Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Our Wedding

Here's a video our wedding photographer created of our special day:
http://www.bobkesslerphoto.com/Text_page.cfm?pID=4424

Trooper's working hard




As you know, I love my dog. We adopted him from Rover Rescue in Aurora, and we both needed him. We don't know where he came from other than southern Indiana. I still remember seeing him trot into PetSmart at the adoption event. We knew we were meant to be! Jim was even ready to bribe the foster mom! There are a few things that make him cuter than the average mutt. First of all, his tail is awesome. It's a big fluffy fox tail. He's also a bit smaller than average. And his face. He has the cutest puppy like face. The mask of colors is just adorable. He's been standing post at our living room window. We think he has some border collie in him, and I've read over and over that border collies need a job. Trooper's job is to watch over the parking lot. We joked this morning that maybe he's up for a promotion. I'm so thankful for that dog.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Clean Pup

The pizza that Jim made last night was so good!! (See link below for recipe.) I'm a lucky gal for many reasons, one of which is that my husband can cook. While we ate we watched Big Love. We're on Season One and even Jim has gotten into it.
It was raining this morning and we realized we are ill prepared for the rainy season (which should be here by October.) We are used to staying inside when it rains, but that means we'll be inside for seven months. I worked out in our fitness room and drove Jim to school (raining!). When I came home I gave Trooper a much needed bath. He was hairy and smelly. I also had to pull out some fall clothes (high today was only in the 60s.)
When I picked Jim up from school, we first went by REI (looked like they'd had a fire and sign said closed temporarily) so we then headed to Dick's Sporting Goods. We each invested in a rain jacket. Luckily I can fit in a child's size, so I bought a green Columbia jacket. Jim bought a Columbia also (no kids for him!) and I also bought a new pair of pink running shorts (a treat!) Our next investment for Jim will be fenders for his bike so that his pants don't get splashed when it rains.
No job calls still, but I did get an email response from Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Lane County. I'd emailed them about volunteering as a mentor. I have to schedule an interview and then they have training for it at the end of September. It's something I've always been interested in, so hopefully it will work out.
For dinner I made veggie fried rice. I made it with tofu (which I marinated in soy sauce, oil, mustard, garlic, and ginger), edamame, corn, red pepper, carrots, peas, rice, and egg. Pretty yummy.
Also, our wedding photographer, Bob Kessler, published our wedding video project to Facebook. I don't know if I am able to post it to this blog right now, but if you're my FB friend, check out my profile. I <3 it!!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

A Few Pics


Jim's making home made pizza. Our dough is alive!



Taking a walk in the woods in Eugene.



A pretty flower.

Our Weekend

Jim and I had a nice weekend together. On Friday evening, we had Anthony and Amy over for dinner. I made Ina's lasagna and a recipe from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: strawberry rhubarb crisp. During the day on Saturday, I volunteered at the Eugene Celebration (I guess it's a big deal around here) at the Science Factory's booth. Then we went to a pot luck at one of Jim's fellow law students homes. They played some interesting games: Stump (which involves you throwing a hammer in the air and catching it, then nailing nails in a stump) and Low Bag (where you have to pick up a paper bag in your mouth.) My very talented husband won Low Bag. We called it an early evening and came home. Jim's been doing school work all day today and I've been doing the usual Sunday activities. Tonight Jim's making pizza with bacon, potato, onion, and fontina cheese. Yum! Jim and I are looking into finding a sheep farm that will let us bring Trooper to chase/ herd their sheep. He's practically salivating at the cats outside and we think he might need to chase down some animals. And we'd get a really big kick out of watching it. I've found a few to email; it should be interesting to see how they respond.
Also, our wedding photographer just finished the draft of our wedding video project. I loved it!! I had to send back a few spelling changes so when it's all finished I'll try to post it to my blog. It was wonderful to look back on our perfect wedding day.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

A Nice Evening


Nature walk! Jim took a well deserved break tonight and not only went on a nice walk along the river, but also went out for ice cream after dinner.


This guy looks pretty smug about how good his home brew tastes!


Oregon wildflowers.

We live across the street from Autzen Stadium. It claims to be the "loudest stadium in the country." Even louder than the Swamp!


Someone is going nutty over all of the cats in our complex.

Another Day

I don't know how people don't work! I get too antsy. I'm ready to get a job!
We did see the cutest dog out today. It was a five month old (any dog is cute at that age) half yellow lab half dachshund. So it looked like a yellow lab puppy shaped like a dachshund. It was ridiculous.
I rode my bike to the grocery store. It's not too far, and Jim and I both bought U-locks. Someone told us that bikes frequently get stolen around here. I would be so sad if my pink cruiser was stolen!
I've been working on the job search and while I've been sitting at our desk, I've heard the same couple have sex and then get in a huge fight.
I'm marinating swordfish right now for Ina's Indonesian Swordfish and letting dough cool for her Parmesan and Thyme crackers.
The good thing is that it's a lot cooler today (76 right now) and we've had the windows open. Trooper caught a bee or wasp. I got a little worried and called a vet, but she said that as long as he's not allergic, he should be fine. He also went after a cat in some bushes and I was worried that it had scratched him, but he seems okay. There are seriously dozens of cats around our apartment complex that people let wander around. They've learned where we live and sit on our steps to tease Trooper. I'm not a cat person.
When Jim gets home for school, we're going to walk over to Alton Baker park. I think we also have an ice cream date tonight. It'll be nice to get in a little time with Jim when he's not reading and studying hard.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

A Hot Day for Scammers

We hit a record high for this date in Eugene: 97 degrees (previously the record was 95.) Our little wall unit AC tried its best, but Trooper and I were quite hot by the time Jim got home. Looks like it should be cooling down tomorrow (mid 70s for a high.)
I replied to a post on Craigslist for an admin asst job. It turned out to be a scam. I was all excited to get an email for an interview, but when I googled the company, many people came up saying it was a scam. And sure enough, they said that to get an interview, I'd first have to pay for my own credit check. As if it's not hard enough to find a job, scammers try to get you!

Awesome Fabric Store

Thanks to our friend Amy, I found a really great fabric store in Eugene. It's called 27th Street Fabrics and had a ton of cute fabrics. There was one cute cotton with little retro looking blenders! They were having a sale and I found some canvas for $4 a yard! Some of the cuter fabrics are between $10 and $19 a yard. Some motivation for me to get a job!

Life on Sabbatical


Grilled cheese with home made cream of broccoli soup. Yum!


Trooper's thinking, "I hate torts."


My craft corner. A lil messy.

Yesterday I checked out a few good books at the Eugene library. I'm currently reading Mansfield Park (I heart Jane Austen) but also picked up The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama and a few embroidery books. One of which is Doodle Stitching, which has such cute ideas. I used it to make a pillow for my niece awhile ago (see my archives!) Although I can't afford to buy too many craft supplies, I am hoping to buy a little here and there, especially to get ready for Christmas gifts. I've also read the Dalai Lama's autobiography, which focused on how he became the Dalai Lama and his escape from Tibet (really interesting). I became interested in Buddhism when it was recommended that I meditate to overcome anxiety. Buddhism is really interesting because it doesn't concern itself with a higher power or where we came from, but focuses on living a good life. One of the Dalai Lama's main ideas is that the meaning of life is happiness and all living things are good. Not a bad thing to try to remember!
Last night I made a really good home made soup. All of the veggies except the celery were from the market. I sauteed onion, carrots, and celery in butter and olive oil. When they were soft I added flour. Then I added chicken broth and broccoli. I let that all simmer. When it was soft I blended it in the blender. When I put it back in the pot I added heavy cream. The key was a LOT of salt and pepper. It makes you realize how salted canned soup must be! We also had grilled cheese, a big fave of mine.
After I walk Trooper and take a jog, it's on to the job search and looking around Eugene. Jim has a reception with the dean after school. I think we'll be having chick peas and eggplant curry over rice for dinner. With Trader Joe's garlic naan. I'm working on a painting for a friend in Illinois of her doggie. More later!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Not too much is new


On Sunday, Jim made Ina's Coq au Vin (just without Cognac; we're on a budget here!) It was great!

Another regular day around here. Jim started riding his bike to school today, so Trooper and I didn't drive him. The dog and I took a long walk around our neighborhood, then I worked out in the small fitness room. This week we are going to get me a membership to the gym on campus. It will only be $45 for the semester (through Christmas.) Not only will it be bigger, but it will give me somewhere else to go during the day and be around more people. After the gym, I went to the library. Our library is really large and has multiple branches, which is nice. I tried to find a fabric store I'd seen, but couldn't find it. That will give me something to do another day. I prepped a cream of mushroom soup for dinner. We're going to have that and grilled cheese. Otherwise, I'm still looking for a job. No calls yet. I've applied at everywhere from Trader Joe's and Border's to admin asst jobs around town. We have only been here two weeks, but it'd be nice to get at least one call! I'm just trying to stay positive!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Super Trooper


Trooper must be thinking, "WTF, I used to be able to sleep all day before all of these walks!"


Taking a walk at Amazon Park in Eugene. That's one dog park in the background.

Trooper has had a lot of outdoor time since our arrival in Eugene! While Jim is at school, he is my constant companion. I am so grateful to have him with me. We take a lot of walks during the day. We also take him to the dog park a lot. I think he likes the people at the dog parks more than the other dogs. He also likes to jump on top of the picnic tables (usually people are amused by this except for an old man today who was clearly not amused). We took him walking on a bark path (there are tons of running paths here, some of which are bark, per Steve Prefontaine's wishes) and his paws got really dirty! We also found a matted fur patch on him. Dirty feet, dreadlocks... let's hope he's not adopting the hippie lifestyle that is all too prevalent around here.

Sourdough Starter in our Bedroom!


Today I started a sourdough starter. The recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens, and involves warm water, yeast, flour, and sugar or honey (I used a little of both.) You have to let it ferment for 5-10 days. I am storing it in our bedroom because it has to sit at 75-85 degrees (as Jim said, yeast is particular!) and our bedroom is the warmest room in the apartment. (Also, our new downstairs neighbors smoke on their patio and it wafts up into our kitchen. Blech! I don't want my starter to smell like smoke.) It's covered in cheese cloth. I wonder if our bedroom will start to smell like fresh baked bread!

Last night I made Martha Stewart's brownies to take to a BBQ. They turned out really well!

Jim has been working on school work every day to prepare for class. He's got to be ready for the ol' Socratic Method. I'm going to plant some things on our balcony, maybe find the Joann Fabrics in Eugene, take Trooper to the park, and Jim's making Ina's Coq au Vin for dinner.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Etouffee


Last night I made Emiril's Shrimp Etouffee. My one modification was that I used chicken broth instead of shrimp stock. We both thought it turned out really well. The pic doesn't show it, but I garnished it with fresh green onions, which added a great taste.
After dinner, we went to the law school pub crawl. It was nice to meet Jim's new classmates.
This morning I went to the Eugene market downtown. It's huge! I wanted fresh eggs and many stands had goose, duck, turkey, etc, etc eggs. I settled for old fashioned chicken. I also got a lot of veggies as well as berries.
Tonight we are going to a friend's house for a BBQ and Monday we are going to the law school BBQ (I was going to go to the Monday run for the Eugene Runner's Club that night, but looks like I'll have to go next week). Jim has another reception on Wednesday. They really host a lot for the new students!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Cool Craft Site

Here's a cool craft site I found: http://craftgossip.com/

Pics of Our Apartment


We'll start with our most disorderly room: the guest room. It's also our office/ art room/ storage area.


Our bedroom. I LOVE this bedding (a wedding gift from Vanessa and David.) It should help the rainy season feel slightly more sunshiney.


Our living room.


Our new tv. Jim's pretty excited!


More living room. Trooper had to be in the shots!


Our kitchen/ dining area. (We usually don't have the dog crate there, but he likes to look out on the parking lot.)

What this gal does

I've been keeping myself pretty busy while Jim's at school. Aside from looking for jobs and applying online, I make sure to fill my day while I'm not working. After Trooper and I drive Jim to school, we have been taking a walk at Alton Baker Park. There are other people, dogs, and ducks and geese (which Trooper would like to eat.) Then I either jog in our neighborhood or go to our apartment's fitness room to work out. Although we have cable, I've been restricting tv watching to lunch time and after dinner so I don't become a tv addict! I've also been driving around Eugene a bit and trying to learn my way around. This morning I stopped in at the Eugene Runners Company and inquired about their running club. They meet on Mondays at 6pm, so I may have to check that out. I also already heard back from the Eugene Science Factory Children's Museum and they asked if I could start volunteering next weekend. In the next few days, I'll be getting my art table in order so I can start sewing and painting. Jim's at school until 5pm today, so Trooper and I will head to campus a bit before that to meet him. Until then, we'll be putting the apartment in order and checking online for more jobs. I'm very thankful to have Trooper or life would be a lot more lonely all day. He keeps me company and makes me laugh quite a bit.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Jim's First Day of School


Today was Jim's first day of orientation. He would only allow me to post his pic on my blog (not fb or the DiVerde family website!) After I dropped him off, Trooper and I walked around Alton Baker park and then I came home and jogged around our neighborhood. After lunch, I walked around the mall a little. When I stopped at Trader Joe's, I asked if they were hiring. They said no, but gave me an application to fill out anyway. Tonight we are going to a Eugene Emerald's baseball game with the Lane County Bar Association.

Oven Fried Chicken


Last night I made an oven fried chicken recipe from September's issue of Food and Wine. I marinated the chicken overnight in sweet tea, tabasco, thyme, and salt. Then I battered it with flour and spices, gave it a quick fry in the cast iron skillet, and baked it in the oven. The recipe also called for a sauce with caramelized onions and chicken broth. I also made buttermilk biscuits. I use the Better Homes and Gardens recipe but add 1/4 cup more of buttermilk than they call for. That makes them really moist. I also cooked some zucchini in olive oil. Paired with a nice red wine, it as a great dinner!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Volunteer Applications

As I apply for jobs, I am also looking for volunteer work in Eugene. Before we moved, I applied to volunteer with a school gardening program. I haven't heard back from them, so I also sent in an application to volunteer at the Children's Science Museum and now am looking at a volunteer group that helps foster children connect with their biological families. Not only would any of these be rewarding, but they will help me keep busy while Jim's at school and meet new people.

My first Eugene bike ride


We rode our bikes around Eugene today. There are tons of bike paths. My Manhattan Smoothie was nice and comfy! This pic is a foot bridge that crosses the Willamette River.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Unpacking and Settling


Trooper thinks he's a cat! Or at least just wants to look out the window.


This bouquet was only $6 at the Saturday market! So pretty!

We unpacked quite a bit today. We still have some boxes and no pics on the walls, so I'm waiting to take pictures of the apartment. I went with Jim to campus to get his student ID and we checked out the rec center (which I'll be joining at the end of the month too.) It's still pretty darn hot, but it looks like it'll cool down nicely by the end of the week (highs in the 70s!) We were going to go on a bike ride or take Trooper to the dog park, but it's too hot to do so during the day. Jim has been working on his assignments for the first day of school. Tonight he's making me a really tasty penne with eggplant dish (a la Giada) that we add Italian sausage too. It has roasted pine nuts and mint and is so yummy. More unpacking tomorrow! Still no calls for jobs, but I'm going to hit the pavement hard when Jim starts orientation on Wednesday.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Where We Live

Our apartment complex (Parkgrove Apartments) is located in an area with many other complexes. Luckily, ours only allows a certain number of students to live here. We are within walking distance of the football stadium (said to be the loudest in the country; we'll see on game days!), a small convenient store, and a dog park. Otherwise, we can easily ride our bikes to campus and many stores, including Trader Joe's. There's also a bus stop but we haven't looked into the buses yet. Our complex has a pool (haven't been yet), a fitness room, and three laundry areas. We also have a covered parking spot. I haven't met anyone in our complex yet, but a lot of the apartments around us are empty at the moment. It seems there are people of all ages in the complex in general.

Just the Three of Us

Today our houseguests left. I was very sad to see everyone leave. Now it's just Jim, Trooper and me. On Saturday, we all went to breakfast (even Trooper!) and then we visited the Eugene market. It's very large, with a separate farmer's section and crafter's section. After, Megan and Judy and I walked over to 5th Street District, which had quite a few cute shops in it. Today, Jim and Judy left at 5am. After they were gone, Megan and Jim and I took Trooper to Skinner Butte park and then to Steelbeam Brewery for lunch. I just went on a jog, Jim's going to the workout room, and Trooper's chewing his new Nyla bone. Tomorrow we organize our apartment!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Winery

Today we visited two wineries: Sweet Cheeks and King Estate. Sweet Cheeks was smaller and only offered a tasting (which was very fun). King Estate was larger and we took a tour of the facility and did a tasting. It was really interesting. Both were outside of Eugene and had beautiful views of the hills. Very cool!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Pacific Ocean




Today we drove to the ocean and toured Sea Lion Caves. It's a natural rookery for Steller Sea Lions. It's a very neat privately owned sea cave (the largest in America!)

New Home

I have not posted in awhile, as we have either been driving, unpacking, or just tired! We made it to Eugene on Tuesday afternoon and unpacked the Penske that day. On Wednesday, we spent most of the day unpacking and organizing. Jim did a great job of picking an apartment complex. It's quiet and seems safe. It's been warm here: 90s! There's no humidity, but we don't have central AC and our living room window doesn't open. It gets pretty darn toasty inside! Luckily we borrowed a wall unit (which Trooper tried to push out the window) and are hoping it cools down the apartment tonight. Our other obstacle is space! We have more stuff than room and don't have a linen closet or pantry. I'll have to be tetris-like and organize our closets next week. Trooper was great the whole car ride but seems to be acting out a bit now. I don't think we're giving him enough attention this week and he doesn't have a window he can look out like he did in our last apartment. He likes to have a job! So do I!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Nebraska



We are at a Best Western in Ogallala, Nebraska. We packed up our Penske truck on Friday, with the wonderful help of Karen and Dave. After, our wonderful friends had dinner with us at Jim's dad's house. We left S. Elgin by 6:15am this morning. Jim drove in the truck with his dad and I drove the Yaris with Judy. We had a good time driving. Illinois and Iowa went well. We stopped for lunch and had a little picnic. Trooper has been so great in the car. Nebraska dragged on for a bit more than I expected. We arrived at our hotel around 8pm and went for a dinner next door. Tomorrow morning we pick up Megan and Denver and will be in Buffalo, Wyoming tomorrow night.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Last night in Geneva

Tomorrow morning we pick up the Penske truck! Karen (Jim's mom) and Dave are coming to help load us up. We are pretty well packed, but there are always last minute things. (Hence why Vanessa and I are guilty of throwing wine glasses off of balconies the night before moving.) Trooper is going to the groomers while we load. Jim has been kind enough to offer to go on one last jog in Geneva with me in the morning. We'll say good bye to our fair city! We leave from Jim's dad's house in S. Elgin Saturday morning. I will be posting along the way and certainly in Eugene.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The Fantastic Mr. Trooper


Salmon coma!


Tonight Trooper got a big treat: salmon! We had some frozen salmon from Jim's bachelor party on Lake Michigan. Trooper LOVES salmon. He licked the bowl a lot after he finished it. We are both very much in love with this dog!

Last Day of Work

Tomorrow is my last day of work at Kishwaukee College. I have taught biology classes there for the last five years. Although I don't like driving there in the winter and I'm certainly underpaid (who isn't?), I have found it enjoyable and rewarding. I will miss lecturing and interacting with the students every day. I hope I find an equally rewarding job in Eugene.
My car is gone! We sold it to a coworker of Jim's. Good bye, Aveo! We've had 4 years and 70,000 miles together. We are now a one car family.
Jim has done a great job of packing today. Tomorrow night the tv, tv stand, and old dishes will leave. Then it will really feel barren in here!
After my last final, I will stay at school and hand in my last grades. Then I'll drive home from Malta for the last time! Maybe I'll drive by our old house at 330 S. 5th St. for old times sake!
We're getting closer to being Oregonians!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

A little overwhelmed

I am getting slightly overwhelmed that we are moving across the country in a few days. I still have papers to grade and things for work and a lot that needs packed. Our home is in shambles. I just ate a banana nut muffin (yes, I baked home made muffins yesterday amongst the other things on my to do list) and feel a bit better. Moving sucks!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

More Packing!


More boxes are packed! This weekend was a busy one for our last in Geneva. Jim woke up at 2:15am on Saturday morning to go fishing. Yikes! I got a lot done around the house. On Sunday, we woke up early and went to breakfast at Nosh. So good! I had a yummy breakfast burrito with chorizo. After lunch, we went to Ikea. We picked out a new table and dresser, which we will assemble in Eugene. We then went to visit Neal and Maria's new son, Santiago. He was so small and cute! I just ran around the neighborhood (lots of outdoor workouts before we leave, as our gym membership has expired) and now we're going to settle in for dinner. Tomorrow starts my last week of teaching at Kishwaukee College! No calls yet for any new jobs in Eugene, but we remain optimistic.