A stolen post and a standing ovation.

I fancy myself a writer, but no one would ever consider giving me a job as one cause my schooling wouldn't allow for it, and my grammer must be atrocious. But I love it. And sometimes when I read something someone else wrote that I love I want to talk about it. Typically it is a book, or sometimes an article, but this time it is a blog. Reading it made me want to gather together my writer friends and publish a compilation of all our stories. Eventually we would publish one every year, and the stories would get better and better and it wouldn't be for fame or money, but to share the talent I am surrounded by.

So today I read a post by a friend and I want to share it. It isn't long. It won't take you forever. It's an amazing display of storytelling and in the end it's for a good cause. You can find the author's blog here.

His story in its entirety:

The People I See Around
I'm an impulse person and an impulse buyer. No, I've begun poorly. I can't start with me; this story is not about me.

Chad greeted me when the doors slid open, but I couldn't understood what he said, so I asked him to repeat himself. Well, what I really said was "Whuh?" The graveyard shift must be an endless mind-melt of half-formed conversations. I know I'd tire of it. I'm sure he already has. It's 12:07 in the morning, do you know where your diction is?

His name was Chad, but I only sidelong-learned it at 12:23 after our conversation at the checkout stand went off-script. Protected both by an ego-barrier of self-satisfaction at a celebratory day and an eagerness to be a clever little "personality," a bright spot in a dull night, I asked him if he judged the people who wouldn't cough up a buck for the Breast Cancer Society. I'd already refused, swiped and punched in my secret code. My vitamins, band-aids and greedily grabbed gum are bagged and waiting.

He replied that he didn't judge, but was disappointed. His mom was re-diagnosed two weeks ago.

Man, I feel like a jerk.

It's a deadly flaw in his family genetics, he tells me, but he doesn't say it like that. The word "pancreatic" was never on any vocabulary list at his school, so he curls his fingers as if around a giant tube of disease and draws in across his abdomen. "She had it here, but now it's up here" and his hand at his chest, over his heart. A false salute to an iffy future.

Man, I feel like a jerk.


The annual Race for the Cure is tomorrow - no, today. I know this because a friend was both earnestly and ironically wearing a pink bandana around all day. So I ask him if he's going, telling him I'll be downtown for it. That's a lie. I had no intention of going before I spoke those words, and probably can't fit it in to my hectic, fantastic "I love what I do" schedule. He, at least, is honest. He'll be sleeping because another all night shift begins at 8.

I should have left already, been out the doors and back home to spend another hour clicking through my Tivo playlist while pretending to write. But I'm in deep now as he pulls back his sleeve, revealing in the florescent overhead light a yellowed bump with a rosacead center. It's big, not enormous, but of a size that you know should have been checked out. A soddened tea bag squeezed of its last herb-juice.

"We all get them," he says. "And around thirty they turn to cancer. But I'd rather not know." If you have tough life, it's gonna show, so I'm struggling to pin down his age. His teeth, his face, the slump in his shoulders all say that he's hit that mark, or will soon. So again-

Man, I feel like a jerk.

I want to feel like a samaritan.

"Chad," I begin. I know his name now and I've committed to eye-contact. "You need to have that looked at. It's always better to have the facts so you can make a decision." Keystroke italicized - always.facts.decision. It's my presentational voice, my jedi-mind-tricks inflection. I don't think it's going to work, and I need it to work. Chad needs it to work. But this isn't a galaxy far, far away, so of course it doesn't, and he's already exited the conversation.

"When they find the cure..." he says, handing me my purchases and back in the proper posturing of employee-to-patron relations. "The cure for cancer, I'll get it checked."

That's a lie. We're both liars and one of us might die from it. And it's 2:33 now and I haven't showered and I didn't go back, dig down and give him the dollar or point him toward a free clinic. I left. I'm home. He's still working. And I'm reduced to melodramatic melancholy.

Tomorrow's another big day in my busy, busy, busy life. I'm doing things I believe are important, but now seem much less urgent than they did at two and a half hours ago.

NEXT PARAGRAPH HAS BEEN DELETED. THIS IS INCOMPLETE, BUT TO WRITE MORE SIMPLY FEEDS MY VANITY.

Here's the important part - If you were intrigued or bothered or whatever, click here to donate online to the American Cancer Society in whatever capacity you wish. I gave a few bucks, which I should have done earlier. I hope you can too.

When friends need friends.

Dear friends of ours were struck by a life altering event this past week. Their family knows grief and trial well, and watching them dealing with this event from the sidelines has been a true lesson in faith and love. It is best if you hear it from them so I'll post the links to the blogs below.

I haven't made my way to the hospital yet, we are new friends in their lives that are deeply rooted in the community we share. The are taken care of, being helped by family and friends. Really I feel like I don't know what to do. I have a sense of helplessness. I am willing and able to help in any way, but somehow I am held back, I am unsure of what I can offer. I'll call. I'll offer something. Maybe they won't need help right now, that's okay. I don't think we're going anywhere anytime soon. I'll be around six weeks from now.

They'll need people around them for a long time. If you think of it, keep their family in your thoughts and prayers. They'll need a lot of strength between them.

News Link Here
Blog Post 1
Blog Post 2

two things i like.

Milla and Obama. What a perfect pair.

Is it still a success if the neighbors don't call the cops?

All around, it was the best time at a house-cooling party ever. I think everyone would agree. It was our first and so that in itself made it great for us. I didn't let anything taint it. Not the neighbors, not the flies in the garage, not the burn on my fingertips from the insanely hot handle on the bbq lid. It was wonderful.

We had people show up in spurts all night. Some arrived early and stayed late, some hung out for a while and left just as others arrived to fill their place. We planned it so that all the food and such was ready and available from the beginning so the rest of the night we just hung out with our friends and provided guided tours over and over and over again.

I didn't get a ton of photos. But I had to document a few things, of course, and so here's the photos from the evening.

To start things off, here's the new screen door that we built all by ourselves...with a little help from a starter kit from Home Depot.



The Garage/best "great room" ever





No that's not our moped. It belongs to Jo-science. But we're hoping to score one of our own very soon.





And now on to the outdoor space...all set up for partyers







And onto the people that showed up











And then there were the two little girls that just made my day.





How could she resist?





We had this great idea to put floating candles in the "water feature" (yes, I use this term lightly) but, it turns out they made better pieces for a little game we like to call, "Collect the Soap"



As you may be able to deduce. The above shinanigans led to the first baby in our bathtub moment...



Big sister lent a helping hand



And then the best moment of the night happened. The little one's mom had just finished the soaping up stage of the bath and drained all of the water from the tub. Then, right before she turned on the water to refill for the rinse off, my friend came up to the bathroom door. Now imagine walking around the corner and the flash that you initially get when you realize the door's open, but there's someone inside is that your walking in on someone going to the bathroom. But then, instead you see two women and two children crowded into a tiny bathroom. She says with a confused look in her eye, "Oh, sorry, I was just going to go to the bathroom."
To which the mother responds as she motions to the wet, soapy baby in the tub, "Oh you can, as long as you keep an eye on her."
And so, my friend replies, "alright." So the mother, the daughter and I walk out and as my friend walks in and pushes the door shut behind her we hear her say, "Hi, I'm Beth."



And so. The aftermath. We had some friends pitch in last night and carry in all the dishes, and pick up most of the trash. So today we have a clean, organized house. A little bit of picking things up to do in the backyard. And a watermelon juice sticky kitchen floor to mop. All in all, it's not that bad.











Yes we recycle, and no this isn't all from last night. Geesh, what kind of friends do you think we have?




And so, we sit, underneath the umbrella in the backyard. Drinking coffee, writing, and procrastinating everything else.

inching closer to home

Wanna come over for dinner?



Or hang out and watch a movie?



come over. there's places to sit.



an enormous thanks to this guy for stopping at Ikea in Portland after our meeting...and for helping rent the uhaul trailer...and for loading everything in the pouring rain and hail....and for returning the trailer by yourself cause we had guests arriving for dinner....and for being rad.

wait, it's 2008?

I have been somewhat ordered by an anonymous commenter on my blog to "UPDATE!" So here goes.

What have I been up to? What things has life given me to experience? What's new with me?
It seems strange to ask ones self these questions. Egotistical in fact and that isn't something I like, it isn't a characteristic I'd like to embody. But. For lack of not being able to sit down and chat with all the people I would like to, this rambling about myself in the form of a blog is what I've got to do so you all can "know" me and know all about me.

After packing the car and driving, both of us sick and exhausted before we even got to the highway, back to Oregon...oh and I had to post a couple of photos of the "packed car", cause when I say packed...I mean to the brim with no way to lean back the seat or reason to adjust the rear view mirror...cause there's just no way it's going to happen - packed




Christmas I mentioned in a little post and then the strep throat week happened. We enjoyed a subdued ringing in of the new year with a group of good friends.

Things after the midnight moment.







Smooches & happy friends








Drinks are nice, aren't they?












The "before" mug shots.











Boys making a fresh start to the new year.












And the after's...
Joscience & Walterz were baby-faced at the start of '08, I wonder what kind of year that will produce for them?












oh, and then it was my birthday...

there's at least one good thing about Vancouver, WA

What?!? His little eyes need protection
from those harmful UVA/UVB rays too.

As you can see. We went to Vancouver for the weekend to visit the little mister...& andy 'n jen too. We had a belated birthday breakfast for Jen and enjoyed some chill time hanging out and playing games.



Thanks for the sweet relaxing weekend friends.
with love, your white friend meg

And now for a plethora of little mister photos. You know you love it.

the, I-can't-get-enough-of-his-drooling-little-face-and-his-"hey-these-are-my-hands"-moments...



Oh and when he laughs, it melts me into forgetting
there's a 2 hour drive ahead of us and staying longer than we should.



and lastly...in honor of the Oaks' (thanks for the phone call, can you tell you had been on our minds?)


Happy Halloween.