Two weeks

Well it has been two weeks since we made the move up to the Pacific Northwest, and we have only scratched the surface of what there is to do up here. Unfortunately, our main limitation is money, which we are hoping to circumvent ASA-friggin-P. The other limitation, sort of, is the weather:

Actually, the weather has been pretty nice lately! Sure, it's raining, but with the rain comes warmer temperatures. Once the rain goes away, we see low 30's during the day and high 20's during the night. Plus the rain isn't a heavy downpour like it was in Concord--more like a sprinkle or a "mist," as the locals call it. But still, the overall dreariness and overcast skies makes it hard to get out and explore...

We're still on the hunt for jobs and don't have a lot of leads yet. Katie has been working on her application materials to a really awesome one that could lead to a solid career in Education as an Academic Advisor with Portland Community College. I'll let her share the details on that. I, on the other hand, have put out about 28 resumes and applications and would really like to hear back! It has only been two weeks, so I'm trying to keep optimistic.

In more positive news, we have discovered a local WinCo. Wow, I can't believe this store! So many bulk foods at steep discounts. Sure the crowd is a little... WalMart-y, but the savings are definitely welcome right now. I've also found some really cool neighborhoods en route to job sites. The South East of Portland has some great bungalow style homes in the 200's-300's range. Here's what they look like:

The houses in SE Hawthorne aren't situated on large plots of land, but the lack of landscaping is definitely made up for by the size and styles of the houses. Plus, they're in a great area--lots of trees in most of the suburbs and a really sleepy feel. I thought I was driving through a forest when all of a sudden I started seeing children walking home from school Lucky kids--what a great place to grow up.


I don't have much else to say for now, so I'll finish up with a couple of fun facts:

•  Portland's drinking water is sourced from Mt. Hood runoff and receives almost no water treatment.
• Home owners get a tax break if they collect rainwater from their roofs into rain barrels
• There are several year-round, rain-or shine farmers markets!