My Adventures in Writing

So, I’m back to my normal routine of driving to the Portland area for my graduate school classes. The drive from Salem to Hillsboro isn’t too bad most days, except that I think A LOT of people leave work early on Friday. Why is that really? To get a jump on the weekend? Why don’t we leave early on Monday? Or better yet, get to work an hour or two later on Monday? Maybe I should start a new trend.
But anyway, my drives have become routine again after a very long break from classes this past fall and winter. I got rather used to spending my free time at home and to be honest, some of it was spent being just plain lazy. The other time, I spent ripping out 40 year old flooring (some of it looked that old anyway) and putting in new laminate wood flooring and vinyl tile. It was a project and at times, more difficult than actual school work. But it was time well spent with my husband.
Getting back to my routine drive, I’ve found a new route, or rather am revisiting an old route. I now drive through Newberg, up over a steep hill, winding up and over it and then down to Hillsboro. It’s very windy and slow but then the other route requires slowing to an almost complete stop when traveling through three small towns. It’s a toss up but makes more sense lately to drive the revisited route.

Today as I climbed the steep, windy hill, I admired the view of the valley below. Sometimes I take for granted or actually feel punished to have to drive so far. But in reality, if I stop to take in what I am traveling through, it’s worth it. Springtime is especially eye-catching, as I pass lambs, calves, daffodils, and flowering trees everywhere. Not having to keep the windshield wipers on constantly is a blessing.
Today I realized how beautiful the area is when I turned a corner to find a towering, white Mt. Hood in front of me. Portlanders really are lucky to have such a magnificent mountain right out their backdoor, not to mention Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams (I think). Those mountains are amazing! If I am lucky I can catch a glimpse of Mt. Jefferson on my morning commute to Salem but not always. Mt. Jefferson is so much further away it seem. Right here in Portland, Mt. Hood is practically starring you in the face. It’s amazing I must say.

Well, this is my first post for 2010, and it’s already February 3rd! Time flies. I was just thinking on my way home today that I sure am busy. I am gearing up for Spring term at Pacific University. It’s tough since I’ve been out of school since October. I was able to transfer some credit and opt out of a class and then we had a nice break during December and January. But once I start back up it just means that I am closer to finishing. I just have five more classes left and finishing my capstone project. I’m getting there.

My job keeps me busy. I have a few projects that are my responsibility and they tend to drain my time. This is one of the only jobs I’ve had where I really enjoy working. To me researching and investigating laws and regulations is fun, not work. It does take a certain personality and I have it. I love to coordinate projects too.

So, here’s to a busy 2010! I told my husband that if he can endure me for six more months of stress that things will be okay after that. I’ll post again in August. Just joking.

I read today that the Supreme Court upheld the regulation of “indent” language on television (Los Angeles Times, 2009). I applauded this because children and decent adults shouldn’t be subject to foul language while watching primetime television. If producers want to include foul language on cable television shows or pay-per-view shows then that’s there choice. But, the rest of us should be protected and not have to worry about hearing the F-word while watching television.

I find that kind of language offensive and unneeded. What does it add to the show anyway? There are decent enough ways to express anger or excitement. Although I do believe that everyone has the right to speak their mind, there are many other ways to do this without impeding on the rights of others.

The Supreme Court decided that the FCC does have the authority to fine and “crack down” on ‘foul-mouthed glitteratae from Hollywood.’ The “F-word” and “S-word” should not be used during prime-time broadcasts. The new policy states that a “single ‘fleeting expletive’ could trigger fines for the network and all the local broadcasters who aired the show.” Members of the media are considering this an impairment on artistic expression, and looking to appeals based on violations of the 1st Amendment.

I am glad the Supreme Court has made this ruling on decency on prime-time television, and that they value the importance of protecting minors. This is one time when I think the 1st Amendment should be limited, as it has major effects on other citizens. It’s one thing to assemble and protest but another when movie stars are just using unnecessary foul language in everyday shows that minors watch. There is a line to draw.

I don't like driving in Portland but I am forced to endure it for another month. I attend my classes Friday night in Hillsboro and then drive to SE Portland to stay the night with family. The drive usually takes about an hour, even though it's about 25-30 miles. The first time I drove to SE Portland, it was dark and busy. I got lost twice, well, I wouldn't say lost, more like misplaced. I knew where I was and where I wanted to go; I was just in the wrong place. So, the next time I got misplaced again, thinking I could use a different route and end up at the same place. That's what I get for thinking at 10pm after a long day of work, class and driving. So, tonight, I made my fifth trip to SE Portland and it was just about perfect. I still don't like driving in Portland. People drive so much faster. There are signed pointing all over the place. I am thankful that there isn't too much traffic at 10pm and then at 8am when I leave again. There is only one thing that makes my drive worthwhile. As I come through the Sunset Tunnel into Portland and turn onto the bridge, the cityscape lights up the night sky, reflecting on the Willamette River. Every time it takes my breath away. You just don't see that site anywhere else in Oregon. It's amazing. I wish I had more time to view it and take in its glory.

I've been as busy as ever this month with my first term at Pacific in full swing now. I am really enjoying my studies in leadership and strategy. We've had some great discussions in class, posing challenging and intriguing questions about the status of our healthcare system in the U.S. and asking what we can do about it. I'm now facing the start of a challenging class in healthcare finance. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around financial issues sometimes. I've read the chapters for class but I feel I might just have to read them over to actually start to begin to understand them. There are so many terms and acronyms that I need to learn just to be able to do the simplest problems. It will take some work but it's one area I can improve my skills in. After my lunch with a family friend who just happens to be a physician, I have learned that financial skills are a must. So, I'm trying to have a better attitude towards finance and accounting, even though they involve math. I've managed to write several articles on winter travel in Oregon but I wish I had more time to write. I know that once my classes end this term I will have some time. But it's hard for me to not have time or energy for creative writing. At least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was a beautiful weekend, with glorious sun and fall colors. We took a nice walk, in search of some fall foliage but were not lucky in our search around the neighborhood. Driving home from church, the variety of colors we saw was amazing: red, orange, yellow, and green all over the place. It was beautiful, especially with the bright sunlight.