double header

Yay! It's soccer season again! I have really missed this. Maybe it's just because it means summertime is going to come eventually. However, I think that I really just enjoy hanging out and watching the game.

Today was a bit more of an investment though as it was two soccer games back to back. The first one wasn't even the Timbers. It was still interesting but I couldn't help thinking that I should be doing homework instead. The Timbers game was great even though it ended in a tie. Cheering with the Timbers Army is a lot of fun and the stadium was packed...for a preseason game...on a cold Monday night. Go Portland!


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battle preparations

Years ago, Sophia talked about the movie Battle Royale enough to where I had to see it. I thought it was good but not anything that spectacular. Tonight, I realized that it's a movie you have to see with other people. I hear that they are basically making an American version called Hunger Games, except the previews don't look nearly as campy. This movie is weird but you really pick up on the humor the second time around, especially with an appreciative audience.

Andrew, Sophia, Xbox and I went to the movie tonight on our first double date as a household. First we went to Zien Hong where I had the fried and peppered eggplant which was absolutely wonderful. Andrew and I also accused each other of being afraid of PDA so we were more daring tonight to prove that each wasn't the person who was afraid of it. It made for a great night. ;)

keep this party going

I don't love attention focused on me but I do love free drinks. Earlier this week, I contemplated calling for a post-birthday happy hour with my work people and then having another one tonight. However, I thought that would be a bit greedy so I just invited my one good work friend along to happy hour tonight. Twelve or so people joined me at Produce Row for happy hour and then others joined at Hungry Tiger Too for dinner and the worst service ever (I'm really trying to give that place the benefit of a doubt but they take one step forwards and three leaps back). I got to meet Caroline's Cicely who is delightful. Afterwards, we went to karaoke and Cicely sang "There are Worse Things I Could Do" after I told her it was one of my fav Grease songs. Ashes got everyone in the bar to sing me happy birthday and I got to see Victory sing karaoke in a bar for the first time. It was a great night.

the evil that is this kitten

Back last fall, Ashes and Victory watched Kittenhead for a few months. Kittenhead (at the time named Obama so we all called him Kittenhead) was a young kitten but big and naughty. He would want to play so badly with all of the other older cats and basically terrorized them for months. The one weekend Dean was over, the older cats got a temporary reprieve. Kittenhead would run into the room to pounce one of the cats, see Dean and then be on his best behavior. As soon as Dean left, Kittenhead made up for lost time.

Recently, Ashes and Victory brought Kittenhead back. He was abandoned at his last house so it was a rescue mission. Kittenhead is now called Bobby Sands but I've chosen to nickname him Bealzebobby. When Dean saw him last week, Bealzebobby hid underneath the couch and hissed. Today, Dean walked in and surprised the cat while he was in the middle of the living room. The cat stood up tall and hissed. Dean backed off. Then the cat charged him. He came at him with flying all four paws in the air and all of his claws out. Dean hid behind Ashes and Caroline and the cat attacked each of them, cutting through their clothes. Dean then ran behind my legs and poked his nose out in between my legs. Bealzebobby look at my crotch menacingly and I screamed and ran Dean outside. It took fifteen minutes to coach the beast out from underneath the couch where it hid after Dean retreated to the backyard.

When I got Dean home, he ran instantly and curled up into a ball on my bed. The poor thing is suffering from PTSD. I'm not angry at the cat though. I'm angry at the asswipe that was supposed to be watching him and ended up leaving him an emotional and paranoid wreck. Hopefully they'll be able to get along one day.

36

It's my birthday (weekend). It's been an awesome year for me and that's good because this birthday was mediocre. I had my eight hour class on my actual birthday which ended up bumming me out more than I thought it would. The next day was Andrew's birthday which I was more than happy to celebrate with him. I met some of his friends at a party that they were throwing for him and a friend visiting from out of town.

Tonight, I messaged Justin to see if he wanted to go to Zach's. Justin was with Jennifer and Justin also texted Sophia who was with Jesse and she texted Xbox so we all met at Zach's Shack which was delightful and then Gulya happened to walk in. What a nice easy gathering of folk! Sophia, Xbox and Jesse later sang my happy birthday as we split my minicake. It was a charming way to end a quiet birthday weekend

funny valentine

Last year, I was a hater. Today, I was a double-dater.

After spending four days with Andrew, I was pretty sure that I would just take it easy tonight. However, I got caught up in the spirit of this dumb day and ended up asking him if he wanted to go out for drinks again. Ashes and Victory also joined us at Crush so it was my first double date with my friends. It was a very pleasant evening and it warmed my heart to the day just slightly. I like that we didn't make a big production of it. There were no flowers or chocolates involved. It was just a simple dinner and drinks with friends.

What else?

Fixing the shredder at work isn't in my job description but I realized that nobody else is going to do it anymore so I fixed it today out of boredom. Also, the clients use the shredder for work and if they have more work, we have less issues.

Also, Ashes and Victory got KittenHead back. The kitten that they fostered this last fall was in jeopardy again so they officially adopted it (in cat form this time instead of kitten. It does not like Dean but it will get better with each of Dean's visits.

returning to the real world

I'm going to miss this place but the good thing is that I can always return.

What else?
Andrew and I went for breakfast at Grandma's Country Kitchen. The French Toast was awesome and the Home Fried Potatoes were great as well.

On the way back, we stopped at Four County Point Trail in the Clatsop Forest for a quick hike because it's traditional to go on a forest hike on my birthday getaway weekend.

cohabitation

Tonight, Andrew brought up the idea of living with me. It wasn't a proposal to move in together. He was commenting on how he has lived alone for the last few years and has forgotten what it's like to co-habituate like we are doing this extended weekend. He stated that he liked it and I stated that I did too which surprised me because I figured I was more socially inept than that. He thought I was joking but I really wasn't. I've lived with roommates before but never anyone on a romantic level. I'm also an extreme introvert in that I need my time alone to recharge my batteries. However, being with Andrew this weekend hasn't been a big drain on me. I think it helps to have Dean around and also being on vacation and at the beach doesn't hurt. Still, for me, I consider this a positive experiment. I don't have high self-confidence so it's reassuring to know that I'm not as screwed up as I could perceive myself as being.

What else?
We explored Seaside today as well as Astoria again. We did breakfast at an adequate diner named Riley's and coffee at the Seaside Coffee House. I shopped for a dog toy at Beach Dog, we went to the free Shark Museum and the end of the Lewis and Clark trail and we ended up playing cards at a local watering hole called the Bridge Tender Tavern (pictured below). We struck out a few times for dinner so we ended up getting Thai at the Blue Ocean Thai. What a relaxing day.

good enough for me

When I was in high school, I had a subscription to the magazine Details (which I've talked about before). At the time, I was still in the closet and relatively naive. With one issue, they sent out a sex survey, asking all sorts of questions. For fun, I filled it out dishonestly with dream scenarios. One of the questions was something like, "Where is the most exotic place you've ever made love?" I answered, "On the beach in the rain." Tonight, I came a step closer to living my dream.

Sorry if that's TMI but this is my blog, my life and I'm going to keep it real and as honest as I want.

Today and tonight was filled with just pure and simply enjoyment. We started it with a walk to the beach. I haven't been letting Dean off of his leash that much but I figured he only gets to the beach once a year so I may as well let him have his fun and he did. Then Andrew and I drove to Astoria where we had coffee at Columbia River Coffee Roasters. It was my first time in Astoria where they filmed a lot of The Goonies which was one of my favorite movies growing up so I dorked out a bit. We walked along the pier to the Goonies house (pictured above). Afterwards, we went to Wet Dog Brewery where we had some Wet Dog food :). I also had the Marionberry beer which was amazing.

After coming back to the house and walking along the beach in the sunset (sigh), we went to the Pacific Way Cafe where we met up with Andrew's ex Mark and Mark's partner Charlie who I had only met one time before. We had a delightful dinner and very gay conversation, beginning with talking about poor Whitney's death. I was really looking forward to this dinner because I liked Mark and Charlie when I first met them. Also, I got to meet their 18 month old poodle named Kelvin who bounded around the street with me like a deer.

We ended the evening with the hot tub and looking out at the stars as the clouds drifted away. It was a most memorable day and night that I will probably always cherish.

gearhart

I'm on my third annual vacation to the beach for my birthday. This year, I chose Gearhart. Going to California last year was okay but unnecessary. This year, I also chose to bring along Andrew. I normally enjoy just having the time to myself but I have been having a lot of quality alone time at Muffin HQ due to Sophia's work/yoga schedule and I enjoy Andrew's company so I thought it'd be a good idea. So far, it has been.
\
It was a nice drive here from Portland and it was nice to have company for the ride. The beach house is really nice, especially for the price. It has two bedrooms (one for Dean) and a hot tub. It's also in a gated community. It's dark now so I can't see the view but I can tell that there are no houses between us and the beach.

For dinner, we went to El Mariachi, an over-the-top Mexican restaurant in Gearhart. It was nice but I don't think I'll be drawn back to going again.

What else?
This week has been filled with mediocre new things which is why I haven't been posting.

On Monday, my new thing was trying a new BBQ sauce. (See? Weak.)

On Tuesday, I tried the Vikings dog at Zach's Shack which was a mistake.

On Wednesday, I worked with a new person in my class on a in-class group project. I also talked to my teacher about my upcoming policy paper. She seemed to indicate that I could write it on problems with my work. The only problem I can foresee with that assignment is that she wants me to limit it to 10 pages. ;)

On Thursday, I went to the internship fair at PSU and met with two reps from different agencies. I'm looking at possibly interning with the county next year.

bagby 2012

I love that a trip to Bagby Hot Springs during the SuperBowl has become an annual tradition for us. Justin, Ashes, Victory and I again went to visit Bagby. This year, Raven opted to not go but Jen went instead. We didn't get lost this year but we did still have to wait a while for a tub to open up so we went walking back to the car after soaking in the dark. It was almost a full moon and the sky was clear so the moonlight was strong through the trees. It was beautiful.

We soaked in a different tub this year. I liked the tub last year better but I was just grateful that we got a turn. And it's soaking in a hot springs hot tub in the middle of a forest with awesome friends in the middle of winter so I can't really complain. I will work next year to help ensure that this tradition continues.

Below are some more pictures:

What else?
A new and hopefully on-going part of the annual Bagby trip was stopping at Fearless Brewery in Estacada afterwards. They had $.75 beers (cream ales and porters) and great veggie burgers!

Also, before we got started, we all met for brunch at AND cafe. My food (a vegan pepperoni sandwich) was more normal this time and was pretty divine. I will come back just for that sandwich.

satur-date

Sorry for the cheesy post title but I loved today. Andrew and I had brunch at Bar Carlo, drinks at Ford Food and Drink, a walk down the Eastside Esplanade to the Steel Bridge and back down the Westside Waterfront and across the Hawthorne Bridge, a museum exhibit (Bodyworlds) and dinner at the Produce Row Cafe. It was so perfect.

My new things were trying the french toast at Bar Carlo, seeing the beautiful art at Ford Food and Drink (pictured above in the first pic), using the toilet underneath the Hawthorne Bridge, seeing a skinless giraffe at BodyWorlds and drinking the hot buttered rum at Produce Row. So good!

solar cycle

Why isn't solar power more common by now? Especially more common in place where they actually get sun more than half of the year? It's a shame because cars should definitely be infused with more solar panels. I realize you don't want these things to break but it may be worth the risk.

I don't drive enough to warrant paneling my car for solar energy so today I got a solar powered bike light. It wasn't cheap (as is the case with most solar panels) but I really hate going through batteries. Hopefully I don't lose it. I was going to order a solar light online but luckily they had one at Seven Corners. I happen to see it when I took my bike in to get the brake lines checked (which they did for free) so if I could support my favorite local bike shop AND get a solar light, I was willing to spend a bit. I really just hope I don't lose it. Also, Seven Corners was apparently burgled last night and some ass made off with a bike and several accessories. I wish a curse of nasty railroad tracks and a broken tailbone upon the thief!

Anyway, I've been sick for the past couple of days so I won't get to test my light until tomorrow. I hope it was worth it.

What else?
I took a sick day yesterday. I'm not sure if it's allergies or a bug but I did not feel well. I actually took a three hour nap which I have never done in Muffin HQ before. I can't hardly nap ever so this was a treat! It felt lovely.

volunteer therapy

I hate awkward silences. For that reason, I would do well in therapy. Today, we had a guest speaker come talk to our class about motivational interviewing which had been the latest intervention to excite me. During class, he asked for volunteers. There was this dead silence and after a few agonizing minutes, two of my classmates volunteered. They just had to mock a therapy session and he pointed out aspects that were or were not considered motivational interviewing. After they were done, he again called for two volunteers. Again, there was silence. The silence in the anticipation of someone speaking up pains me so I volunteered. This time, nobody else volunteered so I had to mock a therapy session with the guest speaker in which I stated that I was there because I have a problem drinking. I should have relayed a story I have heard from my clients but I found out today that motivational interviewing isn't proven to be effective when working with people with DD in a vocational setting. Bummer.

I've used this technique with a client and I think I got decent results. However, I can look at it objectively now since it's been a few months and see that it improved our relationship but it didn't necessarily improve the client's work skills. I've even taught this technique in a class at work and now I feel sort of foolish. I guess I can look at it as one technique that people can use and not THE answer to all of our problems.