While I wait...

I think I will try to keep my mind occupied while I wait to hear about Bend. Plus, I know you're tired of me talking about it... but I just can't help myself. It would be awesome to be back in Central Oregon.

But since obsessing about it isn't doing me (or you, I suppose) any good, I will talk about other things.

Like the beautiful weather I came home to on Sunday...

It was gorgeous!!

And really hot. The pups and I were having to sweat it out...

What the heck? I haven't had to pant in two years...

Does this heat make my tongue look long?

I decided to go in the water to cool off. It was very refreshing (which you can only say 1 day a year here on the Oregon Coast). I tried to get the dogs in with me, but they were having none of it...

Hell, no. I'm not going in there. That water viciously attacks.

Plus, I might lose my ball...

Later in the evening, RR joined us down on the beach. It was really crazy because the ocean was like glass. It would be silent until the waves crashed onto the beach. I had never seen anything like it...

Look at how glassy everything is. There wasn't a hint of wind...

And amazingly enough, the beach was practically empty. So RR, the pups and I made the best of it and had some fun with the ball...

Wait, what?!? You want my ball?

No.

Or we tried to, anyway. When Noelle would give up the ball...

It was a great night.

Another thing I've been thinking about is the pics I haven't yet shared with you from our Sunriver vacation. We had such a good time...

We played tennis but were quickly eliminated (much to RR's relief)... along with El Dub and Flip Flop.

RR spent the downtime napping...

El Dub found a different way to pass the time...

Later in the week, RR and I went riding with Hutch on her horses. We all had a blast...

Hutch riding Melly...

RR on Commander...

We also did some hiking at Benham Falls...

See? I told you he was a billy goat in a past life...

We also met some new friends...

That, my friends, is a Pug/Shar Pei

It was good times.

And, hopefully I'll have some news to share soon. Keep sending out those good thoughts to the universe...

Waiting for those chickens to hatch...

And trying very hard not to count them before they do. But as you know, I am not a patient person...

*sigh*

For those of you who haven't heard, I applied for a job in Central Oregon last week. I saw the job posting on Thursday, sent my resumé at 1pm on Friday, got a call back at 2:30pm on Friday, and drove to Bend to interview for the job on Saturday.

I think it went well. It pays great and sounds like a perfect fit for me. Plus, it's in Bend... the most beautiful place in Oregon (in my never-humble opinion).

While there, I decided to look at some places for rent... just in case. Figured it couldn't hurt.

I looked at a bunkhouse for rent on 7 acres that is perfect. Plenty of room for the horses and only a very short ride down the road to thousands of acres of BLM. Plus, the lady who owns the place happens to know the person with whom I interviewed (small world). She said she would put in a good word for me because she wants me to rent the place.

Yay!!

Seems like all the pieces are in place. I just need to hear the magic words "you got the job".

Keep your fingers crossed for me...

Two days too many...

I should have been smart and taken off Thursday and Friday too...

Oh well.

It's been a bit of a shock to be back at work, but for the most part I'm caught up and It's Happening made it to the printer on time.

Yay, me.

I also landed a freelance photography gig for next week, paying pretty decent.

Yay, me.

I'll also be treating myself to "double bubble" tonight at the Bay House.

Yay, me!!

TGIF :)

Roger Rabbit is back...

Flip Flop's Sunriver Extravaganza finale...

The Hay family members (and their SO's) must perform a valid rendition of the famed Roger Rabbit dance to be awarded 5 bonus points for the scavenger hunt. Those points could make or break who gets bragging rights for the year...

Thanks to Brother #1 for this awesome video :) 

Seek, and ye shall find...

Over the course of this vacation we (the fam, that is) decided that we would do a picture scavenger hunt in honor of Flip Flop's 60th birthday.

RR and I had a lot of fun finding all these pics so I've decided to share them with you too...

A sunset...

El Dub napping...

We didn't get this one. Although I don't know how we failed. He's always napping...

Someone riding a horse...

We weren't sure if a pony counted so we also got this one too, just in case...

Someone in a canoe...

US Flag...

(if you look past RR's blinding white chest, the flag is behind him on the smoke stacks)

Brenny in Camo...

Another one we didn't get. Dang. Some people (like El Dub & Flip Flop, for instance) went out and bought him a camo shirt to get this shot. Cheaters...

Someone riding a bike with no hands...

Someone older than Flip Flop...

Don't worry. I told this very nice lady that we needed someone in a bike helmet. She'll never know what the real reason was...

Someone eating ice cream...

A sunrise...

And I can assure you that RR had no part in this. I had to wake up at 5:30am to get this shot. He, of course, was still blissfully sleeping (jerk)...

Obsidian rock...

Thank goodness for the rock shop down in the Sunriver village...

Bambi...

Not easy to find unless you're up at the crack of dawn. And even though I was up at the crack of dawn for the sunrise pic, I went back to bed. We happened upon this as we were driving to the pool. Yay, us!!

Family member on the water slide...

Yes, RR counts as family for the purpose of this vacation...

Lizard...

Lady walking 2 dogs...

Strangers riding tandem bike...

Dang near missed this one. Couldn't get my camera out quick enough...

Stranger in socks and sandals...

Another one that I thought would be easy and wasn't. I had to stalk this guy through half of the Sunriver Village to get this shot. I wonder if he thought it was strange that I was following him?

Harley Davidson other than El Dub's...

Sand trap...

This one was easy. RR and I were in them often enough on the putt-putt outing...

Man with a perm...

Not easy!! We were the only ones to get this shot... 

Exactly 60 of 1 item...

6 kids in same photo (double points for 4 girls and 2 boys)...

Thank goodness for the water slide and it's popularity with the under 14 set...

Man with a mullet...

No one got this one. Apparently Sunriver is a little too upscale for the mullet crowd...

Picture of Logan...

Another one we didn't get. Although there were some clever ones from other fam members. Someone did a log with "an" scratched below it. The parentals found it in the phone book. Boo and her SO got it on a sign. We weren't that clever. Fail...

Best/Funniest live play tennis shot...

RR and I won with a great shot of Flip Flop...

Sign with the letters JAH in it...

Speedo at the pool...

I am in a Speedo and I am at the pool...

Something that rhymes with Hay...

This is "day" in case you can't figure it out...

And as a bonus... 10 points to your team if both members can perform the Roger Rabbit...

The video is of every fam member's attempt at the Roger Rabbit. It's long, but it's funny. 

And as soon as I figure out how to get the video uploaded it'll be etched in your memory for all time.

Stay tuned...

So far, so good...

I am now on vacation.

*wild applause*

Yes, I know. I needed it. Bad...

And since everyone in the house is waking up at the crack of 9ish and I (having an east facing window) am woken up by streaming sun at 6, I find myself with a bit of time on my hands. So, I thought I would catch you up on the vacation thus far...

The plan was to leave on Thursday at around 11am. So, I got up early, finished packing and then took the pups down to the beach for one last walk before we left them behind...

Behind? What does that mean, behind?

It means you're not coming with us to Sunriver...

 Not coming with? How can this be?

Because there's no room for you and Daisy...

Well, at least I still have my ball. It'll never leave me...

I did get quite the guilt trip from the girls. Can't blame them. 

Who wouldn't want to go from this...

To this...

It's gorgeous here. And very, very sunny. And we are having a good time...

Although I wish RR would cooperate and fall off something into the water so I could get a great shot. Oh well. Maybe next time...

On Friday night the whole Fam went to play a little putt-putt golf.

RR and I didn't fare so well...

Considering how much greenery there is (and only very tiny pits of sand) you'd think that we'd be able to stay out of the sand traps...

But no. Not us...

Needless to say, we didn't win. But we all had fun...

Flip Flop and El Dub...

Boo Boo...

The Youngest with his gf...

Yesterday, we went for a float down the river through Bend. It was sunny, hot and a lot of fun...

Now this is what I call a vacation...

Although I was viciously blinded when RR took his shirt off...

Holy crap is that bright!!

Although, I'm not doing much better...

Here's to hoping that I come home with a tan. Despite the fact that I'm wearing 110 SPF sunblock...