Awake

A deer outside my window

I was just about to leave my new office for the night—I was closing the blinds—and what did a see, but a deer grazing in the backyard of Abbinito.

Kitty?

Our cousin thought Zoie looked like the little girl from Monsters, Inc. I think there may be a resemblance. What do you think? :)

Kylia Turns Four!

We celebrated Kylia's 4th birthday (which was July 26) during the Mitchell Campout at Stub Stewart State Park. With the cabin decorated, cupcakes candled, presents wrapped and bagged, and family gathered, Kylia reveled in turning four years old. (Later, she decided she would like to go back to being three since she reasoned that a "big four-year-old" doesn't get held as much. We promise to hug you and hold you, Kylia!)

I took 41 pictures before my lithium ion battery died (and I forgot my charger) and here they are: Photo Set: Kylia's 4th Birthday

No pictures from me of the campout. I'll have to rely on others to post theirs.

Enjoy!

The New Home of Sleepyhead City Web Works LLC

Just a quick post to announce my new office space in Ashland! It's right next door to Abbinito, the salon where I have my massage practice. Very convenient!

(That's right...I'm staying in Ashland for at least another year! I'm very excited about what this year will bring.)

Union Creek Pictures Posted

A healthy portion of our family (minus the Brant/Jackie/Tucker entourage) went camping at Union Creek this past weekend. We had a great time. (Union Creek 2008 Pictures posted over here.) I left Medford at about 11am and arrived at noon to find all of our traditional sites already occupied. So I went in search of a new site and found the perfect one, right on my favorite part of the creek—where the water falls in three places.

The Fun Squad (Seth, April, Adalie, Kylia, & Zoie) arrived a little bit before 8pm; Seth's friend Joel and his wife Katie arrived around 9:30pm on Friday; and Mom, Dad and Grandpa Doug arrived the next morning on Saturday. Despite my crafty representation of the precise location of the campsite (on a paper plate pinned to the campground bulletin board) where the Himes would be "living outside" (as Kylia put it) for the weekend , neither Dad nor Seth upon seeing the paper plate with the site number on it and with their last name written boldly on it with black inked capital letters knew how to comprehend what this new site number meant and proceeded directly to our traditional loop. Only after not seeing me at any of the sites in the loop that our past and present family had occupied for the last 50 years did they proceed to try and locate this mysterious new campsite, which was probably a mere 100 yards from the bulletin board where the paper plate directive was located.

Indeed, the site I had found was tucked away in the first loop of the campground—a loop that looks neither promising nor desireable because the sites all appear to be out in the open and not on the creek at all. But the site I found was tucked away and right on the creek, very spacious, private, and beautiful. It turned out to be a fine place to fish as well. Seth finally did come around and find it and upon a cursory inspection, heartily approved my choice.

On Saturday, when Mom and Dad were to arrive, all of us piled into Seth and April's station wagon and went to drop of Seth, April, Joel, Katie and their dog Ridley, their inflatable kayaks and fishing gear on a quiet meandering section of the Upper Rogue where they would spend the day floating and fishing (and getting bit quite comprehensively by mosquitoes). After saying our goodbyes (some of them quite tearful!), I drove my nieces and I back to Union Creek where Dad had been driving around, he still disbelieving that our traditional loop was not occupied by, well, Himeses, and confused in his doubt that the site number I indicated on the paper plate actually existed; until, I came around in the familiar red Taurus, and he pulled in right behind me (without my noticing). I got out of the driver's seat and turned around to find my parents and grandpa parked directly behind me and were now quite ready to believe that I had found a great new site for our present and future camping traditions.

Yes, everyone agreed that this new site was wonderful and good and how could we have overlooked it? It was so spacious and private and on such a pretty part of the creek. But in all the decades that our family has camped at this campground—even my mom has camped here since she was a little girl— none of us, not my grandparents, parents, nor any of us children had ever bothered even looking at another loop than 39-52 and here in loop 1-7 was an even more perfect place to be. We were indeed completely surprised and glad of it, too.

We helped the girls catch several fish on the creek right close to our campsite and even took them along the Rogue a little bit too. They learned to cross logs and fish and get dirty and play with leaves and pinecones and sticks—things that you just can't find at any store.

It was a fine weekend. The only slight disappointment was the copious amount of smoke at Crater Lake. But other than that, the air at Union Creek was quite clear and refreshing, the trees towering and magnificent, the creek clear and cool, and the fish caught and released.

On a personal note, on Friday afternoon after my tent was up, I took many walks but also took my chair down by the creek where the water falls a little over rock and log and read the afternoon away. I felt happy, centered, and content. Such a feeling I certainly needed for another big change is coming my way. As of an hour or so ago, change looks to come much more quickly than I thought. Instead of couple of months, I may, in fact, only remain here in Southern Oregon for a couple more weeks. Where exactly I should go or could go is the question weighing on me. When—well, "when" seems to be out of my hands. I think When will happen when When wants to and I needn't be that anxious where When is concerned. I am now quite convinced of that.

All this commotion for praying this.

C'mon, Jesus.

Update: Well, there's a studio next door to the salon renting for $450/month. I could live and work there and pop over to the salon for appointments. I have never been so confused. (Since last week anyway.)

Update: I'm taking it.

New videos posted

It's all about the silly silent videos...

Videos (Set)

88!

Grandpa Doug turned 88 yesterday! We celebrated with a barbecue over at Drew and Kelly's. Uncle Steve and Gavin were in town for the occasion which was especially cool because Gavin will be going to Japan in a couple weeks for at least a year.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Doug!

more pictures here...

Playin'

Pictures posted from hanging out at mom and dad's a couple weekends ago...

Check-em-out: Photo Set: At the Homeplace

I Think I May Have Caught Something

I'm wondering. Is Vegetarianism contagious? Because I was in the car with a vegetarian all the way to Portland and back and now I think my gastrointestinal tract is Just Saying No to red meat. I've been sick twice this week. The first time was either a 24-hour bug that kinda seemed like food poisoning. Or it was food poisoning. (Bad Mexican Food. How cliché is that?!) My lunch just sat in my stomach all afternoon and most of the evening. I'd look down at my bloated tummy and think to myself, oh dear, it's still there. I think I'm gonna be sick. And a few hours later, I sure was! Then I felt better (on Thursday) and then I may have been a little overindulgent with a BBQ hamburger dinner (because it was my favorite meal, you know). I don't know if it was the late hour in which we partook or the meat or my tummy or a little bit of all three, but this morning I was sick until I finally gave in and took some drugs. Now I'm sipping Ginger Ale and feeling much better. But I've gotta say, this has been a bad week for the GI system. I'm very much considering leaving out the red meat altogether and try some BBQ salmon instead. Or smoothies. Or Other Yummy Things.

Or could it be stress? Indeed, that is my guess. The last few weeks have been more tumultuous and mind-altering than I care to admit.

Oh yeah, I'm moving back to Portland. No idea when. Grandpa's moving to Avamere at Bethany whenever a suitable room becomes available and I'll stick around here until my obligations have been fulfilled. This could take months.

Yeah, it might be stress.

Looking back on this week

Wednesday began with a bump in the night at a little after four in the morning. A small crash but another substantial skin tear. A trip to the emergency room and a left forearm now completely wrapped.

Thursday ended with the assembly of one of those walker-on-wheels-with-a-seat and a deeply encouraged grandpa walking up and down the hallway.

Friday began again at an early hour—this time 3:00. Grandpa was complaining of excruciating pain in left thigh. Ice pack and acetaminophen was fetched and thus commenced my Independence Day.

Friday continued with a few more "Zs" and a reluctant roll-out-of-bed at quarter-til-nine. Grandpa, still in pain, me, fetching my massage table to set up in the living room. He insisted on the wheelchair, I, the walker. He walked to the table and I propped him up with several pillows and a face cradle turned neck rest. His jammied legs extended, I took his feet and gently wobbled them back and forth to see how restricted his hips were. The right leg wobbled well; the left barely budged.

I compressed and slowly ran my fist down the side of his left leg to try and release that tract of fascia. I felt around the hip joint and noticed a build up of tissue around the joint that struck me as unusual. Indeed, the right hip had no such build-up. After softening that and then doing compression on his hamstrings, I gave him a little foot massage and then applied the heat pack to the side and back of his thigh. By the end of the morning, he was feeling much better.

By afternoon, spirits were decidedly lifted (maybe due to the yummy tacos?) and I bounded off to the mall to buy a suit (it only took me 15 minutes to find the perfect one—which I think has to be some kind of record) and then over to Drew and Kelly's for a pool party at their new house. Had a blast in the pool for a few hours and then went back home to make Grandpa a sandwich for dinner. Went back to Drew's and we tried to scout out where the fireworks would be in relation to his deck (and awesome view of the valley). Their house is on the back side of Manor Hill and as far as we could tell, the fireworks would be going off in Miles Field right on the other side of the hill. We noticed neighbors walking up the hill and so we followed, but only to be turned away by security (attempting to enter Manor Hill without a walker?). No, there is construction on the hill and the lawyers decided to ruin the fun and not allow the public to trespass on the Manor's property like they have in year's past. But it turned out ok, because at 9:40 that night, a huge bang and explosion of fireworks erupted from the Hill. We scampered off the deck and down to the end of their driveway and enjoyed 20 or so minutes of what shall be known as the Great Manor Hill Volcano Fireworks Display. (Because the hill was between us and the fireworks display, the fireworks looked like they were coming out of the hill, like a volcano.)

Last night (Friday), I got to sleep through the whole night and this beautiful Saturday morning woke up early to cycle laundry, pack, empty and load the dishwasher, make breakfast, shower and get to the salon in time for my first appointment. I've got one more appointment in an hour or so and then it's back to 3355 to get us ready to embark to Portland for a short weekend with (most) of the family.

As of this morning, Seth is in California with a friend—both on business—and April and the girls were headed south from Lacey to Portland. April's car broke down in Kelso (fuel pump?) and the Dadoo left to get them and hopefully get the car towed to the McKenzie Ford dealership. Brant and Jackie are already there (I think) and hanging out with the V's.

So hopefully we'll all converge and have some quality time together before we disperse again on Monday.

Hope your holiday weekend is going well.