Apr 17, 2013 | moments & memories
I have big news!
The kids and I had two dinner dates last week. And I had a lunch date recently, too. It must have gone well, because I was then invited out to dinner.
You know what this means?
Yes. I am finally making friends. (I think. They could have been pity dates for a work widow whose husband is apparently on a family sabbatical, er, I mean business trip for two weeks. Either way, I’ll take it because we had fun. Hahaha. And just kidding, Kenny. I know you work hard and miss being home.)
I’ve said before how terrible I am at making friends, and how awkward it when you are older (see here). It feels so hard to me – kind of like dating. I wasn’t good at that either, so, natch, it’s taken me a year and a half to have Portland friends to hang out with.
Yes – finally making friends after a year and a half – hahaha. Yay, me. I might have set a record with that length of time.
Apr 16, 2013 | life around portland, moving across the country...in stories
This weekend, I missed home.
Yes, I still have regular bouts of homesickness a year and a half in. I think it’s one of those things that I will always experience. Kind of like stress. Haha. But, on a good note, being homesick was only part of why I missed home this time.
The main reason was that I missed Wawa.
I realized on Saturday that I actually have no idea where Oregonians go to get cash since there are no Wawas here. Hahaha. While driving around town, I literally thought to myself, “Where do people go when they need cash?” Hahaha. (This is Kenny’s ‘family management’ area – usually when I need cash, I tell him. And since he was away, and since there are no Wawas, I perceived myself to be in quite a pickle. Hahaha.)
Yes, yes, yes. I know that I can go to a bank, or Target or the grocery store, but all of them seem like a separate errand commitment when you are from Pennsylvania and used to popping into Wawa for some transaction-fee-free cash. Plus, we kept our bank accounts in Pennsylvania…so that’s a mighty far drive to get some transaction-fee-free money.
(Side note for West Coast readers, the beauty of Wawa is that it’s a quick-stop, clean convenience store that has marketed itself partly on the draw of having ATMs that don’t charge fees. Wawas are about as abundant in the Philadelphia area as Starbucks is out here in Portland. Hmmm. I may have just solved this conundrum – maybe the ‘bucks should put fee-free ATMs in their stores. Voila – problem solved and potential profit increases for Starbucks. Going off the notion that you typically always grab something else when stopping in Wawa for cash, I can totally see folks grabbing a latte when then they take out cash at a Starbucks ATM.)
We do have 7-11s out here. And Plaid Pantry. But they are not Wawa. Or a Starbucks with an ATM.
Sigh.
Mar 22, 2013 | life around portland
Did you know this?
That Oregon + Idaho = Ore-Ida?
I am sure everyone knows this but me.
I rarely buy Ore-Ida products, but I grabbed a bag at the store today to keep on hand for when I need a quick side. I guess if I ever stopped to think about it for more than two seconds before dumping the bag contents on a tray, or averted my eyes from maniacally focusing on the baking instructions, I may have discovered that I now live in the finest potato growing region in America before today. Fantastic.
Mar 18, 2013 | moving across the country...in stories
I got to test out my freshly minted Oregon driver’s license when I was back home a few weeks ago.
I stopped at the liquor store on the way to my parents’ house one night.
I got carded. Since I am closer to 40 than 30, this was very exciting. Until it wasn’t.
I handed the gal my license.
She goes: “OMG! Where are you FROM?”
Well, since it says OREGON in giant blue letters across the top, I’m gonna go with that: “Oregon.”
She said: “Wow, that’s far.”
Mmmhmm. It sure is.
She then said: “Sorry. This is expired.”
I laughed and said, “Well, I just got it in the mail last weekend AND the TSA let me board the plane to get here, so it should be fine.”
She stared at my license as if she was examining a newly discovered life form and she was trying to memorize all its features for cataloging back at the lab. I am sure I was only standing there for an awkward two minutes, but due to her intense scrutiny and the fact that my freaking weight is printed on this thing along side of my ugliest license picture ever, it felt like an entire lifetime.
She said, “No, it’s definitely expired.”
I said, “That’s definitely impossible. I literally just got it in the mail after passing my written test a few weeks ago. And I used it to board my plane on Tuesday. They wouldn’t have let me on the plane if it was expired.”
More scrutiny.
Finally, she said: “OOOOOOOH! It was ISSUED on FEBRUARY 12, 2013, not expired then.” Ta da! She then proceeded to tell me that it doesn’t expire until 2021. This was news to me because when it came I just shoved it in my wallet in an attempt to not scar my self confidence further with the atrocity of that picture.
DEAR HEAVENS.
I have to live with this picture for EIGHT YEARS? EIGHT YEARS?
It’s an ugly picture. I know everyone hates their license picture, but this really IS my worst license picture to date, and it’s definitely in the running for one of my worst pictures ever. They make you take off your glasses and look at a tiny pinhole of light. Well, since I really can’t see without my glasses, and they made me smile, I look ridiculous. That is, I look overly happy for a gal with long witch hair and eyes that seem to be looking slightly in opposite directions.
Then, of course, since I was already wallowing in the sadness of having to look at this goofy picture frequently for the next eight years, I realized that when I get my new license, I will be in my mid-40s on the side that’s closer to 50. Wow. Good thing I was at the liquor store. Haha.
Trying to pull myself out my “I hate my new driver’s license!” rut, I came up with these positives:
- Less time at the DMV.
- Less money sent to the DMV.
- Plenty of time to change the number listed next to weight – haha!
- Plenty of time to plan to wear my contacts to hopefully correct my crazy eyes in the next picture.
- Plenty of time to cut off my witch hair (already done!) and grow it back in if I desire.
- Plenty of time to age so I stop getting carded and never have to experience the insanity in foreign-state liquor stores again.
Meh. Those only made me feel marginally better. I am adding “short license time” to the list of things I miss about Pennsylvania. Four years is nothin’!
Mar 15, 2013 | life around portland
I found the family car from my childhood – a little beat up, but alive and well right here in Portland!
Hahaha!
Bad shot, but we were driving and the camera wasn’t cooperating. No worries, though. You can still tell it’s a rad, two-toned pale blue station wagon with rear-facing seats in the way back. 🙂
