RAIN

It’s what I love about Oregon.
Wet leaves, covering the ground.
Water puddles perfect for jumping in.
Speckled glasses.
Drops catching on eyelashes, dripping mascara.
Angry clouds.
Semi-tipping wind.
Red. Yellow. Turning brown.
Need my raincoat.
Go inside.
Cuddle us.
Soak in the fire.
Just two more months until Christmas.

Ten Things

When I got home from work tonight, I wanted to escape. It seems like I do this a lot. I get tired of all the homework and stress induced by my minimum-wage jobs so I try to escape from them when I get home. I watch TV, read my books or surf the web.

I tried to watch an episode of Lost. It was too intense. I didn’t want to add to my stress level. I needed to lessen the stress. So I went to Hulu where I discovered, Ten Things I Hate About You, the TV show based on that awesome movie I watched in high school. The show is about two sisters who are completely opposite yet they have to figure out how to deal with their new lives in California. It’s great.

And so... not to be negative or anything, but I’m gonna make a “Ten Things I Hate List.” It is negative, isn’t it? Well, we’ll just have to see what I come up with.

Ten Things I Hate About the Current Climate in Oregon:
1. The weather is so temperamental. It never stays the same.
2. The economy is bad. We have a pay freeze at the Duck Store so I don’t even get regular barista wages, just minimum wage, YUCK!
3. The sun is starting to shine a bunch; it shines way too brightly in my eyes and my glasses just add to the misery.
4. The news climate is down. All the good stuff is happening in DC or West Virginia.
5. Putting on one jacket in the morning may end up being the wrong choice for any other hour of the day.
6. Mud. The rain gets the dirt wet and we get mud.
7. Crazy things are flying away from the U of O. Example: Mike Bellotti’s bailout.
8. Tax people in this state are slow. Still waiting on my return.
9. It’s nice. Streets are more crowded. It’s not as easy to wander around when the streets are full.
10. No barbecue. I left it at my parent’s house.

Okay, so I was reaching a bit. I actually really love Oregon, rain and all. I had to think really hard to come up with 4 through 10.

Thoughts of Oregon

I was born in Oregon. And although there have been times that I have moved away from my beloved state, I have continued to come back time after time. Recently, I have heard a lot of people in my JSchool (what we call the U of O's School of Journalism and Communication) classes talk about how unique and almost arrogant Oregon is. I'm not sure how I feel about what they are saying. Yes, Oregon is a fantastic state. It's beautiful. There are tons of things to do here. We have mountains, the ocean, great sports, and interesting and "weird" cities to explore. I enjoy the fact that people are starting to recognize this, but I don't want my state taken over by a people wanting to exploit Oregon for all its greatness. This is what my colleagues were referring to when they speak about Oregon's arrogance. I suppose we like our independence here. We like to be relatively unknown. Although I like that new people move here and fall in love with the Oregon culture, I don't want EVERYONE to know about it. I mean, wouldn't it be horrible if Oregon became completely overpopulated? I sure think it would be terrible.

But on a lighter note, in May, I drove through my birth city. LaGrande, Oregon is a pretty cute city. It's dry. The lack of green is quite disturbing, but other than that it's a pretty great city. And I was born there. Hmm...that might make it one of Oregon's greatest cities!