THE road trip.

Nine states.  Tennessee, duh - Arkansas - Missouri - Kansas - Colorado - Wyoming - Utah - Idaho - Oregon.  Those are the states we got to see during our 5 day road adventure to our new home.  Let's take a picture journey:

Tennessee - There are so many things I could put a picture of here, but I choose the Memphis pyramid.  Don't ask why, that's just what I'm doing.

Arkansas - Definitely not worth photographing, but let's look at a picture of our drugged out cat :)

Missouri - The only cool thing about Missouri is Lambert's: Home of the Throwed (yes, throwed) Rolls; although, going there as a vegetarian was NOT as cool as I remembered it.

Kansas - Boring.  No, really....it was boring.  With the exception of the super awesome fields of WINDMILLS!  I'd never seen a windmill in person and they are coooool!  Now that I feel like a geek, let's look at Kansas pictures :)

boring.

WINDMILLS!!!  fuck yea.

Colorado - Again, boring.  We ended up staying in a town outside of Denver because the city was really rundown and the only hotels there were sketch and expensive and right next to a Six Flags...gross.  Nothing cute to take a picture of, but here's the mister packing up the car the next day.  

Wyoming - WINDY!  I actually was injured by Wyoming winds as I got into the car at a gas station.  It's a tragic story really, but I'm not going to tell it.  Point is: wind hurts ya'll.  Other than being windy, it was really beautiful.   

Utah - There was snow and pretty scenery.  Also, I made the mister stop in Salt Lake City for the night so we could have a normal night out.  It was fun, then it was time to move on.  

Idaho - Yeah, I'm not actually sure this was in Idaho....we'll say it was for purposed of this blog.  There were no potato fields in Idaho, the mister and I were disappointed.  

Oregon - HOME STATE!!!  It was such a relief to finally arrive in Oregon, so much so that I hung half-way out the window to snap a picture of the 'Welcome to Oregon' sign.  Oregon really is just as beautiful as everyone says.  There were mountains, and rivers, and trees...oh my! We had one stop once we arrived in the state and the next day we had only a three hour journey to our new home.  Needless to say, I did not take many pictures that day because I was too busy squealing about how awesome everything looked.  *SQUEEEAL* 

fina-fucking-ly

we drove beside this river and beautiful mountains for miles

sunset before our last hotel stay

the last day of driving

I'm not going to lie, driving sucked.  What was awesome was having someone fun to share it with (aka the mister).  I heart him.  Now that we've conquered this journey together, everything else seems a little bit easier.  There are a ton of things we still have left to do here in our new home, I'll let you all know how they go :)

LOVE!

the third day

Well well, the mister and I have arrived in Portland.  It took us 4 nights, 5 days, 1 fight about nothing, and too many snippy comments to count to get us 2,400 miles to our new home.
Now that we have arrived, we must wait for the moving truck (I hate the moving truck...a story for another time) and unpack boxes to make our place more like home.  As of now, our townhouse still feels like a hotel room that we're staying at for an extended vacation.  As much as we've spent time in the city (my calves are sore from walking) and met new people (I'm almost tired of introducing myself...almost), it still feels foreign and very far from home.  Hopefully, the foreign feeling will fade in the next few weeks :)

LOVE!
Now, time to marvel at our new house :)

misses, kisses

Monday night the mister and I had our going away party/his last show in Nashville.  Lots of our lovey dovey ones came out, and I can honestly say it kinda made me wanna stay!  (kinda not really that much, but a little)
It was real great to see everyone, and everyone got to 'sign' our canvas so we can take you with us.  Love you Nashvillians.  Let's keep in touch, k?

H U S T L I N '

Not everyday, but today I am indeed hustlin.  Selling up all my household goods to fine toothless Nashvillians.
'No I will not take $1 for my $60 tennis racket, but I will take $5' - good deal?  yes indeed.
The house is virtually empty at this point - there is a TV, and bed, a dresser, and clothes scattered everywhere.  Empty boxes, full boxes, boxes of boxes.  Eeek.
We're working it out though.  Things are coming together nicely in our time frame.  After this yard sale (which is happening again tomorrow), we're packing up the rest of the boxes and donating everything that's left.  Then, hello moving truck - eventually hello Portland :)

LOVE!

this feeling

I can't explain it.  This feeling of emptiness/hope/joy/sadness/excitement/ something-or-other.  It comes upon me as I sit in the freshly vacuumed floor where my couch used to reside.  I'm looking at boxes and piles of stuff, thinking about what all this means.  Apparently, thinking about what all this means made me get up and go get a fresh beer from the fridge :) I guess it means a variety of things:
OH EM GEE we're moving very VERY soon
I need more boxes
I'm about to have one of the biggest adventures ever
I've drank too much beer for this early afternoon hour
I'm leaving all my friends
I'm about to leave the only state I've known as home
I have to buy new furniture
I'm going to get lost so much in a new city
I still have SO much left to finish

WHOA GEEZ....[insert inexplainable feeling here]....

making it rain.

The mister and I are indeed making it rain....on moving vans ($$$$), current rent ($$$, our landlord cut in in half since we will only be here until the 11th), new apartments ($$$, then $$$$), gas pumps ($i wish there was an infinity symbol button$).  Our money is flowing out of our pockets at an alarming rate.
But it's cool, I think we're taking it in stride....by trying to find or make any extra money we can :)
I'm spending my first day of unemployment taking pictures and posting everything I can on craigslist to sell and gathering goods for a garage sale.  These activities are not so fun, but they are giving me a super productive feeling!

so, back to work for me

LOVE!

Housing - check.

http://www.riverplacesquare.com/

The mister and I got approved for our new apartment!!!  Well, we will actually be subletting from a couple that is moving - yay, we have a nice place for 6 weeks!  We will renew the lease on the place if we get a good deal on it, but otherwise we will just have a comfy place to stay in the city until we find something more permanent. 
Exciting!
We also have a tennative move date - April 11th.  We plan on leaving on the 11th then driving across the counrty to arrive in Portland on the 15th.  It seems so final now - we have a place, Mark is transfering his daytime job and has a possible bar job.  The only problem is my current situation...not for lack of trying, I've yet to find employment.
Lame. 
Although, being a house lady is becoming more and more appealing to me these days....cooking, house cleaning, taking care of the mister, pushing out pups and subsequently raising them....very appealing. 
Don't judge me.