♥♥amanda♥♥


41 days ago:
July 10, 2009, 4:28 am
Filed under: family, me

I graduated college!

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The weather people said it was going to rain all day on my graduation and I was so p.o. about that. But, the rain stopped right before we walked out.

Worried that the rain would start up before everyone received their dilpomas, they decided to cut a ton of people out from their speeches and only had four people talk. This was great! Graduations are so boring when they are tons of hours long and lucky for us, the rain held out and we got done quicker than usual (even though it still felt like forever.)

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I don’t know who any of these people are.

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I was so very surprised with the photos my mom took. This is my favorite!

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This one is great too- except that girl. ew. and that dude’s face.

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I returned to my seat… and felt such an amazing feeling of accomplishment. It was such a proud moment for me and it was great to know how proud and happy my family was sitting there, watching.



First part of 2009
July 7, 2009, 2:02 pm
Filed under: family, friends, me, school, travel

Since 2009 is more than half way over and I haven’t written anything interesting lately, here is a recap of what the first half was like for me:

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Adam flew over to CT and for the first time in his life celebrated the new year on the East Coast-before the rest of his family back West.

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Went to NYC on 1-2-09.

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Started my internship at the newspaper and was very proud to see my byline on the front pages of multiple papers.

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Watched my bff try on wedding dresses for the first time and the next time we went all of us girls in the party found our dress.

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Adam flew back in February to go on the cruise with my family. We had a ton of luggage… but we also had 10 people going together.

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We all got invited up to the Bridge and I hung out with the captain. To see what else went on during the cruise go here: Cruise

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Started packing for my move across the country.

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Went to Portland and went to The Brian Jonestown Massacre show. Photo courtesy of my brother.

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During that trip  I participated in a neighborhood-wide photo scavenger hunt.

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Went to a couple awesome concerts with my bff.

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Helped set up for Jen’s bridal shower and then enjoyed a job well done.

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Packed some more.

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I managed to make it through four years of college and graduated with my B.S. in journalism on Friday, May 29.

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Had an amazing graduation party thrown by my mom with all my friends and family there on Saturday, May 30.

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Got up at four in the morning on Sunday, May 31, finished packing the last of my car, picked up my brother who flew to CT from OR to drive with me, and left all my friends and family back in Connecticut and headed for Oregon… Via Texas.

It’s a town full of losers. And I’m pulling out of here to win.”  (Just kidding)

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I made a cheesecake!?
June 18, 2009, 8:25 pm
Filed under: me

Imagine that. I have never baked in my life. Why would I bake? To make a mess with a ton of ingredients and have countless pots, pans, spoons, bowls, measuring cups, spatulas, etc to clean up by hand because the lack of a dish washer for my enjoyment…? Why torture myself? I suppose you can say I was bored, craving cheesecake, wanted something to blog about, and so on… But, here goes:

So here are the steps I took to make my cheesecake. Instead of buying plain graham crackers and ground cinnamon, I just bought cinnamon graham crackers.

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So the recipe called for 2 cups of ground graham crackers for the crust. ground!?!? How the heck do I ground graham crackers? I started breaking pieces off and I was getting no where. So I went through all the cabinets and found something that looks like its purpose is to chop food. I gave it a try…

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After estimating how many cracker squares (approx. 30) would make two cups I measured it and it was perfect! I poured the ground crackers into the mixing bowl.

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I melted a stick of butter and mixed it in to the crackers. Poured the new mix into the pan and took a glass cup to the crust so it would make the bottom of the cheesecake even and flat.

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Still following directions up to this point:

“In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes.”

Crap! I don’t have an electric mixer! I don’t have any sort of mixer. I used my muscles!

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After realizing my muscles weren’t doing the job, I remembered about the blender. Hmm, I wondering if this would work just as good as the mixer.

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Hey, at least the blender took all the chunks out. Then the recipe goes on to tell me I have to put tin foil around the pan, set the pan in a roasting pan and pour boiling water into the pan about half way up the cheesecake pan. Wha Waaa?

Okay, first of all, I have no clue what a roasting pan is! I just thought pans were pans and I use the ones that the food fit in. Anyway, I just used a normal pan thing and put the cheesecake pan in that one. Put water in it and in the preheated 325 degree oven it went.

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In the meantime, I made the topping that consisted of lemon zest, blueberries and strawberries.

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The cake was done cooking after 45 minutes then put in the fridge for at least four hours.

When the four hours was up, I decided to put the topping on and started to see my hard work come together!

Ta da!

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I haven’t tried it yet. I am kind of scared to because I bet it tastes horrible and looks kind of pretty. Oh well, another learning experience. Also gave me something to do with my time and something to blog about!



Flashback to the 1990’s.
June 15, 2009, 7:05 pm
Filed under: me

Past: When I was little, I have some very fond memories of when I would visit my grandmother on my dad’s side. I always remember the bright colored roses that lined her driveway on both sides and how you could smell their strong scent. I remember picking berries in her backyard off the huge bushes and popping them in my mouth without washing them first. I remember playing games like Hi Ho Cheerio and having tea parties with our pinkies in the air while sipping off the tea cup.

But, my favorite memory is the food she always made…frozen bananas on a stick with chocolate, rice crispy treats, her amazing spanish rice and beans, or my all time favorite… stuffed artichokes.

Present: I am now settled into my apartment in Portland. I currently have no job but am very eagerly searching for a one. With so much extra time in my day, I decided to make stuffed artichokes for the first time, ever.

First I googled recipes… and became a little confused.

Then I decided to go on YouTube and try to watch some videos of people preparing them and I could follow along. But, they were all going so fast, I had to pause every 10 seconds. So I gave up on the videos.

I just winged what I read and what I saw. After I steamed them, I went to take them out of the pot and I guess I steamed them too much- they fell apart! Not the whole thing, but enough for me to say, “wtf, seriously” in my head.

Anyway, I put them in the bread crumbs and stuffed the leave things.

But I melted a ton of butter to dip the pieces in, so it will be great.

I am learning how to cook. But after the looks of these:

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I might have to stick to shake and bake, pasta, and food that doesn’t take much time to prepare. Or maybe I should stick with a frozen banana on a stick covered in chocolate. I can go for one of those babies right about now.

Future: Frozen chocolate covered bananas on a stick!



1.2.3.
June 9, 2009, 2:08 pm
Filed under: me

Beginning:

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Middle:

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End:

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Via Texas.
June 3, 2009, 1:19 am
Filed under: me

This is kind of funny since I decided it would be my first post of the road trip. So here goes:

We left New Orleans and headed to Austin, Texas.

It was my turn to drive.

So I was driving and CJ was sleeping…

… and see lights in my rear view mirror.

Oh shit.

I pull over and the cop stands infront of his white suv waving to get out of the car. I get out first and start to walk over then CJ opened the door and the cop grabbed his gun and told him to get back in the car. Crazy.

He then goes to me, “you need to tell him to mind his own business, this is not how we do it here”.

I was like, “okay”.

Then he proceeds to tell me why he pulled me over.

“You were not traveling with the rest of the group of cars,” he said.

Mind you he was not taking radar and I was going exactly speed limit, 70. I wasn’t going over because when there is nothing but grass to look at and it’s completely flat, 70 mph feels really fast.

So, he tells me he will give me a warning.

He then decided to ask me where I was going since my license plate is Connecticut. I told him to my new home in Portland Oregon and he goes, “via Texas???” I told him yes, my brother and I stayed in New Orleans last night and now going to Austin. He asked if I was a drug cartel. Yeah. okay buddy.

He goes over to my car to talk to CJ. Asking him the same questions and probably making sure our stories match.

Anyway, he started talking about how they have to be careful with drug cartels and mexicans and how he will give me a warning.

He goes back to his probably air conditioned vehicle and takes forever to write out the warning making me stand in the damn hot 95 degree weather sun on the pavement highway. How dare he.

He gives me my warning and I get back in my car to something great- photos of the dude talking to me taken by my brother. They are pretty amazing. How many people can say they have photos of being pulled over and talking to a cop??What a D*ck head.

When in Texas, go big or go home. haha.

So for your entertainment:DSC00852

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GPS?
May 30, 2009, 8:51 am
Filed under: me

I am thinking about buying a GPS for the road trip tomorrow across the country. But, I kind of want to do it with just maps. We’ll see what happens and if a stop at a store somewhere is necessary during the drive.



2009.
May 29, 2009, 5:31 pm
Filed under: me

Today I graduated. It was pretty amazing. Happy and sad at the same time. It was a long four years, but I made it. Pics to come but right now i’m packing for my big move.

Congratulations class of 2009!



Shhh.
May 27, 2009, 12:17 am
Filed under: family, goldie, me

My sister and I just recently started to share secrets with one another. It’s something we’ve never done before… It’s just really cute.

Like this one secret we have:

Over this past weekend we were visiting family in Vermont and they have a little tomato plant growing in a pot inside their sun porch with two little baby tomatos hanging from the vine, more orange than red and still had a touch of green.

Goldie was showing me how they were growing and I told her, don’t touch them. Even though at home she can eat as many as she wants from our plant.

So, I walk over to the window, turn around, and see Goldie standing there with one of the tiny tomatos in the palm of her hand asking if she could eat it. I said, you better now that you picked it and hurry up.

She popped that tomato in her mouth so fast and got a scared look on her face as if I was going to tell on her.

Her face is just so innocent and of course I didn’t say anything.

…I told her it’s our secret. Shhh.



100+ Acres
May 26, 2009, 1:39 pm
Filed under: family, me, travel

My stepdad’s uncle has more than 100 acres in Vermont. We started going up there in 1994 when my mom and Chris met. It is so much fun especially with the four wheelers and go carts.

Chris and I went on the approximately four hour ride on his Harley.

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My mom, Ginger, Goldie and Ryder rode in the truck.

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The sun was setting but we still made it up to the camp just in time.

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That dirt road is so much fun to go up and down on in four wheelers.

Back in the day, there was usually around 10 people in our family there at a time. A few family members had babies in the past few years, including my mom, which made the count rise up closer to 17. Then the big houses started to be built. We used to stay in a tiny tiny cabin. We even had to use an outhouse for 12+ years.

Here is a video to get a better idea of the place:

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So, we stayed there through Memorial Day weekend. My mom and Chris bought an airstream and that is where we stay.

We usually go up every fourth of July and have a huge firework display. I think they are more awesome than the ones some towns put off. But this year I obviously won’t be making it.

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My mom set up Ginger’s seat on the golf cart. It looks hilarious. But, she likes being in small spaces and feeling safe, so it works.

My uncle then took me on a hike to a couple old cemeteries in the middle of the woods… creeepy stuff.