Floating Free

My H basically emerged from the womb wearing an Oregon Ducks hat.  He isn’t just a fan, he’s obsessed.  It was incredibly annoying when I first met him, but he's just so darn charming that he won me over.

So last weekend was the PAC-12 Championship game starring none other than his Duckies.  He looked online at tickets, and saw that tickets were unbelievably cheap because the game was supposed to be a blowout.  He pleaded with me to find a way to go.

Lo and behold, it was the end of the month and we just happened to have done very well on our budget and had some left over.  Usually, when there is money left over in the budget, we put it toward our loans.  It makes me feel better to pay extra, and I hate being in debt, so my goal is to make it go away and never come back as soon as possible.

But.  One of the great things about being married is that I get to bring my hundun back to Earth every once and a while, and he gets to remind me to cut myself free.  So he convinced me.  He had never been to a Ducks game, and I was excited that I was able to go with him his first time.  We ended up having a great time, even though we wondered if we would ever feel our pinky toes again. (Translation: it was cold.  Very cold.)

So here’s some pictures of our spontaneous little roadtrip!

First sighting!

Practice facility, a.k.a. my personal warming station.

Their coach, Chip Kelly

One of the things I really like about the Ducks is that
they're not a traditional team, so I liked this!

                                     

Brrrrrrr!

Winners!

Feast for Your Eyes

Whew!  Things have been ca-razy here, and it’s hard for me to even wrap my head around the fact that maybe, just maybe, I won’t have to go to work tomorrow!  But truth is truth my friends, and I am so grateful for a day off.

Speaking of grateful, we just celebrated a holiday, didn’t we?  It seems so far away now… but because I didn’t have time to post during the festivities, I’ve created a little photo journal for your viewing pleasure.  My hoober and I were lucky enough to get to travel to the great city of Chicago for Thanksgiving, and all the wonderful things I got to do reminded me of everything I have to be thankful for.  It’s going to be long, because sometimes I just need a lot of reminders.

Man oh man am I thankful for these friends.  They know what this awkward stage in life is like, and are willing to be open about how great and terrible it is.  I am thankful that after so many months of that “I just met you and am on my best behavior” feeling, I could finally relax and just be me.

I didn’t take pictures of these next three, but I’m stealing off facebook, because I’m a rebel like that. I am thankful that this friend of mine is experiencing the next stage of life ahead of me, because she gives great insight!  I am thankful that she is so willing to be vulnerable and share her ups and downs with me.

I am especially thankful for this lovely lady on a day like today.  She is a constant reminder that someday, I really will love my job.  She is a teacher, and I got to see her classroom and hear stories and see how much her kids adore her.  She talks and you can see her passion, and I think, “Boy, I could use me some of that!”

I am thankful for in-laws that are truly like family.  I am thankful for a father-in-law who lets a girl come to morning coffee days that are generally boys only, and who encourages me every time I talk to him.  I am thankful for a mother-in-law who invites me on mundane shopping trips only to turn them into great conversation and bonding time (plus her brownies are delish).

I am thankful for sibling-in-laws (Ha! Fun new word everyone!) who can joke and play around and accept me into the family in a way that only peers can.  I am unbelievably thankful for that little girl who can make me laugh and sing Christmas songs at the top of her lungs with me.

I am thankful for deep dish pizza.  This is mainly because my stomach is in a blissful state for at least 24 hours afterward.

I am thankful for Christmas lights!  In all four years of living in Chicago, I never got to see these, and everything Christmas makes me happy. (I am one of those people.  I have listened to Christmas music nonstop since they started playing it, and there’s nothing you can do about it.)

I am thankful for this view to greet me after a long and way too bumpy flight.  (I am also thankful that I am far away enough from this view to not have the snow!)

And last but not least, I am thankful for these new friends who have made my new city feel much more like home.

Aaaaaah.  I feel better now.

Occupy Injustice?

*Ahem* I would like to add another voice please?

These Occupy protests are everywhere, and I don’t know how to feel about them.  I look on the news and see people who are angry, but don’t know what about.  They march and hold meetings, but they mostly just rant without goals.

However.  When I read the postings on the 99% website, my heart is broken.  These are people who are educated, who have the best jobs they can get, who just want to be able to eat and pay rent in the same week.  They have to choose between medical care and a roof.  This is not ok.  It’s not just, it’s not fair, and it does make me mad.

I don’t agree with the way they’re trying to affect change, but golly gee whiz, I sure do relate to them.  I read an article recently that said the problem is that this generation is forced to delay their lives, and I thought- “I know those people.  I am one of those people!”

I know too many people who had to move back home after college because they couldn’t afford student loan payments and rent.  I know too many people who took bad jobs because that’s all there is left. 

We’re all delaying marriages and cars and houses and babies and yes- lives because we know we can’t afford them.  And the thing is, for us to make any other decision would be irresponsible.  I refuse to have a child I can’t support.  I refuse to buy a car I can’t pay for.  But the government and the American society keep pushing us to do these things, so I feel bad when I make healthy choices.

I’m not mad at the banks.  I’m glad they keep my money for me and pay me interest without charging me fees (choose good banks, people! Investigate before you give them your money!).  I’m not even mad at student loan companies.  I approached them to borrow money, and without them, my education would have been impossible. 

However… charging 12% interest on a loan seems a little unfair, doesn’t it?  Charging a fee for being proactive and paying your loan off early seems unjust, right?  There’s just something wrong with foreclosing on a house when there are 4 children inside, isn’t there?

I certainly don’t have the answers.  I know that this little family is being aggressive and trying to get rid of these debts so we CAN get on with our lives.  I know that I won’t ever borrow money again, except maybe for a house.  I know that I want these people to get justice, but I just don’t know what that looks like.

So for now, I’m just sitting with the rest of the world, watching to see what happens.  It feels like all I can do.