Matt's Murmurs- Have you seen this man??

AP (Portland, OR) - Authorities were summoned to the site of a bridge last week, when a series of panic-stricken motorists dialed '911' to report a suspicious person underneath a bridge in Tualatin, Oregon. The perpetrator was dressed in a red and black raincoat, safety vest, hard hat and headlamp. (Note the pathetic use of duct tape to hold the headlamp in place). During an interview, one caller said, "Ain't no way that guy is an engineer, I mean look at him! I seen that feller on the Fremont Bridge a couple months ago and I called the cops then too. I hope they get him!"

Upon arrival, the officer prepared himself for the worst. When the officer walked up, the perpetrator was just returning from taking care of some 'business' in the bushes. The officer informed the perpetrator that several calls from concerned citizens had been received indicating that a suspicious character was beneath the bridge. The perpetrator was heard to mumble to himself, "What is wrong with me?? Why am I suspicious looking?? I mean, I'm generally a good person.....sure, I play video games and fantasy football...yeah, I hate yardwork and I don't rub my wife's feet as much as she would like, but c'mon!" At once confused, perplexed, flabbergasted, a sudden change came over the perpetrator when the officer said five simple words which forever changed the perpetrator's life. Five simple words which illuminated and explained everything, possibly even the very meaning of life..."It is what it is."

One concerned eye witness asked the officer, "Is he dangerous??" The officer sneared and said, "Are you kidding?? Look at him, he's a wuss. I can take him."

Disclaimer: The text in red above is a dramatization to make the story seem more entertaining. This content was added to enhance the comedic content of the story and therefore does not constitute a lie. In addition, the views and opinions expressed in Matt's Murmurs do not reflect those of the manager of this blogsite. In fact, they are usually the opposite. The blogsite manager does not understand why Matt's Murmurs can not devote time to more important topics such as the latest baked goods, fancy kitchen gadgets or a new theme for the living room.

What would you do??

So I made a starter for a whole wheat boule last night. I haven't made this one before but it sounded like it would be similar to a whole wheat sourdough. I came home from work tonight and quickly got it and the rest of the ingredients into the breadmaker so that it would be done before we went to sleep tonight. I was anticipating the smell of bread wafting through the house and I felt pretty good as I hit the start button on the bread machine at 6:30pm...not bad, I thought,...until I read the timer on the machine...5:05. That's five hours and five minutes PLUS some more kneading and rising and baking outside the breadmaker! What do I do? I feel like I've already invested so much time (24 hours for the starter) and the ingredients. I'm already attached to the loaf but we're talking 1:30am before I could even think about being done. Do I love it that much? I'm still deciding. I don't operate well with little sleep. Matt offered to stay up until he learned it would involve kneading and shaping and he has a long day of field work ahead of him tomorrow. What would you do if it were your bread?

Update: Abby, I did think of calling you for advice-darn! I just couldn't let it go to waste. So, I went to bed around 11 and set the alarm for midnight when the bread would be done in the breadmaker. Then I had to shape it, let it rise some more and then bake it. I was back in bed by around 1:30pm. The house smelled wonderful and the bread was yummy but I will make a note not to attempt this one on a week night again.

Dog Mountain

What a beautiful weekend! We didn't want to waste it on anything productive (like yard work) so we headed to the gorge and hiked Dog Mountain. This is another one we've done several times but it is a great hike and had a beautiful view of St. Helens at the top.

My mushy memory from this hike: We first hiked this together when we had just started dating. I didn't realize how cool it could be at the top when it was warm at the start. We got to the top and started eating our lunch, Matt noticed my hands we're freezing and he did all he could to get them warm. He gave me his gloves and mittens, rubbed my hands between his and he kept blowing warm air on them to help them warm up. What a sweet guy!

Kristi's Connection: Monica

Sorry for the delay in publishing my first Kristi's Connection. For those of you who missed it, check out my blog where I explained Kristi's Connection. I think we should really take advantage of this electronic networking thing to help others. So here goes...


Monica is a great friend. I met her when I moved to Oregon 6 years ago. She and Meg and I shared an apartment at the Hawksbeard for a year and a half. I honestly can't believe she hasn't met the right person for her yet because she is a wonderful person with a big heart. She is a social worker here in the Portland area. Since this is my blog I will describe the type of person that I see her with (Monica, feel free to comment if it doesn't match with what you're thinking)....

• great sense of humor (monica loves to laugh and has a sarcastic sense of humor)



• a heart to help children and people in need



• someone who can sing or has some type of music abilities (Mon has a great voice and sang in her church's gospel choir)



• I picture someone that has had an interesting life and has good stories to tell yet is humble and doesn't share unless you pry it out of him. (yes, I've thought alot about this)



• no vanity license plates please (bad experiences-sorry)



• a good listener, unselfish, considerate


• intelligent
  


• I picture her with someone that is not caucasion (is that bad?). That is not to say I would rule someone out that was.



• a man that loves the Lord and loves others

Ok, there you have it. If you have someone that you think would be a good match, let me know. Maybe we could all get together for dinner or something.

The baking continues...

We have tried a French bread (good but the crust was a little well-done), Sun-dried tomato and mozzeralla (not as flavorful as I had hoped), Carrot Cake bread (delightful warm from the oven with a little butter) and Matt is currently whipping up a loaf of Lemon Poppy Seed bread. It is funny how if something is called "bread" rather than "cake", it somehow seems ok to eat more of it. I am going to the gym for sure tomorrow...

Catch up Blog (last weekend)

Mt. Adams
Mt. Hood

5 years ago this month Matt proposed to me at the top of Hamilton Mountain. I was shocked... but I was sure this was the man God had planned for me to marry. What a wonderful husband I have:-) Since then, we try to hike Hamilton once a year. It is a great hike with a few waterfalls along the way and gorgeous views at the top (see above). It was a pefect day for it.

After the hike, we headed over to the Wilde's for a BBQ with them and the Bradleys. We met both of these couples through the Athey newly married group. It had been way too long since we had spent time with these guys and it was great to catch up over some great grub!(sorry no pics)

Caution: High-carb zone

What is it with me and small kitchen appliances??? So, I've had this Williams-Sonoma gift card burning a hole in my wallet since Christmas. I stopped by the store a few times but was never able to make decision. Then, last week it hit me...what about a bread maker? They only carry one type of bread maker but I took it as a sign that it was stainless steel and black to match my coffee maker, food processor, toaster oven and Kitchenaid mixer:-) Isn't it beautiful?So far we've made:

Honey Whole Wheat (Matt was very excited about my purchase too):

Soft Pretzels (we haven't quite got our pretzel-forming technique down yet)...

Cinnamon Swirl Bread....

And Matt currently has a Blue Cheese and Olive bread in the oven...34 minutes to go.

Matt's Murmurs - the continuing misadventures of a bridge engineer

...or, at least of an engineer who sometimes works on bridges. Well, if you read my previous posting about how I was confused with a terrorist, and I know that there's probably 2 of you (Kristi and someone else), then I have another one for you. I am now working on another bridge.

This time, I was confused with someone needing serious medical attention. Apparently, 911 received 'several' calls about how there's a gentleman who is suffering a heart attack under the bridge. How do I know this, you ask?? Well, a City of Tualatin fire'lady' walked up to me in my car while I was on the phone and asked if I was o.k. She then explained how she recieved the numerous phone calls from concerned citizens. So, I recreated the situation in my mind.....I have a heartattack while driving....I pull over, put my Jeep in 4-wheel drive to get through the mud, carefully back around the shoulder barrier and position myself directly under the bridge (you know, so as not to be seen).....then, I take my magnetic flasher and place it on top of my car being certain to connect it to it's battery. I then, put my reflective vest and hard hat on in case someone wants to drop a brick on me while I'm in cardiac arrest. I must have missed this section of the Oregon Road Code for what to do while suffering a heart attack during driving.

So, now, as a Public Service Announcement for the 2 of you who will read this...people work on bridges. The fact that someone is parked on or under a bridge with a flasher on their car with traffic control equipment does not necessarily mean that a tragedy is about to take place. Please remain calm.