Monday, June 18, 2012

Girlfriends Weekend

What  A Great Weekend!

As I said last time two my best girlfriends came to spend a long weekend with me. We had a great time and did lots of cool stuff! I have a couple of posts in the works but here is a rundown of our adventures.

Friday we got up and visited over coffee and then decided to head out for a walk.

Jennifer & Kelsey on the airport walking path

It was a beautiful day, not too hot. We walked just shy of 3 miles in a little less than an hour, chatting and catching up on life the whole time. When we got back we got cleaned up and headed out to our favorite local pizza place, Kaleidoscope Pizza. We got a half Pesto Supreme and half American Beauty. The pizza is so delicious!

Jennifer & Kelsey

Kelsey & me

Jennifer & me
Afterwards we did some Old Navy shopping and then went to Roxy Ann Winery for some tasting. I didn't love anything this time, but we still had a nice time.

We got home and decided to relax on the beach before dinner. 
Kelsey, Chris, and Jennifer in the shadows
Dinner was grilled salmon with baked potatoes and side salad. Delicious! We stayed up visiting for a while but had to get up early Saturday so called it a relatively early night.

Saturday we headed out to Grants Pass to go on the Hellgate Jet Boat tour of the Rogue River. Chris and I did this last summer with my other best girlfriend Heidi, but Kelsey and Jennifer had never been.

Me, Kelsey & Jennifer getting ready for Hellgate adventures!

Our ride

Kelsey, Jennifer & me on the jetboat

Me n my silly boyfriend

Hellgate Canyon...looking up at the rock walls


Hellgate Canyon

Kelsey & Jennifer got a bit wet on one of the spins!
 We saw several bald eagles, osprey, deer and the beautiful scenery of the Rogue River and Hellgate Canyon. It was a supremely lovely morning for a jet boat ride. Afterward we stopped at Taprock for lunch.


 I can honestly say this restaurant is probably *the* best restaurant we've been to here in Southern Oregon. The restaurant was beautiful, the service was amazing, the food was delicious, the prices were reasonable and we had a great view of the river.

Kelsey, Jennifer and me on the patio at Taprock

Kelsey, Jennifer and Chris getting ready to enjoy lunch
After lunch (the three girls had halibut and chips which were amazing, Chris had a fireburger-a burger with salsa and avocado) we headed back toward home. We stopped by Del Rio Winery to do a little shopping and tasting but unfortunately there were a bunch of morons at the tasting counter who were so oblivious and wrapped up in flirting with the gals working there that we couldn't get up to the counter. We tasted a couple wines but the whole experience was super annoying so we just left.

When we got home we hung out on the patio, in the sun or shade depending. Chris and I took a little nap and Kelsey and Jennifer read magazines and listened to music in the sun. It was a very relaxing evening. We had some margaritas and enjoyed some more time on the beach. Dinner was grilled steak and salad. We didn't have any early morning plans, but we were all feeling pretty tired so we headed to bed not too late.

Sunday we had a lazy morning before heading out to spend the day on the lake. It was hot but so great!

Kelsey and me (standing), Jennifer sitting with her new old navy cowboy hat on
mandatory boating self portrait

Kelsey in the back enjoying the sun and spray


Maybe a little too much spray! She got doused pretty good!


me and my silly boyfriend again

Kelsey & Jennifer enjoying the ride
After a long, hot day of relaxing on the lake we headed home. Us girls went and saw Snow White and the Huntsman which was amazing!! I was so enthralled the whole time. Loved it and suggest seeing it for men and women. It is an action packed, great film. Even Kristen Stewart doesn't suck as snow white. She actually does a really good job. Charlize Theron is amazing and Chris Hemsworth is just yummy. A great story, not at all predictable and not even comparable to Mirror Mirror (which wasn't good). GO see this! It is great!!

A little bit more visiting when we got home and then it was time for the girls to get packed up and ready for early Monday flights home.

We had a really spectacular, fun-filled weekend. Lots of laughs and sunshine and memories. I am so glad they came to hang out and am already looking forward to next time!


Friday, June 15, 2012

Now it's Time For Fun!

Good Morning! It is officially time for fun!

Two of my favorite ladies appeared from the skies yesterday (flying in to the very large small Medford International Airport) to spend the weekend with me!


We had some crazy good times last Memorial Day (2011) when they were both here and I expect nothing less from this trip! We have a great weekend planned. We are going to go for a nice walk, do some wine tasting, go on a jetboat tour of the Rogue River, see Snow White and the Huntsman, eat cupcakes and enjoy lots of good sunshine and girlfriend time!

They are both still sleepin' as we had kind of a late night. Jen's flight got in around 10:30 and then we were up gossipin' and catching up until about midnight. Can I get a yay for 6.5 hours of sleep? I actually feel pretty good this morning.

We are selling one of Chris' cars this morning we had to be up early to do the deal with the buyers. Chris is out there now showing them some of the finer points. 




Bye Bye XR4Ti!

 I am enjoying some coffee on my patio in the sun. Ahhh.... summertime! My absolute favorite time of year.

What's your favorite time of year? Summertime is my favorite because of the sunshine!! The delicious fresh food isn't a bad selling point either. Longer days and warmer weather. It's all good in the summertime!

Yesterday I made the most awesomest discovery!! (Don't make fun of me, I'm not up on all this technology stuff).


I have Pandora on my blu-ray player!! Sweet! I rocked out yesterday morning to Lady Gaga Radio on Pandora while I finished getting the house cleaned and organized. So in love with this station! And I super love that I can play it through my house speakers. Loudly!

Roxie and I hung out after the house was clean waiting for Kelsey to get here on the 1:30 flight.



Once Kelsey arrived we hung out and soaked up the sun after a yummy lunch at Noho's Hawaiian Cafe. So delicious! We split the teriyaki chicken and rice with macaroni salad.



Hi Kelsey!!

Have a great Friday everyone!! More adventures soon!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Spring Term = DONE!

OH MY GOODNESS!!!


So happy to have wrapped up spring term yesterday! I finished all my homework, papers and projects just in the nick of time, turned the last stuff in yesterday and I am DONE! Woohooo!

Of course, in 10 days it is...


...for me.

It's totally okay though because between now and then I have lots of great things going on *and* I start my internship for the summer on the 26th, so I'm pretty jazzed about that.

I have so much fun stuff to talk about! I did complete the Helvetia Half Marathon last weekend with my friends. I achieved my goal of finishing in under 4 hours, I got my medal and my t-shirt. That was all I wanted! I had a great time and I will be writing a race-report soon with lots of pictures and stories.

Since this is a school related post I will post my video here. The communication department has an annual end of year event where they honor various students in the department with high grade points, exemplary capstone projects, scholarship and other award winners. As I was awarded the American Association of University Women Outstanding Woman Student of 2012 for the communication department I was provided with a framed certificate to keep and a plaque with my name on it hangs in the department. (Recall I already received a certificate from the AAUW at their annual brunch in May.) I was not expecting to be called up on the stage to receive an actual award, I just thought that my name would be read!  Here is the video of what actually happend. You may need to turn the sound up very loud to hear the introduction.



I am being introduced by one of my favorite instructors, and mentor, Dr. Jon Lange. Another of my favorite instructors, Dr. Alena Ruggerio is standing to the right of the stage in the corner.

A huge thank you to my friend August who stayed late to attend the ceremony with me, cheered me loudly and took this video! It is super awesome to be able to share this moment with Chris and my mom.

Department plaque
My name!

The certificate I received from the department.
I apologize for being such a poor photographer! It is just not one of my skills.
I also was interviewed by a student working on his capstone project and this is what he ended up writing:

Corrie Beebe’s story starts in October 2009, when her husband was transferred to the Rogue Valley by the elevator maintenance company he worked for.

Beebe had been in insurance for 15 years, but after the move she suddenly found herself without a job, and way too much time on her hands.

            “The job market was pretty poor at the time,” she said. “So I decided to finish my degree.”

            After earning her Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree from Rogue Community College in June of 2011, she transferred to Southern Oregon University, majoring in communication.

            “It’s kind of my forte,” she said. “I like to write, and I enjoy the art of communicating … I could have gotten a business degree or something, but I wanted to do something I would be emotionally invested in.”

            “The communication degree gives me a place that I can go anywhere with,” she added.

            Beebe explained that the communication department allowed her to refine the skills she needed to be successful in the workplace, while also helping her explore her passion for conflict resolution and human resources training.

            “I’m more interested in the practical application of communication skills, rather than the theoretical application of them,” she said. “I want to go into training and development … there’s a lot of information about good communication that is not inherently known.”

            Beebe said the faculty and staff of the communication department were always supportive, and gave her the tools she needed to be successful in her studies.

            “The interaction with the professors in the communication department have been very positive and have made me feel like this is a good place for me, that this is a good choice, that I fit here,” she said. “The professors push you, but they also very much support you. They don’t tell you to write a 15-page paper with no support, they invite you into their office and help you.”

            Beebe added that the faculty inspired her to think of the big picture, and is now considering graduate school partially due to their encouragement.

            “When I first came to SOU the idea of getting a masters degree or a PhD was out of my realm,” she said. “The fact that they even put that thought into my head – that’s impressive.”
            Beebe will be starting an internship with the university’s human resources department this summer, working on training modules for department staff.


Super cool, right?? This was written by Nils Holst. Thanks for a great article, Nils!

It is very exciting for me to receive such public recognition for my hard work. It is not something that has been a part of my life in the past.

A big huge thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me. It is great to know that I have people who believe in me. I have 3 terms complete and 3 more to go.

I'm looking forward to what comes next!!

Have a great day everyone. I have lots more things to share from the last week or so, and more fun things happening this weekend that I will share, too! 


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Spring Term Update

Chris wants a doughnut.

I haven't had anything like that in over 2 months! Nada! No sugar!

Anyway, things here are progressing pretty darn well with the school work! Here is where we were at last week when I posted that things might be a bit quiet around here, and updates of where we are now:

Persuasion: complete 1 written and 1 visual "artifact" relating to my persuasion agency, topic and campaign, prepare a speech for the same, and write a paper for the same. (Due Monday).DONE! I know I got an A on my speech and am pretty confident that I did well on my paper. YAY!

Celebrity & Fan Cultures: complete 1 14+ page paper relating to my topic of choice (what is celebrity, its history and evolution), and 1 15+ minute presentation on same. (Due Wednesday June 13). IN PROGRESS...I have written about half of the paper and have lots of swirling ideas about the presentation. I received very positive feedback from my instructor on the inital 5 page draft.

Native Americans in Film: I found out YESTERDAY that I need to create a 15+ minute presentation on the perspective of other countries toward Native American Indians, particularly through film. (Let me just add that after TWO hours of searching every possible combination I can think of to find information about this I have come up with exactly: nothing. My partner has also come up with: nothing. This is going to be a great presentation!) (Due: not sure? Next Thursday or the following Thursday...I sure hope he tells us tomorrow what day officially). Due this Thursday. I am done with my part as is one of my group members. Powerpoint is mostly complete. Waiting for final touches from third partner. Presentation Thursday and I will be DONE with this class.

Organizational Behavior: Each week I have assignments that equal between 4-6 pages of essay-style answers to a variety of questions. Due Thursday of each week. DONE!! Totally 100% done! YAY!

In addition, I need to fill out my capstone application and write a two page paper about my internship objectives as they relate to my communication education (DONE!!), I need to renew my drivers license, go to a meeting Friday night (DONE!!), do 24 hours of continuing education to renew my insurance licenses, walk ten miles (at one time) (DONE!!), and I will be gone for 3 days next weekend for the half marathon in Portland (which means exactly ZERO homework will be accomplished), and all the regular day-to-day life stuff like feeding myself and my husband, the cat, bills, household chores, etcetera (at least current on these things, no one is starving and the lights are still on!).

So, overall good progress is being made and I am feeling the overwhelming feelings subside.

Tomorrow afternoon the communication department is having their end of year event, so I am going to that. I will be briefly mentioned as the Outstanding Woman Student of 2012 for the department. :-)

I have mentioned the #saladaday challenge a couple of times, and that is going well. I have managed to have a veggie based salad of some kind everyday for well over a week now. This challenge goes for the whole month of June.

A light is shining at the end of the spring term tunnel!

Roxie Photo Montage



I just feel like there has been a lack of Roxie pictures lately...ENJOY!




Pirate Medallion!




Bad Kitty! (she caught a bird)

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Random Reports

I know I said things would be quiet around here, but I have made some progress on the homework front, and was up early several mornings this week so I have a few minutes to spare. Plus, Chris is making me breakfast as we speak! Ah, now that's love!
I have some random reports:

First up, what a difference a week makes! Remember how last week when I went for my long Friday walk it was grey and gross? If not, you can check out my lovely ensemble HERE.

This is what my ensemble looked like yesterday when I headed out for my long Friday walk:


Big difference! (my garden looking good, too!) It was H O T yesterday. I left the house at 7:30 in the morning and it was already hot. I walked 11 miles (just shy) in 3 hours and 20 minutes. I was a gross, sticky, salty mess by the time I got home. Lessons learned: I needed more food and water before and during the walk. I also could have used some advil around mile 7 or so. How am I feeling today? Really pretty darn good! My knees are a bit swollen and sore, but not painful at all, and my abs and low back are a bit sore, but not painful.  My legs and feet feel great!

One week from today!


I'm pretty excited to be done training to see my friends and participate in the Helvetia event for the third time. This time I am getting a half marathon finishers medal! YAY!

I rewarded myself yesterday for finishing one of my papers by freshening up my nails: on my toes a very silver sparkly color that Chris picked out. On my nails a very orangey-peach-coral color that looks awesome with my tan. :-)



The best month of the entire year kicked off yesterday!


I love June!

Also yesterday the Salad A Day challenge kicked off! I am, along with OhSheGlows and a whole slew of my friends, eating a salad a day for the entire month of June! It is a great way to remain aware of keeping the veggie intake up. With the craziness that is happening in my garden with the out of control spinach and lettuce...well it's a great time to do it!

spinach, beet greens, leaf lettuce, yellow pepper, cucumber, sprouts, pickles, snow peas from my garden (so is the lettuce) and a sprinkle of feta. No dressing.


same mix of greens, sprouts, shredded carrot, pickle and tomato, no dressing.


same mix of greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, yellow peppers, sprouts, feta and leftover smoked pulled pork. DELICIOUS!
You are welcome to join in the salad a day challenge as well! Post your salads to my Facebook wall.


Here is a picture of Roxie, just because.

Okay kids, my breakfast was delicious! Sausage and eggs. Now it's time for me to get to work. There are speeches, presentations and papers to write!

Have a great Saturday!