An Accent Of Sorts

Did you know I grew up in Wisconsin?  I did.  I spent my first 18 years of life there and I never knew there was such a thing as the Wisconsin accent.  I knew the big ones, Southern accent, Texan, New Yorker, Boston, Chicago, and California.  But in Wisconsin there was no accent.  I never heard anyone comment on the accent, probably because everyone sounded alike.  Who moves to Wisconsin?  Not too many.  You're pretty much born and raised there and don't ever leave.  Well, some do.  I did.  Still. it was like a thing that we would not speak of.  The accent.  

Then I moved to Arizona.  So many new people to meet.  I would introduce myself and then inevitably it would come up that I recently moved there.

Where are you from?

Wisconsin.

Oh, Wis-kaaawwnn-son. {enter extremely nasally drawn out "a" sound}

Umm, excuse me?

Cheese!

Cheese?  Yes, we do like cheese.  

I could just tell you were from Wis-kaawwnn-son, because of your accent.

What accent?


That's how it goes.  This was all new to me.  Being mocked for the way I said Wisconsin.  That is the way you are suppose to say it.  It's the only way to say it.  Wait, I have an accent.  It was all very confusing.

Every new person I met, it was the same thing.  They would repeat Wisconsin back to me in such an exaggerated way.  It got old fast and it still happens.  Without fail.

I say Wisconsin.

You say Wis-kaaawwnn-son.

And repeat.

Oh and there was that time when we were in London and met this British guy.  The subject of accents came up.  Of course, British accents.  Swoon.  Something was mentioned about how cute the British accent is.

Do you like our accents?

No. {Translation: They're dumb.}

To which I answer: You're dumb!  Rude.

Although, you can't really ever argue the British accent versus the American accent.  British accent will always win.  Then it will have a cup of tea and crumpets chuckling at our American accent while it drowns it's feelings in soda and ice cream.  Ooh, root beer float anyone.  Why can't we have a proper accent like the British do?

When visiting Wisconsin {Wis-kaawwnn-son.  Annoying, isn't it?}, I can hear the accents around me.  Only after being distanced from it for so long, only now can I hear it.  Even though, I don't feel extremely attached to people or things in Wisconsin anymore, going back there with the familiarity of how people talk is actually comforting.

I'll never move back there, but I am from there.  I have something that I will carry with me wherever I might go.  It's that accent that I didn't even know existed.  Yes, I'm from Wis-kaawwn-son.

Chills

You see what I mean?

An Open Letter to My VW Beetle

Dear VW Beetle,

Now that our time together has now come to an end, I thought it appropriate to write you a letter as one last goodbye.  You see, you are special to me.  Other vehicles would come and go, but you were the one constant for over a decade. 

We'll always have those memories.  When I learned how to drive, you were there.  You forced me to learn how to drive on a manual five speed and made my driver's test that much more nerve wracking.  I will forever know how to drive a manual because of you.  That makes me cool, only compared to those who cannot drive a manual.  Sorry I kind of loved you and hated you because of it, but I only hated you in traffic and on really steep hills.

We've been through the good times and the bad. 
Good: Road trips. Joy rides with friends. Getting me anywhere. Comfortable seats that know my rear better than anyone.  Sorry future owners.  Just kidding.  Good air conditioning, until a year ago which would go into the bad category.  Encouraging violence by watching kids run and hit someone playing slug bug, or is that bad?
Bad: Two terrible vanity plates, before we realized vanity plates are really lame.  It took us a few years.  Sorry for the embarrassment that brought you, and me.  That time a deer ran into us and smashed the windshield and the whole side in.  That time I ran over a huge landscaping block and all your innards were spewed out onto the road.  One cupholder.  Multiple cups. 

Now our time has come to an end.  I can't help but think how much has happened over the last ten years.  Old friends and new friends have come and gone.  Several moves-one across country.  Graduations.  New jobs.  Everything in between.  Life.  Time has flown by and stood still, if that's possible. 

It was time. To say goodbye.

Goodbye Portland!

Here are the last of our trip pictures.  I know you are happy about that.  Don't worry, I've got some more ranting coming your way with maybe a bit of nostalgia and a touch of sap {not from the tree, as in short for sappy}.  You would prefer pictures, huh?  I will pretend that my feelings aren't hurt, while I go eat some ice cream and cry in my room and have feelings of hurt.  Only not really.  

At The Mississippi Street Fair

I swear this trip was the trip of Brunch and Ice Cream, not put together.  We would have brunch, then eat a whole lot in between and end our evenings with Ice Cream.  My kind of trip.  

After brunching at Gravy where we had the biggest omelet stuffed with everything you could think to put in an omelet and smothered in, you guessed it, gravy, we walked along the Mississippi Street Fair.  Served to be a great place for people watching and observing how Portlanders do street fairs.  They do it well.  Within minutes of walking around, a girl came up to us asking to take our picture for her little street style blog, because as you know, we are "friends with style".  Her words, not mine.  =p  Then a few minutes later some middle aged man came up to us and said, "Okay, you girls. Picture."  And then walked away without telling us who he was or what he was going to use that picture for.  Pretty sure that is going up on some creepers wall.  Bleh!  Give us our picture back, Sir! 

The next day was hot for Portland and the local park was hopping.  They have a fountain where kids and big kids alike can get their feet wet.  

Oh and we had ice cream again.  What was I telling ya!  But check out that sky and those trees!  I miss you, Portland.  I really miss those pleasant chaps up there.  They're good people.  

What Ever Happened to Predictability??

I have more trip pictures.  I know you all just love looking at pictures of people that you don't know.  I know I do.  Here was our trip to San Francisco in a picture loaded post nutshell.

Day started off right w/ some Blue Bottle Lattes

Brunch at The Grove.  Aww brunch, my dear old friend! 

The painted ladies aka Full House house! 

Right after this picture we started singing the whole Full House theme song lead by my amazing friend Becky who remembered all the lyrics.  Hence my post title up there.  Come on, guys, who didn't love Full House!  Who knows the next line??  Rebecca, comment below!  

Palace of Fine Arts...

... where this happened!  That's right! 

Coit Tower

The Princess Diaries Fire House.  Always on the must see list.

Then for some reason we climbed this mountain!  Okay, it was more of a big hill.  It just felt like a mountain.  

After climbing the mountain, we thought we could take this on. 

Philz Coffee.  Best iced coffee EVER! I'm not kidding.  

And we ate a lot of good food and had a lot of ice cream too.  I don't have any pictures, because I was too busy devouring it to think about it.  Delicious!  Our friends were the best tour guides.  Thank you, Friends. for being our friends!

All the group shots here or the ones that actually look good were taken by our friend, The Photographer, Jonathan.  Check out his work here.

I'll Put Him In My Pocket

We were at Ulta the other day picking up some much needed drying lotion for those pesky things we like to call zits.  I get them.  My sister gets more of them (sorry, Syd). Everyone gets them.  Our friend in Portland was a wealth of information in the beauty department.  She told us about this David Badescu Drying Lotion for spot treatment.  I tried it last night on my third eye pimple, you know the one.  That stuff works.  The beauty guru also told us that Suave is now selling a dry shampoo.  Finally, I don't have to spend $15 bucks on a bottle just to have it break the next week.  True story.  Thank you, Suave, for being cheap and supporting my lazy habit of not doing my hair for days on end.

The point of all this isn't to share beauty products. As we were checking out, the girl behind the counter asked, "Would you like me to put him in a bag?"  Excuse me, did you say him?  Since when did drying lotion have a gender?  And if it does have a gender, then why him?  Why not her?  Would you like me to put her in a bag?  It's all very puzzling.  We didn't think to ask her these thought provoking questions.  I don't think we would have gotten a satisfactory answer.  Instead, we just laughed and put him in our pocket.

Now I'm all about personification, because that's all kinds of fun.  But I haven't really thought of them as having any specific gender, besides ships.  Those behemoths are girls, you know.  I've noticed most people name their car girl names or give them pet names.  With the exception of maybe a Mini Cooper which would be a guy with a proper British name like Harold, Charlie, or Horace.

If I started giving genders to things I think it would be a dangerous situation.  For example, if my dry lotion is a "him".  What if my cleanser was a "she".  When I washed my face, it'd be like they were making out on my face.  I'm not gonna think about it.

This post doesn't have any pictures.  You down with that?  She likes to mix it up.  She knows you'll understand.  See how I used "she" referring to my blog.  See how that was creepy.

The Thing About Being Tired...

How are you?  {Normal question}

Okay, kind of tired. 

Why? {Huh?}

It was about nine o'clock in the morning.  Why are you asking me why I am tired at nine o'clock in the morning?  The lady just stared back with this concerned look.  Oh you are actually wanting a response.  It takes my brain a nanosecond longer in the mornings to comprehend anything that strays away from the normal morning script.  How are you?  Fine, but tired.  Uh-huh.  Then I go on with my day and don't talk to you again until I have had my iced coffee. 

Did you stay up too late last night?  {Only every night. Wait, we're still talking?}

We just got back from a trip a few days ago. 

Oh, that must be why you're tired.

There doesn't have to be a reason.  It is morning.  I don't start fully functioning until at least 11am.  I don't understand why this would be a new concept.  Did you know that if I don't really love conversing with someone at a normal time of day it'll be even worse in the morning?  Oh, you didn't know that.  Now you do. 

Sometimes, I wish I was a morning person.  They seem so happy.

Still on the tired rant. I just love it when someone comes up to me and says, "You look tired. Are you tired?

Well, no. But thanks for basically telling me I look like crap.  People!

Alright, now I really am as tired as I look.  Bye.

Well Put A Rose On Your Nose

One thing about Portland that stood out to me is how the city had a strong connection with nature.  We walked up NW 23rd St and at the top of the hill there was this little path.  We started walking and we were immediately transported from city to forest.  It's so gloriously green there.  I didn't know how much I missed the vibrant green of the foliage that is so lacking in Arizona.

This path lead us to the Rose Garden.  The roses were all blooming.  I don't think I've ever seen so many roses.  They were huge!  The whole weekend, we had the most gorgeous weather to enjoy seeing all the sights.  

We actually went to Portland after San Fransisco, but I'm waiting on my photographer friend in San Fransisco to send me their pictures.  I barely took any.  I'm a horrible person.  So you're getting Portland first.  I'm trying to think of any interesting or funny stories, but we genuinely had a fabulous time.  Nothing stands out, except for in general our hilarious friends and the belly aching laughs we had.  Sorry, but you kind of had to be there.  

Yellow Tries to Make Everything Better

It's EBEW time!  I shouldn't have even tried to participate, but I'm doing it anyway.

Reasons why I should not have even attempted to add myself to the list of fellow yellow wearing fools are:

1) I just got home from a two week long trip last night.

2) After getting home, I immediately worked 7 long hours interpreting.  I was pretty much busted.

3) I got home and looked like butt.

4) I had no time to take these pictures so you get three pretty hilarious shots of me.  That last picture is reason enough.  I should have given up while I was still halfway normal looking.

All of these great reasons to not link up, but still I did it.  Because the theme was yellow and I had the perfect yellow dress to wear.  I mean who would be able to stay out of this dress and not show it off to the world.  Not I!  I like wearing it just for the stares I get.  Mostly from other girls wondering either what/why I'm wearing it or if they have any vintage/fashion sense complimenting me on the guts I had to wear it out.  I prefer the latter.

Please don't laugh.  Unless you are laughing at that last picture, in which case you have my blessing!

Seriously!  What is going on in this picture?
It looks like I'm equally scared and enjoying the wind.
And what AM I doing with my arms/hands.  It looks like I'm playing an imaginary clarinet.
I also love that one strand of hair just hanging out there.
Nice!

We Meet Again

I'm back.  There was a slight hiccup in our travel plans as one of the instruments in the plane broke and had to be replaced leaving us waiting in the airport.  A bag of Cheez-its and some unfortunately disappointing cheese popcorn later, we were golden.  I don't think I can ever get through a flight without something malfunctioning, flights being cancelled, delayed, planes falling from the sky.  We will save those stories for another day.  I'm getting frustrated just thinking about it and I'm already home.  

We had a lovely trip and I'll share some highlights here.  I think I might do so in no particular order.  Just bear with me as I jump from San Francisco to Portland and back again most likely.  I'll try to be as clear as possible, although you guys are pretty smart so I think you will catch on fast.  

One thing you cannot miss if you ever go to Portland is Powell's.  It is the best book store ever and I just wish I could go back there tomorrow.  If only there wasn't that pesky three huge states away business.  The place is ginormous!  They have maps inside to try and help you find your way.  You still get lost.  There are numerous levels and rooms filled floor to ceiling with books, glorious books!  Every aisle has little recommendations and comments on books to help guide you to your next great read.  And here's the kicker, they sell new and used!  Yes! 

The red awning is Powell's.  Just a typical tree lined street in Portland.  I love the flower baskets hanging from the street lamps and the bikes lined up outside of Powell's.  Breathe in that fresh mountain air!

I bought Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.
It's good!

This is why I want to go back there!  I mean look at that, who wouldn't want to spend hours getting lost in a wonderful place like this?

Nappy times in Golden Gate Park

Hi Friends,  I haven't posted in awhile if you hadn't noticed.  Anonymous left a comment simply stating "waiting for next post".  In one hand, aww how sweet.  Someone actually cares and is missing me in my absence.  On the other hand, calm down I've been way too busy enjoying San Francisco to even think about blogging.

Doing super important things, like you know, napping in Golden Gate Park.  This is my first experience with public napping, besides airplanes, I suppose that counts.  It was absolutely glorious!  Best time ever.  Totally worth the sunburn!  If you ever go to San Francisco, I highly recommend it.  It should be on the top ten things to do in the city.

We have been having a wonderful time with friends, when we are not napping, and been eating our way through San Fransisco.  It's been fantastic!  More posts to come, but they will probably be few a far between for the next couple days.  

Hope we can still be friends! ;)