Crooked Dealings

Not too long ago my dad, uncle and I took a quick drive to Crooked River to check out the steel arch bridge there that was build in 1911.  Ok, so you’re thinking what’s so cool about a hundred year old bridge.  Well 1) it’s 100 years old and still in use and 2) there is a lot of air between the bridge and the river below.  Check it:

Could you even imagine working on building that?!  No fear of heights allowed!

And here’s a view of Crooked River, aptly named don’t you think?

The bridge above was constructed for trains and is still used.  There is also a bridge for the highway, and the old bridge for the highway.  Here’s a shot of the two of them, followed by the old highway bridge which can now be walked across.  The closer bridge is the old one, the farther one is the new one.

Hello narrow bridge!!!  I think I’d stop breathing if I was driving across this at the same time a semi was coming across towards me.  How can a truck and car fit!?  And let’s not even go into those crazies that would bike (as in bicycle) across this thing.  (Not that I have anything against those that chose to bike, but I fear for them sometimes because cars don’t always pay as close attention to them as they should.)  The new bridge is much wider.  Oh, and check out those awesome clouds!  That’s without playing with the image!

Loves.

I’ve Changed My Name

Because my blog was named “Adventures of This College Girl” and I’ve since graduated, I felt that I ought to change my blog name to be a bit more accurate.  And the description of me blogging about my experiences transferring from community college to university is now also inaccurate.  So, I’ve changed my blog name slightly and updated the description.  And hopefully I’ll get around to posting more often.  Or even remembering that I should be posting.  I’m planning a few local outings to better acquaint myself with my new city so hopefully I’ll have some fun stories or good photos to share.

Loves.

Hello From Oregon and an Oregonian!

I am officially an Oregonian!  I have ditched my California ties, and have moved north to the land of the Pacific Northwest, Mount Hood, Crater Lake, and The Goonies.  Sure I could have mentioned something obvious like rain, or the end of the Oregon Trail, but that’s boring.  Though I was checking out the official state symbols out of curiosity.  Check it:

• Animal: Beaver (and if I get into OSU I shall be a state animal)
• Beverage: Milk (hey, it does a body good)
• Bird: Western Medowlark (hark! a lark!)
• Dance: Square Dance (good thing I learned how to promenade and do-si-do in 3rd grade)
• Flower: Oregon grape (guess it’d be rude not to pick the flower with the state name in it)
• Insect: Oregon Swallowtail (flutter-by!)
• Motto: Alis Volat Propriis “She Flies With Her Own Wings” (pretty, I like it)
• Rock: Thunderegg (do you think when it hatches it produces Thundercats?)

I’ve already gotten my Oregon driver’s license and let me tell you that it has far fewer security features than California’s.  And I’m not even talking about California’s super new license design which must take for-ev-er to make.  Here, I took the test on Wednesday the 20th (only missed three questions, which I feel were dumb questions to ask me anyways) and received my license on Monday the 25th.  What, did it take like 4 hours to make?  You know most of that wait time was for it to go through the mail.  I’m just happy that my license photo is actually up to date.  I was 15 in my CA one!!  When being ID’d they’d ask me if that was me, not so effective.

Now all I need to do is get my car switched over to being an Oregon resident…and you know I’m going to get the special plates that make a donation to Crater Lake.

Loves.

Project Runway, Graduate Edition

Now that I’ve graduated I have a dilemma…I don’t know what to do with my graduation gown.  It’s mine, I had to pay $46 for the cap, gown, and tassel and I feel that is too expensive of a one time use.  So do I turn the gown into a painting smock?  Use the cap to practice my balance technique by placing glasses of water on top of it while I walk?  Rip apart those polyester seams and crudely sew it into something slightly more flattering?  Or a slipcover for my desk chair?  Decisions decisions…any suggestions?

Loves.

I Did It!

(Sorry if the photo is not terribly sharp, it’s a cell phone photo…and yes, those are honors cords)

After papers and busy-work and research and lectures and presentations and group projects and reading and cramming and procrastinating and writing and guessing on quizzes and setting the curve a few times and chasing the curve a few others and circling the parking lots and buying books that I did not need and selling back bargain books for more than I bought them for (take that bookstore!) and killing off many highlighters and losing more pens that I care to admit and countless hours dedicated to school…I finally finally finally graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Psychology!!!

So A Dog Was Riding In A Car…

When I was driving home today I saw something funny.  A dog riding shotgun in a Honda.  Ok, so that’s not the funny part because dogs ride shotgun all the time and in Hondas quite often I’d assume.  The funny part was that he was dressed like a stagecoach driver!

Ok, so he wasn’t dressed like a stagecoach driver.  That would have been beyond awesome!  Dang, now the real thing won’t seem quite as funny.  Oh well.  He was buckled in like a people!  No face hanging out the window, no jumping all around, he was just sitting calmly with the seatbelt pulled across his chest.  Still, gave me a smile and was super cute.

Loves.

Yes, I’m Alive…Stressed But Alive

I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve posted!  This quarter has been going by so fast that I feel like I’m both physically and mentally running around trying to keep pace.  I was able to steal a few moments to try to update what is going on with me.

This quarter is nearly done, this next week will be week seven, or maybe this week that just ended was week seven…I don’t know.  But I do know that my finals are March 15-17.  And I get a whole week from my brain to stop pretending to be jell-o before the crazies start again.  Luckily spring quarter won’t have as much going on.  I will only be taking two classes, since that’s all I need and I really don’t need extra units.  I may do some volunteer work but only a couple hours a week as to not get overextended.

As you may remember, or know, or care, or not…I will be graduating this June with my Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology.  Hehe, I’m getting my B.S. degree…get it?  Sorry, anyways, I’d been planning on going straight into a Masters program to get that much closer to earning my licensure to become a certified Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT).  It looks like I will take a quick pause and start working within the field of Psychology before I start the Masters program.  This will be good opportunity for me to put what I’ve used thus far into action, not to mention the networking opportunities within my field.  Oh, and my brain could use a little break from lots and lots of homework.  :)

I am still really interested in programs that are offered in Oregon so I will probably go ahead and move up there this summer.  That way when I do start my Masters program I’ll hopefully qualify for in-state residency tuition rates and I really have no need (or desire) to stay in Bakersfield once my lease is up at the end of June.  Bleh.

Back to homework.  Yes, it’s Friday evening and I’m working on homework.  Sigh.  I am so earning a Disneyland trip!  Who wants to take me?  ;)

Loves.