd drive back from the airport, either from picking up a relative or dropping someone off. I'd sit in the back seat of the car and be mesmerized by the city lights reflecting off the Willamette River and I always knew I was home. That familiar passage: I-84 from the airport, to I-5 over the Markum Bridge to SW Portland, always reminded me that this is the place I've always wanted to be and was always meant to be. This scene repeats itself whenever I come from a far away place: Boston, LA or Mexico City.

People often move here and find their place, whether it be within the hippies, the preps, the anarchist, the granolas, or the pearl, the suburban mom, the new ages, they find their home.

And I know I've found home.

I'm home.

I love you Oregon, there is no state quite like you.

Simple Bliss

I usually try to restrain myself from compulsive purchasing. While I had roommates, it was easy to make up the money cuz rent was so cheap, but now, it's all on me. If I go over budget, I'm pretty much screwed for a couple months and have to constantly put things on a credit card, which I hate doing.
Lately, I've been really careful about large purchases. I mull them around and wonder "do I *really* need them or do I just want them?". Isaiah says it's ok to be selfish once in a while if you really want it. You deserve it, he says. Yes, I do think he's right, but I have to justify to myself if I really deserve it and need it. Obviously I want it if I'm thinking about this. That's how it's been these last few months: should I get a new flat screen tv, should I get internet, should I get a new computer, should I get cable.
Two weekends in a row I went to a tv store with my dad. The first time, he bought his new tv and I was "this close" to buying mine. Instead, I got a nice antennae to see if the digital converter box would work with it. Nothing. I get no signal. So I will have to get cable if I want to watch tv. So the decision as to when was ticking, but should I get a new tv with that? I mean. I have a nice large tv, but it's large and bulky and I'd like the space. Instead, I decided to get internet. I can watch anything I want on that and I'll hold off on the tv for a while. Then came news of the digital change over not until June! Who hooo! I won't have to get cable (if I want) until this fall. So I'm no longer worried.
So as the days rolled along, I got Anthropologies weekly emails. We're having a sale, it says, check it out. And there they were. The cutest red, low healed shoes mary janes I'd ever seen. They were pretty much half off. I thought about, oh, five minutes and ordered them. I quickly regretted it but figured I can return them.
Fast forward to Thursday. I get them mailed to work, I try them on and it's like these shoes were meant for my feet. They are perfect! They are low heeled, have a heal strap, are red, the toe box is wide enough and they are cushiony. I'm in love! I've worn them three days in a row already! I can't get enough of them.

Good thing red is my clothing color of preference!