Recent Exposures

Went home for a visit this past weekend.  It was short but was really nice to see family (all my family).  Traveling sucked as always.  On the way home I was stuck next to a huge football sized guy who crushed me up against the window and I had to deal with a few nasty Greyhound employees again.  That company sucks!  It was really great to see my famly again.  When I left I wasn’t sure if I’d see my father again so it was exciting to hang out with again at home.  I tried to pick them up a DVD player but after I had everything hooked up it didn’t work.  I swear my parents home is cursed for electronics! 

I got to spend a whole day with my girl Emily.  When I first moved out here I was pretty much overcome with excitement about graduate school and new friends and new experiences but as time wore on I thought more and more of her.  What I thought would be a fun summer relationship that I would be able to leave behind when
I got here hasn’t happened.  I think about her all the time and she thinks of me a lot too.  Being home with her really proved to me how much she means to me.  I love her and it’s hard being in the situation that we are in.  Life is not easy as I have learned.  But if it is meant to be it will be.  I’m not asking her to wait for me and I’m sure she isn’t asking that of me either, but to be honest I have no time for a relationship out here in Oregon anyways.  And any girl I meet out here I would have to compare to her and right now I don’t think anyone could meet her standards.  I miss her a lot and I can’t wait until she comes out to visit me.  The picture of us in front of her tree was taken about 20 minutes before I shaved my Oregon beard off. 

Tuesday night Emily and I met up with Rick, Mike, Mike Lomanto, Jess & Josh and my
friend Jen Miller from work at Wheatfields for some drinks.  They wanted to know all about my experiences in Oregon and I was happy to tell them all.  Hopefully some of them will be able to visit me while I’m out here.  Although they aren’t really into the outdoors
(with the big exception of Jess) I think they would have a blast out here.  Jess dyed her hair blonder and looks wonderful.  Josh is a lucky guy.  Rick is still Rick (no classification for him) and Mike Lomanto has found himself a hot new girlfriend from work.  We all had a good time chatting before Emily had to bring me home to my parents.  It was so hard to say goodbye to her!  It was great trip home…. but way to short!

Anna and Brendan were gracious enough to pick me up from the airport in Portland and bring me back to Corvallis so I treated them to dinner (and a few tales).  Now back to research…. blah!

Today I went over to my parents place to hang out with my dad for a late father’s day.  I was not sure what to get him because he pretty much has everything he cares about.  Then it came to me… what makes an old man really happy… his stomach!  So I stopped at Price Chopper on my way over and picked up smoked salmon, about 50 steamers, stuffed mushrooms and a piece of watermellon and bag of soft black licorice for him.  I then cooked up a london broil on the grill for my parents and the seafood for my dad and I which he loved.  I hung out there watching tv with my parents until I noticed my dad doze off so I took off around 10pm.  I think he really enjoyed the food I brought which made me happy because I always feel like birthdays for my parents are hit or miss with me…

    Today I went to visit my parents and take my mom out to see the Da Vinci Code for a late birthday present.  I drove to my parents at 4pm so I could moe the lawn for them.  15 minutes after I started it began to pour rain.  I ended up finishing the lawn nearly two hours later covered in mud!  I also pushed the mower through the largest patch of poison Ivy I’ve ever seen!  I hope I don’t itch tomorow. 
    After dinner my mom and I drove to the mall for the movie and I made a mad dash to CVS for my usual sweedish fish only to find the store not there anymore!  As I walked by the jewlers I saw my ex-girlfriend Kim who got married a year ago and last fall had a baby boy.  She had cut her hair short and looked beautiful.  I haven’t talked to her since last fall and need to stop by to say hi before I head out to Oregon for my PHD.  Out of the two long term relationships I’ve had I feel the one I had with her was the most valuable by far.  It just wasn’t the right time for us and I’m so happy for her and her new child and family now. 
    The Da Vinci Code was pretty good.  My mom and I have both read the book and agreed that the movie followed it pretty closely.  I thought Tom Hanks was a good choice for the main character but I guess the movie in general has gotten poor reviews. 

When we learned last February that my father had Congestive Heart Failure no one in my family thought that he would see another birthday… We have been happily proven wrong.  Even though he undergoes dialysis every other day he is a fighter and is thankfully still with us and in good spirits.  I went down to visit him tonight for Dinner and told him that once Chris Hurley fixes his broken plane we plan on taking him up for one last flight over the High Peaks of the Adirondacks.  Happy birthday dad!  I love ya.  PS. That’s a great looking hat you got from my half brother George.  Pretty funny

Hangin’ with my dad for the weekend while my mom skips town to Maine with her sister Sue.  Too bad it’s going to rain on them all weekend… I always spend at least a full day at home with my dad every weekend (for all you out there who don’t know, he has Congestive Heart Failure — the reason I moved back to the area from Boston).  But even when I when I do spend a whole day with him I atleast have the nights to go out and hang with my friends and one day to do something I like to do like hike, bike, ski.  But this weekend I had to give up all three nights.. and at first I was upset… especially after the hard week of work I had.  But, after spending last night and tonight with him just hanging out I really enjoyed it.  We joked and laughed about things and he told me some stories I’d never heard before… And I told him a few stories that he’d heard a million times before, but couldn’t remember anymore so enjoyed them anyway.  haha.  He’s a great guy and great father, and he has a huge heart despite it failing physically.  When it comes down to it, I cherish every moment that I have left with him.   For those of you who have met my father… these are some pictures of him back in WWII when he was a pilot who flew rescue missions in Berma.