titles are hard to think of

I too miss spring break, I think Kelly should come clean my house. I also am missing sunshine a lot right now which is what spring break makes me think of. Come to think of it I don't think I ever went on a cool spring break into warmer regions. Once I went to Santa Fe, New Mexico with Marysia to attempt to make that happen but ended driving through a blizzard in Wolf Creek pass instead. Oh well the idea of spring break sounds nice.

I had too much caffeine this morning... A whole medium cup. Bad pregnant lady. I am feeling little like the world can't quite keep up with me, also bad for typing coherent blogs. Coffee is my way of making grey days better, a NW habit, although Jo probably wouldn't agree. She remains untouched by the crazy coffee culture up here... I say give her a few years. That is how Ryan used to be, until I showed him the way, or at least made too much coffee around him so eventually he had to drink it just to keep up. Yes I really do need to calm down.

Maki- I love that you went to the architecture home design show...So cool. Count me jealous. Things like that are so fun... there must be so many NYC opportunities like that. We are constantly thinking we should start our own design business...which would help with the getting rich plan although would probably not be to easy for the lazy. The problem is how do you get your stuff manufactured and funded on a large scale to make it profitable. I just went to DWR and just about drooled on their baby furniture... so cool. Instead we just go to IKEA (a 3 hr drive) way too much... which really is not nearly as cool. Sigh. It would be great to collect design furniture, of course it probably isn't a great idea to own stuff like that with a toddler and baby on the way, but still pretty cool. If you dream up any get rich business ideas let me know... Okay enough babble... I think the caffeine high is turning into a low now. (picture is of E at the Seattle Public Library last month)

I miss spring break, and winter break, and summer vacation… Kelly you have to have some extra spring break fun for me. Nothing related to chores!

I went the Architectural Digest Home Design Show this past weekend. That was fun and depressing at the same time. Lots of fabulous stuff that I don’t think I will ever be able to afford! There was also some stuff that looked like it belonged on a trash heap or in the Jetson’s house (some would be at home in both places).

Nice panel discussions too. A talk on dining and design was the most entertaining. They also had cooking demos and wine and food tastings. They were getting pretty generous with the wine at closing time. :)

I wish I were rich. Any suggestions on an easy, lazy, fun way to accomplish this? I'm still working on the lottery angle but it doesn't seem to be paying off.

Finally, Spring Break

Didn't the excitement of spring break mean slacking, sleeping in and hanging out with friends? I have made my to do list for the week and it is mostly chores.......scarier.....I am excited to get these things done finally. What a change to be a grown up. The best part about spring break, oh yeah baby March Madness is underway. I have become addicted to sports as I have gotten older. Basketball and football are the biggest. I do enjoy going to the local minor league hockey team here. My company has season tickets so it is fun to go and sit on center ice right above the players. The best part, the fights. The minor league allows players to fight until one hits the ground or the uniform is pulled up over their head. I love it. Actually get to go tonight with my better and daughter. Well, I better get started with the chores. First off, clean the vacuum. I'm lovin it.

funny Italians

I can't figure these people out. Sometimes they are soo sweet- like when a whole bus of them yells "MOMENTO" at the bus driver so he won't close the door on the baby stroller. Or when the lady at the market gets a tear in her eye because you give her a flower that stands for women's day. But other times they are SO rude! I refused to pay an extra 15 Euros at the hair dressers to have them blow dry it, and they left me in the chair with a baby, wet hair, and the towels wrapped around my neck. Maybe I didn't get the blow dry, but I still got the color and cut!!! Or today as I was walking home from a playground with baby, I saw a young Japanese women run to catch a bus that had just left the station. The bus was stopped because it was stuck in traffic. The girl waved at the driver and smiled at him to please open the door, and he just looked the other way. I don't want to be forty years old and caught in a job I don't like, so as to become so grouchy that I just love to be mean. just the thought will keep me practicing (which is what I should be doing right now since Elena is napping- of course the quickest way to wake up my baby is to put bow to string, no matter how many noise makers I have on). Another funny thing is how powerful the American culture is here. Everywhere you go all you hear is American pop music on the radio. The gym next door has worse equipement than we did at Fort Collins High. Americans are cool in that they are so individual that everyone pretty much does their own thing. The Italians looked at me like I was crazy when I started doing squats in the exercise class instead of some silly exercise waving their arms they were all doing. Shouldn't they try to get their heartbeats up a little if they came to the gym? I don't miss the huge distances, and everyone always in cars, and the same stores etc everywhere you go in America. Italy is just so small in comparison. Blah blah blah! Sorry girls, just had to rant a little. Cindy, I agree with Valerie on the preggo part. For me it was heartburn, throwing up and way to much weight gain! The baby is the best part of the whole ordeal.

its not too hard to get pregnant

In response to C- so you may not be pregnant or living in Italy, being an attorney is pretty cool though, but then again its not too hard to get pregnant...haven't I proven that enough? :) ... the hard part is giving birth, oh ya and raising them... yes, I know that is just my experience and yes I realize maybe not everyone wants to get pregnant. Actually, living in Italy might be more exciting, and probably less physically involved.

By the way do not write a blog and then hit spell check and turn off your pop up blocker... it will basically erase everything you have just written. Trust me on this one. This is my second try.

This blog page is a great idea. It is so amazing hearing what everybody is up too and where our lives have taken us thus far. I mean really we have quite the diverse pool, pretty cool. Too bad I have nothing too exciting to write about today. The most eventful thing that happened to me today was going to Powells (a portland bookstore that you should all come and visit, right Jo?) and almost peeing my pants because Ephraim was so fascinated with the kids books that he didn't want to leave. He loves books, which is cool. He also loves Dr Jo, whom he calls frequently on his play phone to ask her to come over and assist him with his many patients. She got him a play doctors set for Christmas and he is now an expert in extracting ladybugs from ears and elephants and crocociles from bellies, all very useful stuff. To give you fair warning, I will probably often talk about E in my blogs, as he is pretty much my main focus right now. My other focuses if any are trying to sleep, have some sort of creative project going at all times, and try to have at least some quality time with Ryan. It is crazy how busy life can get with all the most simple things... it is hard to remember what it was like with just us, guess it is good we were together for so long before hand. I just finished three paintings for my sister Jill's nursery this weekend and threw her a shower in Seattle (closest and only nearby relative). She is expecting her first next month. So now I am in a now what's next time. We are finishing up our latest house project of a bedroom, so I have some pillow case sewing to do, so that will probably be it. Ryan did all new electricity, insulation, walls, and I am doing pillow cases... not quite an equal labor exchange, but oh well at least it is done :) Our next project is to do the last undone bedroom of 3, for a kids room. Got to get it done before July. Our house is over a 100 years old so it has lots of challenges for us to conquer. Okay, that is enough, oh and if any of you need to know how to get pregnant drop me a line and I will try to help :) ( you know I am kidding right?)

Not pregnant or living in Italy

I'm a little slow to get started. I am so happy to hear how well everyone is doing!! Babies, optometry, etc. Excellent idea Maki!
I will add to the collection of cat pictures next time with a lovely photo of Vienna & Toddy.
I don't have anything exciting to share. I am not pregnant or living in Italy. I am, in fact, pretty much single and still living with Lora in a condo in Denver.
My new job is keeping me really busy. (Yes, I am finally an attorney for real.) I really should be doing some work right now, actually. So far being a grown up with a billable hours requirement is even less fun than school, but at least I get paid. I feel for the poor students. I remember what that was like. Good luck on your papers & exams!

Crappy drivers

I was under the impression that if there is a stop sign and oncoming traffic that I should stop. Thursday morning the driver of a Ford Astrostar thought that I was going to cruise through the stop sign and, when I didn't, rear-ended me and the nicest car I have ever owned. Although that's not saying much when you think of all the crappy cars I've driven. All the doors open on this one unlike the big blue wagon. "The Blue Herring" was the name Sara gave it. Or my last car, a VW fox that actually had parts held together with duct tape.

All I have now is a little Ford Focus but it's a trooper. Some bumper damage, bent tail-pipe, some other stuff that I don't know anything about but needs fixing. I sound like I'm driving a little dirt bike now. The other guy's van has a demolished front end and a cracked radiator. Maybe next time he'll hit the brakes when he is coming up on a stop sign. :)

Here's the scoop

Well, let's see. I moved back from Cali about 6 years ago. I can say it was the longest wildest party ever. I had a great time. I am back at school now and am a Junior majoring in History to go with my Video Production degree. I would like to make documentaries and teach history. My baby boy, well he is a dog. Literally. He is a 2 1/2 yr old maltese named Alexander Hamilton The Great Evans. He did make it into the Coloradoan calendar this year. My little man was Mr. February. I love him like he was my kid. Mostly because he is the closest I want to having a kid. I have been dating someone now for 3 years who has a 12 year old daughter. I parent vicariously through her, and I have had my fill......I may have a way to get Sara's e-mail.....I will try to work on it............Wendy, how the hell are you? I thought I disappeared from the radar. Glad to hear you are doing well.....Congrats Valerie on the new bundle of joy......you truly have the american life.....i am a little jealous.........It is so good to hear from all of you, this blog is awesome......good idea Ms. Parsons......Well I should go write one of my 3 papers now that are due Tuesday.....I am too old for this sometimes....:)

So I tried doing a little search for Sara, yes, while I was supposed to be working.
I found a FCHS alumni website. For a $5.00 for life fee you sign up to access the directory. I thought if I found just one person I'd like to get back in touch with it would be worth it. So I paid, logged on and...
I am the only person in our class who is now registered at the site.
Fabulous waste of $5.00 I could have put towards something worthwhile... like lottery tickets.
Tracking down someone with a name like that is going to take a while.
Speaking of names, Wendy did you change your last name? What is it?

You know who needs to be located for this thing?

Sara Nelson. Does anyone have an email for her? Or how to find it? I tried going to a couple websites like classmates.com to see if she was listed but had no luck.

Kelly, I saw there was a message sent by you at that site. It wants me to pay to read it though. Sorry, I had no idea it was there! I pretty much ignore the junkmail that comes from that site, so I never noticed you tried contacting me. Current email is still jenniferowen@hotmail.com just so you have it. :)

Ciao a tutti! Happy March

I wish I could hop in an old volvo and come visit all of you girls. Florence is amazingly beautiful, but good friends are hard to come by in a new place and new language. I do speak Italian (thank god) which distinguishes me from all of the american art students populating the streets, but my accent is embarrassing and I still mess up all the verb conjugations. I always dreamt of living in France, not Italy! (close though) I'm still trying to figure out how to transfer my career over here. A conductor I met with wasn't even interested in hearing me play on my "modern viola". Baroque viola playing seems to be the fashion. I don't mind, but it means a new instrument, bow and way of playing (easier thank god). Plus I can't legally work here for six months anyway. Sooo I'm enjoying all the unexpected mommy time, taking a million walks to get to know the city, learning how to cook (very important for an Italian wife- not like my dad and his hot diggity dogger), practicing for a future recital, trying to meet people who are not my husband's family and friends, and spending Elena's nap time writing on this cool blog (Thanks Maki). I'm glad I've left the US behind, but starting over from scratch is a little scary. Please come and visit. We live a few blocks from the duomo and I can show you around. I'll probably end up playing in some orchestras, but playing (amplified) in the streets seems more appealing and probably pays more. I got a little sick of orchestra at chatauqua music festival. Ohhh Elena is awake! Bisous