the sisterless summer.

(Photo by: Jeremy Okai Davis. Taken in my kitchen window.)

Yesterday was a happy day, all of the Strannigan sisters were in one place for one afternoon. We celebrated the return of Candyce with fatty foods & cocktails at Claim Jumper and it was glorious.

Today is a little bit sad.
Candyce heads back to Salem (but will be back this weekend!).
Danielle & Krispin left for 2 months in China, and just when I was getting used to the whole hanging out with my married sister all the time thing. You can read about their adventures, however, on their darling little blog.

My left arm / shoulder is terribly sore from intensely playing Nintendo Wii at my new favorite place, The Tanker. They have free popcorn bowls, a free jukebox (with Band of Horses and Gogol Bordello), and free Nintendo Wii.

My (awesome) roommate has an (awesome) art show opening at Sugar Gallery on June 5th. If you live in or near Portland, you should attend. No, really, you should.

I am dog-sitting this weekend. Not sure how I feel about it, but I think it will be good for me to lay low with my new lil pals Frodo and Gandalf. (yes, you read that correctly.)

Sasquatch Festival was fun - for the one day I went. With a 5 hour drive on each end, and lots of hours in the sun/rain/sun with loud music - it was quite exhausting. It was good to see the cold war kiddos, as well as the delta spirits and a surprise appearance from Sam Owens (well, it was a surprise to ME, anyway)! The girl from Mates of State ran over my foot with her stroller and I STILL get giddy when I see Ben Gibbard. Oh, the idols of our youth!

And lastly, I am sad to report that I am not going ANYWHERE this summer. Well, to be specific, I'm not going anywhere international. Because of a number of reasons...mostly work-related...I am not able to go to Kenya this summer. :( My little heart longs for Africa and travel and little African babies, but for right now I have to stay here. My hope is to go later in the year, when the job stuff settles down.

In the meantime, however, God is good because I do get to hang out with little Somali babies right here in Portland. I'm taking over for Danielle with her Somalian refugee family and today is my first day with them on my own. I think we are going to an indoor pool with a water slide. Not exactly my cup of tea (I hate water), but the girls adore it. I'm a little bit nervous, especially as their mother terrifies me. Honestly, there is nothing more frightening than a Somali woman in all of her glory & wrath. We can just hope that I am not the recipient of any of that.

So, here's to the beginning of my sisterless summer. I was worried that it would be boring and lonely, but I must say its shaping up quite nicely. Candyce is only an hour away, I live next door to some of my best friends, I have Penelope, and now the Somalis.

And of course, I still have the month of August to look forward to, when the Strannigan sisters will rule the world. Or...at least the greater Portland area?