HEIDI: May 2009

Is this something you would like to wake up to at 7 in the morning? Personally, I wouldn't. But today I didn't really get the option. I was startled from my sleep by beer bottles being hit against one another. I was thinking to myself that it was way too early for anyone to be throwing their bottles away from the previous night. Shouldn't they still be sleeping and fully hungover? This continued for a few minutes so I got up to look out the window. I wouldn't have heard it if I wouldn't have slept with my window open but what can you do when it is hot and you don't have AC. So, much to my surprise I saw a man digging through the dumpster. He was collecting every recyclable object and putting it in the proper recycling bin. I'm telling you. Oregon people are recycling nazis. I have never seen people so anal about things that can't be thrown away. A lady I work with is the epitome of this. One day I had a salad from Wendy's that come in the plastic container. When I was done with the salad I threw it away in the big dumpster outside. I am such a sinner. I didn't recycle. So, this lady goes to the dumpster and fishes my bowl out, washes it and puts it in the recycle can. It wouldn't have been as bad if the container had been full and she just took it right off the top. But she had to go all the way to the bottom to retrieve it. And these bins are really tall. Sometimes for fun we will just put a little piece of cardboard in the garbage to see how long it takes for her to notice it and recycle it. It is good to care about the environment and all, but to go to the extreme of going through dumpsters?! I don't know. I'm not sold on the idea.

Here are a few reasons I have a problem with this.

(Back to the man from this morning.)

1. The man doesn't live here.

It would be a little more understandable if he lived in the building and perhaps threw something away on accident and was fetching it. But to go to the extreme of just picking any old dumpster in Salem and digging through it for a few bottles...I don't get it.

2. He didn't have any sort of hand covering.

Ew. Hello?!?! Do you even know what people throw away? I just hope he has a fatty bottle of hand sanitizer because that is nasty.

3. He wasn't just skimming off the top...he was opening bags up and going through them.

Are you kidding me. What if someone threw up in that bag or something? He was just digging in...no problem. I do not even want to know what treasures are in people's garbage bags. And I am going to keep it that way.

4. It was early and woke me up.

Can't a girl just sleep in on a Saturday?

5. It's just really gross.

I can't get over how utterly disgusting that is.

Maybe I will leave him a little something in my bag for the next time he comes back. He is bound to find it at the rate he was going today. Any suggestions?

1. What is something your mom always says to you?
I remember she would tell us to always wear clean underwear, because you never know when you will get in an accident. And you don't want doctors and others to see your dirty underwear. She also told me a lot to clean my room. But recently she tells me she loves me...which is way better than anything else she could say.

2. What makes your mom happy?
Being with her family. Because we are a pretty amazing family.

3. What makes your mom sad?

When I am sad. Well, when any of her kids are sad.

4. What does your mom do to make you laugh?

Well. My mom has this thing where she has to communicate with pretty much every animal that we encounter. If we drive by cows, guess who is rolling down the window to moo at them. Ducks anywhere in sight? Mom is the first to quack. Although this is quite embarrassing, and I hate to admit it, I get a good laugh from this.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
My mom was a babe....beehive and all! And she was also quite the rebel. I won't mention any certain stories....but I will say one word. Gasoline.

6. How old is your mom?
29? I better get some brownie points for that one.

7. How tall is your mom?
Not as tall as me!

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Be with the grandbabies!

9. What does your mom do when you aren’t around?
Worry about me wherever I am.

10. If your mom became famous, what would she be famous for?
Animal Impersonations. Like I said, she has had years of practice.

11. What is your mom really good at?
Pretty much everything. She is especially good at listening and knowing the perfect advice to give at the perfect moment. My mom is also really good at driving a u-haul. I was very impressed with her skills when she helped move me to Salem from Sacramento. On that note, she is also very good at packing and cleaning. I don't know what I would have done without her MANY times when I have moved. My mom is also amazing at sewing, cooking, you name it. I could go on forever at all the things she is really good at.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Not very many things. More along the lines of technology. But she is learning. I am very proud of her for learning how to comment on blogs.

13. What does your mom do for her job?

She's my mom! And she deals with all the bad kids at school. And hunts them down and makes them take tests. Somewhere along those lines.

14. What is your mom’s favorite food?
That's a tough one. We like food a lot in my family. I don't know if she has a favorite, but she does like fish a lot, and yummy food in Hawaii, and cinnamon chip coffee cake, and blimpies.........

15. What makes you proud of your mom?

My mom is the biggest giver I know. She sacrifices so much for me and has helped me through a lot of things in my life. Never once does she complain when I ask her for help. She is always so willing to be there for me no matter what.

16. If mom were a cartoon character, which would she be?
Uniqua from the Backyardigans. For no reason really. I just couldn't come up with one and so that was the first one to pop in my head. And now the theme song is in my head. Great.

17. What do you and your mom do together?

Talk, laugh, cry, shop, eat, sleep....anything and everything.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
If you compare our pictures from when we were little we look a lot alike. Now, not so much. We are the same in that we are both very passive. We tend to shy away from confrontation and just like to observe things rather than be in the center of things.

19. How are you and your mom different?
Um....I am a very messy person and she is very organized and clean.