The Rainy Season...It Does Depress Us All

Gratuitous Pet Pictures

Ann Porter mentioned "Snakes On A Plane"...I give you "Snake In an RV".

Gracie, AKA "the Overwatcher", keeps an eye on the mutts.

The sun is out this morning and we're complaining about the glare on our computer screens. I keep reminding Derron that winter sunshine in Oregon is a rare event...we should cherish it. The dogs and cat certainly do. They quickly claimed all the sunspots in the RV.

The rain is difficult to deal with. As I've said before, it's deafening at night when I'm trying to sleep...we live in a tin can after all. And the fact that we have to walk the dogs 4-5 times a day, in the pouring rain, just makes it worse. The only time I don't mind it is when I'm curled up on the bed with the dogs, reading a book or working on my computer. I don't think I will ever get accustomed to having wet socks or wet pant hems...maybe it's time for some galoshes.

We headed off to the library today to work on résumés. My friend Billie passed some good advice the other day...and I paraphrase...take the job that fits your lifestyle rather than the other way around. I've been thinking about that and believe it's maybe revolutionized the way I'm looking at the job hunt now. We moved to Oregon to be near family, but also to simplify our lives and to spend more time out of doors. So what is my ideal lifestyle?

I want to spend time with Derron and the pets. I don't want to be chained to a desk all day. I want free time to do fun things like walk/hike, eat out, explore Salem and the surrounding area, and visit with family - and not just on the weekends. I don't want to care more about my job than anything else. I don't want to get involved in office politics. I do want to support causes that matter to me: efforts to combat domestic violence, veterans advocacy, efforts to elect more women, women's reproductive rights and rights in general, organic foods and sustainability, equality, etc.

So what does that mean? Non-profit jobs don't pay well but how much is enough? Derron's figured out what we need to make...pre-house sale in Bush and post. Full time non-profit jobs, especially for people like me with some volunteer (versus paid) non-profit experience, are few and far in between. So maybe I cobble together a couple part-time jobs to fit my needs and address more than one of the causes I care about? We have cheap and wholly adequate insurance through the military, so benefits are not big issues for either of us. Food for thought.

Speaking of the house in Bush...we got an offer today. It was low-ball but we countered and hope things work out. It will be nice to have that taken care of so we can move on to getting something permanent here. I put Derron in charge of the real estate hunt (since I'm running the employment stuff). He found a great neighborhood in West Salem...less than 10 minutes from downtown, 5 really if there's no traffic. We drove around it today and saw lots of houses for sale and lots of "open houses". We decided not to go to any of the "open houses"...didn't want to fall in love with something we are not yet prepared to buy.

Northwest Tidbit

You know you're in the northwest when you can charge your electric car in Walgreens parking lot.

We had lunch today at a Salem landmark, White's Restaurant. Been here since 1936! They make a mean egg salad sandwich. Derron had the meatloaf...as pictured here.

Off to Portland tomorrow for the day...a stop at Edelweiss for some souped-up bologna (for Derron, not me)...a meet up with my sister, Erin...and who knows what else.