Our walk home

We had a mandatory employee meeting for our department yesterday.  These are never fun.  Every casino is the same and seems to attract the same kind of employees.  Dealers are notorious for having gigantic egos in combination with being very lazy and greedy. 
I really hope Skott and I don't EVER become this way.

We have a new Games Manager that is really trying to make things better.  This, of course, is brought about through changes and better policies and procedures.
You would think she was asking everyone to give up their first born child.

So, after sitting there for over an hour listening to all the whining, sniveling, arguing, and complaining, the meeting was done.  Understandably, we were both very irritated and fed up with all the attitudes.  We had decided to walk to the meeting to try and get some exercise in.  On the way there, we were running a little late so we just took the streets/sidewalks.  But on the way home, we had plans to walk along the beach.

Let me tell you, it is hard to be in a bad mood when you walk outside and see this:

It was gorgeous and warm and sunny with no wind at all.
As we walked along, the sun quickly started to set.

By the time we got home an hour later, I was feeling at peace (despite the fact that Skott found two pieces of beach glass and I, again, found none).



Seeking input and help

Found out last week that the casino is doing an ugly sweater contest for Christmas for the employees.

I want to win it!

Any suggestions?  I was also wondering if anyone had any creative ideas where Skott and I could dress up together/complimenting/etc.... 

I am going to have to start hitting the used stores early... as I have already scoped out the heinous prices on ebay.  Apparently, this is a very popular party idea.

A sad death

My airpop popcorn popper died last week.  It was my only evening off and I was craving popcorn and this:

Seriously, it's the BEST!

A low-calorie snack that tastes like artery-clogging, heart attack-inducing love of my life?!?!

And of course, it was after 9pm so there was no where to go buy another popper.  sigh

Since then I've been too busy to go shopping but you can bet this coming Thursday (my next night off) you will find me relaxing with sandy feet, a glass of wine, and a big bowl of bacon-flavored popcorn!

Day off at Oceanside

Last Thursday we both had a day off together.  We planned to get up early, but when the alarm went off, we hit snooze, then when it went off again, we just shut it off and slept two more hours.  Aaaaaahhhhh!  Nothing like waking up feeling totally refreshed!
We decided to head north to one of our favorite beaches:  Oceanside.  It was an absolutely perfect day -sunny and no wind.

This is the beach when you first get there.  To the right of the photo is a giant rock cliff.  There is a passageway cut through the rock that allows access to another beach:


looking through one of the holes in the passageway




Skott getting ready to climb down to the other side (end of passageway)



This is the view on the other side.  This is where Skott proposed to me :)  It's a very special place to us.

We were wandering along the beach and saw this (dead) jellyfish.  I was really excited, as we usually just see bits and pieces of them, never a whole one.

Then we walked on a ways and I saw this HUGE one that still had all it's organs visible:

We climbed rocks, searched for beach glass, laughed, and had a great time...

It was a nice break.
Skott is working full time at the casino now.  I am part time.  I am also doing a temporary job and with the way the schedules have fallen, I am doing a lot of double shifts.  Thank god for naps :)

Lincoln City is a tourist destination, so we meet a lot of interesting guests at work.  It is a refreshing change from the "screamers" I used to get at the hotel, and the isolation Skott used to experience as a driver.

We miss everyone terrribly and want to you to know that you are all welcome to come visit anytime :)

Warning

Warning:

If you don't like pictures of the beach, you might want to stop reading my blog now.... -just sayin'

The beach has always been very humbling to me.  The feeling I get when I stand there with my toes in the sand and that vastness laid out before me is undescribeable.  It really centers me, calms my mind, soothes my emotions, and reminds me that life is so big, so wonderful, and to never take it for granted.

We managed to not be working the other night at low tide.  I couldn't capture the anenomes like I had hoped, but here are some shots of the tide pools we stumbled upon.

We even saw a seal come up on the beach!  It was really neat to watch it.  Even though there are lots of signs posted to give the wildlife their distance, people still get stupidly close to snap pics.  And then some dumb chic was letting her dog run off leash and wasn't paying attention and her little weiner dog ran right up and spazzed out on that poor seal.  It was barking and circling the seal and the dumb chic was chasing her dog around the seal.  All the while the seal is snapping and lunging at her and the dog.  Dumb people.  Even the people in the oceanfront hotels were drawn out to their balconies by all the commotion and started yelling at her to get control of her dog.  It was sickening.  I felt so bad for the seal.

We are both back to work at the casino.  Luckily, we are on the same shift even though it is graveyard (8pm-4am).  The first night back was a little nerve-racking but dealing cards is like riding a bike.... you forget some of the finer points, but you never really forget.  Skott got full-time at the casino and I am part time.  I am also doing a temporary job for a retail store that is moving/opening a new location.  The dogs have adjusted pretty well.  Life is very busy right now, but I couldn't be happier