Zipcar

On Wednesday I decided to rent my first Zipcar.  They are running a promotion right now where you can rent a car from 6PM to 830AM for $36!  I was looking into renting one earlier that afternoon because it was so frickin' nice out I just wanted to go for a drive.  I called the customer service because I wanted some assistance, with my first rental, they told me about this promotion so I decided to wait until after 6.  I picked one up close to my school so it would easy to drop off before school Thursday morning.  I got a very nice Volvo

I drove to the OMSI for the After Hours.  Then I drove all around town and I had a great time.  This was much needed!  I didn't realize how much I missed having a car until that night.  I decided to go grocery shopping that night too because some things are just too heavy to care a mile home when your walking.  Then the next morning I drove myself to school. 

I am looking forward to my next Zipcar rental! 

Portland

Let me just say I love this City!  There are so many cool things here, sights, bars, restaurants, public transportation,etc. I could go on forever.  there are 2 huge downfalls though one in which I can not change and just have t accept it that way it is- It rains  A LOT and it's GLOOMY a LOT!  The second thing is My family is not here, and I don't have the best social life.  I can't get my family here and that is fine but I can make new/more friends.  I have always been a social butterfly but for some odd reason since I am here I find myself keeping more to myself.  I think it is because I am alone here.  Don't go feeling sorry for me this was my decision; I am just not sure why my internal"ness" made this decision.  personally I do believe it is because I know how I get when my friends want to do something and I have school and or work.  I tend to blow off the lather to hang with them.  Maybe this is the mature side of me that is making this happen so I can concentrate on my studies and keep up the good work ethic I have here.  Either way, sometimes it does make me sad.

Someone drew this on the ground where I wait for the max at night.  I thought that is was pretty cool.  The next few pics are just some random pics from the past month.

This is an awesome sculpture that I walk pass every Saturday morning on the way to my meetings.  I just love seeing it!  It just really makes me smile.
About 2 weeks ago now I went to a gaming expo and met some pretty awesome guys.  The following are some pictures from the expo:

This was a pretty cool event.  I had a really good time and met some really awesome people that day! 
Then this past Wednesday I went to the OMSI which is the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, they do an after hours event the last Wednesday of every month.  This weeks theme was 80's and I just so happened to be off work that Wednesday so I went.  the next few pics are from this event:

I had such a good time, one of my friends from school met me up there and we walked around played a bunch of brain teasers, drank some whiskey, some vodka, and ate.  They had food and talks about food.  In one of the pictures you can see where they had a station set up for hair crimping hahaha!  This was a GREAT night! 

Flicks...

One of the many really awesome things that Portland has to offer is during the summer months on Fridays, they have Flicks On The Bricks!  Which is at Pioneer Square (downtown), they put up a huge screen and you sit in your camp chairs or lounge across the brick steps. 

Now, since this is held on Fridays, I was concerned I was not going to get the chance to go.  Last Friday I was lucky enough to have it off.  So I called up a few friends and headed downtown.  This week there were showing Despicable Me.  I hadn't seen this movie, so I was super excited!

 The movie was cute and all the kids there had a great time!  After the show my friends and I walked to a bar that one of our other friends was playing at.  We had a few drinks and when they closed we went bar hopping! All in all this was an awesome day! 

Another Term...

Well this past week another term has ended...I just finished up with Cost Control and Purchasing; and  Communications.  When this term started I was stressing over my Costing class because it was a lot numbers and this is the basis on how your operation will run.  VERY IMPORTANT INFO!  Let me just say, this class is one of my favorites so far!  I learned so much!  We had to do this project where you come up with an idea, you have to discuss all the details from the ceiling to the floor.  Each week for 6 weeks there was a new part added.  Each part was graded and then on the last week you had to turn in a portfolio of all the work.  I am pretty stoked to say that I got 100% on all 6 part and on the over all portfolio!  YAY!  I also finished out my communications class with an A as well!  I want to keep the A's rollin'! 

CARE Champ...

At work, we have a program called CARE Champion of the Month, which is like an employee of the month.

  Anyway, I was nominated and I had to wait until our monthly meeting to find out if I won.  On August 28th we had our CARE Rally (monthly meeting) and I won CARE CHAMP!  YAY!!! 

The board they post near the time clock

They make a huge deal out of it and take your picture, a framed award, a copy of the letter that you were nominated,

The letter

 a parking spot (I don't have a car here so that part just makes me laugh, my friends park there so it's cool), paid day off, $50.00 cash, you get a characture drawn of yourself, and of course bragging rights. 

 After you win CARE Champ of the month you are in the running for CARE CHAMP of the YEAR!  BIGGER BUCKS!!  So guess what I am shooting for? 

 Yeah that's right I want to bring home the CARE CHAMPION OF THE YEAR AWARD!

Me pictured with the GM of the hotel

Funny thing when I got off work that morning of the meeting I went to school and then had to waste some time between school and the meeting.  The meeting started at 2PM and I was out at 1050AM.  Long story short I got to the meeting and then took the max home.  I think I finally got to sleep at 4:30PM.  I have to be up by 815PM at the latest if I want to shower (which I do, because of my long days).  I set 5 alarms, I knew I was exhausted!

The picture they took to use for the charature

 Well, I slept through all 5 and I even turned them off.  Way to go!  My supervisor calls me at 1015PM, I have to be AT work at 10PM, and ask where I was.  HAHAHA that phone call woke me!  I had to wait for a max and I was 1 1\2 hours late for work!  GOOD JOB!  Way really show the staff at the hotel I earned CARE CHAMP of the Month by showing up late!  Ahh...

Sand in the City

Every year Portland does this thing called Sand in the City.  It is a benefit for Impact NorthWest.  they bring in a huge amount of sand and these huge crates.  There are 9 teams and each team had to create a sand sculpture. 

I am not really sure why some of the pictures are way bigger, but I wanted to post these.  I think that is awesome that they do stuff like this in the CITY!  Just another reason why I love Portland!  Each day it gets harder and harder to know I am moving from here next year.  Who knows what is store for me, I am going to just go with the flow of things.  I can't wait until some of my expected visitors come out here, SO much to show you guys!