Keep Portland Weird

I spent some time in Oregon visiting family and friends and I almost didn't come back. I really do love the Land of Port and continue to tell my brother that he should find me a job and/or potential husband and I will live in their basement until I buy a place of my own. Highlights from the trip:

1- Jimmer surprised me at the airport. My niece Brinners was embarrassed by the sign and spent the week saying she didn't like Jimmer. She'll learn and then she will go to BYU.

2- We spent a night at a cabin and we stayed up late watching movies on my brother's laptop. Actually, Brinners and Noelle-belle stayed up while the adults fell asleep. Awesome.

3- We ventured downtown for Voodoo Doughnuts and sampled the offerings. We also saw the "Keep Portland Weird" sign which was very appropriate with all we saw while waiting in line for a bacon maple bar and pink bubble gum doughnut.

4- I was able to go to lunch with Kaydi Rae and Cohen and I also had lunch with Dan and Andrea, who recently moved to Portland. I'm beginning to think I must move.

The low point: The disappointing BYU loss to Florida but buying new shoes helped with the pain.

Jazz

I went to a Jazz game with a couple of friends. I'm pretty sure that my presence is the reason we won...in overtime. Seeing Jeff Hornacek on the bench made me so happy.

Care of Self

Many years ago, I met with a supervisor who asked what I was doing for myself when not at work. I was not prepared for this question and didn't know how to answer. As we talked, I began to see the importance of having a life outside of work. I work from home which means I could be logging information, making phone calls, or checking email twenty-four hours a day, but there comes a point when I need, no, crave and depend on, Shelley time.
Fast forward to last week and the lesson was relearned. I had an appointment for a facial and I contemplated canceling so I could deal with critical issues at work. I took a deep breath and made a choice. I chose me. I knew that I would be better prepared to handle anything that came my way, if I only took an hour to relax and take care of myself.
As I left the salon, I felt renewed and confident that I had made the right decision and was better prepared to conquer work and life concerns. I know that when I take care of myself, I am better able to care for others.

"Things do not change; we change." ~Henry David Thoreau

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