Free is such a good price

When was the last time you set foot in a public library?

I remember going to the Wayne Public Library when I was a kid-- the picture books were all in the basement with its clanky pipes and brightly colored carpet. I think the walls were green..... my mom let us pick out books to our heart's content.

At UNL, the library is huge. Two buildings, three floors I think. One side had these weird sort-of half floors, where "the stacks" were and the ceiling was super low. The basement was the creepiest place. Silent. But there were always Internet computers open, the copies were cheap and it was so so silent.

When I moved to Oregon almost five years ago, Kristina and I would make a daily trek to the Tigard library to spend an hour on the computer, emailing, surfing the net, etc. We rarely checked out books though. Then, we moved to Northeast Portland and I kind-of forgot about it.

Well, I have recently re-discovered the Tigard public library. I've been reading more since last summer, so for some reason I'm book-starved. I've been buying $3 novels at Goodwill and it finally just clicked that I could just hit the library. Duh. It's even on my way to work. Anyway, let me tell you what a great place it is. Books, magazines, DVDs, best-sellers, cds. I feel like I've hit the jackpot. Not only did I find the greatest book of sailboat drawings, but we also came home with 12 cds. And the best part? The price. FREE.

Happy Blogiversary!

Adventures of Hoybooks is officially one year old. To commemorate this happy occasion and to celebrate the fact that I still keep up with this thing, I present to you a new look. Or, at least, a new color.

I look forward to feeding your blog appetites in the future. :)

BFFs

(I hope the girls don't kill me for this one.)

These are some of my very best girls at our Senior Prom 1998. We're having our 10-year high school reunion this summer. I can't believe this was 10 years ago.

Circa 1990

I've been sorting through boxes of photos and have found some gems. Check out this photo of my family-- we used to play basketball for hours in the driveway. We pretty much played until someone cried. That's how we knew when it was time to quit.

If the world is my gym

Then Hamilton Mountain is my treadmill.My brother Scott is coming to visit in May to join us on a climb up Mt. Hood. I keep telling him that it really isn't a "walk in the park" and that he will need to train a little bit. I suddenly realized the other day that I should start listening to myself: "Hey, Gayle, it's not going to be a walk in the park. Start training."

So, B and I strapped on some packs and took advantage of a gorgeous Oregon Saturday to do a training hike up Hamilton Mountain in the gorge. You climb about 2,000 feet in about 4 miles. Not too shabby.That's us on the summit-- 2,488 feet. If you squint just right, you can see Mt. Adams in Washington between our heads.

We did this same hike about three years ago with our friend Heidi. Let's just say the weather was a wee bit different that time.

Proud wife sounds off

Last September, Bryan left his job.

He had been working at LaCie, a technology company, and it just wasn't right for him. The work was too straight-forward for his creative mind and the photography was really limiting. So, after several long, emotional conversations, he made the decision to leave and start his own photography business.

I have to say, it takes a certain degree of patience to be a wife to a husband who doesn't necessarily have a "full-time" job. He had lots of ideas in his mind, but was having trouble deciding where to start. Starting your business is hard work, but starting a business that relies on people finding you was really difficult. He decided to focus on weddings and then once he built up his portfolio, he could start looking around for commercial or editorial work.

October turned into November and I would leave for work in the morning and knew he was busy at the computer all day, but wasn't hearing him say those magic words, "I booked a wedding today." I was getting worried and I know Bryan was getting worried, but then, just when he was starting to think he had made a mistake, he got a reply from an ad he answered off Craigslist.

It was an offer to be an associate photographer with David Barss Studios and the rest, I guess, is history. He has been shooting with David since the beginning of the year and it has been a great experience. Bryan is taking gorgeous photographs, but now that his name is attached to a well-known photographer in Portland, his shots are going to be noticed. He has booked two weddings on his own for the studio and has been second-shooting with David for others. A couple of other regular gigs have worked their way into his schedule so it seems like B is taking a picture of something everyday of the week.

I just wanted to say how proud of him I am. Bryan is truly at his happiest and best when he is behind the camera and it shows. His gamble in September paid off. And I have the photographs to prove it.

Check out David's site here: www.davidbarssphotographer.com
Click on portfolio, then associate photographers to see Bryan's stuff.

Check out Bryan's blog where he posts his other shoots here: www.bryanhoybook.blogspot.com

The Five Signs of Spring

5. Flowers are popping up everywhere! Daffodils, tulips, etc.

4. The birds are especially vocal these days, especially in the morning. Grrrr....

3. The trees have started to bloom up the drive to our apartment. Give them two more weeks and it will be a canopy of white petals.

2. The rain is bigger, heavier and warmer. Winter rain is drizzly, quiet, constant and annoying. Spring rain has big drops, is loud, sudden and actually pretty amazing to watch.

And the #1 sign that I know spring is upon us:

1. Bryan asks me everyday if I'll go play tennis with him.

Ski day #8

We knew it had to happen sometime. We had been getting so lucky. Feet of fresh powder, calm winds, balmy temps, gorgeous central Oregon sun, no lift lines. We knew our good luck with conditions would run out someday.....We skiied in a blizzard yesterday. Well, not exactly a blizzard, but close. I mean, if we had been in Nebraska, it would have been a snow day for sure and we wouldn't have even left the house. The weather looked promising when we left Portland around 8 am. In fact, it looked like the sun was even shining on the east side of the mountain. But after our first run, it all went downhill. The wind picked up, it started to snow, then it started to snow those annoying ice pellets that sting when they hit your cold, wind-burned face. And then, the snow would hit my face, melt and drip down on my coat. I looked like I had been drooling all day. It was hilarious.

But, as it kept snowing, the terrain got better. We were making fresh tracks in fresh snow which is always awesome, no matter what the weather is like. And no one was there. No one. We skiied right up to the chair after every run.
I guess it was good training for a trip we might take someday where we might caught out in the elements and have to suffer through. But, if that's how I'm going to look at it, I'm really going to have get tougher because it was Pansy-town yesterday: Population, me.

I'm getting paid for this?

Twice a year, the management team from REI Tualatin goes on an outing. Sometimes it's a bike ride or kayaking or just out for dinner, but sometimes, it's snowshoeing. Sometimes, it's snowshoeing on a bluebird Mt. Hood day after 8 inches of fresh powder have fallen.

Since I'm not technically management, but still considered an important and integral part of the REI team, I get to go! Oh yeah, and I get paid for it.

Mt. Hood peaking out behind the morning fog.The managers trekking across a meadow. With all the backpacks, GPSs, black clothing and sunglasses, it looked like we were headed out on a covert special ops mission into the woods.

Reaching out

So, apparently, I collect jobs like some people collect cars. Or stamps, or antiques or whatever. I've recently accepted a new position at my REI-- outreach specialist.

How exactly will I be reaching out, you ask? Well, I'll be handling our relationships with the local non-profit organizations as well as the relationship our store has with the public. I get to organize and host service projects (ivy pulling, tree planting, etc.), attend and host REI sponsored events (Banff film festival, Bridge Pedal, etc.) and plan and schedule clinics and classes at my store. It's going to be a big change from my job now, but also a rewarding change. I can't wait to start-- which will be at the end of March, after I train my replacement. As if I could be replaced!