Turkey Day

I spent Thanksgiving in Portland with Scott and his girlfriend Andi. It was her first turkey and it turned out perfect!! We had a wonderful meal and a relaxing day together.

My 41st Birthday

I was not ready to turn 41 - had not even gotten used to be 40 yet! This year was a low key celebration. Scott came over and we got a pizza, beer and watched the Blazers game and a couple of movies. It was great!! Then the next day I got up and pretended like it never happened and I was still 40...:)

Thanks youAngie for the beautiful flowers and gift certificate!!!

Judene and Dad, I love my new pink NFL Eagles watch!!

Scott thank you for the Nike jacket and Blazers shopping bag and for spending time with me on my birthday. You're the best!

Eagles game - Christmas early this year

What a great wknd! Brett flew in thursday night around 10 pm. We started off Friday with a trip to one of my favorite sushi spots and pigged out on sushi - yummy! Then we stopped by the hospital, so I could see my friends Renee and Kevin's new baby boy - Jack. He is a beautiful baby! Renee went through absolute hell...but that is a whole other story. Poor girl!!

Next up we headed downtown to Rockbottom Brewery and met up with Scott when he finished up work for the day. We grabbed a couple happy drinks an appetizers amongst all the halloween crazies and then hopped on the max train to go to the Blazer's game. The game was amazing! So much fun...stadium was sold out and the crowd was totally into the game the whole time. We yelled so much that I could hardly talk the next day. Blazers beat San Antonio 100-99!!! It was a great first home game for the season.

Saturday - Scott, Brett and I drove up to Marysville to spend time with Dad and Judene. When we got to their house we had a bunch of snacks and soda. I also got a chance to look through Judene's Avon and Scentsy candle stuff - ended up getting myself a couple things (of course!)

Scott's girlfriend, Andi, met up with us at Dad's. She had to drive seperately because she had to go back to Portland the next day for practice.

Dad took us all on a tour around town and down by the water. Really pretty place. For dinner, we had dad's famous fried rice - so good! Afterwards, we all hung out, talked and watched college football. Good, quality family time...:)

Sunday - GAME DAY!!!! Dad and Judene fixed a big waffle breakfast for us - yum! Then we headed out to Seattle for the big game!!!! I was so excited I could hardly stand it. We had a fabulous day! It was even sunny off and on. We got to our seats, which were great, about an hour before kickoff. Gave us a chance to relax, talk and check everything out, including McNabb during warmups.

Game kickoff was at 1:00 pm and when McNabb and my Eagles walked out on the field - I wanted to cry I was so happy!! McNabb played the whole game, so the Esplin curse if officially over. For those who don't know what the Esplin curse is about - first Eagles game I went to in Indianapolis with Brett - McNabb got injured the week before and was unable to play. 2nd game in Philadelphia over my sabbatical - he got hurt first quarter and didn't play the rest of the game. 3rd game was the charm!! Got to see him play the whole game!!!!

Eagles beat the Seahawks 26-7!! It was amazing and so great to see my team play with my family...:)

Celine Dion

Scott scored me three tickets to the Celine Dion concert, because he is an awesome brother...:)
I took my friends Nicole and Brenda and we had a fabulous time!! Celine was AMAZING!!!!
So glad we got to see her concert.

Guys and Dolls

Last wknd my friend Stephanie and I went to the Armory Theatre to see "Guys and Dolls" put on by the Portland Center Stage. Loved it!!!

No matter how terrible a fellow seems, you can never be sure that some girl won’t go for them.” - Miss Adelaide

How could a bunch of rough and tumble gangsters end up singing about “the boat to heaven” in a Times Square mission? Anything’s possible when love is on the line, and never more so than in Guys & Dolls, one of the greatest American musicals of all time. Based on Damon Runyon’s gritty tales of the 1930s NYC underworld, bursting with colorful characters, and with a score that features iconic hits like “Luck Be a Lady” and “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” Guys & Dolls promises to light up the night.

Renee's Baby Shower

Nicole and I hosted a baby shower for Renee and baby Jack. This is her first baby, so she needed everything. Her friends and family were most generous, so she is set up great for Jack's arrival the first of November. We're all really excited for Renee and Kevin!!

Gotta love it!!! Go Obama!!!! Renee you look fabulous!

The Biggest "Non" Loser

That would be me...:) It's interesting that someone could have so much motivation in other areas of her life but cannot find the motivation to get the weight off. Honestly...it overwhelms me and I shut down - push it out of my thoughts and think of something else. I am a happy person and love my life, so focusing on the one area where I am a complete failure is not fun for me.

I am of course watching "The Biggest Loser" and cry tears of joy when the people do the walk of shame to the scales and lose weight every week. It is so incredible to watch their dramatic transformations. Maybe I need a trainer like Jilian....somebody to yell at me...get my butt back in the gym.

Everytime I see a story of someone who is waiting for a heart transplant or little kids who can't run, I think "What is wrong with you that you can't enjoy this healthy body that God gave you?"

The crazy thing is I've been the skinny girl and I love to work out, exercise and play sports. I used to thrive on getting a good sweat in every day. But, I was also obsessed with my looks and keeping me weight way down. Don't remember being all that happy back then either.

Somewhere along the way, I found great joy in my intelligence and like being the smart girl much more than being the pretty one. But, I do miss being able to buy smaller sized clothing and really miss the active lifestyle I used to enjoy.

So...following Oprah's advice, I am sending this thing, this failure in my life out to the universe in hopes that it will somehow give me that push that I so desperately need.

And I joined Weight Watchers AGAIN!!! :)

OR maybe the answer is Laughtercise - there is a new fitness craze that incorporates laughter into an exercise DVD. http://www.comcast.net/data/fan/html/popup.html?v=866293919

Back to School

Work has been crazy the past month - in fact I completely forgot that the quarter at PCC started yesterday. I remembered right about the 3rd quarter of Monday Night Football watching they NY Jets get their rear ends kicked by the Chargers. So, I rushed upstairs and logged on to my online class with PCC "Mangement Fundamentals" and introduced myself to my classmates.

For those of you who have not been privileged to learn in this environment - the first thing the instructors do is ask all their students to post an introduction. This is a sneaky way to make sure you are logging in right away and are doing your course work. One of the many benefits of taking online courses...WOW! That was a close call...:)

I also taking a class from OIT (dual enrolled in PCC and OIT) that will start next monday night. Actually have to attend class in a live classroom every monday night. The class at OIT is "Organizational Behavior".

Be Careful What You Ask For...

I have been on the interviewing panel the past three weeks and boy am I ready for it to be over with.
Yes, I did ask to be a part of deciding who makes the cut into our group but this takes so much time during the week to interview all these candidates.

Hearing myself repeat the same behavioral questions is also getting quite boring...:) For example, "Having a good solution for a problem often entails more than just being intelligent. Often, exercise of good judgment is needed to complement logic in choosing a practical solution. Describe when you used good judgment in solving a problem."

Maybe if I wasn't already so busy - I could enjoy it more. We did have a couple very good interviews last week - scary smart individuals that I would love to work with.

So...next time, I am going to think about how much my opinion really matters to me before I decide to open my big mouth and volunteer for an additional time sink to my crazy schedule.

We got tickets!!!!

I am going to see my beloved Eagles play on Nov. 2nd!! Was feeling very depressed that I was going to miss out this year after traveling to Indianapolis and Philadelphia the past two years. Well...they are coming to me this year. Proof that dreams really do come true...:)

They are actually playing the Seahawks in Seattle. For those who don't realize how cool this really is - west coast teams who want to play the Eagles - travel to Philadelphia. Looked back 5 years and they haven't been out here - so who knows how long it has been - if ever. Need to do some more sport trivia research on that... But it looks like the Seahawks are finally good enough to make it worth the trip for the Eagles.

So...my baby brother Brett (also known as my Eagle game going sidekick)along with Dad and Judene (awesome parents who support my McNabb/NFL addiction) will be joining me for a memorable afternoon watching the Seahawks get their butts kicked by my Eagles.

Let's just say Christmas is coming a little early for Michelle this year!!!

Jury Duty

Every two years like clockwork, the "random" selection process picks me for jury duty. I have decided that there is actually some sort of "secret list" that they keep, so they can select their favorite jurors and make sure they get jury duty every single time. Seriously...I have friends who are registered voters who have NEVER been selected. Is it really random if I get picked every two years?!!

Here is my story...I showed up at the courthouse last Friday morning and went into the jury room, along with ~60 other people who had also been selected. Once they were ready to get the show on the road, they directed us into the court room and we were introduced to the Judge, the two attorneys and the defendent.

Next up - another random selection of 12 people - I was selected (of course). The attorney for the prosecution and the defense attorney asked us questions and picked 6 people to be the trial jury. Once again...I was selected. Too bad this was not the lottery or something...:)

Quick summary of the trial - defendent was being accused of disorderly conduct and refusing a direct order from a Peace Officer (in this case the policeman). The defense attorney was an absolute wreck. I felt very sorry for the defendent. In criminal cases such as this - the burden lies with the prosecution to prove their case beyond a resonable doubt. But...the defense attorney needs to help establish that doubt, otherwise what is the point of him being in court? Each side had one witness that testified. So it was one story vs another - we simply had to decide who was more credible.

The story goes that the officer received a phone call from someone about a strange car driving around in their neighborhood. He went to investigate. Found the suspicious car and followed him for a bit. The driver decides to run a stop sign, so the officer pulls him over. Turns out he has a suspended drivers license and no insurance. The officer tells him that he is going to impound his vehicle - normal protocol for driving with a suspended license. The driver gets really angry about this and decides to use his freedom of speech to yell at the top of his lungs that his rights are being violated. So, the officer charges him with disorderly conduct because he will not shut up. Then the driver will not move away from the car when the tow truck gets there and the officer has to grab his arm and move him to the sidewalk. Thus the arrest for refusing a direct order from a Peace officer, which is a felony.

We, (the jury) deliberated for almost 4 hours. What would seem like an open and shut case based on the officer's testimony turned into quite the debate. We all took good notes and had issues with both sets of stories. Finally came to the conclusion that we had reasonable doubt on the refusing the order situation. So, we found him guilty for disorderly conduct and not guilty for refusing a direct order from a Peace Officer. When you are deciding whether or not someone is going to be convicted for a felony...you want to make darn sure the prosecution has proved their case and we felt like they had not done that. For one thing...the officer said the defendent had never physically resisted or acted physically at all against the officer, even when being pulled away from the car. I feel good about our decision.

Anyways, once again....I have served on another trial and feel good for doing my civic duty. A part of me enjoys the whole "Law & Order" thing and being involved with the judicial system.
But...it was just the busiest week I have had at work so far this year and one of the worst days possible for me to miss a day of work. It was the friday before the Labor Day wknd and we ended up working most of the wknd.

Smart Remarks Book Club

I did not follow the assignment correctly - did not realize we were suppossed to post our comments to the book club on our own blog sites. Now that I have figured that out...:)

Here is my review of Breaking Dawn:

I love the way Stephenie Meyer develops her characters and their relationships. I could feel the characters thoughts, how they were going to react to each other, what they were thinking, feeling. She has the ability to bring you right into the story, like you are part of the script. I felt like I was right there with them in the meadow fighting the Volturi and I could see the island that Bella and Edward were on and feel the explosion of emtions they were feeling. I missed Edward when he was away from Bella, because she did.

Jacob is my favorite. He would be the hands down winner of my heart, if I was the one he and Edward were fighting over. But then Jacob would have imprinted on me and not Renesmee. It would just seem wrong to snuggle up to a cold vampire no matter how beautiful he was. I just never got over Edward leaving Bella the first time and how Jacob was the one who tried to put Bella back together (early books). Jacob is so loyal...my heart was breaking for him at Bella's wedding, when he danced with her.

I wrote a bit about Bella on Jenny's blog - but I finally enjoyed her character in this book - she is much better as a vampire - cool, strong charcter who has finally decided to love only Edward. I mean really...if she almost stopped breathing over her love for Edward - how on earth could she love someone else? Her indecision was a little irritating.

Renesmee, Renesmee - don't even like typing the name out. She's just a really creepy (best word) character. Vampire/human baby just doesn't make sense. And, I wanted Bella and Edward to have some time alone together before starting a family - not that the thought really entered my mind, because I missed the memo that this could ever happen. Not in any other vampire books or movies have I heard of this. And the name Renesmee is just awful - really that is the best they could come up with??!!

Final comments - I get so caught up in these books that I cannot put them down. Feel like I am a kid again, reading in bed late at night with the covers pulled over my head and flashlight. I re-read the first three books in a week before starting Breaking Dawn and that took me a couple of days to finish. I'm left wanting more.

NFL TIME of YEAR!!!

It is officially my favorite time of the year....FOOTBALL season!!!

Eagles have their first game 9/7 against the Rams. GO EAGLES!!!

Accepted into OIT

I'm officially admitted into OIT (Oregon Institute of Technology). Classes start 9/29. But I am dual enrolled at PCC as well - taking one on-line class that starts 9/22. FUN! FUN!!

Every one will be expected to attend my graduation ~2011. So just reserve that date now...:)

Esplin Quality Time

I just got back from a trip to Vegas to see my family - Anthony, Jenny, Cord, Gus and Homer. We had a wonderful time and it was so good to see them. Wish we lived closer to each other!!


Anthony and Homer having breakfast...what is not pictured here is Homer's breakfast - a cold hotdog, doughnut holes, potato chips, cereal and milk, some juice and a little bit of diet coke.
Kid sure knows how to start his day out right...:) Too funny!!

Cord, Gus and their friend Michael playing poker. Check out those cool shades on Gus! Don't let their cute faces fool you...they can play a mean game of poker and will take all your money while flashing those million dollar grins your way...:)

The boys having fun on the new tramp. They sure have a lot of energy!! Aunt Michelle was content to watch and provide the "OOH's" and "AH's" for the awesome tricks.

Whole family got new shoes at the "Crocs" outlet. That was a lot of fun picking out the right style and colors for everyone. Nice way to spend the evening together.

And of course...I had to get a new pair...:)

Thanks guys for letting me stay at your house and for showing me such a great time.

LOVE YA LOTS!!!

Crosgrove Family in Town

My BFF Kim and her family stopped by Portland to spend the day with me. They were on their way to Victoria BC for a family reunion. I could not believe how tall Zach was!! Holy cow he has grown up!! So has Josh...man I remember when they were just babies...:)

We spent the afternoon at the Portland Zoo - Morgan and Blake had a great time looking at all the animals. It was REALLY HOT! Over 100 and I thought I was going to melt...don't get too many of those days in PDX.



Kim and I got to chat all afternoon and get caught up on all the happenings with our friends and families...it was so nice to spend time with her!! Doesn't she look amazing??!!!


Stopping for a much needed snowcone break to cool off...:) What a wonderful family!!

OIT

Oregon Institute of Technology is currently reviewing my application for admissions. Hmmm....wonder if I will get in...:) Working at Intel (the place people want to work after they graduate from OIT) might help me out.
Anyways, very excited to pursue my Bachelor's degree in Operations Management. Have an appointment with my advisor on Thursday to review my transcripts from BSU and PCC. Think I have close to 130 total credits. LOL!! I know they will transfer my Associates of Science degree from PCC...but will they dust off the old BSU credits and let me use some of them - that is the question.
So, to all my faithful readers (Jenny) cross your fingers that they accept me and all my BSU credits.
http://www.oit.edu/home

Taco and Game Night

Kevin and Renee had us all over dinner on Sunday - all the fixings for Beef and Chicken Tacos. It was some kind of a WONDERFUL meal!!! After gettting our grub on...Renee made us play her new game called Rummikub and she is really good at it...:) Renee is really good at ALL games. LOL! Poor Kevin gets tired of getting his butt kicked and really appreciates it when we all take a turn playing against his wife. Only joking!! Renee is my best girl and always lots of fun to hang out with!!

Here is team Renee, with Bobbie (Javier's wife) as her partner.



It was also my good friend Karen's last night in Portland. She is moving back to Boise, which is sad, sad, sad... Very proud of her though - she got yet another promotion with Kraft Nabisco. Wish her all the best!

Karen was on team Kevin.


Here is team Ella and her parents - Jeremy and Nicole

And I was on team Javier

And the winners were...Team Kevin (Game 1), Team Renee (Game 2) and Team Kevin (Game 3). Javier and I should have won both Game 1 & 2 - only one tile left both times!!! Dang it!!

Wade & Jenny in PDX

Wade and Jenny flew into Portland last thursday for Jenny's hand surgery and we had a great time hanging out together! I picked them up at the airport around 2:30 pm and we walked around downtown - hit Pioneer Square Mall, where they got great gifts for the kids at the Fossil store. We did a little shopping at Nordstrom Rack and then met up with Scott, Andie and Javier for dinner at "Rock Bottom". Food and conversation were fabulous!!













After dinner, we went to "The District" to hang out with my friend Peter, who is also the owner. We also got to go up and see his new downtown condo but I didn't take any pictures. Let's just say you can buy an awfully nice home for a million bucks. It is beautiful!

Portland Family Picture

We took a picture at our family BBQ last wknd. Nicole and baby Ella are to my left, her husband Jeremy is behind her, then John, Kevin and his wife Renee are to my right, than Javier and his wife Bobbie and then Julie and her boyfriend Marc. The BBQ was at Julie's cute new house in Oregon City.

John is moving to Texas

My BFF John is moving to Austin Texas. He received a great job offer from On-Semiconductors and decided to leave Intel. I am really going to miss him...

Pictures from one of the Blazers games this past season.

Kevin, Javier and John at my 40th Birthday celebration.