pictures

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go here, there are a million up of this summer.

Summer '08

We have been having a fun and busy summer, full of decisions about where to settle down and looking for new jobs in 2 different places before making any decisions. We are now considering living in either the Portland, OR area or Sonora, CA which is a small town of about 30,000 peeps in the eastern foothills near the mountains! Tim has been interviewing in Portland and we are waiting to hear back from some companies up there. He also just passed his PG test, (Professional geologist for the state of Ca) which by the way is the hardest one of all. He passed it after only studying for a week, when most study a year for it. Also, only 20% of people pass it their first time. So as you can tell by all my gushing, I am so proud of my genius husband :)
We had a blast at our annual Lake Tahoe vacation with the whole Bishop side of the family as well. Tim finally got his wave-runner that he's been dreaming of forever and we had a blast riding it all around the lake and taking special trips to Emerald Bay for some hiking. We also got a wake-skate, (like a skateboard for the water) and have been learning to use that too! Our cabin is in the coolest location in South Lake Tahoe. It's right on the beach next to Camp Richardson and the Beacon Restaurant which has live music nightly on the beach. It is a beach girl's dream! Plus, tons of cool trails for hiking around the lake and phenomenal views! We love Lake Tahoe! Maybe one day we will retire there and buy a cool cabin on the lake. (Well if we ever have an extra 3 million laying around) :)
So our apartment lease is up here in the bay area in 2 weeks, (thank GOD) so we are moving out this weekend! We decided to do one more temporary move to Turlock where my in-laws live until we figure out where to plant ourselves. Turlock is about an hour and a half commute for Tim to work so he'll rideshare a couple days a week and work the remaining days telecommuting from Turlock. Whew! We will be saving $1600 a month on rent by living with his parents, (Which have a new, separate apartment attached to their ranch home) while we figure out our next move.

Wyoming Re-Cap #3

(written sometime in May 2006)

Small town life

Current mood: happy

My life as a new Wyoming girl is sure different! I can't believe it's been almost 3 months already! I have been more relaxed here than I have ever been. ( Ok so yes, a lot of this has to do with the no job factor ) But even so, from what I see even the workplace is a relaxed environment. Today I was on an interview with the newspaper, LaramieBoomerang.com and almost everyone in the room was wearing jeans and cowboy boots! They were probably impressed at my suit and steve maddens! :)

Everyone here is much nicer too! Neighbors actually cross the street to come meet you and have a chat. Shop owners downtown spend time talking to me when they find out I'm looking for a good job, give me a treasure-map of contacts, and make instant calls to their friends notifying them of my arrival. In my second week here, One of Tim's old neighbors called me to invite me out snowshoeing for the day even though I'd never met her. Another time, one of his co-workers called me when she knew Tim would be gone for the week on business, and invited me out to a girls' night with her and her friends. People really reach out here. They just stop by your house just to visit for a bit. No phone calls, no advance plans, they just show up and keep you company. At first I thought this was a bit weird, but now I realize it's a genuine act of friendship and care. ( Ok and probably a bit of the boredom factor!) :-)

Over all, being here even for this short time has definetly grounded me more. I'm learning to appreciate more outdoor activities rather than spending every weekend at the mall or at a club trying to compete with all the fake people out there. As of right now, I'd take a sweaty hike with my Timmy over a prance around the Galleria anyday! ( Besides, I can always look in my IN STYLE magazine for fashion cravings, but no book or magazine could do justice to seeing Mt. Rushmore in person or top the feeling of accomplishment I got from hiking to the top of a mountain! )

Wyoming Re-Cap #2

I shop at Wal-Mart
Current mood: bored
(written sometime in October of 2006)


I Shop at Wal-Mart :)

Goodbye to the days when Macy's, Nordstrom, GAP, Express, Ulta, and so many other long lost stores were just a 5 minute car ride away. Goodbye to the Clinique bonuses, Jamba Juice, Trader Joe's, Jack's/Pluto's, and even Target. Goodbye to any mall whatsoever! I miss the days of browsing in my favorite stores after work to de-stress. No more Nordstrom customer service policy, ( I was ALWAYS right and could return something after even a YEAR!) No more browsing the make-up counters taking in the rich scent of Vera Wang's newest fragrance. No more listening to the live piano music delicatley playing throughout the store. Now I have Wal-Mart. ONLY Wal-Mart! Not ONE store in this town suitable for buying clothes from this decade! Laramie you need a MAJOR FASHION INTERVENTION!!! My new "mall" is now trusty, DUSTY ol'e Wal-Mart. I can go there 4 times a week and still be excited about it! ( Boredom plays funny tricks on my mind!) I went today just to see if that new lotion is in stock that was featured in my Cosmo magazine. I go just to double-check if they might have a pair of cheap earrings that might jazz up my look. I go to buy seashells for my shadow-box to remind me of the good old summer days on the CA beaches. I'll admit, I've even gone to buy Q-tips, even when we still have half a box left. Shop-A-holic? No, I just have a deep need to see what's new... I've even discovered that the generic Wal-Mart pancake syrup tastes as good as Aunt J's and it's a third of the price. I can go to Wal-Mart for a Optometry apt while Tim gets his haircut and develop photos in a hour all at the same time...and then shop for cheap groceries. Where else could one find such a multi-tasking store all wrapped up into a huge ball of cheapness? I almost always see someone I know when I go. They too seem a little bored, wandering around hoping to see someone they know as well. Wal-Mart is the "mall" of this town, not just a place of convenience. So, I guess Wal-Mart isn't so bad after all. It has become my sole shopping source here in the little town that time forgot. I just hope that they have those white-cheddar cheetos when I go back for a second round tonight!

Wyoming Re-Cap #1

I am beginning a "re-cap" series to my blog now as I have left out many important happening which have drastically shaped my current state of mind-life in Wyoming. I just took a little time looking back to all my past blog posts and realized that I compare my CA life to my WY life, a LOT. So for all you readers out there who were not a part of my WY experience, I feel like I should provide some insight into the core of my comparisons, that being life in Wyoming. I really should have started this blog when I moved to Wyoming in March of 2006. I will for the next few postings, attempt to capture all the defining moments which led me to where I am today. The first few post are ones that I wrote while living there, (copied and pasted from my myspace blog section) and the following ones will be written in the present day. It was one of the best experiences of my life so far. I thank my husband Tim for always knowing what is best for me even when I don't and for breaking me out of my mold. :) Love you babe!


Current mood: loved
(Written sometime in June of '07)

The Beauty of the Kindness of Strangers

On the evening of June 1, 2007 Tim and I were lucky enough to attend Norah Jones concert at one of the most beautiful amphitheatres, (Red Rocks in Colorado) in the world! Not only is this place breathtaking-we were seeing Norah who makes my love for music come alive! It was going to be a fabulous night, I could just feel it!


When we arrived 2 hours early, we joined the tailgating crowd in eating, drinking, and listening to Norah. We chatted with the other Norah-lovers happily waiting for the concert to begin. One couple in particular who were a little younger than my parents, took a special interest in talking with Tim and I. The husband was an orthopaedic surgeon for the United States army. He looked EXACTLY like Robert Dinero from the movie Meet the Parents and even had the same witty, humorous personality. It was really entertaining me. The wife also looked and acted so sweet like the mother on Meet the Parents. What a pair! They had a daughter who had just married and a son in college. They were Christians who seemed very active in their church. (The husband was giving a power-point presentaion on Medical Ethics from the Bible in the morning at their church.) They were not afraid to open up about their secret to a happy and lasting marriage as the conversation turned that way. (Tim and I often ask couples that have been married a long time AND have a healthy relationship their secret to making it last and being fufilled from their relationship) We truly value advice from these types of people who have gone before us. The husband and wife both had strong, passionate, and deep answers for our question. He said that his way of meeting his wife's needs was not just asking how her day was, but asking more specific questions like, " What was the most exciting part of your day" or " What was the most difficult part of your day?" These questions, he said, provided a deeper look into the mind of his wife and made her feel better understood which is an important need for us women as we all know. Another thing on the husband's end was what he called, " Servant-Leadership" where the husband is the strong leader, but in leading he is always serving the wife. (Sounds like my Tim-boy am I a lucky girl!) This couple had a deep connection, it was apparant within the first hour of meeting them. Time for the concert to begin, we all started hiking up the trail to the top of the theatre. " Meet us back at our cars after the concert for some more drinks", they said. " We'll party until traffic clears out!"


Norah was an angel! Her beautiful, soothing voice transported me to a state of contentment, relaxation, and giddiness that most people can only achieve with a dose of Valium!


As we hiked back down the huge slabs of red rocks to our car, we gazed out over Denver's city lights with the full moon overhead. Kissing passionately for that moment we felt like we were the two most lucky and in love people there ever were.


As we approached our suv, we saw our new friends already partying it up next to us at theirs. They offered us their drinks and asked us what we planned to do the following day. They told us we should come explore CO Springs where they live. We thought that was a great idea, we had been wanting to visit there! As Tim and I were discussing our hotel plans for the night, the couple went off for a minute alone to discuss something themselves. When they returned, the husband said, "Now we understand if you decline, but we would like to invite you to stay at our place tonight." Their friends piped in, " Ooohhh you guys are lucky! They're place is HUGE!" Tim and I were pleasantly surprised with their generous offer. We looked at each other taking in the fact that neither of us had any doubts about the situation, and both agreed to go. We were fully aware of the fact that in most parts of the country, this would never happen or be safe. We knew that this could be a potentially harmful situation to go into with such trustful hearts, but we both strongly and instinctually knew that this wouldn't be the case with this particular couple.


We followed the couple home about an hour and a half south from Morrison to Co Springs. They had a beautiful home as their friends had said. It was on a hill overlooking all of Co Springs. When we walked in, I got the feeling of being right at home feeling like I was at one of my best friend's parents house for the night. Safe, cared for and lucky. We had our own huge room with attached bathroom and living area with a terrace overlooking the city. It was truly a blessing! They showed us a few pictures of their kids and said they would see us in the morning after making sure we had everything we needed for the night. We were both awestruck. I couldn't believe we were staying in this beautiful home for the night of people we had just met hours earlier.


The next morning they offered us breakfast and supplied us with a map for our day of exploration. We exchanged business cards and thanked them profusely. We chatted for a moment about how nice it was of them to trust us in their home that night. They said that we had presented ourselves well to them and they felt comfortable and happy to make our stay easier. The wife then said, "I just believe that people should just be nice to each other and pay it forward, like the movie." How simple yet profound! And, what a way to experience the beauty of God's love from His people, watching over us wherever we travel to.


Now I truly know the meaning of why they call it "God's country" out here, exclusively.

Tourists in Our Own State!

On Friday, Tim took off work early so we could begin our final quest to explore some parts of California that we may have overlooked as possible places we might like to live. California is soooooo much bigger than I realized living in Sacramento most of my life. I think since I lived in a city that had what I perceived to be everything at the time, I never explored many other areas of the state as I did living in Wyoming. Growing up, we really only went to visit Grandma in San Jose and then went down to So Cal for the typical Disneyland/Newport and Laguna Beach vacation, (which was our favorite) but not much beyond that, (within Ca). I mean, of course we occasionally went to San Francisco, Yosemite three times, Lake Tahoe, Santa Cruz, Napa Valley and Monterey...but not much else beyond the major tourist spots. I still have never been to Big Sur, Hearst Castle, San Luis Obispo, camped ON the beach, climbed Half-Dome, explored the Northern Ca coast like Ukiah and Humbolt County where I'd say to the hippies, "No thanks, I pass on grass-everytime!" Just like "Focker" on Meet the Parents! :)... been to a real ghetto in LA... (ok so I don't want to really go to the ghetto and get shot!) but you get the picture. There is still a lot I would like to do in this state someday. So anywhoo- On Friday we explored some parts of Marin County, mainly the Petaluma area. Petaluma is cool because it is a smaller town, 100,000 people, has a fair amount of open space around it with country living, has a cute old-townie looking downtown area which is pretty small, and is only 45 minutes from the ocean and maybe 45 from SF as well. Oh and it has a Whole Foods. Major points there from me! We had dinner and walked around and took in the sights. It is very hilly which I like, (flat is too boring) and has lots of pretty vineyards around. Afterwards, we drove through Novato-very wealthy town where you have to have at least 2 million to buy a home, San Rafael...then over the Golden Gate Bridge which I think was only my second time driving over and first time with Tim. Unfortunately it was a very foggy evening so we couldn't really take in the sights of the bay and the city, actually we really couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of our car it was so thick! Oh well, so we drove through SF, Burlingame, over the bridge to Hayward, on to Pleasanton, then over some more hills into the central valley/aka: cow towns! :) We finally parked our fun-filled butts at our second home in Turlock for the night with my in-laws. :) Whew! What a day! It was pretty much 5 hours in the car, 3 exploring. It's our whole nomadic phase we are in now I guess. :) So overall we liked Petaluma, but it wasn't calling our name like Oregon is at this time. It still feels too, for lack of a better description, clausterphobic for me. My whole outlook has been swiveled around into a complete 360 change after living in the one state with the most open space. The town itself is smaller, (for CA) and had countryside surrounding it, but too soon after is city after city after city...and I just feel too lost anymore in such environments. It's as if I'll get swallowed up in the crazy city abyss and miss out on the real-ness of the earth, which is nature. The concrete jungle is a little rat-maze leading to nowhere. Just confusion. I'm taking my pink Nalgene bottle and heading for the hills! :)

The Confusion of a Gypsy Wife

I want to have a baby so bad it hurts. Literally. Every time Tim and I are out at a park, store, anywhere with live people, we see so many cute kids. All we talk about are how cute they are, mimic the funny things they say for the rest of the night, and practically stalk them as we just sit back and dream of the day when that will be our life. I sit there, choking back the tears, trying to look normal while inside I crumble. Last night Tim was sitting there, looking around the park and says, " All the people who are really having FUN here have kids...", with this longing look on his sweet face. As you can see, we really want some babies-pronto!
Now here's where the confusion comes- What about our gypsy lifestyle? What about our Nomadic living situations!??? Would this be too stressful for me to handle while preggers? What about not having a house yet? I wont be able to "nest", paint a nursery, hang pictures on the walls...We aren't even sure at this point on where exactly we are going to live next. Our lease is up here in the bay area on August 11 and I can't WAIT to leave here. I'm SO done with the city! DONE! I'm NEVER living in the city again! I need the country! I need the green, fragrant, rolling hills of open space! I need a house with acres, not a little box of a backyard. I want to hear birds and crickets at night, not traffic or the growling-(yes growling!) of some crazy bum at 2 am! ( We live in the middle of downtown-NEVER AGAIN!) Our next proposed move will most likely be to Oregon. We are so OVER California for now. My Wyoming friends were right, California IS ridiculous! The "sunny California" thing is a complete myth! I mean, it sure has so much to offer, but you have to put up with too much crap to live here. There are many beautiful spots, but there is more hot, dessert-like land in between. And I have a lot of friends here, but they're all too busy to ever do much with me. They all live so spread out and have jam-packed lives. TOO many people, traffic, not much open space, expensive houses, gas, fake people, a lot of CRAZY people. I'll bet you that if there was a study done of the geographical locations of people who are on Prozac, I bet you ten bucks most of them live in California. Want to know why? Because people here are TOO concerned with their outside appearance rather than their souls. It's that they let Hollywood-something of an illusion, be a model for their self-image. It is sad. It is sad that mothers buy their 18 year old daughters breast implants so that they can feel better about themselves. It is sad that parents don't spend much time with their kids because they commute 2 hours home from work and by the time they get home, the nanny has put them to bed. Ok I'll stop my CA-venting, and I know I shouldn't generalize ALL of Californians but that's the general feeling one would get when coming here. That's the "vibe" if you will. Just like the vibe in Wyoming is happy, outdoorsy, take off those heels and put on some Keens, have a granola bar type feel. And the vibe of Oregon is the same. We went up to visit our family up there in the beginning of this month and fell in love with it up there. It was as beautiful as a postcard! Everything was so green and fragrant I just have to be a part of it! People were so friendly and life was slower-paced. We went looking at houses with a real estate agent and found some possibilities for starter homes! We are both looking for jobs up there right now and hopefully will find something soon!
SO WOW I got just a little off track here! :) Guess I had something to SAY huh?!!! :)
Well, as for having a gypsy kid, maybe it's do-able. I mean, as long as I have one of those cool baby-sling things then all it really is, IS an extension of me right? And maybe I'll just have to paint a nursery for the second kid. Maybe for once, a second child in this world will have at least one advantage over their older sibling. "Well I had my own room when I was a baby" my little one will say. "Oh yeah well I lived in 3 different towns when I was a baby..." the older one will say...Oh I can see it now...:)