Todd’s Life

Well, today was a pretty tiring day because I stayed up too darn late and got up at 8 to get ready for church.  I was so stinking tired.  I told my friend next to me that she could hit me if I started snoring during testimony meeting.  I came home from church and went to Jerome’s house for lunch.  He is leaving for the Netherlands for one month.  After that, I came home and got ready for Karla to come over.  We watched a movie together and then just talked for a while.  She really is such a sweet woman.

I have a felt a little out of control lately.  I think that is what happens when you start liking someone.  It’s been a while, but that is how I feel.  I don’t like this feeling once bit, but it seems to be part of the process.  The scary part is that she is very much like me in the way we think and how we are.  But I will just try and relax and not think too much.  She thinks as much as I do.  I don’t know what will happen and I sure hope I don’t screw this one up, but if I do, then it just wasn’t meant to be.  What happens when two thinkers get together?   Anyway, we had a couple of nice chats at work today.  I need to start focusing on work again.  You know that feeling you get when you can’t get someone out of your mind and it distracts you from everything else.  Ohhh, that is an unpleasant feeling.  I’m sure it will pass, but for now it is irritating.  Ha.Ha.  Then we caught the bus from work today.  She is such a cute woman and so very nice.  Why this happens now, I don’t know?  Then later at night, we ended up chatting again over the IM for a while and it got to be late, then we needed to part ways and go to sleep.  I think that we are supposed to get together again today and then she wants to take me to the gay district here in town sometime this week because she says it is very pretty, etc.  Anyway, I think that I’m falling for her, but in some ways I don’t want to because I don’t want to surrender my freedom to feel what I want to feel when I want to feel it and when you fall for someone you surrender some things.

On a less personal note, Jack Bauer was pretty awesome last night.  I love that show.  I had a few American friends over last night to eat tacos and watch 24.  It’s become a tradition like the Sunday night dinners.  I also found out yesterday that I’ll be spending a week of July in LA with my nieces and nephews and some of my family.  Then it will be off to Hawaii for 2 weeks to work from home there, then back to Chile.  It sure will feel good to miss 3 weeks of winter here.  The only sucky part about it is that I’ve heard that August is the coldest month of the year here.  Anyway, wish me all the best of luck with this woman.  Like I said before, it sure would be nice to have the tender touch of a woman in my life for a while.  It’s been a while as my dating life has been rather comical for many years.  Timing is ultimately everything when it comes to dating, etc.  But in the end, whatever God wants is what I want in regards to this whole thing.  Cheers everyone.

I have two days until I leave the country for a planned 9 or 10 months.  The last time I did this was eleven years ago this August when I left for Japan to teach English.  The circumstances were similar for that move to another country.  I was bored with work and looking for a change and I’m not talking about the fake kind of change that Barack Obama offers.

I am looking forward to the chance to study Spanish full-time and just be in the educational mode full-time once again.  Often life gets so busy that it is impossible to just take a break and pursue the things that  you love and want to pursue.  I am blessed to be able to have the time and money to do this.  I will take advantage of it as best I can.  I will be patient and take advantage of all the experiences and opportunities that I will have.

On another note, Clayne left this morning.  He beat both Jared and my scores in golf.  He’s got a weird swing, but he can hit it better than we can.  It was fun to be out there hacking away on the golf course with my brothers.

Then today, I attended church in Spanish with Jared and family.  I understood some of it, but for the most part I tuned it out, because I couldn’t follow it well enough.  I will have to say that Spanish is the easiest language to learn.  I can’t imagine it will take a long time to learn it well enough to be conversant.  The vacation is about over.  It has been great to spend time here in Portland.  The weather has been absolutely gorgeous.  The skies have always been clear and just perfectly sunny.  It is abnormal for this time of the year to have weather like this.  Portland is a beautiful place.  Too bad they are going to vote for Obama and socialism:)

Here’s a couple of more pics of Jared’s family.

Wow!  What a Friday it was today.  Since I came to Oregon, the weather has been clear skies and 80 plus degrees everyday.  We couldn’t have asked for better days to be out and about.  This morning I got lost running and ended up running 7 plus miles through Hillsboro.  Then Jared, Clayne, and I went to the Portland Rock Climbing Gym (http://www.portlandrockgym.com).  Take a look at their site and their rock climbing gym.  It was awesome.  I’ve never seen a gym quite like it.  I would join that gym in a heartbeat.  The workout is incredible, much better than lifting weights.  We climbed for a couple of hours until our forarms hurt.  I wish I had taken my camera, but I keep forgetting to do that.  I’ll have to remember tomorrow.  We did some 5.6, 5.7, and 5.8 climbs.  We all our out of climbing shape.  I don’t think I’ve ever been in climbing shape.  After climbing, we went golfing.  Why we keep golfing is beyond me?  I guess we just enjoy hanging out.  The loser always buys Dairy Queen ice cream.  I didn’t lose this time, although I certainly played like a loser at time.  I eventually just put away my driver and hit my 3 hybrid club.  I think that will be my strategy from now on.  Now more driver.  My slice just sucks.  Clayne won the overall title.  I finished second and Jared bought.  He had a 15 on the final hole.  It was funny.  He’s actually pretty good, but if you end up in the trees on this course, you are pretty much hosed.  Tomorrow, we will golf for the final time.  Hopefully that goes better.  How Clayne keeps beating us is beyond both Jared and I?  He never golfs.  He just shows up and hits it straight and beats us.  It’s amazing.

That was a full Friday.  I’m sure that I’ll sleep good tonight and that my forearms will be sore tomorrow from climbing.