BEAV TOWN

By "Beav Town" I do not mean my favorite town of my fellow beavers (Corvallis obv.) but I actually am referring to BEAVERTON where I am housesitting for my dear brother and sister in law. They left to head to California for the holiday (a much deserved break for them hard workin folk) and asked me, their little sis to watch over the place. Although I would love to elaborate right now about my time so far here in the Beav, I'm going to have to start with my Christmas week!

SO... last Sunday night we were supposed to have our annual Nelson family Christmas party with our fam friends (Bates, Browns, Dangarans, & Cornthwaites) however, the terrible ice up our hill was so bad that we canceled our 6 pm party around 4 pm that day. Thank goodness we did so, because as soon as 630pm rolled around the power was out. I know it is hard to fathom, but I am not really much of the no power kinda girl. I prefer power... big time. Molls and I gathered our candles (all 3473284234 of them) and lit them. Didn't do much of anything. Let me also mention that prior to the power going out I had taken a shower (wet hair), I also had clothes in the WASHER soaking wet and I was currently baking sugar cookies. Not awesome at all. I quickly told my parents that since it was only 630, we couldn't go to bed SO we drove down to Movieland and watched "Yes Man" (kinda funny, mostly lame) and then headed home with high hopes of having the power back.

3 days later... we got our power back. I occupied myself during those days at the Salem Center Mall (lowest points of my vacation spent there), using my aunts shower and electricity, Chel/Jfay's apartment, getting locked out of their apartment in the snow and in workout clothes and lastly going to get my hair did and dyed dark. Wow I am full of tangents during this post.

Christmas eve hit and despite the weather my faja and I toughed out the 8 hour round trip to Portland to pick up a girl from my grad school program to spend Christmas with our family. Xia Du is from Beijing and didn't have plans for Christmas so we decided to invite her. It was so awesome having her come spend time we us. I learned so much about her culture... I am like so cultured now with Chinese info. Did you know that you can't have big dogs in Beijing because they take up too much space? Also, did you know that you can only drive your car every other day? SO much info. Anyway, she is a very sweet girl and we loved spending the holidays with her. She even drew me the greatest picture with the sweetest note. She brought my family some traditional Chinese gifts as well.

Fam on Christmas


Xia Du holding up some of the gifts we gave her and wearing her new coat we got her!

Me, Mom & Molls

I brought her home back to Portland today and had quite the adventure getting her there. The roads were perfectly snowless until I got to her street and my car got stuck on the corner. It was awesome when 10 men came out and pushed me out of the snow. Quite the kind neighbors she has!

Wellllll gotta go get ready! Meeting up with a friend for a drink! HAPPY FRIDAY FRIENDS!!!!

Brit Spears Concert

It is official.. Britney is coming to Portland in April! Liz and I are jumping on the BritBrit Train as quickly as we can. In case anyone is curious... she is officially coming!!!

Anyway, it is almost Christmas and tomorrow is the day I celebrate our "Family Christmas." I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed because I really have NO idea what I am going to get for my brother and sister in law... I officially have 24 hours to figure this tricky puzzle out. Any ideas?

On another note I am no longer going to San Fran at the end of this month... depression has hit. I miss Julie already. Sorry Jules :( I will see you in March girl! LV her we come!! (Chels, Jfay... you better be serious about this one!)

Have a great day folks. Holla atcha girl!

Let it Snow... Ice Over... and ugh House Arrest!!

Winter Wonderland eh? Yeah that's what I keep hearing. Typically I would enjoy the snow... well like I like it on the mountains for skiing or whatevs. I also looooooved snow days back when I was in school still (ah that ages me) but it can be a bit of a pain when trying to get from place to place... ya dig?! I guess as a student teacher I still got the day off, but anyway.

Our house... ohhh snow...

So a friend of mine from down in Corvallis went home to California for the weekend and since I clearly have nothing else to do with all of my time off (1 month... yeah I know!) I told him that I would be willing to take him to and from the airport if he drove his car to Salem and just parked it in front of my house. He was of course all about it because he didn't have to pay for parking, just give me gas money honey. So when I dropped him at PDX I got there painlessly in an hour with my speed devil speeds obv. Well his plane flew back to Portland this morning at 820 am. Keep in mind that the news was saying to avoid driving at ALL costs because of frozen roads and all that danger. I've NEVER driven in the snow before... but I knew that I had to pick him up this morning. So I braved the drive... ohhh man... stories...

Well coming down from my hill I officially slid into the intersection on a red light. Bad, bad start. I quickly learned not to brake fast! Driving down the road at a solid 20 mph and 35 of I-5 I was set to a nice 2.5 hour drive to PDX. On the way there I kept getting hit with snow falling off of trucks so it was getting all over my windshield and I could only wipe so much because it was just frozen to my window instead. Soon I couldn't see at all... so after grabbing him we went straight to the nearest gas station to wash my windows... well their pipes had frozen so the man gave me some windex and some words of wisdom and off out to the freezing cold we were cleaning the window... worked too!!

I hope everyone enjoys my non showered look. Clearly not dressing to impress!! Haha!

So continued home... saw a half dozen flipped cars, about a dozen cars that went into ditches, stopped traffic, ohhh and a BICYCLIST!!!... folks don't drive!!! It is nuts... gosh I'm such an Oregonian.


Got home to find my sister and mom getting ready to walk to Starbucks... job ahead of us!! Picture with them and then getting HIS car ready to drive back to Corvallis. He, also, has never driven in the snow. I gave him the same pep talk that my dad gave me: "4 car lengths, not 2...don't brake hard... don't get road rage... etc."

Some of the days pictures:

Mom, sis and I


Attempting to clean his car off with our dust pan



Goodbye photo... saying drive safe and telling him that he owes me big time!!! I accept cash, credit, travelers checks, personal checks and IOUs...

Unfortunately my day was not exactly SUPER FUN as far as playing in the snow, but rather trying to stay safe. So, looks like now I will go and work on peoples Christmas presents and wait for my friends to get off work!! Maybe make a snow angel?? I don't know. Happy, Happy day friends :)

... 2 for today... Blast From the PAST :)...

So the snow is falling today and I decided that I would go to my box of notes and just share some of the hilarious ones that I have found from middle school. Yes, that is right... I saved some of my notes from middle school. Chels and I were discussing how awful we all treated each other so I had to dig up some memories... wow we sure thought we were awesome and definitely hilarious. If only we knew... we were uggggggly and brats.

Classic one liners from notes that I found.. (keep in mind these notes are half the time TYPED stories...hahaha)

From my 6th grade boyfriend: "Dear Megan, The reason why I didn't put my arm around you is because I didn't think you wanted me to. I think we should hold hands a lot more and I'll try to put my arm around you more too."

From Chelsea: "I think McKenzie is going out with Joe Federico. Because Ty has been giving messages from Joe, and I tell McKenzie. And then I tell Ty what McKenzie says, and he tells Joe. First Joe said he liked McKenzie. Ty told me and I told McKenzie. And she told me, to tell Ty, to tell Joe, that she likes him. So he did, and then Ty told me that Joe said, "Oh sweet!" So I called McKenzie on Tuesday night, I told her, and she laughed."

From a boy in 6th grade: "Dear Megan, Why do you hate me? I still like you even though I called you a dumb blonde freak. If you ever want to go out with me I'll probably be open. Don't be shy.."

From Kate: "Don't talk to Zach about me please. I DON'T like him as a boyfriend!!!"

From Garrett: "... the people that I liked are kind of.. Chelsea, Andria, Stefani Summers, Brittney S, Jessica Harris, and kinda this chick that goes to Crossler, that is it pretty much..."

From Amanda: "Are you going to the Hoop Dance on the 30th? Tomorrow is Christmas and I will wish that you and John, Chelsea and Kyle, Katey and Tony, Kacy/Taran and Justin, and me and PACKY can dance!!!"

Hahahaha okay. I am officially dying over here. All we talked about were boys and the boys who we dated and never even hung out with. Aww the joys of middle school. I officially am loving this whole blog thing. Entertaining my two friends who read this (Chels/Jfay obv) is my life calling!! Enjoy the weather :)

.Church on the Hillllllllll.

So pretty much I have two topics that I want to blog about today the first one being church, because I really enjoyed it. We talked about the miracle of God and how we have to be patient in waiting. The message was good for me because I can sometimes be the most impatient person I know, especially when I want to get on with something. (Must be the dang planner inside of me!) He used one of my favorite verses in one of the illustrations too.. Isaiah 40:28-31 "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar on the wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."Just thought I would share. I really enjoyed church this morning. It's so important to be patient because there is a purpose to our waiting..

Dinner Parties

Since living back in Salem, I have found this new found love: Dinner Parties. I am not talking about potlucks, nor am I talking about a quick grill.. but I am talking about full fledged parties where I have a group of girls (pretty much my college girlfriends) over for a night where I have prepped for them. It's a new passion and definitely going to happen about once every two months.

I was driving a friend of mine to the airport the other day and he said,
Him: "You know what Meg? You seriously act like your 40..."
Me: "Hahahaha... WHAT?! How??"
Him: "Well, ever since I met you last year you have always been planning these ridiculous social events. Like instead of just having a party, your party has to have a theme. But this year now your parties have special invitations."
Me: "Yup, pretty much. I never thought of it like that. Dangit."

So that tells you... this passion of mine is making an impression on others. Maybe for the neg. Haha, but really I love doing them. I'm thinking that my next party will be during February. Probably like a Valentines themed party or something. However, I'm not dumb enough to have it ON Valentines day. I know too many ladies who have significants AND a girl wants to have a turnout. Also, now that I am back in Salem I will probably be extending my invite list to a few more Salem girls who I am getting to see more. Pretty much for me, like Independent Womanhood, dinner parties are a lifestyle. Ohhh one more story.

Diff Guy: "So do you ever think about like inviting guys to your dinner parties?"
Me: "Well I have thought about it, but I don't know I think that guys could potentially ruin them.."
Diff Guy: "WHAT! Hahaha... not cool Megan. How would guys RUIN your dinner parties?"
Me: "I don't know.. maybe not... I'll have to think about it. Maybe the Feb one."

So I will be keeping that idea open. Chels and Jfay thank you for giving me this idea as a blog. I could have probably gone off for a while, but I decided I will refrain... like you said, "People like pictures more than words.." So here are some pictures of my two parties so far : ) Latesky.

This one is from my first party. Less formal and more fallish.


All of the girls at the first party.



Serving up some of that homemade apple pie.


Second dinner party crew. Christmas themed and cocktail attire.


I surprised the girls with blank frames and had the group pictures developed, which made a cool craft to do.

Well those are the DP pictures. (DP = Dinner... not Dance Party) Happy Saturday everyone! Since today is totally a storm and everything I will be heading over towards Copperfield to see my girlfriends soon..

Blogging Paradise?!

HOLLA!! Okay, today I came to this realization. I must start blogging. Props to my girls Chel and Jfay for peaking this interest. (See photo below duh)

So anyway.. they told me a few months back about their whole "bosombuddiez" page and what not. I decided that since they take the time to write out their thoughts I should too. I mean I am just trying to one up them at all times. (Primarily when I sneak into their apartment gym on the reg)

Since I am currently practicing and taking very seriously the whole 3 steps forward 2 steps back plan toward "independent womanhood," I am full fledged in the 2 steps back mode. I was moving forward with my steps last spring when I got accepted into my masters program, graduated college and lastly lived out of my parents home... currently I am taking 2 steps back: moved back home and definitely no longer working for money. To help me during this time of need, my Miss Megan blog should potentially be highly therapeutic.

I am looking for ideas for blog entries... so far people have thrown out the topics of: love, romance and independent womanhood. I would love to emphasize the fact that I cannot write about the third topic... it is a lifestyle. If you want to know the steps then take a look into my life. It should define a lot. Or call Ne-yo. Ne-yo is casting me in his new and improved music vid for his hit single "Independent Woman." ANYWAY. I'm out for now. The Holiday is calling my name for the third time this week. Lata.