Oregon

Between summer school and when school starts again in the fall I got a week off. Partly because no one else has this time off and I didn't want to go somewhere cool by myself I decided to come home to Oregon. Oregon in the summer is amazing. It's actually been hotter here the first couple of days than it's been in LA all summer. But it was a nice dry heat when I got off the plane and really it felt wonderful.
I've taken advantage of the heat and relaxed by the pool each day, kayaked the Santiam River (class I rapids!), gone sales tax-free shopping, eaten food picked straight from the garden (blackberries, blueberries, peas, beans, zucchini, tomatoes, etc.), made blackberry and banana chocolate chip ice cream, caught up with a few old friends and hung out with the family. John decided to come home this week too so it's been fun to see him as well.
It's been nice and relaxing to not think about work or anything else. Steven was kind enough to shut my arm in the truck door Monday so that's been a pain, literally. But other than that it's been a great vacation.