When in Doubt, Break Out the Pro/Con List.

We are thinking about moving into a house in Battle Ground. The first time I went and saw the place solo I couldn't wait to leave.. but then when Brandon was there with me he was able to sell me on the place. Now we are both doubting whether we will be happy there, but don't want to pass up on a potentially great opportunity without first thinking it through.

Pro:
House, almost an acre of yard, 2 car garage, chicken coop, Ethan will have a yard to play in, we won't have to tip toe inside, no one above or beside us for us to hear day in and day out, dog run, my dog will be able to play outside more often, creek in the back yard, river within walking distance, I can have a real garden (veggies and flower beds), inside was completely redone in 2006, have been told if we want to do any improvements on the property they would provide the materials at no cost to us (paint, landscaping, etc), low rent which will save us both quite a lot of money ($4200/yr for just me), outside of city limits so burning is allowed, there is a fire pit which Brandon is in love with, His commute goes down to 7 minutes, but he is looking for a new job so that could possibly only be a temporary improvement
(17 items)

Con:
Small (900 sq ft), only one bathroom, bedrooms are small, paint chipping from the outside, looks very old, the garage looks as if it is very unstable (we wouldn't be parking cars inside, instead it would be used for storage), no neighbors, very isolated, creepy in the evenings, ground level which causes me to lose the sense of security I have in my second level apartment, increased commute to work (in Portland) for me, 4 other applicants already and at $80 for us to apply for the place it could end up being all for naught anyways, floor plan less than desirable (but I know you get what you pay for), Ethan will have to change school districts, may end up paying more for after school care which will eat into the savings
(15 items)

Ok so from really looking over the list I like the location, the price and the benefits that come with living in a house, but I don't really like how isolated it is and the house in itself. If we move into a nicer house though, how will we ever be able to actually save the money needed to get a house of our own? I guess when it comes down to it, its either go to a place like that or just stay in the apartment for another year or two..
Decisions.

9 Ways to Avoid the Baby Shower Blues

All I could think of as I finally escaped those double doors was why I decided to waste close to 2 hours of my Sunday in the clutches of boredom, the face of awkwardness and in the presence of more strangers that I would have subjected myself had I took the city bus. Oh and the two words "Thank God". Thank God for the fact that I finally made it out of there of course.
As I drove down the road, attempting to clear my memory of the recent event, it occurred to me that I could actually benefit from the previous situation if only by ensuring that it was never to happen again. Well, if it was to at least never happen to the one person I have the power to guarantee this with: Myself.

Note to Self: If for any reason a baby shower is thrown in my honor the following rules shall be strictly adhered to.
1. The location shall never, under any circumstances, be held in a pizza parlor.
2. There shall never be more guests than a standard sheet cake can feed.
3. The noise level will never be so high that anyone has to shout to be heard by the person sitting right next to them.
4. Games will be played with the hope and intent of facilitating conversation between the entire group.
5. While food is important at a lunchtime party, that shall not be the main focus. Said food shall also not contribute to the obesity epidemic of America (this rule may be bent if shower is held outside of the States)
6. While it is understandable that not everyone will know all the attendees, the event must be kept at a size where it is reasonable for people to feel comfortable enough to interact with others. Showers must be split into separate parties for this very reason. IE: One for family, one for friends, one for coworkers, etc.
7. Presents are a key part of a baby shower, but common etiquette suggests not opening them within the first 30 minutes of the shower commencing.
8. Clowns?? Need I say anything more?
9. No matter what, the atmosphere must be keep light and unserious. Otherwise guests will be scheming ways to escape after only being there an hour.

Now that I have that stored away in case of emergencies, on with the rest of my Sunday.

Ten things you didnt know about me

My smart ass defiant streak started young when my mom told me not to touch the hot curling iron so I picked it up and kissed it instead.

I had my 15 minutes of fame, er, well more like 5 minutes (so that means I have 10 min left, right?) modeling Halloween costumes/lingerie on AM Northwest, a local television show.

I love peanut butter and banana sandwiches (even if I haven't had one in ages).

I am deathly afraid of sharks.

When I was in first grade we were asked what it was we wanted to be when we grew up and I wrote that I didn't want to be a doctor because I didn't like helping people (now I am looking into being a counselor? Ha!).

I flew on my first airplane at the age of 16. Los Angeles, CA was the destination.

One uf my biggesst petsy peevez is mizpellings

I once slept in the back seat of a rental car in a hotel parking lot near the airport to save myself $110. I then "freshened up" in the same hotel's bathroom in the morning.

I would rather pay the sticker price than have to deal with the headache of hassling with a salesperson. If its too much, I walk away.

I have been to 33 of the 50 states in the US (WA, OR, CA, ID, MT, NV, NM, CO, AZ, HI, AK, AL, FL, NC, VA, WV, MD, NY, NJ, ME, NH, MA, TX, OK, LA, AR, TN, KY, VT, IN, IL, MI, UT). I once was in a race with a former co-worker to see who could get to all 50 first, but lost interest after completing my Texas-Oklahoma-Louisiana-Arkansas tour. If I am going to be paying money and using vacation time I am going to go to places that I like! Why I have made Hawaii my destination of choice for my past two real vacations :)

Makin' a list, checkin' it twice.... Oh wait, Christmas is over.

Things I would like to accomplish in the year 2009

1) Move to a different neighborhood
2) FINALLY finish my degree
3) Get my passport
4) Travel to Europe
5) Make more female friends (this is harder than one would imagine!)
6) Decide what I want to do with my degree and take appropriate actions to get there
7) Ski Mt Bachelor
8) Rollerblade on the Boardwalk in LA
9) Buy a Motorcycle
10) Learn how to ride a Motorcycle
11) Learn at least 75 new Kanji characters
12) Find happiness, even if that is just with myself

(in no particular order of course)

Who said New Years resolutions are only supposed to be things like quitting smoking or dedicating oneself to go to the gym for 2 weeks in January? :)

Ten rules of travel, Texas style.

(something I saw when going thru my myspace blog today, I still think its funny)

Some important things I've learned/saw/witnessed/learned on the journey of the four states:

1) If you don't want to be labeled as an "outsider" or someone "different" you must dress in sweatpants, tennis shoes and a beat up t-shirt (the dirtier the better). Dressing in a knee length skirt, knee high boots and a sweater will get you constantly stared at or gawked at and will cause people to completely stop what they are doing to stare at you and on some occasions they may attempt to talk to you (once they stopped stuttering of course).

2) Do not even bother asking where postcards are sold because no one will know what you are talking about.

3) The going rate of pay at McDonalds is $5/hr.

4) Always make sure that you check the floor when checking out of a Kroger hehehehe.

5) When it comes to hotels, driving for 2 hrs in the dark and torrents of rain, calling 4 different hotel chains, bartering the price in three different hotels, going from Duncanville to Grand Prairie to Duncanville to Grand Prairie all feels like nothing when you are finally sitting in the close to perfect hotel room.

6) Catfish is icky!

7) When it comes to LA you'd much rather be in the one that is all sun, shopping and pacific beaches.

8) Just because you see a Starbucks it doesn't mean you are in civilization.

9) There are towns that make Woodland, WA look like a vacation destination.

10) Tables, Chairs and Nightstands can make a very effective barricade.