Hello, all.

I appologize for my lack of blogging.  It's true, I have sucked at blogging this year.  Basically since I moved in with John.  (Those darn boys....)  And now, here it is, the 24th of April...Almost May.  I cannot believe how fast this year has gone.  It seems like spring break was last week, but here I am, entering the fourth week of the term.  Sheesh!  How time doth fly. 

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous for the last couple of days.  Sunshine and the whole bit.  (Yes, sunshine.  In Oregon.)  This weekend, John and I pulled ivy at the park near our house in conjunction with SOLV IT in celebration of Earth Day.  Lola came with us and had a blast running around in the woods while we worked.  Yesterday, Lola and I went for a long run in Forest Park.  It was a beautiful day for a long training run.  It was almost hot when we went, and I was glad that I was wearing shorts and a tee shirt.  I can't believe that it's shorts weather already!  Yay! 

We started a couple of new classes this term:  Endodontics and Orthodontics (root canals and braces).  Way more fun than the stuff we've been doing for the past two years.  I am actually really quite jacked about school this term.  We have lab every day from 9-12 and 2-5.  Hardly any lecture classes.  It's soooo nice.  I love just going in to the lab to work, rather than coming home to study.  It's much more hands on. 

Well, seeing as how I'm not in the lab, I had best get back to studying.

Well, another year has come and gone.  Yes, I realize that it's already the middle of January (actually 2/3 of the way through), but it is still the start of 2006.  And thus, it's time for us to take a moment and reflect on the past.....All right then.

I don't really make resolutions for the new year, but John and I have committed to run the Portland Marathon this year.  The race is in October and training starts in March.  Any avid runners out there should check out the website:  www.portlandmarathon.com.  It should be a cool race.  They have bands every couple of miles or so and it's pretty much a flat course.  I am looking forward to it.  It will also get me into shape for the elusive wedding.

Speaking of weddings, John and I have set a date.  Not a day, really, but a general period of time.  August of 2007.  Yes, it's more than a year off.  It will actually turn out to be a two year engagement.  I don't really care because we want to do it right.  Now that we have a date, I can start planning.  Sometime.  Start saving your pennies for Puerto Vallarta, people!  I went to the Portland bridal show last weekend with Marisa, her newly engaged roomate, Kelly, and friend from school, Candice.  It was cool, but I am totally not there yet.  I think I am highly untraditional (go figure).  I have decided to go with the top I made this summer and will eventually make some sort of flowy skirt for the bottom.  It will be killer.

After the break, John got a new job as a coffee barista at a major retail chain (it starts with an "N", ends in "ordstrom", and rhymes with "Hordstrom".  He's not supposed to blog or write emails about it...) Anywho, the job is a much better fit for his personality than the plastics factory.  He is a lot happier, which is a good thing.  His uniform, however, is a little rediculous:  Black shoes, black socks, black slacks, black undershirt, black button-up short sleeve shirt, and black apron.  If he's cold, he has the option for a black coat and black hat.  Stylin'. I will post a picture soon.

Well, that's about it.  Life is good in Portland.  I think we have a couple rain-free days in our forecast.  It's actually been raining so much (8" this month) that they are worried that the Willamette River, which runs right thru town, will flood.  Crazy.

Well, here it is, the middle of December!  I can't believe it's here already.  I told Marisa that I would post on Sunday, but I didn't get my pictures uploaded until last night, and then my finicky wireless internet wasn't working so hot on my laptop that I didn't get a post to work, so I moved upstairs today and am now posting, complete with pictures.  (Huge run-on sentence, but hey...I've got a lot to say.)  Since I haven't posted all quarter, it's hard to say what I will remember and what I will forget...but here's some highlights.

School went well.  It almost feels a little surreal to be done.  Quarters go so fast.  It's nice.  This whole quarter was a little hectic.  We had a ton of lab work to do, from two complete dentures to several cast gold onlays to mounting casts and cutting crown preps.  It was a lot of work, and I am glad that there will be a lab to do most of this stuff for me when I am done!  Not that I don't think it's a good learning experience, I just prefer to work with people rather than their dentures.  Anywho, the last couple of weeks were so hectic it was like somebody ripped a bandaid off of my arm--it was quick, but it was also a little painful.  Just glad to be done at this point.

John and I got a dog a month or so ago (the weekend before Cat-Griz, I think).  Her name is Lola.  We adopted her from the Oregon Humane Society.  She is a year and a half, and is a golden lab mix.  She is very well trained and well behaved.  She hasn't made a mess in the house yet, so that's always a good sign!  She's also a very quick learner--we taught her to sit before she goes outside and before she crosses the street, and we just taught her to shake this last week.  She's a lefty (when it come's to shaking).  John and I are enjoying the new addition to our family.  She really brings a lot of love and joy to it!  While I was at school, John would take her to the dog part every afternoon to play with all the other dogs.  She has made two very good friends that she likes to wrestle with--Maleik (Mah-leak) and Yoko.  They are both twice her size (in height and weight) but she loves it!  We also took her running every morning at 5am during school so that she wouldn't be too wound up during the day while we are gone.  I think she's enjoying sleeping in as much as I am!  I put some pictures of her in my photo album on the right.  They're in the 'My Friends' section.  Check them out!  She's such a cutie!

Anywho, that's about all that's going on.  John and I went up to Seattle a couple weekends ago with Kelly, a friend of mine from class, and Chip, her husband.  You can read all about that adventure on John's blog!

We are heading home on the 19th, and are going to spend the first week in Casper, and then the second week in Helena.  All y'all who live in Billings should expect a call on the 20th when we drive through to Casper.  Perhaps we can do lunch or coffee!

Anywho, that's about it!  Take care and Happy Holidays!

Hello, All!

Well, it's official.  I am back to the daily grind.  School, that is.  I have only been back for two weeks and I am already looking forward to my next vacation (Thanksgiving).  I have lab three days a week. I never thought that dentistry would be hard on my body, but it kind of is.  You wouldn't think that your body could get tired after sitting for eight hours cutting cavity preparations or crown preparations or making dentures, but it sure is gruelling.  I am hoping my body will get used to it soon, along with waking up at 6 am again.  I am definitely out of the groove after summer vacation.  My favorite so far is definitely removable prosthodontics (i.e. denture making).  It is fun.  I feel like I am at camp or something, making a project out of wax.  Highly entertaining and functional for the edentulous. 

John and I are now living together out in Portland.  He has done such a great job putting the apartment together since I started school.  It's really coming around.  I like our apartment, too.  It's a two story, two bedroom, two bath townhouse.  Much more roomy than my little place from last year.  I do have to say that I like living with just us. It's nice to walk around in underwear if I want to.  Yes.

Anywho, I should go do some homework or something.  (Probably the or something.)

Well, again it's been several weeks since I've posted an entry.  This is beginning to seem like some kind of pattern in the land of Ing, but I assure you that it is not.  Hopefully.

The summer is winding down, and I start school again in exactly two weeks.  I know some of you have been back to the bump and grind of it all already, but I am glad that I have not started yet.  Since the last time I posted, several exciting things have happened...(What do you know?  My life is not totally boring!)

John asked me to marry him on the 17th of August.  Quite the story, it is.  For a full recount of the tale, please refer to John's website at www.johnmclellan.bravejournal.com, or click on his name on the right of the screen.  At any rate, it was truly romantic, and I am so happy about it.  He asked me in the park in Helena.  The park we were at had no significance to us at the time, but it sure does now!  He wanted to ask me at the park where we first kissed, but I am apparently very punctual now and insisted that we didn't have time to drive across town to visit it because he had to work that night back in Bozeman.  I changed my tune in a hurry when he got down on one knee and started with, "This was supposed to be at the park where we first kissed...."  It's at least a great story to pass along.  I love him, so of course I said yes!

The cd release for the Clintons was this last weekend.  I actually made it up to the show in Helena, which wasn't as great as Millers usually is, but still a high energy crowd.  Then the one here in Bozeman rocked.  The show at the park brought a lot of younger kids and families out, which was great to see.  My favorite part was at the end when everyone started jamming out.   Josh even brought some little ones up on stage (entirely too cute).  I think his next job will be as an elementary school music teacher.  Not really, but it is possible.  Later that night they played at Mixers.  It was as packed as I've ever seen it, so that was nice for them to go out with a bang like that.  Cheers!  I also met Ian's wife, Leah, for the first time this weekend.  She is due in October, and she has to be the cutest pregnant lady that I've ever seen.  It just makes you want to be prego, but then I realize what that would entail, and I am reminded that it is in my ten year plan. 

John and I have found a place in Portland via the internet.  Thanks to Marisa for going and checking the outside of it out for us!  We actually have no idea what the inside looks like, so that will be interesting.  At any rate, both of us are excited to move.  I can't wait to get back to Portland. 

Anywho, that's about it.  I look forward to seeing or hearing from you soon!  Oh, you can see a picture of my ring in my photo album on the right.  It's in the "My Pictures" category. 

Hello, All!

Well, yet again, it's been about two weeks since I last updated.  I suck at this in the summer.  A lot has happened since I last updated...go figure.

Let's go back to where I last left off...Marysia's wedding.  She is now Mrs. Patterson, and I think she just got back from celebrating the joyous occasion in the Carribbean on a cruise.  Lucky thing.  Anywho, the wedding day itself went fine, but the days leading up to the event were a nightmare.  As John put it, I am a perfectionist.  This wedding was by no means organized by a perfectionist, no offense.  I just couldn't let go of the unfinished things, even though Marysia didn't care.  I needed a plan, and well, she didn't have one....Aaaah!  Needless to say, I was definitely in the mood for a drink on Saturday.  The kazoo choir got a standing ovation, and the bridal party galloped down the isle to the coconuts, as planned.  It was actually quite humorous.  The reception cleared out fast, mostly because Cory's dad started carding kids at the keg, and then my family took over...as John put it, they became the keg Nazis.  Nobody danced much, and I blame that on the fact that John and I were djs, and the fact that everyone was 19-22 and not drinking!  It was great fun.  Good to see family, though.

Since then, I started working at Applebees during the day to make a couple extra bucks, and am still working at the Bay at night.  A lot of people are quitting the Bay, so it will be nice to make some money before I go back to school. 

John's parents were up in Bozeman last week, and then we went down to Casper for his 10 year high school reunion.  It was nice to have his family up here.  They went up to Helena on Tuesday and had dinner with my mom...which supposedly went well.  The reunion was nice because I wasn't working.  I can't say that it was a ton of fun for me like it was for John, but I was there.  It was good to meet some of the people he grew up with.  I went to the mall and found some cute stuff at the Gap/Banana Republic/ Old Navy outlet. All in all, a good weekend.

It looks like John and I will be making the trek to Portland on September 15th.  We found a townhouse not too far from where I lived last year.  2 levels, 2 bedroom/1.5 bath, hardwood floors, private yard, etc.  Sounds like a dream to me considering the hellish apartment I had last year.  I haven't seen it, nor have I seen pictures of it, so who knows what it's really like, but we're going to take our chances I think.  Anywho, that's about it.  Until next time!

Well, it looks like I have just enjoyed a nice little vacation from blogging unintentionally.  Who knew that getting on the internet was so hard to do...I mean, all you have to do is click on the little "Internet Explorer" icon and go to your blog page...You would have thought that it took two dental students and a rock star to get you there...but sadly, all it takes is a little focus to double-click on the icon.  So I am back..

Where has July gone? It has escaped me.  I have spent the last few weeks getting ready for my little sister's wedding that is this Saturday.  Yes, she is 19.  Yes, she is happy.  Yes, I think that she has a few screws loose (or, quite possibly misssing) sometimes.  But hey, who am I to judge?  This is the most "artistic" wedding that you will ever see.  (And, artistic in this sense could quite possibly be confused with Redneck...two highly interchangeable terms in Montana)  It will be good for a laugh, at least.  For some odd reason, we have the Monty Python-esque theme, with bridal party members galloping down the isle to coconut shell horse hoof noises, which is not to be out done by the full kazoo choir kazooing "Here Comes the Bride" as she walks (or gallops?) down the isle.  I spent last week sewing the five vests for the grooms men.  And don't forget the wedding dress that I sewed her that she's not wearing.  You can look for the Ingrid Schultz original wedding design on eBay soon...Hopefully it will fetch a fair price...perhaps even bid on it, just to boost my self esteem!  Anywho, to complete this fine event, we have the potluck reception with no d.j...just an iPod.  I am all about the iPod, but come on, the d.j. adds personality to the reception!  Anywho, Saturday afternoon, Carroll College...come on down!  It should be a great time!  (p.s.  I deny any sarcasm sensed in the above description....I am really happy for her!) 

Anywho, I went to Billings with Britney and had lunch with Missy and Katie.  It was so good to catch up with everybody.  The ride up went so fast...I hadn't talked to Brit in ages, so it was just chat chat chat.  Missy came out with her dad's new convertible which proudly displays "Dad's toy" on the license plate, just so that there's no confussion in her world.  I would be confused, too, if I got to drive a new BMW convertible all the time.. that's just like teasing a baby.  It's wrong.  Anywho, everyone is good.  I plan to do some floating soon with some of you Billings people!

And to tie up loose ends, John is doing well.  We went camping Sunday night after I got off work.  It was a blast.  I think we got up to the camp site at 9, and by 9:20, we had the tent set up, water boiling for hot cocoa, and a couple of hot dogs roasting.  We're a good team. It rained that entire night after about midnight.  John claims he didn't hear any thunder except before we went to sleep, but I swear somebody could have been banging pots outside our tent it was so loud!  Needless to say, I didn't sleep well.

Anywho, I am looking forward to going back to Portland.  I have been looking for apartments online.  It keeps me busy....Well, I will let you know all about the wedding after this weekend...with pictures, possibly!

Alrighty.  So I realize that it has been forever and a day since I have blogged, but for good reason.  I finished up with school for the year (better get out your party hats!) and moved back to Bozeman about a week ago.  John and I actually got packed up and out of my apartment in a total of about 7 hours.  That's not to say that I don't have a lot of shit (because I do) but rather because we busted ass.  I put him in charge of moving big furniture with my roommate's fiance, and soon enough the couches and tables, etc were gone from the apartment.  It was great.  The most time consuming was my bedroom, of course.  Who knew that you could accumulate so much shit in just one year?  I did, but you never realize it until you move. 

I have been in Bozeman for a week.  I am still unemployed but you've got to take a little break, right?  I have some leads, but probably won't know about them for a week.  I hate being unemployed especially when all I do is go out and drink at night and spend money.  I hate being poor.  But I do like going out.  A lot.  The Clintons played outside in Helena last night at Bert and Ernie's (a restaurant) and it was awesome!  I had a blast drinking beer and dancing all night long.  It was very energizing. 

Anywho, things at the home front are good.  It's nice to actually live in the same town as John, not to mention the same house.  I do feel like there aren't many people left here in Bozeman that I went to school with, but whatever.  I have him to hang out with...

Well, going with the theme of my last two or three blogs, school is almost over!  There is one more week (finals).  Not only is today a good day because of that, but I am officially done with lab work for the year.  Wahoo!  Don't get me wrong, the lab work we do is basically a modified version of everything I will be doing in practice, but it is just sooo time consuming when you also have classes to study for.  I can't wait for next year...the book classes decrease while the lab work increases!  Talk about an improvement!  Anywho, the end is so close that I can almost taste it.

I went home this last weekend to visit John.  It was so nice to get away from school and all, even though I was only there for a couple of days.  I got a chance to listen to the Clinton's album that they are recording, and let me tell you that it is FREAKIN' AWESOME!  I am so excited to get a copy of it in my hot little hands! I also went out to the Belgrade Lounge, had some margaritas and listened to them play a gig out there.  It was good, but it was more fun just to people watch the whole night.  Seriously weird people there. It really is a place where people come out of the wood work.  All I can say is that Joe Dirt, Stiffler's mom, and a member of Duran Duran made an appearance on the dance floor...what a night.  And that's not the margarita talking.

Anywho, I am excited to be nearing the end.  John is flying out next Thursday to help me pack and put my stuff in storage.  Then we will be cruising home in the Jetta.  I am excited!

Two more weeks!  Yes, that's right...Two more weeks exactly until I am done with school for the year.  Just in case you didn't catch that, there are 6 more days of class and 4 days of finals.  Stated another way, there are only 16 more classes and 6 (?) finals...Then I get to go home!  (I am a little bit excited, but I bet you couldn't tell...)

For being almost half way through June, the weather sure doesn't feel like it is. Today was the nicest day we've had in two weeks or so.  I went for a great run this afternoon. I am definitely ready for summer!  I do have to say that I am kind of glad that it is rainy still because if it wasn't, I would be even less motivated for school...