The Great Urban Race!

So, Saturday, September 13th was the first annual Great Urban Race in Portland! Trina and I made up team "Wicked Enigma", and joined the approximately other 125 teams in the park blocks to prepare for the race to begin. It was suggested that we get into the spirit and dress up, and at least all teams had to be in matching outfits. There were some crazy costumes! We saw two girls in yellow bridesmaids dresses and sneakers, two girls dressed up likeDivo , and pairs dressed up like chickens, like cows, like brownies, like silly superheroes, and so many more!! It was so much fun! We opted for a more conservative team shirt in pink with our name ironed on the back (thanks Trina!), jeans, matching Keen sneakers, and matching bags. We pinned on our numbers, got our blue clue envelope, and we were off on our great adventure!

Meet team "Wicked Enigma"!

We started at this Starbucks, before the race began doing some pre-race talking. We also came back here first thing after the race began, to do some lightning fast googling. We answered all 12 clues and mapped out where to go, then took off! There were two puzzle clues to solve, and several others were we had to figure out where the place was. For most all the clues, we had to take a picture of both team members in front of the place the clue directed us to. Then at the finish line, they checked our pictures for accuracy.
Our first stop was at the Sugar Cube, a little cart place that had cupcakes. I fed Trina the cupcake while the cart owner took the picture. It was a very rich cupcake, and needed a milk chaser!
I was very proud of solving this clue, if I do say so. They gave us a picture of the statue, and we had to find it in Portland. I googled "Elephant Statue", and all I could find this guy's blog that had a picture in it, but no direction of where it was. So I blew up the pic on my computer, and found a Firestone sign in the background. So I googled the address for Firestone, and voila! Clue solved! The guy sitting nearby was a Firestone employee on his break and he wasn't too happy. I think we were the 8th team to ask for his help. What a grump! Just say no!

Our next clue took us to the NW area. We had to find one of those horse rings on the sidewalk that that artist guy attached toy horses to. We took a pic in front of that (not worth sharing), then went in search of Yogi Bear.
We found Yogi pretty quickly and after a fun picture with him, we headed down the blocks to Comedy Sportz. Here, we had to tell a joke to a lady. If we could make the lady laugh we got a stamp. If not, we had to get back in line and try again. We used an old joke that young Anna told me, which meant that I got to tell the joke.

"Why do pilgrims' pants always fall down?"
"Because they wear their buckles on their hats!"

Luckily, she laughed at my cute joke. The girl behind me told a great one:

"What did the chip say to the battery?"
"I'm Frito Lay if you're Everready."

After a glowing success with the joke, we hopped the streetcar and headed back towards Pioneer Square. There, we took a picture of the directional sign, another clue down.

Another of the clues was a dice puzzle that Trina cunningly solved. It meant we needed a picture in front of a building sign with an "8" in it. A nice chef student lady took this one for us.

From there, we hopped the MAX to get a picture of the Broadway Bridge, to complete our eighth clue. We missed the last stop, and ended up crossing the river. We were already tired, but Trina spiritedly suggested we just walk up and walk across the bridge, expecting we could find someone to take our picture in front of the bridge.
We did find a nice gentleman, who took a picture of us on the East side of the Broadway bridge. We then proceeded to walk over the river and back to the actual race territory. It was hot and I was not very excited.

I did, however, get a nice picture of West Portland from the bridge.

We next hiked our way back down Front street, to Salmon Springs. We had to have a picture taken of our team leap-frogging in front of the fountain. Trina was the frog, I was the leaper. This was a BAD idea. We did get the picture, but in the process of my unskilled and overzealous leap, I cut my thumb, tore my jeans, and sprained my knee. Ugh!!

The site of the leap-frog fiasco.

I left the fountain limping, and we set off in search of our 10th clue. We were both hot, and I was in pain and ready to be finished!

We found the Portlandia statue thanks to Trina's great memory, and had our picture taken in front of it . (here is just the statue.) Our final clue was to find a pencil with Portland on it. We made our way to the PSU bookstore, grabbed a pencil and some waters, and made our way gimpily back to the finish line. (There were 12 clues, but we were allowed to skip one. The one we skipped involved us and 2 others cartwheeling in the sand. I can only imagine the injuries that could have ensued...) We made it! Our official time was 3 hours, 15 minutes. We were the 104th team to finish. Even though we weren't close to finishing, and we didn't make it out unscathed, I was still very proud of us! And considering we spent about 40 minutes on the computer, I'd say we did pretty great! Trina is the BEST race partner, and even at our worst we still make a GREAT team. Next year, we'll have a lifeline set up at home, race in something cooler than jeans, and hopefully be in running shape. Let's hope my knee holds up!

Spice count: 8!! New things from this adventure-- Racing the GUR, Having a cupcake from the Sugar Cube, Pic with Yogi Bear, learning about that horse art guy, 30 seconds as a comedian, Walking the Broadway Bridge, Leapfrogging at Salmon Springs, and spraining my knee.

A Stacy Job Update

Well, in the last couple of weeks I've gone from no job to two jobs! I got a job at a Home Improvement Store 2 weeks ago, and after finishing training and orientation, I officially have my orange apron. Woohoo! Just this last Wednesday, I also got a position at a nearby Child Development Center, as a preschool teacher. I'll be a floater teacher, moving between three classrooms-- infant, toddler, and pre-kinder/ kindergarten. Because Preschool teacher jobs don't pay so great, I'll be working two jobs for a while, so we can make ends meet. It'll run me in the neighborhood of 60 hours per week, but I'm certain it's better than not having any work! And for me, I know this is the right place for me to be right now. Even if this place will leave me horribly busy! =)

Paul Passed the Written!

So, we got the EXCELLENT news today!! Paul passed the written exam for getting hired on at Portland Fire and Rescue! The firefighter hiring process is a 3-step process. The first hurdle is to pass the written exam with a high enough score that they allow you to move forward to the next piece. This is were we are, we just found out Paul passed today! The next step is for him to complete a panel interview with the higher-ups in the Portland District. The third piece is to pass the Physical Agility Test, or PAT. It's a rigorous physical test, kinda like a very intense firefighter obstacle course. We're so excited, and can't wait to find out the dates of the next step! I'll keep you posted!

Master-Ful

So, July 31st (Harry Potter's birthday!) was my last day of school for my Master's Degree. Pending grade uploading and paperwork processing, I have officially earned my Master's in Education. Woohoo!! I can't believe I actually made it! It's been a long and hard struggle, and I'm so grateful to everyone who supported me. I also received my teaching license in the mail about a week ago. So I can officially teach! I'd be even more grateful if someone had a job for me.... =)

A Visit With Mom!

I went down to see my mom this last weekend, and had a great time! I took the boys, and we headed down on Friday just past noon. We stopped at the store, and grabbed stuff to make dinner. Then we headed out to the house. I made cheese bread, Caesar lettuce wedge salad, and my lasagna. It came out really good, and they liked it! My mom even ordered my favorite-- Baskin Robbins Cake!! She sang for me and we had dessert while we watched Food Network. Great night for me!

Saturday, she made breakfast for Ed and I, and then we headed out to the mall. We bought my beautiful Nike sneakers, and she also got me the Nike iPod hook up. I was very excited! I haven't tested it yet, but I can't wait to use it! Mom got the same shoes as me, but in a different color. I hope she loves them! After the mall, we stopped by Barnes and Noble to see if they had the Entertainment Weekly that featured Twilight, and they did! I was so excited! I had checked four other stores before there!

Then, we came back to the house and had ice cream for lunch. What a kid's dream! We hung out at the house for the afternoon-- more Food Network, and playing with the dogs.
Here's my mom's beautiful purple clematis from her back yard. If you can tell, it's actually growing onto the tree nearby!

This is Kenai. He's kinda a grumpy man, but he plays well with the boys! And he's so cute. He has one brown eye and one blue eye.

This is Miss Sadie. She's a sweet, chubby golden retriever. She's the kindest dog you'll ever meet. She shuffles her feet, and it sounds like she's wearing slippers! So cute!

Here's Hobie hanging out in the yard. I would have put a pic of Gaius in here, but he always looked grumpy. I think he missed his papa.

We barbecued steak for dinner, before I left to head home. Mom and I made baked potatoes, and bread crumb coated vegetables that we baked. They came out quite good! Kinda like the appetizer from Red Lobster-- my favorite-- but not quite as good, truth be told. But a bit healthier!

After dinner, the boys and I headed home. I had a great time! I got to spend lots of quality time with my mom, we hung out, we cooked, we had ice cream, we watched Food Network, I slept in, it was GREAT! Thanks, Mom!! I love you! And thanks again for my shoes!!

Volunteer Firefighter!

We got the news today that Paul has officially been accepted as a Volunteer Combat Firefighter with TVF&R! I am so proud of him! TVF&R is the fire district around where we live. It is one of the most respected fire districts in the whole Portland Metro area, which will make the experience even better. The "combat" in the title is important, because it means they thought him worthy of actually being allowed to fight fire with them. A regular volunteer with the district gets to help with HR, paperwork, that kind of stuff. but he really gets get out there and get his hands dirty!! His training starts in September, and we are both so excited for him! This will greatly help him with his chances at getting a job! Woohoo!

Herman Creek Hike to Rainy Lake

For 4th of July, Paul had the only 3-day weekend he's gonna be able to take for the whole summer. So he took advantage of the time, and went backpacking in the gorge. He and the boys took the Herman Creek Trail to Rainy Lake, camping one night. With an unplanned 4-mile accidental detour, they hiked 12 miles on 4th of July, and 16 miles on Saturday. They treated themselves to a well-deserved dinner of burger and fries, and some long overdue rest on Sunday. The boys did a great job and had a wonderful time, keeping in step with Paul all along the way.

A great shot of a creek along the way.

Our handsome boys, hanging with papa on the trail, sporting their super fine backpacks.

Look! Hoban found some snow! What a handsome boy!

Gaius to the side there, hanging out in camp after a long day of hiking.

All my boys, hanging out in camp. The boys having breakfast, and getting ready to head out for another great day of hiking! (I bought him that AWESOME jacket for Christmas. Sexy!)

The boys found a stick, and like good brothers are sharing the fetch. They do love to swim!

One last great shot, here's Green Mountain standing behind Rainy Lake. What a great trip!