Viewing Points

Facebook Status for current blog:  Chris Spicer thinks that there are viewpoints along the highway of life; opportune roadside pull-offs that allow us to see the whole picture once again before heading off down the road.

One of my favorite viewpoints is at the edge of the Blue Mountains in eastern Oregon.  Before you descend the mountains to Pendleton, you have one last chance to pull off and appreciate the majestic landscape.  When I'm up there I feel like I'm bigger than the Blue Mountains and all of Oregon, even the Northwest and the entire Pacific Ocean.

In two weeks, I'll give all of that back.  Is it sad?  Or is it symbolic, to drive the other direction, not knowing when I'll see this view again?

I am sure that where one viewpoint ends, another begins.  I won't stop here on my drive to Idaho.  Right now, I don't think I need to see where I've been.  I'll keep the car and drive, searching for viewpoints that reveal where I'm going.

Three Top Tens

Top 10 Christian Recording Artist Rock Albums

10. Blindside - Silence

9. MxPx - Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo

8. Further Seems Forever - The Moon Is Down

7. Switchfoot - New Way To Be Human

6. Audio Adrenaline - Some Kind of Zombie

5. Plankeye - Commonwealth

4. Mae - Destination: Beautiful

3. The Juliana Theory - Emotion Is Dead

2. Jars of Clay - Much Afraid

1. DC Talk - Jesus Freak

Top 10 Local Portland Metropolitan Area Dining Spots

10. Hong Kong 97 (Gladstone)

9. La Provence (Lake Oswego)

8. DaVinci's Ristorante Italiano (Milwaukie)

7. Buster's BBQ (Gladstone)

6. Lil' Cooperstown (West Linn)

5. Hotcakes (Portland)

4. Pizza Schmizza (Portland)

3. Super Torta (Oregon City)

2. Laurelwood (Portland)

1. Montage (Portland)

Top 10 Books I've Read In The Last Year

10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling

9. High Fidelity - Nick Hornby

8. What Is The What - Dave Eggers

7. Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut

6. A Man Without A Country - Kurt Vonnegut

5. Rant - Chuck Palahniuk

4. You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers

3. Sometimes A Great Notion - Ken Kesey

2. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

1. The Road - Cormac McCarthy

In The Morning

Right now I am sitting in my dad's chair using his laptop computer. My mom is making breakfast behind me in the kitchen. My shift at work starts at 10:30, which is the latest shift possible without being a closer. Shifts that go into the late afternoon are always slow and boring; everything usually gets done by about 4:00. I won't get off until 7:00, which means I will most likely be standing behind the cash register for hours, or walking back and forth around the store looking for something to do. I wouldn't necessarily mind having this later shift on any other day, but I would have really liked to watch the hockey game on at 5:00.

I was looking out the living room windows at my backyard earlier this morning. It is nearly 90% green. the other 10% accounts for the back patio and the brown trucks of the green-leaved trees. I have said this to many people recently, but one of my favorite things about the Portland area is not only the green, but the different shades of green. Anywhere you look there are multiple types of trees and bushes and grass, all with their unique blend of blue and yellow. It has to rain a lot for this to happen, but I think it's worth it.

My mom just put a plate of eggs and toast on the table, and it's starting to get cold.

Before I Go To Bed (Version 2)

I've been pretty skeptical of this whole coming back home and working for my dad business.  I was against it for a long time, because I wanted proof that I went to college.  After spending four years in Idaho, now where am I?  In the same town, same house, working the same job, with some of the same people.  Not much has changed.  I've been taking steps to make these changes though.

This summer, my old bedroom will be turned into another guest room.  I don't even sleep in it now; the bed in my brother's old room is more comfortable than mine.  Anyways, I've been sorting out and getting rid of most of the junk that has sat waiting for me in my room for four years.  My mom has bought a new bedspread, and once we paint over the two-tone blue paint job that I chose five years ago, there won't be much left to remind me of my old self.  And that's the way I like it.  I need proof.

Not the kind of proof that everyone older than me keeps thrusting upon me.  Just because I'm out of college now doesn't mean that I have to get a job.  For me, it almost means the opposite.  I need some time.  Sure a job would be nice, but I just need time, you know?  I can work for the rest of my life until I've work myself tired, but why start now?

Home in Oregon

After spending a week in Nampa after graduation I am now back home in Oregon.  The reason I stayed in the was for a job interview, but I'm glad I stayed for other reasons.  I got to spend a lot of time with some awesome people; Katie, Kylee, Jenna, Mike, Ryan, and Kenton.  And I was able to relax and enjoy life in Nampa without all the usual added stress.

I can't think of a better way I could have ended the week either.  Thursday night Katie and I went on a date.  We went to dinner, coffee, and a movie (classic date style).  I had a great time, and it really was the perfect last night in town.  The next day before I left I had lunch with Katie and then stopped by the Brass Razoo to say goodbye to Kylee.  It really is goodbye for a long time too, since she's moving to Kansas.  I'm going to miss her when she's all the way over in the midwest.

The best thing happened right before I left town.  I got a drink at the flying m before heading out of town, and the lady right behind me stepped up to the counter and said, "Are you ready for me?" to the barista.  They said yes, and then she said the best possible thing she could have said: Six-Shot Mondo Mars Bar.  It was like the end of a book or movie, where a ridiculous moment from the past is linked back to the end of the book, and the last sentence or line hits you when you're least expecting it.  But it's the perfect ending.  I would explain further, but my cousin and I are leaving right now to go to a movie.

Next post: How Oregon is different than Idaho.

Time to Relax

School's out. It feels really good to be done. I try not to let myself get stressed out, but it happened a lot this semester. And now that's done.

I'm still in Nampa until Friday. I'm on the schedule to work at Spicer Brothers Produce starting Saturday! I can't wait to just take it easy for a while. I have a lot of books to read, so I'll be out on the patio at my house in Oregon City if you want to find me.

Takin' It Easy

Reed and I have been relaxing at my house, and it's been great.

I love having time to read, and not worry about school or work.

I also love hockey, and there are only a few games left in the regular season.  I can't wait for the playoffs.

Steak for dinner was good.

This is spring break at its finest.  And sadly, the last spring I'll have for a while.  How's yours?

To Build A Home

Over the past week, the one thing I have thought about more than any other is home.

I have been listening to a song by The Cinematic Orchestra and Patrick Watson called "To Build a Home" at least three times a day for the last few days.  It is an amazing song.

Although a soft bed with fresh sheets can be comfortable, there are things in this world, instances and ideas that can provide just as much comfort as the feeling a clean bed can.  Certain songs give me this intangible comfort, and To Build A Home is one of those.  Even though it isn't real, and I can't hold it in my hands, I can let this song surround me.

One of my friends once said that whenever she heard a song called "Deliver Me", it made her feel safe.  I kind of mocked her for this, but it was before I had heard "To Build A Home" and felt safe myself.

I had the pleasure of introducing this song to several of my friends tonight.  We turned off the lights in my apartment, laid down on the couches, and just listened for six minutes.  The words about home filled the air, mixed together with the sweeping piano and beautiful string melodies.  And even though I will be at my house in four days, I was home tonight.

I've been thinking a lot about home lately.