Where did the last five months go?

After the Gala in February I had intended to update the blog. However, in the world of Development, after a fundraiser is often crazy. We check sales, write acknowledgements, make follow up calls, analyze numbers, etc. So February and March came and went. Then I decided April was the time to update the blog. Between going to the gym and working two jobs, it was suddenly May.

After my trip back to Kansas at the end of April/early May, I was definitely going to update this blog with everything we'd been up to. Then as I was volunteering at OMSI's Gala last weekend, my phone freaked out and lost every picture in my camera. Fortunately, I sync my photos with my computer... when I update my blog. So I still have all my pictures, except for the last five months.

I write my blog based on the pictures I have saved, to remind me of what I wanted to share. Now I'm going to make a brief update, as my memory has never been something to brag about.

The Gala

The Gala for work was in mid-February and went fabulously. We raised more money than in any previous Gala and most things went smoothly. No matter how much you plan for an event, something inevitable will go wrong. We only had a few hiccups and those were the kind that the guests don't notice. We received many compliments on how great the evening was and the Development Director did a fabulous job of planning the run-of-show. I was in charge of executing the event and got very nervous right before we started. I think everything hit me that if I screwed up, it could derail the entire event. I had help from a few amazing ladies and we pulled it off. Overall, this huge event was a success and helped fund a good cause.

Before the Gala dinner.

Friends of Trees

I volunteered at Friends of Trees two more times in 2016. The first one was a gift tree planting at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. These are unique because people can purchase trees as gifts and offer the recipients the chance to plant them. They're purchased as memorials, celebrations, and more. The planting was split into two shifts and our first shift didn't show up, so my partner and I planted shrubs. It was raining, but it was an Oregon rain. I pulled up my hood and hunkered down in the dirt. It was humid but as the rain drops fell from the brim of my hood and the mulch wafted into my nose, I was content. It was a perfect moment.

Our second shift consisted of two groups. One was planting two trees in memory of a grandfather and grandmother. The second was a large group planting in memory of a young(ish) girl who had passed away. She was somewhere near my age, judging by the picture. It was emotional and difficult to watch. I offered to help as needed but left them to grieve. We counted the number of trees to their memorial tree so that they could come back and visit as it grows. After they left, I helped plant more shrubs and carried tools back to the truck.

Crew from Jackson Bottom Wetlands planting.

My next planting involved a diverse range of ages. from toddlers to adults. One of the toddlers even had his own baby shovel! Our part of the planting went fairly fast so we helped another group. It was a nice sunny day and I had to lose my layers due to the heat. At first I thought it was odd that plantings are from October to April but after my first year, it makes sense. It's the best time for the plants to take root and the rain helps. Even though it can be chilly, planting in the summer would be difficult in the heat.

Other Volunteering

I've also been volunteering at OMSI (science museum in Portland). I help at events, since I work during the week and then I'm at Target on Saturdays. It hasn't been what I expected so I'm trying different events. Last weekend was their Gala and I helped at coat check. I enjoyed seeing their fundraiser and learning what I could from my limited perspective. I can't afford to attend Galas, so popping my head in to fundraisers where I can is how I learn about what other organizations do for theirs.

Moving?

Another reason for my blog absence has been because Brandt and I were considering moving. We've been in the same apartment for two years and aren't huge fans of it. It's too hot (corner unit, no AC, you've read my complaints) and Brandt doesn't like leashing up the dogs to take them outside. We take turns taking them out but they love to go out and are always wanting to go. Another frustration: they raise our rent every year and we don't receive any upgrades or anything, really. Our lease is due for renewal and since we moved in two years ago, our rent has increased by almost $3,000 per year. For a place we don't much like, we considered picking up and moving out.

The problem is that we have three dogs. Places claim to be pet friendly but they're only friendly to two dogs. The third is the devil and shall not pass. Finding a house, which is what we want so the dogs can have a yard, is damn near impossible. We did our research and couldn't find any place in our budget that would take our three monsters. Some were kind of affordable but they wanted a $900 deposit for the dogs plus $30 per month, per dog for pet rent. Most just said no.

When Brandt did his taxes he complained about the state income tax in Oregon. While we have no sales tax, they try to make up for it in income tax. The state income tax is 9%, while Kansas is 2.7-4.6%. Washington, however, has no income tax but has sales tax. We considered moving to Vancouver. Most of the places I contacted didn't get back to me and I am extremely opposed to driving to/from Vancouver. Why? Portland is surrounded by rivers. We live on the west side of Portland and that's the side of the river that downtown is on. We really never have to cross the river. There are many bridges in Portland and they're quite proud of them. In fact, they just opened a new one next to OMSI that only has the MAX (public transport train), bikes, and pedestrians. Portland also has many nicknames like Rose City and Bridge City, or variations thereof.

Map I found by Will Lund that illustrates Portland bridges among other icons.

This cute map shows the bridges spanning the Willamette and connecting East and West Portland. It's also showing the zoo, rose garden, Timbers stadium (soccer), downtown, OMSI, and more. Even with all of these bridges spanning the river, traffic across them can still be a complete nightmare. Now, what was that about Vancouver? The Columbia River separates Oregon and Washington and there are only two bridges connecting Portland to Vancouver. We're not the first ones to consider moving to Vancouver for the cheaper rent and no income tax and that drive is a nightmare.

We currently live where the star is and I work just north of the Sellwood Bridge (the southernmost bridge). The two circles are the only bridges connecting the cities. The drive would be mind numbing. Well, mine already takes 45 minutes to an hour and is pretty bad. This one could be worse. So we are staying in our small, hot apartment for at least another year.

Back to Kansas

Two of my friends had weddings planned for April 2016. I was hoping that they would be within a week of each other so I could go to both, but I wasn't so fortunate. I made the difficult decision based on location and that I hadn't seen my friends from home in two years. I spent the first day enjoying Wichita with my sister and then we went to Topeka for family time. It was great to see most of my family, especially the kids. Kids grow so fast and they're adorable when they're little so I absorbed everything I could.

The wedding was fun and I loved seeing all of my childhood friends again. Everyone is having kids and I was finally able to meet the ones born recently. I caught up with everyone and it was like I was only living in Wichita or Manhattan again; like no time had passed. I'm not a fan of wine, but the wedding was at a winery so I had a glass. They had blueberry (maybe another berry... mullberry?) wine and it was delicious, so I had a few more glasses after that! Definitely sweet but I don't like how tart most wine is.

Kitty-Sitting

A friend of mine went to her sister's wedding; I think it was right after Christmas. I kitty-sat her four felines, which included feeding, loving, and litter box cleaning. She had puppy-sat for us and I was mostly comfortable with her cats. I'm not a cat person but I love all living things. When I first went over to her apartment, all four cats greeted me with meows of joy and rubbed my legs. I thought, "Oh! They remember me and are excited to see me!" I was wrong. After I fed them, we were no longer best friends. However, I still cuddled with the two that are especially affectionate. I even brought Brandt over to play with them. since he's had a cat and knows what he's doing. I know he misses his little guy and he definitely enjoyed kitty time.

I know I had a lot to more to update about, but without my picture reminders, this is all I've got for now.