So, I guess Xanga died.

“They” are letting people upload their old Xanga posts into WordPress… which is nice! (I’m so glad the record of my life in Japan wasn’t deleted!!)  I also love the archive access feature that Xanga did not have! 

But I feel I need to clarify…

After going through and reading some of my posts from 9 years ago (almost 10), you (the reader) need to know that I have changed CONSIDERABLY since my college days.(Heck, I’ve changed a TON since my last post!!! Which was before I even got pregnant!) Hopefully that change is evident.

As far as the new title of the blog… well, it pretty much sums up the way I am trying to live life at the moment. These precious days with our new baby girl are passing too quickly. And living intentionally- by living in today- is my best plan of attack for warding off regret later in life. Though, I am already very aware… no matter how hard I try to soak up as much life as possible NOW, I will still miss things from these days.

So, a New Year is just around the corner… I am hoping to meet a few goals in the upcoming year, one of which is blogging a little (well, a LOT) more regularly. It is a wonderful place (blog land), and I miss it. 🙂

The rest of my goals I hope to write about as I am either successful (which is preferred), or not… 

Day Two

Driving from Missoula, Montana to Mt. Vernon, Washington = 551.6 miles (about 8 hours with MANY delays!)

Once again, Montana is BEAUTIFUL! If it had an ocean somewhere, I’d move there YESTERDAY! And people know how to DRIVE there!  The posted speed limit is 75mph… through CURVY, mountain passes! (Granted, they also post a “suggested” speed… but that’s optional!) There was construction too… but in Montana, when there is a sign saying that the “right lane is closed in 1 mile” people get over when they see the sign. As opposed to Coloradans… who stay in whichever lane they were in when they read the sign, and cut as many people off as they can – at the last possible second – when the lane actually ends.

Ok… this picture is “saying” a few things:

1. Literally: Welcome to Idaho

2. Girls who take pictures on curvy, mountain passes are NUTS!

3. Said girl should have stayed farther back from the ginormous RV… and zoomed out a little more.

I literally crossed the state of Idaho in one hour. That concept it kind of foreign, since I’ve never been to the Northeast. I usually get to drive across states like Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana which take at lease 6-8 hours… (Don’t even get me STARTED on the DAYS I’ve spent getting across Texas…) It was refreshing! And sadly short – since the mountains were beautiful there too!

Soon enough I made it to Washington. (Side note: I-90 Westbound is the way to enter this state! The hwy 82 entrance from Oregon, is depressing.) The clouds promptly darkened and grew… It was like it was saying “Welcome back to Washington Aris! I missed you! Here is the perfect weather, and just enough rain to wash the bugs off your windshield…. please don’t ever leave me again.”

At some point… I went through the “Kansas” part of WA. (And don’t get me wrong, I love Kansas…. when I  drive to  KANSAS.) The picture doesn’t do the rolling hills justice. I felt like I was in a painting… The fields were real, but instead of flat- it was like they had giant bubbles under them.

And another WEIRD town name… I respectfully submit:

!!!!

And then Moses Lake happened.

Ya’ll………

I thought something had DIED in my car! It smelled like outhouse… with dead animal/rotten meat that sat too long in a sealed container- in the SUN… with that smell of a multi-vitamin…

I opened my car window to see if it smelled better outside the car…

I almost gagged it was so STINKY. I still have no idea what was in that town… but I can probably never go there again.

About 60 miles outside Seattle, I started seeing signs that trucks would be entering the highway to slow traffic, so the heavy machinery/LARGE trucks could get in place for some rock blasting/construction. I’ve been behind something like this before… it is painful… so when I saw the flashing lights enter the highway… in FRONT of me… I did what anyone WOULD do in that situation…. get behind the guy, so as soon as he moves I can GO!

As frustrating as it is to go 20 mph…. for 10 miles (or so), especially after going 70+mph all day… When I looked back and saw the LOOOOONG line of cars behind me (that stacked up in a matter of seconds)…. I just couldn’t help it, I channeled my inner-kindergartner and smiled when I realized…

I. WAS. THE. LINE. LEADER!!!!!!!

Just before I got to Seattle, I stopped to get gas and take a restroom break…

There was a small 2 stall bathroom with a tiny sink. A silver-haired lady was trying to get a coffee spill out of her shirt (even if it wasn’t coffee, I’m still happily assuming it WAS) and when I went to wash my hands another lady came in… as the silver-haired lady was going out. I don’t know what look she gave the other woman to provoke the response she got… but the lady told her “I’m a GIRL… my [boobs] are just small! (explicative)” Silver Lady left the restroom QUICKLY… and the other lady kept talking (to me?? I’m not sure.) ” I’m really getting sick of this!!! SO STUPID! I don’t understand WHY this keeps happening” etc….

I left before my hands were dry…

cause, let’s face it… I hate confrontation on T.V., let alone 2 feet away from me in a public restroom! ( I was going to get a nice hot tea… since the weather was cooperating, but there wasn’t time –  I had to get out of there before that lady came out~)

As I drove away, with my heart pounding… I started thinking about the absurdity of what the lady said.

But first, let me paint a picture:

1. Short (Like 1 inch long) bleached blond hair.

2. No make-up. (not even chapstick)

3. A baggy hoodie.

4. LONG, baggy, jean shorts.

5. Large tattoos, of SOMETHING big, on both calves.

6. Sneakers.

7. Over-powering cigarette smoke – like so bad, that after just 30 seconds in the same bathroom as her, I smelled like smoke when I got to my car.

Now, I’m not saying that any one of these things is not feminine. But if you just glanced out of the corner of your eye… it’s possible that the combination of ALL SEVEN would cause a lady to make sure it was, in fact, a WOMAN that just entered the restroom. It is completely fine with me if a woman chooses to dress like the above…

Just don’t be SHOCKED when someone looks twice. (And if it frustrates you- like it did that lady… perhaps changing one element would create a more feminine persona???)

Might I suggest trading the cigarette smoke for perfume?? 

Entering Seattle, I played Owl City’s “Hello Seattle”. (I’ve been waiting to do that since last summer!)

Seattle, wasn’t quite what I expected… there are houses everywhere… little jewels of color on the lush, green hills… surrounded by water. When I drove closer to downtown… I was a bit surprised to see how similar it looks to Japan. The large apartment buildings/style were everywhere! Gorgeous architecture. I arrived downtown around 3:40 on a Tuesday afternoon. 

Traffic acted like I’d gotten there at 5pm on the Thursday before a 4 day weekend.

But, it’s quite refreshing to be in traffic with a full tank of gas, an empty bladder, and absolutely NOTHING to be late for. 

Just as traffic was clearing up… a man from British Columbia driving a mini-van (and trust me… I don’t hold EITHER of those things against him…) decided it was time to get in the left lane… WHILE I WAS STILL IN IT, RIGHT NEXT TO HIM.

I gave him the freak-out honk… to let him know I was there.

BUT HE KEPT. COMING. OVER!

That’s when the panic set it…

You would have thought my steering wheel had been magically turned into a bongo drum- the way I was WAILING on it!!! 

He was H-A-L-F-W-A-Y in my lane before he looked over to see me flailing and yelling, and spitting… and having a heart attack!

He looked surprised to see me there… and casually waved a meek “sorry”.

I got past him, FAR past him, and slid into the right lane… putting my car back in cruise control…. breathing like I was in hour 22 of a VERY arduous LABOR.

As the title states…. it wasn’t a good day to die!

It WAS, however, a good evening to go to Gentlemen Gene’s Pub… which, as Jared pointed out… sounds like a “gentleman’s club”. (Not gonna lie, I thought that too, until I saw photos of a very down-to-Earth pub and a fantastic menu.)

I had giant prawns, with a baked potato, and salad… and for dessert a caramel layered friazo which looks like this:

It’s layered ice cream, caramel, and candied pecans… which helped my day end just a little sweeter. (And also steadied my sugar levels, since near-death experiences rob you of your blood sugar… )

Goodnight!

Day 1

Driving from Castle Rock, CO to Missoula, MT = 957.8 miles (13.3 hours)

Oh the stories I have from today!!

But let’s start at the beginning:

Yeah… I’m cursed. After all of my pre-trip planning… I STILL ended up not getting to bed until 1:00 AM only to wake up at 4:00 AM to be on the road by 5:00. But I was as excited as a kid on Christmas Eve… so waking up was pretty easy.

After a quick stop to pick up a few essentials at Wal-mart (I don’t think I’ve EVER made it out of town without stopping there first) my sunrise drive through Denver went smoothly AND quickly. Maybe because today was the first time I’ve driven through Denver that early, but it smelled like frying oil…

And to be perfectly honest… it can smell like whatever it wants, if I can drive the length of the city going at (or slightly above) posted speed limit signs.

But I’ll tell you.. if I WAS tired (and I’m NOT saying I was) …. at ALL…. I woke up REAL QUICK- when a large spider started swinging down from the roof of my car… inches from my left shoulder…. while I was driving….  75mph.

Needless to say, he died… and I was the victor of that battle.

In Wyoming… they think it’s fun to put large silhouettes of animals on tops of hills. These two I get… buffalo and cowboy on his horse.

This next one….

Yeah… it seemed random to me too. I laughed at the silly Wyoming people…. and thought that the artist must have been ecstatic to embrace his/her inner child.

And then I saw the advertisement for the dinosaur museum.

HA!

This next picture is proof that I have no life get excited about the little things in life. For 10 years I have lived along the I-25 corridor. Four years ago I drove onto I-25 where it BEGINS, near El Paso, TX and had driven as far up as Cheyenne, WY… but no farther… until TODAY!! As of today, I have driven on the ENTIRE Interstate 25. Interestingly enough, there is no “start” or “begin” about the I-25 sign near El Paso… at least, not that I remember.

The next picture shows 3 things:

1. How excited I am to accomplish said goal.

2. How AWESOME I am at taking photos of myself, while driving, and while driving fast!

3. That my Atlas looks like it’s on display for an ad. Trust me… it is my paper GPS.

Entering Montana for the first time EVER! I love the mile marker “zero”.

The crack in my windshield… which I am sure was caused by a rock, but it sounded like a bug. (Those of you familiar with travel-by-car, know the difference.) I think the possibility of windshield-cracking bugs is a more exciting concept. Even better…. I got to watch the crack grow to be this size. It happened pretty instantly. (UPDATE.. it is only about another inch longer from when this was taken… I’ll have to post a new picture at the end of the trip to show it’s growth.)

Montana is BEAUTIFUL (well… starting after Billings… from Wyoming to Billings on I-90, it pretty much looks like more Wyoming) Half of my 13 hour drive looked like this.

Add a little Bruce Hornsby and it was AMAZING.

When you look at this next photo… just know… I’m confused too. Is it the name of a town? Or an ACTUAL opportunity?? What does that kind of opportunity entail? Is it an opportunity for ME (the traveler) ?? Or….

In any case…. um  GROSS! (*Shiver*)

I finally got to Missoula, checked into my hotel, changed into my dinner clothes, and went to a restaurant called “The Stone of Accord” which is an Irish/Pub type restaurant.

After careful consideration I got fish and chips – the pub-classic, (the chips were made in-house) and the most amazing tartar sauce EVER. The coleslaw was even good.

Guess what I had for dessert????

Yes, it might look like a fully-loaded baked potato… however… it is in-fact vanilla bean ice cream rolled in cocoa powder and topped with whip cream, caramel sauce, and mint leaves… the “dirt” around the bottom is crushed oreo cookies and chocolate fudge. It’s called the “Irish Potato Sundae” and it’s the dessert the Stone of Accord is known for.

I only ate a bit, but the experience was worth it.

Day ONE = SUCCESS!

I used to leave EVERYTHING that needed to be done until the last day.

Which usually ends up with me staying up till 2 AM, and waking up at 5 AM a VERY sleepy driver in need of multiple Amp energy drinks.

I’m proud to  say, NOT THIS TIME!! Granted, today has not completed it’s craziness… and I DID stay up till 3 AM last night, which resulted in not hearing my church alarm clock this morning. (FAIL)

However, now that I’ve left a reasonable amount of work to do today… I’m not as stressed… which leaves more time for contemplation.

There is something so wonderful about the day before a journey, and it is this:

It hasn’t happened yet.

The anticipation, the expectation, the excitement… nothing has had a chance to go wrong… like a blank page that has all the potential in the world. It could either be a masterpiece, or a frustrating mess, but before that first mark is made, it still could be anything.

And not to sound too depressed, but once that trip starts you start filling in the memories at lightning speed…  day by day… until you are heading home.

And not that home is a horrible place. But let’s be honest, it’s not a cabin in the woods… two minutes away from the ocean. (At least my house isn’t.)

In the spirit of “living in the moment”… here’s to the day BEFORE the journey, and all the wonderful memories this vacation will add to my life story.

I turn 28 on Wednesday.

I’m all kinds of mixed emotions about that.

I’m sitting here, my last 26.5 hours left of being 27… and I’m thinking of my 18th birthday.

10 years ago….

School was fun that day. I wore khaki pants and a white peasant top, with my hair in a bun of curls. I went to dinner with a group of friends from my Spanish II class, and then rushed home to get ready for my pentathlon birthday party. Of course I’d stayed a bit longer than I’d planned at the dinner… I was always late getting places.

My friends came in the door… we played games. One involving a VERY tall ladder in the middle of our vaulted ceiling living room. There was a boy there I liked, (maybe even two) and we had a Carvel ice cream cake. And it was a GREAT party!

But my mind was thinking about a phone call I’d received before I left for dinner…

a friend wouldn’t be coming to my party… because another friend was dead.

In the most surprising, selfish way that a person can die… and for medical, chemical or other reasons otherwise unknown… one of the most sincere, passionate, happy, friendly, joy-filled people I’ve ever met…. took his life on April 6, 2001 at only 18 years of age.

It was my first real death…no one else I’d ever known had died.

I’d never before, or since, seen a dead body… the lifeless shell that used to be my friend.

And I personally believe that my friend is in Heaven. He knew Jesus.

I prayed the entire next week, that God would tell him everything I hadn’t said. Only after I started repeating myself, I realized, God knew… and He didn’t need me to say it twice. I will see my friend again someday.

And after 10 years, I wonder what his life would have looked like.

Mine certainly surprised me!

I graduated from college with a degree in MUSIC.

I went on a mission trip to JAPAN the summer before my senior year of college, which led to my year long abroad the year after I graduated, which led to my subsequent love of SUMO.

I was a CAMP COUNSELOR for two summers.

I changed from a very social butterfly, with lots of “friends”, to a homebody, with few CLOSE friends.

I still love CSI: Las Vegas… which has also been present in the past 10 years.

I was married at age 23 and was an Aunt by age 24 (again at 26… and soon be two more times this summer!)

I have more pets than I thought possible, and my need/desire for children wanes (although, to be honest, 10 years ago… I felt the same way)

I worked as a PARA in kindergarten for three years followed by 2 years in SPED.

I have watched every STAR TREK episode and movie ever made.

I learned to crochet, make oboe reeds, fly around the world, speak Japanese (well, sorta), and drive across the country solo.

My hunger for life, thirst for joy, and desire to love and be loved has multiplied.

I love to plan vacations… and I barely make it home before I am planning the next one.

In 10 years…. I have lived.

I’ve seen sadness, joy, jealousy, frustration, love, indifference, happiness, anger, peace, selfishness, selflessness, patience, gentleness, pain, gluttony, sloth, kindness and death.

10 years have passed… I will see people this summer that I haven’t seen since the day I sat in my green cap and gown… KNOWING that life was about to change. It made me sad then, just as it does now, that nothing repeats itself perfectly… identically, a second time.

This might seem macabre for a birthday. 28 , after all, has my favorite #8 in it. And it will be the last year that I don’t have to worry about the dreaded and foul curse word that begins with th—-.

As for my last day of 27, I will spend it thinking, and thanking God for my blessings and life.

Nevermind that I do not currently share the title “mother” with other women in this country…

I saw an ad in the Walmart flyer for “Mother’s Day Gifts For You at unbeatable prices – Britney Spears Circus Fantasy perfume.”

Walmart, I usually love you, but…

SERIOUSLY?

Who is this for?? Is Britney making some sort of comeback where mothers over the age of 30 would LOVE this as a gift??!!

And what’s with the name? Circus? The very word conjures up memories of stale popcorn, animals, hay and poop. (I mean, let’s be honest.) None of which smell… even remotely GOOD.

It’s like naming a perfume “Zoo”, “Hospital”, or “Kennel”.

Thank goodness FTD saved the day, with a beautiful ad full of VERY affordable flowers…

Fouth Grader #1: Mrs. Greene?? Do you have any kids??

Me: No, not yet. Maybe next year.

Fourth Grader#2: HAHAHAHA that’s FUNNY Mrs. Greene!!

Me: Why is that??

Fourth Grader #2 : Cause you are like 18 years old!!

Me: no I’m not, I’m 27.

Fourth Graders all around me:  WOW/Oh my gosh/ WHAT!?!?!/ You are SO OLD!!!

NICE.

I’m sitting on my bed right now. It’s 7:30 am on Sunday morning. The weather has been positively GORGEOUS the past few days… blessing me with dark gray, overcast skies and the occasional snowfall. My favorite kind of snow is falling now… “movie snow”. These are large flakes – maybe the size of marbles – and they are falling gently to the ground.

Perfect.

I am blessed to be warm and cozy inside my house, typing on my new, purple, Dell laptop. I have a lot of things that I am thankful for in life, but these little moments are too fleeting… and I wish to pause and appreciate them more.

Japan is around the corner! A month from now, I should be sipping hot, green tea while watching sumo. SO EXCITED! I have yet to fix the name on my passport, but that should be taken care of tomorrow.

My Texas/Florida trip is shaping up nicely too!! That will be two weeks in June, seeing mostly family and hopefully a few friends!

And my Washington/Oregon trip is starting to take shape too!! I’ve already booked a “cabin/house” for 5 evenings of my stay. It’s between Forks and La Push beach! I am so excited!!

Something I thought of after I planned all this… I will basically be doing a diagonal drive across America this summer. I will see each of the 4 time zones within 1 month, AND I will be doing it all DRIVING. I know I haven’t been very good about posting pictures, but I will get better about that this summer. After all, there will be lots to see!!

Dear Xanga,

Today I participated in the 2010 Jump Rope for Heart at my school.

The last time I jumped for ANY heart was in 1994… in 5th grade. In honor of my 90’s heritage, I wore a neon pink hair scrunchie in my ponytail. 🙂 (Not on the side, though… I thought about it.)

It was pretty cool watching these kids jump rope! It was nostalgic for me, since I had accumulated at least 100 hours of said activity during lunch recesses in my early education years. 🙂

___________________________________________________________________________________

In other news, it has now been snowing continuously since Sunday morning. I love it so much!

I’ve read a couple of blogs lately where the authors mention things they like. Things that bring them joy in an otherwise dark world. There’s a lot of stress right now, at work… and so, it wouldn’t hurt to dwell on the little things that make us happy.

Here are mine:

1. Green lights all the way to work… especially when I’m late.

2. Singing loudly to the radio, with the window down… on a spring day, when the weather has finally turned warm and things are turning green.

3. Finding a friend on facebook that I haven’t talked to in years.

4. All things SUMO. 🙂

5. When my cats come up and cuddle at night… and start purring.

6. Watching the snow fall… specifically, the large puffy flakes (movie snow), while at home in front of a warm fire.

7. Evenings during December when the lights on the tree are the only light in the room, and sitting next to it, sipping tea.

8. Actually waking up and doing an hour on the treadmill… well, I have joy AFTER it’s over. 🙂

9. Snowdays, or any other days where I get to stay home and veg.

10. And evening with good friends playing board games and laughing.

11. Driving anywhere, alone. Specifically long trips.

12. Surprise conversations with people I enjoy! Chatting, email or otherwise.

13. Little animals… especially rodents. They are just SO CUTE!!!

14. Mail. The old fashioned kind! Give me a hand-written letter any day!!!

15. When my husband makes dinner for me… 🙂 He is so great!

16. Clean laundry.

17. A clean house!!!

18. Opening a new planner and all the hope it brings for the new year ahead.

And last but not least… Little moments where I am truly at peace with who I am, what I am doing, and where my life is going.