Started the year visiting Austin, Texas for the first time since 2009 and worked part-time for four glorious months (and did some very good work, if I do say so myself) for a nonprofit based there, then ended the year doing an all-day workshop for an Oregon state agency (felt great to design and deliver an all-day workshop after so long). No work in between that but it sure was nice starting and ending on high notes.
Attended US Senator Jeff Merkley's January 2018 Town Hall in Banks, Oregon and US Senator Ron Wyden's February 2018 Town Hall in Hillsboro, and US Representative Suzanne Bonamici's town hall in Banks, volunteered with the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, and tried to get people to vote in the November 2018 election.
Got a hand-cranked pasta maker from a neighbor who didn't use it anymore (still struggling to use it correctly) and went on many cooking adventures. I started to enjoy it a couple of years ago. Even made my first decent lasagna.
Visited Cape Meres on a day trip via motorcycle and going up Mount Hebo via Siuslaw National Forest Service Road 14 TWICE.
Was inspired by Agnes De Mille.
Got a tweet from Strong Bad.
Took my first ever off-road motorcycle riding class. It wasn't that the experience itself was fantastic - I was terrified through most of it. The reason it was a highlight was how much it improved my riding.
Saw a few hours of incredible riding by police motorcycle riders at the North American Motor Officers Association (NAMOA) Annual Conference in May 2018 in Hillsboro, Oregon
Consulted with Afghan media reps & a media relations officer and, a few weeks later, with NGO visitors from Kazakhstan gifts visiting Portland, Oregon.
Went to Horning's Hideout for the first time (and a wedding together, besides our own, for the first time) and to Dundee Lodge in Gaston for the first time.
Hosted a world traveling bicycle rider.
Attended my first ever OMSI science pub night in Hillsboro, Oregon (to hear about the SOPHIA telescope)
Camped and hiked at Camp Wilkerson County Park in Oregon, at Brooks Memorial State Park in Washington state, and at Cottonwood Canyon State Park in Oregon - and hiked University Falls again.
Helped at a Friends of Family Farmer's event in Portland, Oregon.
Visited Rachel, Nevada with Stefan - our second visits, but our first together, and my first via a motorcycle.
Saw Smokey and the Bandit on the big screen after Burt Reynolds died and talked about Burt Reynolds instead of politics - at least for a few minutes. And seeing Hooper for the first time since I saw it in a theater a million years ago and realizing there's a point where Reynolds, driving through a Western movie set really fast in order to scare an assistant to a director, yells out of the window, "Hey, Jane Ann!" Which is my name...
Finally seeing the entire first seasons of Doctor Who. Okay, I get the appeal now - but you really do have to start from the very start of the reboot.
My wonderful neighbors, especially Virgil, continued to be wonderful
Walked Jaxson the dog most every weekday - and even hosted him overnight a few times.
Saw Mark Haffner for the first time in almost 30 years.
Every precious moment with our beloved Lucinda.
My moment of greatest accomplishment: riding around the Steens Mountain before the rest of our incredible trip through Nevada. And finally getting a crash on gravel over with.
The low point of the year? Losing Gray Max, my beloved cat. Every day I miss him and mourn him. Our home just does not feel the same without him. So many moments in the day are empty without him.
Bittersweet moment of the year: Daisy Dog passing away. Which was terribly sad... but I take great comfort in knowing just how much she was loved the last 4 1/2 years of her life.
And the blog I'm most proud of: Storytelling - a blog about a dream job and a long lost memory found again.
The year in review in photos.
Happy Holidays and here's to 2019
Wishing you a happy and successful 2019. I didn't know you are called Ann by second name
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