The Thrill of Victory!!!

Adam and I got to go home to California for a little vacation last week and we went on a camping trip to Lake San Antonio. This is an annual camping trip that a group from Alicia's (Adam's mom) church goes on every summer and this is my second time going. Everyone in Adam's family was able to make it at one time or another, it was really great spending time with them. It was really great getting to spend time with our nephews because now every time we see them they have changed a lot. A few of the people that come have boats so a lot of the kids do a lot of wake boarding, tubing, and "wake skating", among other water sports. We decided to go on a special young adult ride so Adam, Brandon (my bro-in-law), and I could do some wake boarding. A friend of ours, Jon, was driving us on his boat and he asked me if I had ever tried wake boarding, I told him I've tried many times and cannot get up to save my life. I'm hopeless! Jon asked for 5 tries to get me up so I said fine, but I doubt it will happen! I let Adam and Brandon go first since they're pretty skilled at the sport. We got a nice show of them jumping, catching air, and even a nice back flip from Adam! Then it was my turn... Now, I'm not afraid of eating it because I've been there and done that many times. But I was still nervous about trying and failing again! I jump in yell to hit it and BAM! I popped up!!!!!! So amazing!!! Of course, I didn't really know what to do once I got up so amidst shock and excitement, I let go! After a few tries I finally stayed up and decided that staying outside the wake was easiest. I was so ecstatic that I was laughing and screaming because I finally conquered my long term goal of getting up on a wake board! My legs were starting to get wobbly so I decided to call it a day. I was so soar the day after but it was so worth it! I just wish my family could have been there to see because they're the ones who have put in all the effort to my previous attempts! I also have to admit though, that I think there were a couple of factors that helped me get up. First, the boat is smaller and faster then the boat I'm used to trying on. Second, the rope was connected to a canopy at the top of the boat rather then in the back of the boat. My cousin pointed this out to me. No matter what, I'm glad I was able to hold on! This isn't the greatest pic, I'm still trying to figure out how to save the images from the photographers Facebook.
Other news on the Nunez Front, we had our home inspection after getting back from CA and we passed! Now we have a large stack of paper working to go through for our financing. I'm sure our loan coordinator will be getting to know us well by the end of that!

Welcome to Home Ownership!

Adam and I have officially entered escrow on a home! The search was a little long but we knew what we wanted when we found it! I have to say that home buying in a state and town where you don't have much family or influence on where exactly to live is very hard! I feel that if you're living near family you choose a home near them. We were really working with a clean slate here! The whole Portland Metro area was at our feet. The first question to answer was, "West side vs. East side". We have received strong advice from many friends giving good advice on which side to live on. We spent a long time driving around every area and decided that the West side was best for us. We particularly liked Southwest Portland because we could enjoy suburban life and still be close enough to the City for entertainment. The first thing that sold us on our house is that it is in SW Portland and borders the suburbs of Tigard and Beaverton. It's perfect! We'll be close to everything! The only other question we had to answer was "Old house vs. New House". Originally, my answer to this was, "NEW! NEW! NEW!". I think most of my life I've wanted to live in a new home. But after seeing some of the great architecture of the homes built between the 1920's and 1940's I had a change of heart! However, we still chose a newer home. The neighborhood is close and a little unconventional but I think we'll be happy there!
The negotiations went well and we got a great price! The main reason we got such a great deal was because the home was in foreclosure and the bank is more interested in unloading the property versus a home owner who has sentimental value in the home. We had a little excitement with getting the paperwork done and starting our 10-day inspection period. We're going on a mini vacation and won't return till day 10! Luckily, the contract from the bank actually states that we have 12 days. The other piece is that the bank will most likely not repair anything unless it's something that will severely cause the property from not selling such as a broken sewer line. Anyway, I've been holding down the fort because Adam has been at work for two days. I had to work out with our realtor when to get our inspection done which resulted in shortening our trip to CA. I'm sure it will be well worth it! Below is a link to the listing for our home, you can check out all the details and pictures!
http://www.redfin.com/OR/Tigard/8955-SW-Nordic-Dr-97223/home/26671522

Pleasantville

I think God new that today was going to be laundry day because it's the perfect temperature outside to be running my dryer. A little cloud cover makes a huge difference!
I've found myself repeating a line from this movie that came out in 1998 called "Pleasantville" with Reese Witherspoon and Tobey McGuire. Most of you may know what I'm talking about but for those who don't it's about two teenagers from the 1990's who travel through their television and end up on a 1950's sitcom called, "Pleasantville". It's very stereotypical 1950's, black and white, wife vacuum's in pearls and husband comes home from work with dinner waiting for him. The town is really small and quaint and reminds me a lot of where we live in Wilsonville! The city of Pleasantville has two streets and Wilsonville has about 5 main streets. The line that makes the connection for me is when Reese Witherspoon is in a geography class and the teacher is giving a lesson on Elm Street, the dialogue is:
Miss Peters: Last week, class, we discussed the geography of Main Street. This week we're going to be talking about Elm Street. Now, can anyone tell me the difference between Elm Street and Main Street? Tommy. Tommy: It's not as long? Miss Peters: That's right, Tommy, it's not as long. Also, it only has houses, so the geography of Main Street is different than the geography of Elm Street. [Jennifer is frowning in bewilderment. She raises her hand] Miss Peters: Mary Sue! Jennifer: Yeah. What's outside of Pleasantville? [the entire class turns to look at her] Miss Peters: I don't understand. Jennifer: Outside of Pleasantville? Like, what's at the end of Main Street? Miss Peters: [chuckles and shakes her head] Mary Sue. You should know the answer to that! The end of Main Street is just the beginning again.
The reason this is so hilarious to me is because there are streets in Wilsonville that ultimately start and end at the same street. That's how small our town is!!! Adam and I agree that this was a nice place to start in Oregon but we're a little tired of this small town!

Catching up

Well, I haven't posted for a while because I had a sneaky suspicion that no one was really taking interest in my random banter but I've decided I don't care, I just feel like writing! I don't have much to update because things are almost the same as they were the last time I posted. I still don't have a job. I'm probably rounding application number 50 or 75 and still nothing! Not even a phone call. Although I have gotten e-mails saying the position I applied for has been filled. When was my interview? Oh right, I didn't get one. The only logical explanation that Adam and I have come up with is my lack of connections. The people getting hired are probably people who had connections. To remedy this factor I have decided to volunteer with a social welfare agency that helps families in need in the Portland area. I'm looking forward to this because I get to mentor a young female. This will be hard. I've volunteered in similar atmospheres and one thing I know is that at-risk youth are tough to get through to. But I'm up for the challenge! I would also like to volunteer at a local hospital but I'm holding out for a job a little longer before I put too much on my plate. I have extended my job search to restaurants and retail stores.
I had an interesting encounter a few weeks ago with a prospective connection. Adam and I signed up to do a stress study at the College of Natural Medicine in Portland in exchange for $20 gift cards to Fred Meyer. Desperate for a break much? I got to the school early and ended up poking my head into the office of one of the faculty members while searching for the study administrator. She let me sit in her office while I waited for the guy to get there and we chatted about jobs and my current job outlook. She mentioned that they would be having a position opening up in July for an administrative assistant and if I'm interested I should apply and e-mail her my resume and a cover letter and she would make sure that my application at least makes it to the top of the pile and is seen by the hiring manager. Yay! At least I will know that my application is seen. However, I haven't seen the job posting yet.
Aside from the job outlook, the only other note worthy observation I've made lately was at church. Earlier I mentioned that Adam and I have been attending a church close by called, Athey Creek Christian Fellowship. One of my first observations at ACCF was that they don't use screens to project the lyrics of the worship songs on. Instead, they hand you a small piece of paper with the lyrics on it as you enter the building. At first I thought, "Not very Portland-like, they're not saving trees!" but I also thought that maybe they can't afford screens and a projector yet because they are in a new building. I admit this question came across my mind every single time we went to church because I don't really care for holding that little piece of paper while I'm trying to worship. Finally, at last Wednesday night's service the pastor brought up the subject! Yes, finally!!! I was kind of disappointed with the answer. Not to say it's a bad answer though! He explained that he (and some other pastors) feel that the screen thing is too "churchy". Wait... What? With my upbringing "churchy" is an organ, a choir, and a hymnal! Screens and projectors are new and contemporary! He was explaining how the church strives to keep things as simple as possible so that's why they don't do any announcements and the service is strictly worship, a message, and communion. That sort of makes sense to me, I don't really agree with the "churchy" concept mentioned earlier, but that's merely my perspective on church. The point he made that I really agreed with was that it helps people actually learn the songs. The purpose of the little piece of paper is for new comers or visitors who don't know the songs. But they play a lot of the same songs, rotating in new songs, so people can actually use their brains and memorize the songs. This way they can fully be consumed in worship, hands free and eyes free. What a concept... For the record, the band doesn't use any sheet music either. A cool concept but I'm still not completely for it. This brings up the generational difference of the church goers who insist on keeping their organs and hymnals and now us who insist on having our screens and projectors! Very sociological! Haha... I could go on and on about this but I'm afraid I may have already lost my viewers. If there are any!

Job update

Well, after weeks of applying for jobs all over the Portland Metro Area it has finally paid off... For Adam!!! He wanted to pick up a summer job to save up for a down payment on a house so he applied for general labor jobs and got picked up by a paving company. So that puts us at 2-0. However, I did get an e-mail back about a volunteer position I applied for a couple weeks ago. The agency is called Morrison Child and Family Services. They are letting me know this week about what is available. I applied to volunteer in either the office or as a youth mentor. At first I thought this was just a cruel joke in life that my husband could get two jobs and I get a volunteer spot. But I figure this may be the way to go because the agency focused on the social welfare of the family and if I make it into an MSW program I have great experience to build my education on. I could always hold out for a paid position as well.
Adam and I have been talking a lot about how having a degree doesn't necessarily guarantee a respected job. I'm disappointed because I got my Bachelors degree thinking that it was my ticket to any job out there. I thought employers would looking at my application or resume' and see "Bachelor of Arts Degree" and hire me right away. Apparently, this is not the case! Almost every job ad I have seen asks for at least three years of experience. I thought I was awesome with two years of experience. The conclusion of this conversation is that I have to lower my standards. My search is being reduced to Nanny jobs and other domestic type work. This is a blow to my ego. I thought, I'm a college graduate and I'm going to make some money and be able to enjoy life, go shopping more, and maybe even travel. Now I'm applying to minimum wage nanny jobs. Not to say that Nannying is a bad job or anything. I just thought I would wait a few years before having to be responsible for children!
On a more positive note, I have started a new hobby! I bought my first basil plant! Adam and I took a little trip to Fir Point Farms in Aurora, OR. It's about a 10 minute drive from our apartment. They have green houses with plants you can purchase, they bring in local produce, and have a farm with goats, chickens, and bunnies! There is also a hiking trail and a farm store where you can buy more local products like honey and preserves. I submitted an application there too. I bought a basil plant thinking the weather should stay warm enough to leave it on my patio. A day later the clouds and cold came back and I have to move it inside. It's still alive!! I'm thinking about the advice in the movie "28 Days" with Sandra Bullock. She goes to rehab and one of her peers asks the counselor when they can start having relationships after leaving rehab. The counselor advises they buy a plant and if they can keep the plant alive for a few months they should buy a pet and if they can keep the pet alive for a few months then they are ready for a relationship. At the end of the movie Sandra Bullock walks into a plant store and runs into the old friend from rehab and he is arguing with the store owner that they sold him a bad plant because it died. The friend also has a dog on a leash with him.

America's Struggle... At least one of them.

As of the past few weeks I have hit the job hunt pretty proactively. I would estimate I have sent in at least one application or response to Craigslist Ad's a day for the past two weeks. The number of responses from those applications, nada!!! Before I left California I felt very confident in my ability to get a decent, well paying job. Now I feel almost completely worthless! However, to put things into perspective I have considered the follow outside factors that would be causing this delayed response. First, the response volume for ad's on Craigslist is extremely high and employers who are posting probably get very overwhelmed and only view the first 20 or so applicants. Second, I have also applied to two of the largest hospitals in the Portland area, these are the big wigs of Portland and let's face it, they probably have more important things to do before looking at hiring 100 applicants, first reason also applies. Last, connections! Some of these people who are posting probably just throw it out there to be fair to the public and then hire someone who is an acquaintance of a current employee. I know that last one sounds cynical but you never know! I can't help but feel that the inadequacy is not the fault of the employer but also part of the applicant, me. Yes, I got my degree and I have two years of great job experience but that doesn't seem to be raising any eyebrows. I think my main concern is that I pursued the wrong degree. Sociology is a great foundation for a Masters degree but I was so busy planning a wedding and trying to get my affairs in order to make the move to Oregon that I didn't really focus on my career or Graduate education. I am planning on applying to Graduate programs but that doesn't open up till next Spring. I can't do nothing till then! Among applying to jobs, I also applied for a volunteer position with an agency that helps families who are struggling. I can't sit in this apartment forever and do nothing! Unfortunately, our church doesn't exactly offer any outreach programs so that avenue is blocked. I guess one of my points here is that I really should have set myself up a little better with my education, either by achieving a more specialized degree or by being ready to enter a Master's program upon moving here. Bottom line, I'm starting to feel America's hurt for jobs. We want to work!!!
On a more positive note, I have began watching a new television series on Netflix. It was a show on Showtime that aired a few years back called The Tudors. I have actually gotten passed the funny language and have gotten somewhat hooked. The series is about King Henry VI (I think that's the number) and some of the historical events that took place. The series is not historically accurate which makes the show confusing but it's still amusing. I have to say that the language doesn't seem accurate either, the script seems to fall in and out of that Old English language. I could be wrong though!

I know everyone has been waiting for wedding pictures and my photographer just finished and sent all 500 photos to me on a CD! I have no idea how to e-mail a file that large and I'm actually sure that it's not possible so I thought I would just share a few photos on here to give everyone a little idea of how awesome my pictures turned out!