Washington Christmas!

I spent this Christmas with Alea and Adele. Alea's friend William was also there. Pretty much a small gathering of Midwestern fun!

Michigan Christmas!

I headed back to the hometown to see my family and friends for the first time since I moved. Had a good time with everyone despite getting the flu at the end of the vacation. I got see a little bit of snow and re-visited Ciao Amici's and Lu's for a holiday hoorah!

Thanksgiving 2008

This was my first Thanksgiving away from my family and I was able to spend it with my favorite friends! We all made part of the meal, which was nice. I made butternut squash soup- the first time I have ever made soup that didn't come out of a can. It was actually pretty tasty. Adele and Alea made the turkey and a few other side dishes and Kim and Vic made stuffing and green bean casserole. Random desserts were brought and devoured. It was a fun weekend! I leave for Michigan in a week, so it will be nice to see everyone!!!

Becks B-day Surprise Bash

I snuck into Portland again this past weekend to surprise my friend and old college roomie, Becky, for her 28th birthday. The big surprise was that her sister Amy also flew in from Michigan as a HUGE surprise! We headed out to dinner and other bars for some drinks. It all felt like old times at State! We all had fun, some maybe too much fun :)

Work party wine tasting!

I was invited to my first wine tasting extravaganza at a fellow co-workers home as a Good-bye party for Amie, one of the therapists I worked with here, and a congrats on attaining US citizenship for Raafa, one of the front office staff members at work. We all had to bring a Cabernet, cheese, crackers, and chocolate for the shin-dig. We all had a great time chatting it up, playing foosball, ping pong and Nintendo Wii golf/guitar hero. These are the folks I see everyday of the week, so they are pretty much my family!

Halloween in Portland

I spent a nice Friday evening in Queenanne with Dana and Tim. We went out for dinner then to a little hole-in-the-wall bar to play darts and pool. It was my first (and last) experience with Rainier beer. The next morning I got up early to help my boss at a ski clinic, teaching skiers, young to old, the importance of and how to recruit the lumbar multifidi and transversus abdominus for proper neuromotor control while skiing. Sounds boring, but it was fun!

I also headed down to Portland to visit with Becky, Pete and Floyd the dog and to dress up and enjoy Halloween. It was a fun and well-deserved weekend away since I've been working my tail off at work. Everyone needs a mental break and this was mine!