Originally uploaded by ian McBian

4 differnt colors of gray. at least.

porch_20081219_9999_4
Originally uploaded by ian McBian

i love gray days. they are so colorful.

It snowed!!!

plactic angel
Originally uploaded by ian McBian

Rain

It hasn't snowed yet. It is supposed to tomorrow. Please snow, Portland. Please, please snow.

Rain and sleet

It is getting colder! The weather people are calling for snow, and I couldn't be more excited!

I am planning on getting a sled and ensuring that cocoa is well stocked. Oh, and I need to buy firewood!

The wonderful thing about snow in Portland is that the city shuts down. If there is less than an inch downtown, nobody has to go to work. I have five paid snow days planned in my year, just in case!

Send snow please

If you live on the East Coast, please send snow. If you live in the Midwest, please send snow. It rained today and was otherwise overcast and annoying.

I went on another job interview today. This make three, if you're counting. I am pretty sick of this process. Now I wait; I should hear back right before Christmas. So either, you get coal, or nice gifts all around.

My boss is a whiner.

Does your boss whine? Do you have to talk him down from freaking out? It's the same kind of energy I use with my daughter but with none of the cuteness.

Grey and cold

Brrr. It's cold outside.

This is the nicest gift anyone has ever given me. We'll know if it works if I am still sane in March.

grey, grey then sunny and cold

Originally uploaded by ian McBian

Today was sunny and cold. So cold it makes that last two days seem downright balmy.

At work the only way I notice the weather is by my gmail tree theme. It lets me know if it's rainy or sunny. My office has no windows. In fact, there are no windows in most of the building. It used to be a grocery store and was then converted into an office building. But! Did you know, dear reader, that there is another building right next door? Did you further know that this building is full of windows? Did you know it is empty? Well, empty except for one manager who has an extra office there. Him having an office in there necessitates that the entire building be heated. I've asked to move there. I've tried to negotiate several different ways. Alas! I cannot have an office with a window, even though there are more than five empty offices that are heated, and ready for me to be there. My boss's desire to interrupt me at whim is weighted heavier than my mental health. Still, sometimes let myself in one of those empty offices and sit on the floor, imagining.

It rained today

Also, look! Ian put up photographs! We're looking for a roommate, so if any of you three people reading this know of any awesome person that needs a room, let us know!

Originally uploaded by ian McBian

best viewed large. really.

best viewed large. really.
Originally uploaded by ian McBian

Overcast and Warmish

It is cloudy all day long. And all night long too.

I went to a party last night. It was my fourth gathering this week. I'm over parties for the week, which is ill timed as there is a party I'm invited to tonight. I just cannot do it, though. I'm exhausted.

Also, I'm a dancer! I just gotta dance!

Rain and cold

It is raining. It has been raining for the last two days. Other than that, it's been cold.

I have three birthday parties to go to this week. Why are my friends born at the same time? It is very strange.

I had vegan Vietnamese food today! A lot of it. I just relaxed and hung out. It was a great Thanksgiving, and for that I'm thankful. I gave up Thanksgiving with my family two years ago, and it really was the best for everyone. It used to be so stressful and tense for me. We would have to negotiate who would get Maddy when. Now Maddy goes with her dad and his family, and I just hang out. Christmas is still crazy. Maybe I should give that up as well.

Cold

I'm still sick. It was cold today, but sunny.

I'm sick!

Wah! I want some vegan pho. Will you pick some up for me? My head hurts and my kid won't stop yelling.

I was only outside today at the hot tubs and sauna. It was sunny and cold for about an hour this morning. Other than that, I have no idea.

Rain and cold

Yesterday was rainy. Today was sunny and then rainy. It was pretty cold both days.

Today Maddy had a funeral for a broken toy at school. It was a little wooden duck. She gathered all the other ducks around, along with some other animals. Then she made a grave. She then became solemn and said a few words. "It was the best toy. We are sad to see it go."

I've also recently discovered that she can subtract as well as add!

Cold and Clear

And on my street, constructiony.

Clear and cool

Today was the perfect day for a fire drill, which we had at my work.

In other news, my kitty takes prozac.

It poured

It rained so hard. Buckets and buckets all day long. Especially when I was waiting for the bus at a busstop without a shelter, for 15 minutes. It was so windy that a sideways rain hit my face, even though I had an umbrella. Yes, it was so rainy my facilities manager forced an umbrella upon me. The umbrella did that folding inside out thing, very helpful.

I have an interview for a gobment job. It pays a lot better than my current job and the last job I interviewed for. A lot. It's full time, like 5 days a week. It's temporary, though. They will hire a permanent, but they want someone in there now. At first I said I didn't want to consider a temporary job, but the guy told me how I was so great, and that it would make me better for the permanent job. I told him that I'd think about it. I did (and by thinking about it, I mean I sought the advice of my boyfriend, roommate, boss and mother,) and then he asked me to come in for an interview at 8 am on Monday. Actually, he wanted me on Friday, but that didn't really work for me, so Monday first thing! I thought that I pretty much had the job, so I was surprised I had to go to an interview.

Whatever. I hate this looking for a job bullshit.

Dark

Today was dark, windy and rainy. Because my work appreciates the struggles of brave men and women who've fought to keep our country free, I didn't have to work. I spent the day applying for another job (which took over two hours, because it is a gobment job) and realizing that I fucked up an application for one of the jobs I've already applied for. That was a downer.

It was so dark and wet and coldish that I didn't really want to do anything. Also, I'm menstruating, so I was cuddly and cozy and feeling like arguing. Since I was alone, I just got angry at the internet.

Finally I went to the gym. Then I came home and made dinner: lentil loaf, mashed potatoes, gravy and kale.

Nice day

Today started out rainy, but was merely cloudy by afternoon. It turned into a beautiful day, with color popping out from every nook and cranny. It was crisp and smelled like decaying leaves (so allergenic to me). Tonight was cold, but stars were in the sky.

In other news I had a job interview for a kick-ass organization. It took over an hour. There were three people interviewing me. I think I did okay, but won't hear about the second interview until the end of next week. That's two weeks people! Then, if they even like me, I'll have to go to another interview with even more people.

Yikes.

Overcast, rainy

It is overcast and rainy. Everyday. Yesterday was warm, though. I was going to write about my election night, which was awesome, but I seemed to have lost the audacity of hope.

Rain all day long

So grey. It rained and rained and rained. And every bus I took today was late. One never came, it broke down. I had to get the next one, which was also late.

Rain, wind, overcast

It did rain on Halloween! It really drove down in the morning. By the evening, the rain stopped, though. It was a much warmer night than last year. Candy was procured by the tots, and a merry time was had by all.

Yesterday was drizzly all day. It rained quite a bit at night, and was very windy.

Today was mostly overcast. Very grey.

Sunny

It was cold in the morning and warm in the afternoon. It has hardly been rainy, but it surely will rain on Halloween. It just has to, or it isn't really Halloween in Portland.

Beautiful, sunny and warm

It was t-shirt weather today. I walked around town in my t-shirt. Yesterday I took my kid to the park and we flew a kite. Maybe I'll post some pictures when I'm not feeling so lazy. The weather over the weekend really has been ridiculous. I'm waiting for the rains to come and be gloomy, but they're at least a month late.

Foggy, then sunny and warm

The last two days were very foggy breaking into sunny crisp fall weather.

I am so tired people. I rode 6 busses and 1 max today. So done.

This guy is running for political office. So if you don't vote, Oregonians could end up with him. Not really. Actually, if you're reading this, you're probably one of five of my friends and that guy is probably more likely to win with your vote. I love reading the voters' pamphlet because of all the crazies.

Gorgeous

It was a beautiful autumn day. It was sunny and warm and clear. I wish I could appreciate it, but my office at work has no windows. It is a cave. In the winter it is a cold cave due to poor circulation, and in the summer it is also a cold cave due to I don't know what. It really makes no difference to me if it's raining or not when I'm at work, as it's always gloomy and fluorescent in my office.

There are three empty offices with windows at my work. I cannot have one, because my boss wants me close to him, in a cave. I was pretty melancholy about this today, going so far as to let myself into each of the offices to look at the emptiness, the windows.

Yesterday was cold and foggy.

Rainy

It rained today!

Chilly

It mostly chilly and sunny or chilly and cloudy lately. It isn't raining, which is weird.

In other news, my kid is having trouble at preschool and I don't know what to do about it. Apparently she is introducing some salty vocabulary to other attendees. Not cuss words, I don't think, because clearly the school doesn't allow that. A mother complained that her kid was saying things that she heard from my kid, but wasn't specific. I don't know which words in particular, so there really isn't much I can do about it. It was probably about death or something.

I've dealt with this from other kids, but they were using oppressive language. I may allow some choice language, but I do not allow that shit. After repeating that girls can't marry girls and boys can't marry boys, I informed her that not only is this untrue but hurtful to people we care about. Then my friend talked to her to tell her how that affects her and her girlfriend. So now she'll school other kids.

I feel like this is part of sending your kids to school. They come back with stuff you wish they wouldn't. I'm not keen on all the princess fascination (read I hate the gender and class implications), but I never thought about trying to tell the teachers to tell parents to have their kids stop talking about it. It seems like such a passive way of going about it. The deal is this, you have influence over your kid. If you don't want your kid to say shit, tell her not to say it. Don't put try to put your morals on me and my kid to protect yours from whatever you don't want her to hear. It's not going to work, and you're not teaching her anything.

I can't help but feel like it's classist anyway. Clearly this other mom feels entitled to dictate how other people can act. I'm clearly the poor mother there, as I work and don't drive a fancy car. I'm not only unmarried, but about a decade younger than most of the parents. God, how many times is this going to happen in Maddy's schooling?

Sunny and warm

Today gave Portland beautiful weather. It was sunny with blue skies. The temperatures allowed me to wear a tank top in the house, instead of several layers of clothes with a blanket over me huddled on the couch.

I didn't really appreciate the weather, though. I was menstruating. My boyfriend offered prayer for my woes (although he isn't the godly type). I told him to pray for brownie sundaes. He must have. My friend called and offered to come over with a brownie, coconut milk ice cream pie. She really did. Prayer works, y'all.

Mostly Sunny and Cold

Or at least cloudy and cold. It rained briefly last night as we were leaving the bar after the debates. It was sunny and warmish today! It is strange that it isn't raining more, but we'll take it.

In other news, my uterus has gotten ready in case McCain wins the election.

Beautiful and sunny

The past two days gave Portlanders beautiful fall weather! It's sunny and chilly.

Yesterday was a perfect day for going to the pumpkin patch. The sun burned the chill of the morning off the day. Blue skies were spotted with puffy white clouds. Everything was perfect until my daughter ran off and got lost. I saw her run from my sister to the cornfield. The corn was taller than her by two feet. Past the corn was a field. I lost her in the corn, though. My family and friends put on a search. The "security" at the pumpkin patch was notified. She had completely left the farm and ran into the forest. We only found her because she got stuck in blackberry bushes and was yelling for help. She said she was off on an adventure to find wild animals. No animals of any sort were found.

Ian gave me the extra set of the keys to his car so that I could put Maddy into her car seat straight away. We didn't find out that I left them on the top of the car until we heard them fall as we accelerated on the highway. We had to pull over and one by one we found them on the side of the highway. As we were coming back to the car I took off my long sleeve shirt, because it was so warm. This is the gorgeous weather we are having.

It is really cold at night, though, and in the morning. The minimum on our thermostat is set at 60 degrees.

Cold and Clear

Today was a beautiful autumn day! It was cool and crisp. The leaves are falling. Ian doesn't want to turn on the heat so I have been making fires in the fireplace and layering up.

Yesterday poured buckets of rain out of the sky. Buckets! It was as if the sky broke apart and all the water rushed down. It happened about the time I picked up my kid from preschool. The same preschool that is a little unnerved by her obsession with death. Well, preschool, me too, but what do you want me to do about it?

Cold and Clear

Ian's computer is down for some reason that I do not understand. It will be awhile until pictures are up. It'll be worth the wait.

All sorts of weather

Today had a little something for everyone. It was sunny with fluffy white clouds. It was rainy and windy.

I was stuck in the pouring down rain while walking to the bus stop. The rain drove down through my sweater. My hat was soaked. I decided I needed a trench coat. Ian suggested that I take an umbrella, but goddamnit, I'm a Portlander. We don't use umbrellas.

In other news, I watched the presidential debate tonight (at least part of it). I watched it at a pub, because I don't have television. We have a television, mind you; we are merely unable to process the waves of of the networks. The debates led me to drink. The drinking, in turn, led me to heckle.

I heckled both candidates, which I think led to my unpopularity with the crowd, although not my company. McCain being the obvious asshole, while Obama tried his best to sound as McCainy as possible, while differentiating himself in slight ways. While their platforms may be different, they certainly don't sound different.

Overcast, warm and windy

Today was overcast with hints of blue sky peeking through. It was pretty warm, warm enough to walk to the library in a t-shirt, although there was a cooling breeze.

In the evening, it poured down rain. We started a fire in the fireplace and roasted vegan marshmallows to make smores. My cat hates fires. She meowed a meow of alarm.

Dreary, drizzly day

Today put everyone in a terrible mood. It provoked my preschooler to say, "No, mommy, I'm not cuddling with you because I love you; I'm cuddling because I'm tired." She was ornery.

It was chilly and wet. The only thing that made it better was Van Hahn. Delicious vegan Vietnamese food.

In other news, my cat hates Godspeed You Black Emperor!

Overcast

Today was cloudy with enough sprinkles to threaten to rain. It never really came down, though. It was windy and a little chilly. Oh, and I was greeted this morning with my fall allergies.

It rained.

It poured. It drizzled. It sprinkled. It misted.

It rained

It rained today! It was overcast most of the day, until the afternoon when it was blue skies broken with fluffy white clouds. It was warm enough to walk in a t-shirt. Later, storm clouds moved in. It started sprinkling and then down-poured.

Ian took a picture, but said it was black and white so it didn't count. He should really upload it, though. His pictures are much better than mine. They are in focus, and that's just for starters.

I missed yesterday. It is because it was cooler and overcast and the despondency started.

Sunny and Warm

Today was a beautiful day, a particularly good day for having a picnic dinner overlooking the UP railroad yard.

This very well may be the last day of its sort, as the rains are imminent, or so those who listen to weather forecasts tell me.

Oh, and I took the picture because, although Ian never goes anywhere without his camera, he cannot get it together to take a picture of outside.

Sunny and Hot

Yesterday my roommate Ian and I were discussing the onset of fall. I was lamenting the seasonal depression that the rainy weather promises. We decided that Portland would be much more tolerable if we could cut out in the middle of winter for somewhere sunny.

I said that February or March are the hardest months. Ian said that March brings in new spring weather. He went so far as to proclaim that the rainclouds are broken up into blue skies (!) with puffy white clouds from time to time. This is where our disagreement led us to decide to keep a weather journal. It being the 21st century, we have brought our journal here. I (Tabatha) will do the writing. He will take the pictures.

Today it was hot and sunny. Workers were laying asphalt in our neighborhood, which made it feel oppressively hot. My underarms were sweating through my shirt.

While fall is surely around the corner, it hasn't really settled in yet.