the real recap

for those of you who assumed that my recent trip to the pac northwest was purely for the sake of seeing my beloved brother and sister-in-law, that's what i was aiming for, but it's not the whole story. it's not that i intended to mislead, but i find i am becoming less interested in reading myself write (as opposed to hearing myself speak) just for the sake of over-sharing.

but, i will divulge a little more now that i have returned from oregon. my primary motivation actually related to a recent online 'purchase'. see, i ordered myself a man.

this isn't the first time i've attempted such a thing, but ordering online is a risky proposition. you peruse the store and you find something you like, but even with a lot of research (which I'm becoming a pro at), you have to start asking yourself some questions. how long will delivery take? how high are the shipping charges? is there a warranty? are you really dealing with a quality product? is it in the original packaging? is it 'refurbished'? what's the return policy? do you need to take out insurance? will it truly protect you in a dark alley like the description says it will?

there is only one way to answer these questions. inspect the merchandise.

i am happy to report that the inspection went even better than hoped for (and with high hopes, that speaks volumes), and i am now the proud owner of one long distance relationship.

my purchase came with a bonus gift for being such a valued customer, that being the very close proximity to the aforementioned beloved brother and sister-in-law. and short of being within a 500 mile radius, i can't think of a better situation. at least i got the coast right this time :D

in the near future, those of you looking for the nitty gritty details on this blog, will likely find yourself disappointed. it's not concern over the public nature of this forum, but more that i think, whatever the outcome, i've found someone and something quite special. special things do not come my way every day so i am intent on taking great care to nurture it and protect it from the challenges that are sure to come, not least among them, my own insecurities and paranoia.

that being said, enjoy pictures!

dylan and kelly goof off

our first date. or second. hmmm. not sure how to count these.

sunday dinner with kelly's fam

treehouse fun

more treehouse fun

i had a accident

at the woodburn tulip festival

slammin' the hot cocoa

there was a lot of wonderful family time (mine and his), beautiful flowers (i do love tulips), a car accident, and yes, there was snow. all in all, a very eventful trip!

the rest of the pics are here.