Google Analytics

So my sister turned me onto this web program that allows me to track who's looking at my website, and where they're coming from.

The most entertaining feature is the search engine phrases that people use and then end up looking at my blog.

My favorites:

--rheumatoid arthritis alien abductee

--I hate being a registered dietitian

--alcohol worsens episcleritis

--what do I wear to my wedding shower

--get off dialysis

--candles in "cultural hall"

Do these people really think my blog answers these questions? Alien abductee person.. REALLY?

Where did spring go?

So, it is now officially summer in Portland. This means that 1) there are no fans left in stores because nobody has A/C, 2) there is traffic 24/7 on the freeway because everyone is playing hooky, 3) I can't sleep because it's too hot, and 4) it's time for VACATION!

Graham and I went to Bend, Oregon, for the weekend to celebrate a successful thesis defense and manuscript printing/binding. I wanted to go to the coast, but Graham talked me into going to Bend. It was a good thing, though, because the temperature was in the 90s and it would've been PACKED on the coast.

So, this is what our weekend was like:
--We drove down Friday night, and ended up eating at Carl's Jr. Classy.
--We stayed at Sunriver Resort, which is 15 minutes south of Bend, and it was GORGEOUS. We had a king bed, a beautiful deck and a view of the golf course and mountains.
--Saturday morning, we drove to the "general store" and got ourselves some breakfast. We toured the resort area a bit, noticed how big and beautiful it was, and decided we would get a time share or something there if we end up staying in Portland.
--We indulged ourselves by getting massages at the spa. Super expensive, but we got a discount on our massages. Graham got his 1st massage. He said it was good, could've been better. Now, I say he's ruined for life because he will always want another massage.
--We tried to do a 2-hour bike ride, but a big Columbia company conference was being held at the resort, and those freaking people rented all of the 400 bikes.
--We then went to relax and cool down in the pool, but the pool was small, the pool area was crowded with sun bathers, and everyone stared at us when we went in the pool. We ended up only being there for 45 minutes, with both of us semi-sunburned.
--We decided to take a scenic drive up to Mt. Bachelor and ended up in Bend. We went shopping at The Old Mill District, down by the river, ate dinner, and saw "Baby Mama".

Sunday morning, we got up early to go to church, and decided to just drive home because of our rapidly progressing allergies. We had to forego the 45-minute float down the Deschutes River in Bend, but all in all, we had a fabulous and relaxing weekend.

I decided to post a picture to show you how inviting the river looked in Bend. It's not my picture, because I freaking lost my digital camera somehow. Argh!

This is Sunriver Resort. We loved it!

The Leprechaun

Ok, so Graham and I decided to rent random movies on Saturday night, and we ended up with a weird "scary" Asian movie and the early 90's classic The Leprechaun.

I don't know how many of you have seen this movie, but the first 10 minutes really turned me off. First of all, is a leprechaun scary to ANYONE? I mean, it's small, wears hats and shoes with buckles, and sports striped socks. Can you really be afraid of a little man with striped socks? Maybe this was scary to people in the early 90's... but I'm not so sure.

Anyways, the first minute shows a "scary" leprechaun fondling his gold coins as he recites a limerick (a rhyming limerick, mind you) about nobody being able to steal his gold. How can you take a rhyming gnome seriously? Also, instead of killing somebody right off with a knife or something cool, he pushes an old woman down the stairs. Please. Not scary. I've known plenty of people that have pushed elderly people down stairs.

One more example of how "scary" the leprechaun is: he pogo-sticks a man to death. I mean literally. He hops on top of a guy's chest with a pogo stick and it kills him. Oooooo so terrifying. No wonder nobody has those toys anymore.

So, I stopped watching the movie. I don't know if I was supposed to take it seriously as a scary movie or not. Leprechaun in Da Hood was probably not supposed to be taken seriously.

The aftermath...

So, I thought my life would die down a little bit after defending my thesis, but that has not been the case.. School has been crazy busy. I have to present a poster of my data at 2 conferences this week. I had an exam yesterday. I have a big presentation due on Monday. SUCK.

Anyways, life has been STRANGE lately. Maybe it's just the crazy people in our apartment complex..

Case 1: The night my parents arrived in Portland, a tenant in the other building was threatening to kill himself, and was downing pills. Graham was late to dinner because he had to deal with this.
Case 2: A neighbor downstairs dumped his cigarette ashes in his garbage can, set his garbage can on fire and set off the building fire alarm. I was trying to study for my test and getting ready to leave for school, so I wasn't worrying about it. Plus, the fire dept was coming, so I figured they'd take care of it. So anyways, a tenant comes and knocks on my door to tell me to take care of the fire alarm. Graham is the apartment manager for our building, so I don't know how to do anything. I told her that I'm not the manager, it's not my job, and that I'd make some calls, but I didn't know if I'd be able to do anything about it. She got really mad for some reason, kept insisting that I do something about it and make some calls. She told me "it's not rocket science you know." I then lost my patience and told her to go make some calls. Yes.. very aggressive I am. Anyways, how can this lady tell me I'm stupid? She was walking around in pants with a red silk robe covering her top. And, mind you, this is a facility for people with psychiatric disabilities.. She really pissed me off.
Case 3: The boyfriend of the red silk robe lady was clipping his toe nails in the public stairwell of our building.. The stairs are carpet, so many of the clippings are stuck in the fibers. SICK.
Case 4: I think our neighbor is a prostitute. I think her "red light" is on whenever she has paintings in her windows. She always has guys coming over to her apartment, and I've seen her visit many men in our complex.
Case 5: Our neighbor across the hallway died last week. Graham had to check his pulse. He had to wash his hands like 5 times afterwards. The guy like drank himself to death or something, but still.. CREEPY.

So yeah.. you see why we're afraid to have people over??