Spring!

Though... it's still not feeling much like it. Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, birds are singing, and Portlanders are bundling up to head out for work in the mornings. Good thing I'm not a Portlander ;) It has been a little bit chilly still though. And apparently we're having record rainfalls? I could be exaggerating, but the radio keeps saying that the Alpenrose Dairy has had to cancel it's annual Easter egg hunt due to it.

Life is pretty usual right now. I'm still sitting at a desk for most of the spring, though I just found out yesterday that I'm going to get to do a little bit of sea lion chasing this spring! I'll be helping out twice a week for about a month. It'll be good to get back out on the water and I'm really looking forward to getting back out in the sunny streams of eastern Oregon this summer.

Chelsea and I are still doing CrossFit and even though I haven't noticed huge changes in my physique yet, I am getting better at a lot of the exercises (I even deadlifted 225 lbs. one night!), so it feels like progress to me! I've also been trying the Paleolithic/primal diet for Lent and am having a fun time noting differences in the way I feel and how different foods affect me. But now Lent is almost up, so I have to decide where I'm going to go with it. I'm definitely planning a "cheat" or two after Easter (the Waffle Window, anyone?).

Speaking of Lent, I'm also singing with Joyful Noise (not to be confused with the St. Clare Choir... or the recent Dolly Parton movie) and we've been putting in a lot of time this season with practice. I'm pretty excited to sing "Oh Happy Day" on Easter. It'll be a great way to finish the season and I think all of our voices are looking forward to the break we've been given the following Sunday. As much of a challenge as it's been to be forced to learn how to sing harmonies (as an alto) and MANY new songs, it's been pretty fun singing with this group. As I get more comfortable there, I'm doing slightly more - hopping in with the sopranos when the alto section is very large and just feeling freer to be my usual goofy self. Folks are definitely starting to.... appreciate me more.

That's pretty much the sum of my activities. Mak and I moved into a different rental about a month ago and are very happy to have a house to ourselves. Polka's just as silly as ever and I think she's enjoying having slightly more freedom. I intend to put up a small enclosure for her, so that I can leave her outside for longer periods without worrying about her. I have some raised bed garden boxes that I need to get to work on. I've done a lot of weeding already, but now I need to get the soil turned over and figure out what I want to plant! I've got plenty of projects I can work on if I ever make the time for them :)

I've also been neglecting my photo site, so I need to get working on that. Maybe as part of my next life renovation I'll also finally get myself to take a photography class or force myself to go on at least a monthly photo safari. Gotta start making use of my tools!

Wasting Time

As usual, huh?

http://iwastesomuchtime.com/on/?i=15858

I have to admit, upon looking at all the other blogs I follow, I'm pleased to see that hardly anybody else has posted for months. At least I'm not the only one who's horrible at blogging. It's been nearly ten months since I wrote... and I could do some catching up... but I don't know that it would be worth it. Okay, fine, quick recap:

After hazing sea lions, I was moved to the habitat project in June. I spent most of July through September going out to La Grande, OR (Mon-Fri in La Grande and back to Portland on the weekends) to do habitat surveys under the Columbia Habitat Monitoring Program (CHaMP). We spent our long workdays wading in streams, collecting rocks, surveying the stream channels, and trying to avoid hawthorns (I've got some scars to prove I didn't do a very good job of that) among many other things. Back at the field house we took care of equipment, did computer work, and cooked meals together. On Thursdays we'd often get together with friends from ODFW, who were also working with CHaMP, and have a few beers. I miss our summer barbecues.

My fall was spent mostly in Portland. A lot of my time at the office was spent drying, sorting, and weighing rocks that we collected from the streams we worked in. I also helped prepare a few things for the CHaMP workshop that happened at the beginning of December. My temporary position was extended through January, but in December I was placed in a permanent position with the habitat project. I'm now the crew leader (basically lead fish tech) and am very happy to have all my benefits getting lined up. I made a few trips to La Grande to visit people and spent Thanksgiving in Sequim with Jenny and her family.

For Christmas and New Year's I got to go home to Naknek, which was a very nice treat. I didn't end up doing a lot while I was there - the weather was a little bitter and I seemed to lack any motivation to get out whatsoever. It was really good to spend time with family though... and also the Wii. Our New Year's bonfire set a new record this year with 351 pallets, though I can't say that I helped much except to be the photographer. It was -27.6 F that morning and after my "I'm helping the guys build" beer started turning to slush, I decided it was time to go inside.

Now I'm back in Portland settling back into the winter season at work. I'm on the computer a lot and need breaks from staring at spreadsheets, so here I am. I went to my first Winterhawks hockey game for my birthday - very fun! I'm singing with Joyful Noise (the choir for one of the masses at my church) and have been since summer. My friend Chelsea and I have just completed our third week of CrossFit, so we're hoping to start seeing some results soon. Give us a month or two and we'll really be getting into shape. Right now I'm just sore most of the time.

Well now I'm thinking it was really good that I decided to do a recap of my year, because I really don't know what else I would have talked about. I haven't been doing much cooking, I haven't been on any recent photo safaris.... but I've been spending a lot of time keeping myself entertained on Pinterest. That site is awesome! Hopefully I'll be motivated to do more as spring comes on, but I'm not holding my breath.