Monday, July 27, 2009

So This is What a Staycation Looks Like

I'm kind of shocked to realize how long it has been since I posted on here. I'm pleading busy on this one. Summer is always kinda crazy, and this one has been extra nuts for me with lots of travel and family activities.

I started off the summer leaving my great job assignment in Turlock, CA and moving directly to a job in Oregon. The job lasted two months in Lebanon, a small farming community near Corvallis and Albany (just south of Salem). I was covering for an advisor out on medical leave.

As it turned out, I was able to stay in my new place in Orenco (Hillsboro, OR) on the weekends and took my two week vacation over July 4th. Sayde came up to visit from Texas and stayed 6 weeks visiting me, her two older sisters and nephew. The weather was perfect and we had a blast. It was a true "staycation" as we played tourist in the Portland area, visiting places we saw years ago and places we had always wanted to go.

The highlights of our staycation included lots of swimming in the apartment pool, picnics in the park, every farmer's market in the area, the Oregon Zoo, OMSI (Or Museum of Science), 4th of July parade, trip to Voodoo Donuts in downtown Portland and much more. Fortunately Sayde took lots of photos so I can put my favorites on here.

Unfortunately the vacation ended, Sayde returned to Texas and we all returned to reality. I finished my last two weeks in Lebanon, spent a week in Orenco on "retreat" and was sent to Henderson, NV last Friday to another office. Henderson is a suburb of Las Vegas so that has been fun. I'm in a brand new hotel right up the street from the Green Valley Ranch Casino. Had to do the all-you-can-eat crab leg buffet yesterday and play a few slots. Today was 111 degrees - whoa , that is like a blast furnace on my pale, weak Oregonian skin.