Oregon: Yes, It Does Look as Pretty as the Postcards

Oregon is stunningly beautiful. There is green everywhere. The air is fresh, clean, smells great. House is beautiful, love the person I am living with. Yesterday I saw llamas and peacocks while taking a walk!

There are frogs ribetting and peacocks making their sounds - it's like a whole different universe, and a very peaceful one. Never heard a frog ribbet before!

The downside is United lost my baggage in two different cities in two days. Takes talent, huh?
Chicago and somewhere in central Oregon.

I'm feeling pretty crappy because I needed some of the medication in my suitcase, and am having uncomfortable symptoms because of it, but I am trying not to let that get me down. Spent the last 2 days on the phone with United Baggage Claim office, my oh my is there a diversity of people working there. :)
Hopefully it will all be worked out and I can get on to the business of trying to enjoy being here. There is certainly a lot to get used to but there is certainly a lot to look forward to and have the potential of enjoying also. So when I feel better I will try to write more later.

In the meantime here are two poems or parodies I was just inspired to write because of the rain (but here, even the rain looks pretty, and there are giant windows to watch it out of, and a great living room with plush carpet and windows the size of the entire wall, words just don't do it justice, I haven't had a living room I could be comfortable enough to be in in years):

(It's frustrating because there is so much good but it is overshadowed by feeling so crappily, first from the flight and then from the symptoms of missed medication, and it's hard to think beyond that, but I'm trying, and trying to poke fun at things.)

Wish me luck, anyway, and tell me what you think of these:

First look at the lyrics to the 1963 song Rythm of the Rain by the Cascades

http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/the_cascades/rhythm_of_the_rain.html

And now look at my version, I tried to keep the rhymes as true as possible to the original version:

Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain
Telling me just what a fool I've been
Never will I fly United again, oh, it's such a shame
And let me be naive again

The only luggage I have cared about has gone away
Looking for a brand new street address, oh why did it have to part
But little does it know
That when it left that day
Along with it they took my business

Rain please tell me now does that seem fair
For them to lose my luggage in two different cities in two days, hear hear
I can't love another when my luggage is somewhere far away

The only luggage I have cared about has gone away
Looking for a brand new street address, oh why did it have to part
But little does she know
That when it left that day
Along with it they took my business

[Instrumental Interlude]

Rain won't you tell them that I wanted it so
Please ask the sun to put those United agents in the know
Rain in their heart and let the knowledge of how to run an airline start to grow

Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain
Telling me just what a fool I've been
Never will I fly United again, oh, it's such a shame
And let me be naive again

Oh, listen to the falling rain
Pitter pater, pitter pater
Oh, oh, oh, listen to the falling rain
Pitter pater, pitter pater

Also, I wrote a more serious one, loosely based on the first verse, that says it all in just a few lines:

Listen to the sound of the falling rain
Telling me just what a beautiful place I'm in
I wish that it would go away and let me admire the huge green trees down the lane
And let me be in fresh air again

Listen to the sound of the preening peacocks
Telling me what town I'm in
Listen to the sound of the ribbetting frogs
Showing me how beautiful this world can be
Listen to the sound of a laugh,
Telling me that human communication and connection is possible.

Leaving tomorrow

http://blobolobolob.blogspot.com/

Disability Blog Carnival Day - hundreds of good posts about disability to read. Need to read more later.

All packed. Flying out to Oregon tomorrow. Shoulder bothering me. Sleepy all day. Worried about flight. Hoping it goes okay. At this point I'd settle for shoulder to be ok. Dang it.

Send me good wishes and prayers and hopes. I will need them.

Need to go to bed early.

Kate

Packing Day 2

The first part of the day went very well- second part awful - Freaking out over clothes now - freaking out - having trouble tolerating the one pair of pants that I can tolerate and have no other tolerable clothes - pray that changes when I get to Oregon - somehow - if I was a praying person I'd pray.
I am listening to Skimbleshanks from CATS to try to relax. Used to love this song. So much.
Packed from 3-5pm. Got everything done. Easily. Didn't even stress over it at all. Never packed so easily in my life or years. First time I've ever packed a day ahead of time and in so little time. Last cross country trip took 5 hrs to pack for because of my worries. This one 2. Why the HELL didn't I quit while I was ahead?
Must not second guess myself.
Must be glad for and honor my decisions.
While it was fun to go out with my friend for a walk I forgot how much effort it takes to go out. I don't know how I forgot but I did. It stressed me out. Disclaimer, I like my friend and I like spending time with him, but there are smells involved in everything, and worries attached to those smells, and I apparently didn't have the energy to keep them out. But much worse than that is that after we walked for 40 minutes, which went by quite quickly, my pants started really bothering me. REALLY BOTHERING ME. They itch so much, it almost hurts to walk in them. So what do I wear on the plane?
I can't wear pants that bother me that much, or can I? Will I stop thinking about them if I am distracted, or will I have nothing to be distracted by?
I don't want to wear my one maybe good pair of pants as I will have nothing clean or comfortable to change into when I get there and I am afraid that will make me panic more than these pants are now.
So the question is basically will I panic less wearing uncomfortable pants but having better pair as backup for Newport, or wearing better pants but then having nothing to wear when I get there, it's a lose lose situation.
ARGH!
I need to go call some airlines.
I need to find a way to relax.
Kate

Packing: Day 1

I had a semi long to do list to do today. Okay, no, it was only four things. But that's long to me.

So far I have a) called the electrical company in Liberty to ask about my outstanding bill b) called shoddy collection agency who was very impatient and rude c) tried to figure just what a collection agency actually does d) dragged my suitcase from under the bed and went thru the items in an attempt to figure out what I would bring and what I wouldn't e) this is the part I should have avoided most likely - had friend come over to drop off clothes she thought I might be able to wear - which I probably won't be able to - nice of her, yes, but in the likelihood the stuff will likely not be wearable.... misguided of me. Oh well. f) Took budget I made last night for my stepmom for next month and put it to into Google spreadsheet form g) revised said spreadsheet for her after she gave me her revisions .....And that's as far as I've gotten.

Pretty good though when you list it all out in that form huh?

Budget is done, suitcase...started.

But what I really have to do tonight is make a list of everything I want to pack.
And, open the 2 remaining packages of clothes MCS friends have sent hoping that there is something I can wear in there. AHH!

And I have to do this without freaking out or stressing out somehow

Oh yeah and have I mentioned the air quality sucks and I can't take a walk? That does NOT HELP MY MOOD.

I might try to take a short one but am afraid it will make me feel worse than if I had not tried to.

I have to not think of it.

Okay....one thing at a time. I will get this stuff all done somehow and maintain my sanity.

I had a really good phone conversation last night. I am really looking forward to going to live with the person I am living with. I enjoy her immensely. She is a very receptive audience to my storytelling, and boy, do I love storytelling. :)

Maybe I should take a 5 minute walk. But then dinner will be ready. So I don't know. Dinner. Yum.

Kate

Looking Back on the Last Three Months

I just made a great collage of pictures of every single place my friend Nate, Rob and I have been in the last three months, along with every good picture I had of the three of us interspersed. It doesn't come up very big here, so if you'd like to see a full screen version, please leave your email in the comments and I'd be happy to send you one!

Otherwise, you get the small version. :)

EDIT: YES! If you click on it, you get the full screen version! Is this awesome, or what? Tell me what you think....if anyone's reading this. Which not many people I don't think are so far, oh well.

Kate

Mackworth Picture and Quick Update

Another picture of me on Mackworth, I love this picture because I look so happy in it.

Update: Today I got up at 9 and left at 10:30 for a noon dr's appt. Early for me! We ended up having to wait a long time, and got there early because my stepmom had an appt before me, so I was there a while. Sat outside to talk to dr for about an hour. She gave me a lot of time, she is so nice. Enjoyed talking to her. Got first sunburn of the season apparently, I was out there so long.

Finally talked to my stepmom about some money issues I had been worrying about and was able to resolve them. I feel better now that I have that out of the way. Or would if I wasn't so busy worrying about anything else, Ha.

Tried my vitamin drink I got in the mail and it helped quite a bit so that is good.

Made chicken and eggs tonight, around 9 instead of late at night like I usually do.

Tomorrow, the weather is supposed to be horrid, and I'm trying to prepare myself for the dreaded humidity. YUCK. Wed, I need to get packing done.

There is a chance I might get to meet someone I only know from the radio and online if she can come later this week, and maybe even another hike with Rob. I think I've almost been more social this week than the entire last three months combined. Weird :)

Only four days, though. That's pretty exciting. For better or for worse, and I am sure for better most likely, my life is going to change.

That's all for now!
Kate

Mental preparation for Oregon: Where I've Come, Where I'm Going

***If you haven't already please scroll down and look at the pictures I have posted in my last post, which I am very proud of. ***

Writing this out so I can first feel proud of what I have already accomplished and second have something concrete to look forward to when I get there, as much as possible.

Things I have done to get ready for this trip:

1. Emailed Melissa. A month of conversation in email and phone.

2. Figured out financial aspect of it.

3. Introduced idea to family and got approval for it.

4. Found out I could get credit on United for flight.

5. Found second person to stay with before first person. Talked to her. Researched how to get there and how to get needs met when there. Made decision if good idea to go there or not.

Debated on best time to leave. Made plans with the people I needed to. Got backup from Portland airport in case of missed connection. Bought airline tickets. Found way from Portland to Newport.

6. Anticipated needs for trip and tried to fill them. Got useable CD player. Food. Newspapers. Called and will call airline about aisle seats. Tried to get clothes even if not successful yet, tried, and will be able to fix this problem when I get there if not before.

7. Said my goodbyes to people here. Got to see both of my high school friends Elysia and Anna, and am thankful for that.

8. Tried as much as possible to mentally prepare and to communicate to people I will be living with everything that needs to be.

*******

Things to Look Forward to in Newport

1. Understanding person to enjoy being with and talking to.
2. New radio stations, both country and oldies. Place to take walks.
3. New city to explore and enjoy.
4. Taking pictures to document new city and life if Puppup sends me his camera like he said.
5. Independence, hope, opportunity, new beginnings
6. Eating and cooking fish
7. Hiking
8. Seeing the Pacific Ocean! Getting to spend a lot of time by it.
Exploring the town.
9. Something new.