Congrats! You win a participation award.

Hi friends. It is time for me to talk about the participation award. I totally hate them. But do you want to know who hates them more? My mother. She will rant about how stupid the idea of a participation award is. I have always wondered why she feels this way, but now as an “adult” I think I know where she is coming from.

If we are trained since childhood that if we try hard (or really just show up) we get a trophy or ribbon, what is going to happen to us as adults?

I try hard at my job.
Does that mean I am going to be super rich? No. But they should probably give me extra money for showing up. Someone else got the promotion I was up for? Where is the freaking consolation prize? Not even a boom box or pair of rollerblades? Damn you Legends of the Hidden Temple.

I “put myself out there.”
So my good friend is engaged. I’m not, but I actively make myself available to potential dates. I have had long term relationships before. They just happened to not work out. Do I get a participation diamond ring? I partook in the love thing… where is my jewelry?! Did I miss the party at Round Table Pizza when they passed them out?

I have come to loathe the idea of the participation award as much as my mom. We all participate in life as much as the next person; it just isn’t our time to come out on top… So let’s wait and see what the future holds.

It has taken me 25 years to accept this. Therefore, I think we should start these lessons earlier in life. When I have kids, I am going to hide their soccer trophies.

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Write a book? Title ideas: Forever Ridiculous. Oregonian Diaries.

I think in my life I want to write a book. Please do not hold me accountable for this. This future book may not be very good, but I think it would be really fun.

Again, my fab co-worker Nicole is a key encourager when it comes to this kind of stuff. I regularly interrupt her work day to say things like, “Hey, I know you are working but this is super important. I think I want to write a book. Also, I love the mascara I am using.” I know guys, I am a ridiculous. BUT when I did bring up the book thing she was totally on board. Bouncing ideas back and forth with me etc... to the point that I decided this was something I could do.

This isn’t a real thing yet, I haven’t started writing it or anything. Who knows if I even will! I just think it would be super tight if I wrote an awesome slash hilarious book that somehow gets published and I get to promote it on The Today Show (What up Matt Lauer!? I am from Oregon just like Ann Curry).

"Up next on Today: Oregon Author dominates New York Times best seller list for the 7th week straight." 

Pipe dreams people. Pipe dreams. I do have this picture of what it would mean to write a book. Sitting at my laptop with notes and research gathered around me, interrupting moments of brilliance to take a sip of coffee.

Okay, those are all of my thoughts on this subject for now. If I do decide to write a book, you all will be the first to know!

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“Here’s to the sisterhood of the traveling pants.”

That was Cameron’s cheers to the fact that Marina is a traveler. We found her cheers incredibly hilarious, especially because I don’t think she even really knew what she was saying. So yes Cam, here’s to the pants... and Marina.

This weekend we had a send off for Marina. She is leaving us for 6 months for an amazing career opportunity. I am sure she will have an awesome experience and it is very exciting! Alas, I am selfish and I am going to miss my friend. I have not fully accepted that she is leaving. But that is just how it goes I guess. I think the day I text her and say “lets get fro-yo tonight” and she says, “dude. I am currently living in MT.” I will probably have a meltdown. So… anyway. We had a fab going-away send off for her. One of our favorite things is going to second Saturday at East Burn. Why? Because DJ Gray Matter breaks it down with the kickinest hits for us to boogie to. Think Whitney Houston, the Dougie and a giant dance party. You clearly missed out. But no worries, you can just go next month. You better make it though, because the next one is the last!

Send off Champy

Umm these next photos are going to come with a warning: View at your own risk! We were very sweaty from all of the poppin' and lockin'.

Music, dancing and friends are three of Marina’s favorite things (if only we could have incorporated her 3-legged cat into the evening). I can’t think of a better way to send her off into the great unknown.

Farewell Mar. Somebody is gonna miss you.

Thursday thoughts: Life, fun, sun, unicorns and moms.

Do you people ever feel like you don’t have time to live your life? Today this is what my thought process was in the car:

- Okay, I don’t have time to stop for an Americano. Annoying. Crap, I forgot to grab my lunch. Too bad I over slept… again! Boo. But really, who needs to wash their hair?
- It is so pretty out!!! Look at the river. I love Portland. All I want to do after work is walk outside.
- After work I need to go to Costco to buy laundry detergent and towels. Then I need to go to Freddie’s and get some food. I should also swing by Sephora… I guess that one can wait… but I want to get there before the weekend hits.
- Too bad I didn’t get home until late last night. I really needed to fold clothes and vacuum. Cheer tryouts > chores. So whatevs. New squad new year! It is crazio how fast these years go.
- Maybe if I get home by 8 tonight I can do a little cleaning.
- I guess I won’t be going on a walk in the beautiful weather after all…
- Oooooh and there is a new Parks and Rec! Nice.

Yes people, that was my morning thought process. Pretty much verbatim of what went through my head. I love this phase in my life. It is awesome! I am only responsible for myself. I have a job and I have commitments etc. But in general, I am only answering to myself. Yet somehow, the hours in the day run out so fast! Do the rest of you ever feel like you are losing your mind?

And while we are thinking about this, in honor of Mother’s Day, let’s please take note of how we consider our lives busy… now think about our mothers out there who managed children, households, jobs, personal lives and somehow found time to nurture their marriages and get to the gym at least twice a week. Are you serious!? Moms, you deserve more than flowers on Mother's Day. You deserve a trophy made out of solid gold, a mini unicorn, a puppy that stays a puppy forever (yet acts like a trained dog) and an endless supply of chocolate truffle cake.

My mom is the freaking best EVER! She is loving, awesome, fun, funny, understanding etc. And I know it wasn’t a cakewalk to raise my sister and me. She deserves all of the aforementioned items. But I think she would prefer lemon bars over chocolate truffle cake.

We think we are hilarious (even when other people don't). Like mother like daughters! 

Give your mom a big hug and kiss this weekend. She had to deal with you… and you were probably a devil child.

I know this post took a weird turn from being about busy schedules to how awesome our moms are… but that is just how my mind is running today.

Time for another cup of coffee! Okay okay. I’ll have decaf.

Heartbreakers and broken hearts.

Breakups totally suck. From temporary ones like Cory and Topanga, to perma ones like Brad and Jen, breakups are just no good.

I have been in discussions with many of my people as of late that revolve around the breakup. Ahh the breakup. We have all had them, we have all supported a friend through one and we all despise them. Having not been in a relationship or breakup in a few years, I get to look at this as an outsider. So just accept my perspective for now.

You can be terribly broken and devastated from the ending of a relationship. Right? Well, here is the piece that baffles me… somehow it is always worth it to take a risk the next time a potential relationship is on the horizon. Does the good of a new relationship always trump the bad of a previous? Or is it the hope that this new one won’t end? (ie. marriage) And just because you are married doesn’t mean the relationship is all unicorns and rainbows. Every relationship has its own unique set of challenges. Yet somehow we are always willing to jump in feet first and take the plunge into the complicated depths of love, or like, or lust (depending on who you are).

Does a “single” status really just mean that someone is willing to get hurt again? And no, I am not talking about Facebook… you socially networked weirdos.

Please remember that this is all theory and I personally do not have a lot to go on. Just bear with me through these thoughts.

As the people in my life have been through breakups over the years, each breakup was completely different from the next. I am going to exclude myself… yet I of course find it completely kosher to discuss the personal lives of my friends… duh.





From the many different breakups in our lives we have learned this: When there is bad blood between exes, the consoling is easy because you tell the dumpee that they are better off. When there is still communication between the exes you tread lightly because you never know how they are feeling on any given day. When things just end, they just end and you comfort your friend as they deal with the heartbreak. But in complicated matters of the heart, new scenarios arise. Why? Because no two relationships are the same and therefore no two breakups are the same. You can learn from your past, but when it comes to breakups, chances are each circumstance is a whole new ball game. As humans who are wired to learn from our experiences, this is incredibly frustrating.

I so wish there was a standard. A cookie-cutter break-up if you will. If this existed, we would all know how to deal and we would all know how to best support our friends when they have a turn in the gloomy land of the breakup.

That is all I have to contribute today. I hope you are all enjoying the sunshine! Assuming you live in PDX.

Peace Out.

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A Boyfriend identity crisis.

I bet you thought this was going to be about my personal life. WRONG! It is about Justin Bieber.

I’m not sure if you have watched the Bieb’s new video for Boyfriend. I watched it with my super awesome co-worker/ fav friend Nicole, and we liked it! Duh. It is no Brit Brit, but still fab. We then launched into an important discussion regarding señior Bieber. He is obviously on the track to prove that he isn’t a kid anymore. I have a feeling the videos will gradually get steamier, thus not to alarm audiences. Of course I have at least one qualm about the video. Have you met me? Well, some of you probably haven’t… whatevs.

Okay here we go. In the video everyone is dressed in funky cute/ hipster chic. Clearly it is warm out because the sun is shining and girls are rocking tanks etc. THEN you look at J. Biebs. He is wearing dark jeans, gold high-tops and leather. Not to discount his blingy jewelry. Check out the bracelet… Ha! Pimpin’ Biebs. Straight pimpin’. My question is this, if it is hot out why are you wearing leather? Also, you have quite different style than your “friends” in this video. In my experience friend groups tend to dress similar to each other. Especially at the age of 18.

That is my Bieber related two cents. Hope you enjoy!

* UPDATE: I was just alerted by my lovely friend Marina (see her comment below) to watch *NSync's video for Girlfriend. Please note the similarities. We all know that the Biebs is turning into his own version of JT. Just "say hello to falsetto."

Tea?! You must be one classy broad.

This weekend I went to tea at the Heathman with my friends Libby and Tracy. I would do a brunch review for it, but it wasn't brunch. It was seriously tea! I have never been to tea before. When I realized that it would be dainty tea food (aka small bites) I was freaking out a bit. We were going at noon and I hadn't eaten all day. I was ravenous and nervous that I would stay that way for the next couple hours, expecting that this “tea food” would be good but that I would still be hungry at the end of it all.

Boy was I wrong! The tower of food was delivered to our table and it looked delicious. I was still skeptical, but by the time we were half way through the second plate I was getting uncomfortably full. If you really think about it, it was 3 plates full of food and there were 3 of us! Duh. My reasoning skills are clearly not the best.

All in all, it was really fun to get dressed up, drink tea and act like classy British ladies for the afternoon. Well, we were only classy until we were super full. At that point we turned into nasty slothy American gluttons.

Don’t worry, we revived for photos:

Yummy Bellini!

I had no idea tea was such a fun activity! I will probably be doing this more often.

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