Posting should be part of my homework so I'd do it more often...

Whoops. Bad posting, Gina. And school hasn't even started yet!
Yes, that's right- school hasn't started. However, we do finally start class way up here in Eugene on Monday. I have been re-oriented to teach 2nd year and was happy to discover that the book is much better, and more interesting. So maybe teaching 2nd year won't be as scary as I thought, and I won't have to make up as many activities. It also looks like I'll probably be taking an overload of classes again, but I think I can swing it (hopefully!) without constant stress. So yeah, yay school. Not really.

So Gina, you ask, what have you actually been doing? Why haven't you been able to post in forever? Well, loyal reader, not much. And because I'm lazy (and a bad blogging example). People started to come back into Eugene that I hadn't seen all summer (yay Steve!), I had orientation (yay! wait, no) and Meara and I went to Portland for a few days. Also, my friend Brad, who I know from Ripon, but who is from about an hour away, came to visit and to go to the sorta-Gina-and-Lakisha birthday party that was last weekend. So yes, there was also a party. Oh, and the Eugene Celebration parade- possible the coolest parade ever, very liberal and home-made. As you can see, there's been many random things exploding here and there, so I've consequently had a random few weeks. I'll be better, promise. I know I've promised this before, but this time it's for realz. Really. Cross my heart.

Let's see, other things. I was informed last night by my wonderful friend Kirsten that she's engaged. Congratulations Kirsten! If you haven't already read my email, sorry I was tired and poopy! Kirsten is the latest in a growing chain of high school and college friends of mine that are getting married and engaged. Scary, isn't it? Especially since Kirsten and I had plans to be the last ones left, and sit in the back of everyone else's weddings and heckle. I think I may be on my own on that one now. Enough with the weddings, people! Have some sort of other big news for a while, like "I found the cure for cancer!" or 'I just ran the Boston Marathon!" I am seriously thinking about just buying large stockpiles of wedding gifts so I don't have to continually go shopping for them. Eek. I'm tired of never being the one with big, good news, like "I'm moving to a new fun city!" or "I just got a great job!" Hmphh. The best I can do for anyone right now is "I'm teaching 2nd year French" and "I'm taking too many classes again" and "I'm the only one of my friends without a roomate except my fish!" Sorry guys. No excitement here.

Lalala, nothing left to say. Maybe something more exciting will happen once school starts again? Please? Maybe pictures of something will be posted as well?

What color mouse are you?

Steve sent me this great postcard (see below) in the mail from Italy, which made my day. He called a while ago (also from Italy) to ask for my address, which was also nice. Click on the picture to make it bigger- it's worth it. The details of all the little micies are sooooo cute! Steve is the best! The back of the card said "What color mouse are you?" a long story, but made me smile since no one's asked me that in months.

Also got Heather's invite, which I nearly destroyed. Nonono, by accident. Apparently I'm too dumb to get pretty things in the mail. Sigh. I put it away before I did it any further harm (what do you mean the star doesn't come off?)

April left the best comment on the last post which everyone should read. Very true April, and thank you for bringing that up. See, I'm just prepared! And yes, there's still royalty out there- Mr. Prince of Sweden has my name on him. He just doesn't know it yet.

I'm listening to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, which I haven't put in in forever. My junior year, a bunch of us knew this entire thing by heart and could sing along (albeit sort of poorly), and did so, very loudly, on many car trips. I really do like it, though, and the movie too. So Beth, Dana, Erin and Katie, this cd-listening is dedicated to you. And our ride to the AT Telethon. Even though we missed Ben Affleck's call, we're still cool. Yep.

I just got this postcard in the mail from Steve! I miss him tons! Possibly the cutest postcard I've ever seen, too.  

Warning- random alert!

Nothing of much excitement is going on here, (note- this does not count my interesting relationship with my masters essay and waffling on whether or not I will try and take an overload again this term, those aren't really that exciting) so WARNING- this might be a random and bizarre entry. Wait, that would assume that my other posts aren't like that. Hmm.

For those of you keeping track of Oregon's non-sensical academic calender, I start school two weeks from tomorrow. Yes, still two weeks away. And for those of you keeping track of the fast-paced world of Gina's knitting, the pink and white scarf is done! Done, I say! You may remember that I started knitting this in, umm, February. So I got distracted, it's not a criminal offense!

Fret not, loyal readers! The problem you have been worried about for ages now has finally been solved! I have found the shoes I will wear if I ever get married! (that would, of course, someone putting up with me long enough to get married, which is an entire problem in itself) No, I wasn't looking for wedding shoes online (this is directed towards you, mom), I found them, by accident on the Kate Spade site, where I was not by accident. So pretty. Bows. So expensive. So not anywhere near ever having to think about wedding shoes. They come in pink, I wonder if I could get away with them for just, you know, everyday usage? But I guess I'd need a matching purse for that, and all of my attempts to procure a Kate Spade handbag have ended in disaster. And by disaster read me not having one. It may be time to get a knock-off.

When Dad sends me the formatted versions of the pictures he took while he and Mom were here, I'll post more- his are better. Really.

Look! A cappuccino! 

Parents on dune. 

My name in lights! Or the sand, you know, either works. 

Heceta Head Lighthouse, just north of Florence. This is on sooooo many Oregon postcards (and my credit card!) 

Me with birthday cake (notice the two candles on one side and three on the other- it took me way too long to realize that meant 23) and coolest bag ever! 

Parents! Eugene!

Hi, it's me again. Remember me? The one who promised to post more? Whoops.

Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who called or wrote with birthday wishes! I had such a wonderful day, and I think I got more calls in that one day than I usually do in a week. Hee. My parents' visit was also great and very busy (which is why I couldn't post or return lots of phone calls for a while). They arrived on Saturday, and after visiting my apartment (and not looking in all my drawers and closets, thank goodness), we headed on over to the Eugene Saturday Market and Farmer's market. Such a beautiful day. Parents were awed by amount of produce available at market (which is pretty stunning). They saw Saturday Market in its full glory and mom went crazy at this beautiful hand-painted tile booth (our house in Tucson is now going to be adorned with scenes of Oregon!). We also discovered some new stores (rather, stores I hadn't been to) in downtown Eugene, including a cool little paper store, where parents, being parents, stocked up on cards which they will promptly put away and forget. Hee. Had coffee at Italian coffee-shop (is it Perugia or Perugina? Help?), returned home to drop off all the goodies and went for a walk by the river followed by an INCREDIBLE dinner at the Red Agave (mine came complete with cocktail wonders from favorite-bartender-ever Jeff).

The next day we headed up to Portland and started the day with croissants at Ken's Artisan Bakery. They. Make. Macaroons. The. French. Ones. Gina. Very. Happy. We putzed around town, I got part of my book list at Powell's, etc etc. Shopping ensued, and dinner at my favorite Portland restaurant, SouthPark. We also saw this huge wedding (with all the guests) walk by, following a bagpiper. Beautiful.

Monday, aka Labor Day, aka my birthday (!) we went out to the Oregon Coast (Florence to be exact). It's so wonderful and amazing there. Both parents were shocked at how beautiful it really is, and not at all what you'd expect. Anyone who visits Oregon definately needs to go. We also spent some time in old-town Florence, getting the requisite salt-water-taffy (yuuuuum) and me buying the remainder of Mike's birthday gift (!) Birthday dinner was at Gina-popular Cafe Lucky Noodle, in Eugene, where, even though we had the bizarre waiter (again!) we had a good night. Theeeeeeeeen mom and dad surprised me with a cake (yay!) and the coolest birthday present ever- my very own food processor!!!!!!!!! Now, I know what you're thinking- what kind of present is that? The exact present I wanted, actually. I dropped not-so-subtle hints FOREVER and now the Cuisinart is all mine! Huzzah! Best. Parents. Ever. Hands down.

Tuesday the parentals finally saw the U of O, sans students. Their entire trip was accomodated by the weather gods with spectacular weather, and this day was no exception. We did run into a few former-Gina-students (including Katie giving a tour-hee!) which was funny for them. We did all the "this is my school" things, then a Target and Trader Joe's run (yumyumyum) and dinner at Beppe and Gianni's, one of the first places my mom and I ate in Eugene a year ago.

So, yeah, their visit was great. A lot better than I expected, too. I was sad when they left, but then realized that I'll see them in 6 weeks when I go to Tucson for Heather's wedding. And now I'm also finally the same age as the rest of my friends. Yay me! Pictures to follow...

Birthday!

Yay! Happy birthday to me! And since it's Labor Day, I can also believe that the entire country is celebrating along with me. Don't burst my bubble on that one and tell me that they're not, ok? Parents here, lots of fun, Saturday Market, Portland, Coast! Better update later when am not supposed to be getting ready to go. Yay!