Checklist

To Do:
1. Final Paper
2. "Where We Stand: Class Matters" reflection paper
3. "Killing Rage: Ending Racism" reflection paper
4. Vision Project
5. Graduate
5. Buy plane tickets - check!
6. Find place to stay - check!

Colorado, here I come! (In a couple months...)

An Open Letter to Tri-Met

Dear Tri-Met,

As a dedicated patron of public transportation for the last five years, I would like to take this time to thank you for your service.

First, thank you, Number 4, for faithfully taking me to school and returning me safely home for the first two years I lived in SE Portland. Thank you, also, No. 20 and MAX Blue line for taking me to work, most of the time in a timely manner, when I was a new bride.

I now live on the West side, and my husband utilizes the 54 bus and MAX blue line in the wee hours of early morning when no sane person should be awake. Your bus drivers have only on occasion passed him by while he waited to make the Beaverton Transit connection. (It's not entirely your fault, I told him he should take a flashlight on rainy days.)

Yes, from school to work to jaunts to Saturday Market or to watch the Blazers play a home game, the MAX has become a convenient form of transportation for us. Though often not as fast as driving ourselves, you save us gas money and parking headaches. For this, we are grateful. Unfortunately, I have been noticing some disturbing trends: increase in fare and checking tickets.

Now, first let me explain I understand why you increase fares. People are riding free and you need to make up the loss income somewhere. Punishing those of us who are already paying is not the answer. It just ticks us off and tempts us to stop being model citizens.

Second, checking tickets is a wonderful idea and I support this endeavor wholeheartedly. I do not, however, support your checking people getting OFF the train at PGE. I have to admit, I thought that PGE was the last stop in Fareless Square and based on the people I saw ticketed last week I was not alone in this confusion. Check the people who are continuing on to Beaverton, they are the ones who are stealing from the public. I'm not sure one stop past Fareless Square is worth the time when you have a trainload you're sending West without a second glance.

These are my suggestions: check people on the trains at stops that are obviously outside of Fareless Square, put in a system that prevents people from boarding without a ticket (I believe the BART in San Francisco has such a system), and stabilize fare prices.

Thank you for your years of service getting me where I need to go. You are appreciated.

Faithfully yours...

Things I Keep Meaning to Blog About

1. bell hooks' genius
2. Creating Beloved Community - Roslyn Farrington's lecture
3. Church searching
4. Upcoming events (birthday, graduation, girl day, trip to Denver...)
5. My displeasure with Trimet

Instead, I've been writing papers and getting ready for graduation. Stay tuned!

Taste of Lime and Tears

Coast Guard Rescues 9, Search for 4 More Continues.

Coast Guard Suspends Search for Flying Colours.

Newport sailors keep watch for Flying Colours.

Search ceases for boat carrying former Baker City Woman.

Two years ago today I received the chilling call that we all hope only happens in movies. My best friend called me during a mundane day at work, which was unusual since we regularly IMed or e-mailed, and said flatly, "Rhiannon's boat is missing."

That message gave birth to an obsession with Coast Guard news, the Boston Globe, and all things storm and Rhode Island oriented. There is a binder in my closet with every story that ran about the Flying Colours from May 7, 2007 to mid-July of the same year. The cover is the flier that was made for the "Keep the Faith Vigil" that was held in my hometown the day before many of my high school peers graduated from college.

When we lose someone, there comes an obsession with the relationship we had with them and all the could've, should've, would'ves that that entails. I have a lot of should'ves. I should have called and written more often.... I should have asked what was going on in her life.... I should've planned the trip to Rhode Island earlier... Had I known it was the last time, I would have had a less superficial conversation with her....

I feel enormously blessed that I was able to talk to Rhiannon a couple weeks before she left on the trip she wouldn't return from. At the time I was planning my wedding and was so excited that Rhi would be flying out for it. We hadn't seen each other in two years. The picture above is one of my favorites of Rhiannon (middle), Leslie (right) and myself. It has even more meaning to me now because the pictures from that day at the Lake are the last ones of us all together. Some of my best memories are of all of us at the Lake roasting hotdogs, make s'mores, laughing and being ridiculous.

Today I had a lime tortilla chip and burst into tears. Rhiannon loved lime tortilla chips. She brought them on one of our Lake trips and we thought they were the strangest things we'd ever heard of. She insisted they were the best and her favorite. They have since become one of my favorite chips as well and I can't eat them or see a bag without thinking of her. These are the little things I keep with me.


Until we meet again, my friend, fair winds and following seas.

Living Life

On Monday nights I gather with several other friends who I am "living life with." We gather to snack, laugh, read the Bible, and talk about what is going on in our lives. The phrase "living life together" was coined in one of our early gatherings as we were expressing how special the group had become to each on of us individually. We joke and have a good time together, but we also lay all our crap on the table. None of us is perfect and we're all trying to find our place in this world - not only as Christians, but as idealistic 20-somethings that want to revolutionize our world. Together we listen and encourage one another as we journey down the path.

Tonight some of the group was missing and we didn't pick up where we left off in the Book of Acts, but we did have one of those really intimate times that I've come to treasure. We began talking about how we did to go through the motions and "do church" without actually expecting to get anything out of it, while at the same time we've limited God's work to Sunday mornings between 10:45 and Noon. One of our girlfriends told a story of how she had a friend who would ask her what God was teaching her every day. Over time she became conditioned to actively look at her life and see where she was growing (or needed improvement). This in turn led to the seven of us who were there this evening sharing what is going on in our lives.

I am horrible at remembering and/or recognizing the work God is doing in my life. I love hearing other people's stories because it reminds me of things I have to be thankful in my own life. Tonight I was reminded that a year ago I was stressed out about possibly not being able to go back to school because Jason was out of work. I had called a friend and asked her to pray with me about this situation and less than fifteen minutes later Jason called and had accepted a temp position that would last part-way through the Winter term. I am now five weeks from graduation and while we're by no means rolling in the dough, we are sustained. It's nice to have people to live life with who remind you of all the ways God is faithful, cause I would have kept rolling through these last few weeks and possibly not even remembered a year ago I didn't think school was going to be an option.

Things I Take Joy In

People are emotional beings. Some of us more than others. Me more than most. The first couple weeks of May have become rather stressful for me the last couple years as they now mark the anniversary of a horrific point in my life. In an effort to cheer myself up, I have been looking at old pictures and making a list of things that make me happy. Enjoy.


1.Ice cream. Especially with good friends in a foreign country.

2. My sister. She's a good kid and always makes me laugh.

3. My daddy. He's my hero.

4. Traveling and getting to kiss historic sculptures. (Parque Guille)
5. Phillip's Lake - I have many fond memories on this bank made with friends and family alike.

6. Pineapple drinks the size of my head in Mexico definitely make me happy.
7. Being married to the greatest man.
8. Cute Christmas ornaments. And Christmas. And holidays in general
9. Gus & Claire (though Gus is more photogenic)
10. Warm beaches
11. Sunsets.
12. My brother (whom I have posted more than enough pictures of)
13. My friends
14. My nephews
15. Reading
16. Nature
17. Hot baths
18. A rousing game of Canasta
19. Worship music
20. Cuddling

I have a lot to be thankful and there's still a lot of good in the world. Those are the things I should spend more time focusing on.