Miss You Erin!

I've always wondered how animals are affected by things like people or other animals moving away or dying. Do they know? Can they tell before it happens? Do they get sad? I wondered how Tiffany felt when we put Comete to sleep. Did she know we had just put her best friend in the ground forever? Is she lonely now? I know it's our tendency to try to personify animals, but they have emotions too, right?

My roommate Erin and her dog Riley just moved out of the house for the summer (they'll be back in 3 months). Damascus and Riley were best friends, and Damascus was pretty attached to Erin, too. While Arlo and I were at work in the morning to early afternoon, Damascus would stay with Erin and Riley until we got home. She often took them on long hikes and even to the coast or up in the mountains. Arlo and I were incredibly lucky to have such a great friend that would help us out with him.

And now I'm wondering how Damascus feels. Does he know they won't be back for a while? Could he tell ahead of time that this would happen? I don't know if they've been gone long enough for him to understand. After Erin left yesterday, Arlo found Damascus laying on Erin's old bed in an empty room. That's where he would always sleep if no one was home. Today, he has been sitting by the door a lot... seemingly waiting.

I just wonder how he feels...


It has only been a day, but it's weird for me too. Whenever I drive up the hill, I look at who is parked on the street and always look for Erin's car. I've already caught myself checking a few times since she left. Though our schedules were always opposite, and sometimes I didn't see her for a few days, the house feels kind of empty now. Don't get me wrong, I love all of my other roommates! I've just been trying to figure out why I feel off today, even though it's sunny and beautiful. And then I realized I have just been sitting around the house like the dog, waiting for her to come home.

I miss you Erin!

A Series of Recent Happenings

As per request of my brother, I come here now to elaborate on things past, present, and perhaps future. So grab your beverage of choice and gather 'round. It's story time!

The day went like this: It was a Wednesday. The night before, I had gone to a Citizen Cope concert (acoustic set, very nice) with roommate Erin and friend Pat. Good times were had, and I was home in time to catch about 5 hours of sleep. Definitely worth it. Back to Wednesday, I woke up feeling not so well. I went to work, the feeling of nausea and sour stomach progressed to the point of making the work day quite miserable. I thought only of going home to sleep for many hours. Work ends, and I drive to meet Arlo downtown. By now I'm a puddle of rot, but I noticed Arlo was acting unusual as he secured his bike to the car rack and got in the passenger seat. "I just hit a car." he said in a daze. A mix of adrenaline and worry shot through me. I then noticed the seeping wounds on his chest. He had been riding in the bike lane at about 15mph and a prius owner opened her door at the same time Arlo happened to be riding by. His chest played the role of brakes and brought him to a halt at the top of the tall door. He didn't have enough time to use his actual brakes. From what my eyes could tell me, he was ok with the exception of those cuts and a sore neck. But you know the drill... off to the emergency room we went. Luckily, it was nothing serious. Two days rest and a bottle of Oxycodone later, he's feeling much better.

But I was still feeling terrible. I wanted to take care of Arlo, but I ended up sleeping for most of the rest of the night, and only being awake for 5 hours the next day. Disgusting. I was sick with some sort of allergies/cold the week before. It was a tough two weeks.

And today we're both healthy and happy. Arlo will likely have scarring on his chest from the accident, but he seems to think that's cool... *rollseyes*


So it's rumored the world ends tomorrow? From my understanding, man will know neither the day nor the hour. I'll continue to ignore the media and do what I've been doing. I can't believe how many people are stressing out and scrambling to try to control things they can't. Inevitable things are just that, and trying to control them is pointless.


Work has been going well for Arlo and I. Arlo got hired on full time after he was a temp for a few months. Woohoo! I'm still a temp, and still waiting for a full time position to open up at Columbia. Still very much enjoying things there.

Wake boat! Arlo and I went out on a wake boat yesterday with Greg (our landlord) and his friend Ray. It was a gorgeous day, and so much fun.

I spent last weekend teaching the Oregon Crusaders front ensemble in Salem, OR. It was an awesome experience, and I was so happy to work with so many great people and talented kids. After spending the fall and winter not teaching, I'm definitely ready to get going again.

Tonight, Arlo and I went to an Ethiopian place in NE. The atmosphere was a bit dull, but the food was delicious! The prices were decent too. The iced tea was not up to par with the Ethiopian place in Chicago, but it was still good! I think I've discovered a way to make something that tastes very similar at home. I found this tea at work that's made by Bigelow called Constant Comment. That name just sounds like someone constantly nagging someone else... making constant comments... I'm not quite sure what they were going for with that name, but it tastes great!

Anyway, all is well and life is good. Now someone come visit me!