So this last weekend I took a quick trip back to MN to visit the family and friends. My parents are retiring and they put the house on the market. I keep thinking to myself that it really doesn’t matter. But as I walked through the house thinking about all the memories I had there I started to tear up. Most of my life and my memories are in that house...my first kiss, the time I had to crawl out a window because I couldn’t find the door, the family intervention with mom, the time I found dad’s porn, the time the color guard girls and I tried to color our hair with koolaid, the synchro land drills, etc. Im going to miss that place.

It was a nice and relaxing weekend. I was able to catch up a little with Joe and Inez. I took Gayle out on her birthday and I got to spend some good quality time with Tucker and Fiona.

Thanks all!

Ok...I know I live in the suburbs, but when I am checking my mail and I see this (see below), something is seriously wrong.





I know they are bad pictures, but they were taken with my REALLY crappy cell phone. You get the point either way.

So I was getting dinner at Quizno's yesterday and when I walked in all I saw was one employee sitting down talking on her cell phone. She made no move to help whatsoever. Someone finally came out of the back and helped my and I got to listen to 3 teenage girls talking about how they have never read a book for school. WHAT THE FUNK!?!?! They said that all they ever did was read what sounded like some sort of Cliff Notes. How can kids get away with that? How can teachers let kids get away with that? How can parents let their children do that? Literature is one of the best things that can happen to a teen. It gives them a chance to escape into something. It opens their minds to new ideas. Oh, what the world is coming to.

Ok...now for my second rant. So I got the lovely honor of setting up the Christmas tree at work. So here I am with a jumbe of different Christmas decorations working hard to try and make this cheap tree look kind of good and someone came in and started criticizing that the tree was not where they normally had it and how it blocked people from seeing eachother and how if I moved it it would be better. WTF?!?! Instead of critiqueing maybe offer to help and make your suggestion then? You don't even have to offer to help, just deal with it. Things change! So many times at my job I have heard...well thats not how it was done in the past. Well, if you want me to do it how it was done in the past...TELL ME. Don't just say, Janice you're in charge of this and expect me to freaking know what was done before. DEAL WITH IT and get used to change. Things don't stay the same forever.

I do have to say after my rant that I did receive compliments on how nice the tree looked. That was really nice to hear. After 28 years I better be able to make a crappy fake tree look good. I think my parents have had the same one since I was born.

Other than that, I shipped off my last Christmas package on Monday. I have some more cards to address, but I am done with all the presents. Yeah!

Question of the day: What is the best gift you have every given to another person?

Janice's answer: I remember the Christmas before Jean & Eric's wedding I made a wooden box and painted it and decorated it almost like a cake with their wedding invite on it and everything. Anyway, Inside I had lined it with foam and had places for the knife, cake cutter, guest book, and I got them enscribed champagne glasses. Jean cried and I think Eric was really moved to. I loved that gift!

Quick update about me...nothing much has changed. I work, I go home, I work and I go home. Yeah fun life.

So I have to admit that I was very green today. Green with envy that is. Matt has gotten back into school and theater and everything and he has been doing awesome. Recently he was cast as the lead in the musical at his school. It was his first audition in about 10 years and he gets the lead. Then, he was hanging lights at another theater and once he was done they people there asked him for his resume so they could let all their contacts know about him. And then today one of his teachers talked to him about possibly doing an internship with the Portland Opera. WTF!!! Don't get me wrong...I am really proud of him. I have always know that he is supper talented. But man does it make me jealous! I mean seriously. I try and volunteer to help out a theater out here and I don't even hear back from them and within about 1 month all of that happened to Matt. Goodness! I really do think it is cool for him. I just wish something like that would happen to me.  Is that so wrong? Maybe I am just looking for validation for feeling this way. Maybe I am just emotional. I don't know. I know I have never been an amazing actor. But man...when I do theater I put my whole heart into it. Thats got to account for something right? I miss it a lot. I miss my theater friends too. Matt I do love you and I am REALLY freaking proud of you!

So there have been other things that I have thought about bloggin about but now that I am sitting down doing it, I can't think of them

Oh...I remember one! So they always say that your sense of smell gets better after you quit smoking. Well, I never believed them...until now. I was walking to my car the other day and the wind whipped some of my hair into my face. I could smell my conditioner. It was around 5pm and I could still smell my conditioner from the morning. Man I don't miss being a smoker. A little more than 8 months smoke free. Yeah me!

I love the holidays!!! Yeah Christmas music. Anna and I are going to be baking Christmas cookies on Sun. That should be kick ass. Then the weekend after that we are going to the coast for the weekend. I cant wait!!!

Question of the day:

What was the last thing that made you really jealous/envious of someone?

It's been a while since I made it back to OR. Thank goodness. I will completely admit that by the end of that, I was just craving to be back home. I was sick, it was not the vacation I had planned and I just wanted to sleep in my own bed. Does that make any sense?

I have pictures from my ten year reunion, but they are currently chillin on my iPod because I have been a slacker and haven't taken them off there yet. Good times by the way. Yes, I got completely drunk, but it made me forget my sick grandpa in the hospital for a little bit.

What I do have for you are pictures of my parents retirement home out here in OR. Yes. They have agreed on an offer and the house inspection is on Saturday. So if everything goes as planned, they will close on the house the end of November. AHHHH!

This is part of the front of the house


The other part


The backyard... (what you can see of it...its sits on a little over 2 acres)


The kitchen... (yes those are granite counter tops)



Its weird. As much as I have been encouraging my parents to retire, it didnt seem real until now. I am happy for them. I know dad really wants to make this move. I know that mom is a little more apprehensive about it. But I think this will be a good change for her. We shall see. At least they will have a good house.

Ok, so I leave for MN on Thursday and I cant wait. Part of it is getting the time off and being able to relax. I get to spend some time with my good friends and I get to just enjoy myself.

One thing I did want to share is the rain has started out here. I know that doesnt seem like much, but the other day as I drove into Costco to do some shopping I saw this...




It made me happy.

It has been 10 years since I graduated high school. Looking back, all the things that were so important then are so not important now. I am planning on going back to MN and going to my 10 year reunion. (That means I am going to be in MN for a visit!!!) Is it crazy for me to want to go to the reunion? Part of me thinks I am a fool, part of me is looking forward to seeing "the gang". Of course we get to ooh and ahh over baby pictures, but for the most part "the gang" is still single. Here I am...going stag. I don't care about having "the date buffer". I just want to have a good time and re-connect with people. Plus since it is back home I can visit the rest of the family and friends and then its not like I am flying back JUST for the reunion...its just a good incentive.

Other than that, life is still boring. I am going to the coast this weekend with Matt & Anna. Yeah coastal goodness! Oh, and I booked our room for a December trip to Yatchats. Yeah I live on the coast!!!

We went to see Spamalot last weekend. It was freakin awesome!!! I love the theater. Seeing the show really makes me miss it. Maybe I can still get involved with a community theater. I am so jealous of Matt. He gets to spend one day next week doing a light hang. Oh how I miss light hangs...wrench in the pocket, wasps flying around your head, trying not to fall out of the cat walk or off the ladder...good old times. sniff, sniff

Question of the day: If you could wake up tomorrow in your own bed, but in another place anywhere in the world inside or outside, where would you like it to be? p 154

Janice's answer: I would say Greece, but I don't think I could handle all the fires, if this was the end of the month I would say Germany for Oktoberfest, but I am going to go with New Zealand. Don't know why, just feel the need.

Yeah. I know that I have been horrible about writing. Dont be hatin! Just nothin going on. I have gotten addicted to a few new shows this summer.
1. So You Think You Can Dance
2. Greek
3. Eureka

There is one thing that I have been meaning to blog about since last week. That is the controversy over the "Anti-war" dance on last weeks SYTYCD show.
1. It was an amazing dance choreographed by Wade Robson
2. It was a poignant political statement.
3. I personally agree with what I think Nigel was stating in that if we are at the point where artists are not able to express their feelings and emotions in their art form then we are in deed at a very sad, sad point.
4. Wade choreographed a routine that he believed in and his website makes a great statement to this controversy.

Our "PEACE" number on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE on July, 25th 2007

"This was a cry for peace and nothing more.

In the video package they had a clip of Wade Robson saying that this was "antiwar." We want to make sure that it is clear that Wade's statement was in no way meant to be disrespectful to our men and women in the military, putting their lives on the line everyday for a lot of us. Wade and Amanda strongly believe that the selfless sacrifices of every one of the military's men and women are incomprehensibly courageous.

If Wade's statement did offend anybody in any way, we sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding.

All we were trying to say in this piece is that we don't want anymore innocent lives to be lost on either side.

That being said, this statement is not an apology in any way for the number and its message. It is a clarification of its intention.

I keep on thinking that as soon as something cool happens I will blog about it, but as evident by the title...my life is boring.

I turned 28 on Monday. Yeah...happy birthday to me! It was really nice this year because all of my family called on my actual birthday. For those of you who don't remember, no one except my brother remembered last year. Seriously. Well, it looks like they took it to heart, especially me letting my mom have it. I mean really...what mom forgets their child's birthday? Doesn't matter this year because she actually remembered. Yeah! Matt and Anna were great to me. They took me out to eat at the Cheesecake Factory and had lots lof gifts for me to open to feel really special. It was a really nice day. So, thank you Matt & Anna!!!

I fly to Chicago next week for work. I get to go to our corporate offices. I pretty much spend all day on Monday traveling...not looking forward to that. But the meetings that I have lined up should be good. I know...I said a meeting should be good. Wierd huh? Really though, I am looking forward to the trip. The VP of HR is going to be taking us out to eat one of the nights. I met him a month ago and he seemed like a really down to earth kinda guy. That should be really cool. I am really looking forward to the trip.

Matt & Anna are going to be leaving in about 3 weeks for their trip to the boundry waters. They will be gone for a month. Anyone wanna come and visit so I won't feel so lonely?

Question of the day: If you could eliminate one thing other people's children do, what would it be? p 162

Janice's answer: Cry! I am not talking the tears rolling down the cheeks...I am talking the screaming their lungs out crying.

Tomorrow at this time I will be setting up a tent and listening to the sounds of the ocean. Those sounds will not be coming from some machine...but from the real freaking thing! Oh yeah baby! This weekend we are camping at the coast. I get to fall asleep for two nights straight listening to the waves crash. I get to walk on the beach and see the millions of stars shining down. I cant wait!!! We are going to Cape Lookout. It is an awesome place to go if you have never been there before. I am so excited for the coastal goodness. :)

It was SO FREAKIN COOL! Today I saw lightning for the first time in like two years. Man do I miss thunderstorms. I remember going up onto the top floor of the parking ramp of the Mall of America and just sit there and watch the thunderstorms. We also got hail today too. It was SO COOL!

Other than that my life is going ok. I have quit smoking if you didn't know. Im feeling good and it is going good. Tomorrow it will be 3 weeks smoke free. Yeah me! I will admit that part of my success is thanks to this man! Yes, I went to a hypnotist to help me stop smoking. I know some people dont believe in it and everything like that. But this is what I say...3 weeks and I feel great. I made longer than my mom did most of the time for lent :)

I have been volunteering still at the Humane Society. One of my favorites was adopted. If you remember Samson...he went to a happy home...YEAH! But yes, of course I have more favorites. This week it is two of them. I know Nick was adopted. But I can't seem to find Mo Jack who is a gorgeous Malamute. He was so huge but so sweet. I walked Nick when I was there on Sunday and you know that saying that pets and their humans start to look like eachother. I could just imagine people saying that about me and him. He was SUCH a cutie and SO sweet. Another cutie that I walked on Sunday that was great was Jaida.

Question of the Day: If you had to name the single best deed a stranger has done for you in your lifetime, what would it be? p.178

Janice's answer: Well, mine involved my Tempo and undergrad. I was driving back from RF on from Hudson and I was on Hwy 35 (I had to look that one up), but I got a flat tire and I was at least 6 miles away from school. This was the time when cell phones weren't popular yet (analog times). Anyway a couple picked me up and drove me into RF so I didn't have to walk the whole way and miss all my classes. Very nice and sweet people. It was nice to know that people like that still exist.

51 1/2 hours and counting. only 20 1/2 more until the physical addiction is passed. I know I can do this and with Matt and Anna's help it has actually been a lot easier than I thought it would. Wish me luck! Keep the happy thoughts coming!