Not only did I get this nice certificate, I also received my very own Rosetown Ramblers badge. Fame 2017 is our class name. Each class picks a rose for their name. We liked our choice because it could go in a David Bowie direction or a musical theater direction.
Tag: me
Gift from mom: a mug from the Chef’s Hut
Best Photos of 2016
Every December, I search back through my photos and pick ten to print and display for the coming year. The printed photos live on the photo collage next to my bed.
This year, I trouble finding 10 photos I really liked. I guess taking good photos is another of the casualties of the changeover to the 40-hour week. But here are the 10 I found to be good enough.
Here’s the photo that became the Christmas Card. I love the Fairlift and I love the bright colors in this photo.
Also from the fair, this goat was nicely framed and had a sweet expression.
Another contender from the fair. (What would I have done if we didn’t attend the fair?). This monster truck is completely off the ground!
The vacationing couple, or perhaps important photographer and muse. I mostly printed this for the memory of the endless photo-ing, but I also like how her outfit stands out against the gray Washington coastline.
Another photo from vacation. This is Lake Crescent and its very blue water.
On the way to a weekend retreat in Centralia. There’s actually an Instagram version of this photo that is better. But this was the one I took with my camera.
The colors and the fog made this one a winner. it’s also a good reminder that my regular walk across the bridge can be magical.
Usually the top spot in my photo collage frame is a concert or performance of some sort. This was a panel discussion at Wordstock, so not necessarily a performance. But it was very entertaining, and the selfie from different angles made me laugh. It’s also a nice showcase of the Old Church.
Early morning contrails and an alley. This photo didn’t come out quite the way I wanted it to. It’s standing in for the picture in my mind, which is even better.
Another “performance” photo. This one was snapped a fraction of a second too late. During Love’s Labour’s Lost this was musical montage backed with “Theme from a Summer Place.” This couple made me laugh.
Progression in phone service: a visual in three parts
First, there was the phone. Until 2013, I was a landline-only person. I loved my phone number, so much so that when I moved from downtown, I called the phone company and told them, “I’m moving and I want to keep my phone number.” Thankfully, rules had relaxed and it came with me when Matt and I moved in together, and then followed us to the Orange Door.
In 2013, I bought my first cell phone*, skipping over all other incarnations and jumping in at the smartphone period. I was surprised at how much I liked it. So this was why everyone was always staring at them. One thing I didn’t like? My cell phone number. It started with 971, for one thing. Who wants that stupid area code? I didn’t actually want to talk on my cell phone, so I kept the landline, and my awesome phone number.
Just this year, I learned you can keep your landline number and have it ported to your cell phone company. I would not have to give up my beloved phone number! It happened that I was due for a new phone, so instead of upgrading and transferring my cell number to my new phone, I instead transferred my landline number to my new phone. It was easy!**
Now we are not paying the monthly bill for a landline AND I have my favorite phone number. All is well.
I realize that cool phone numbers are more-or-less moot. Once the number gets programmed into someone’s phone they never look at it again. But I know how cool my phone number is. It’s mathematically correct! So I’m happy.
*Note that this is not cell phone, version 1, it’s cell phone version 2.
**Porting the number was easy, dealing with the fallout from the landline people was not. We lost internet for a few days, which wasn’t fun, and turned out to have not been necessary.
Technology. New phase.
I cast my historic vote!
When I was 18, I cast my first vote ever in the US Presidential race for Bill Clinton and he won! Growing up in a household of Democrats during the Reagan and Bush administrations, this was a very big deal. I began my adulthood with a president I voted for. I’m excited to be 42 and casting my vote for Hillary Clinton. I never really had a guess as to when I would be able to vote for a woman for US President, because it always seemed so far away. I’m happy to be casting this historic vote.
(I also voted for everything else too. Running this country isn’t just about who is president.)
Awesome apron
Possibly the last cards elementary school students will ever make for me.
PKO Senior Dissertation
This autumn and winter, I’ve been helping a senior in high school with her high school dissertation, which is what her school calls the culminating senior project. I was one of three committee members and my job was editing. I had great fun looking over PKO’s research paper and her journal entries.
PKO’s focus was on animals. Her paper was about Animal Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. She also volunteered at the Oregon Humane Society with dogs, teaching them commands to make them more adoptable. During that time she kept a journal, which included information about the different dogs she volunteered with as well as instructions for teaching commands to dogs.
Her teacher said it was one of the top three senior dissertations she had seen.
Well done PKO!
What I spent my Christmas money on
I bought a tablet!
And because I’ve learned that buying an electronic device is just the beginning of your expenses, aside from the tablet I bought a memory card, a heavy-duty case and also a new bluetooth speaker. For unknown reasons the bluetooth speaker that worked perfectly fine with my phone was all crackly when used with the tablet. I also bought a new case for my phone, as my old one was on its last legs.
One thing I like about Samsung products (and perhaps other products do this, it’s just that I’ve only had Samsung phones) is that when you get a new device and log in, everything is automatically downloaded. It’s pretty cool.
One thing I’m looking forward to is having a bigger platform to read the digital editions of the newspaper. You can see the difference here:
And look how much bigger the pictures are on the tablet!
I had a $25.00 credit for apps from Amazon and bought Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, and Settlers of Cataan. Ticket to Ride is by far the prettiest of those apps, and my inability to win, dammit, has had me playing many games. I anticipate that not as many games will be played once I start back to work, but it’s an amusing diversion.
My old phone case served me well. And was cheery.