Wii boxing, Pt. I
Wii Boxing, Pt. II: The Revenge
When Nose Flutes Attack!!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas in the Midwest
What we've been doing:
Wii boxing, Pt. I
Wii Boxing, Pt. II: The Revenge
When Nose Flutes Attack!!
Wii boxing, Pt. I
Wii Boxing, Pt. II: The Revenge
When Nose Flutes Attack!!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Snowpocalypse '08
Portland snowfall breaking 40 year record
11.5 inches as of this morning, still snowing heavily! Flight in 45 hours. Airport in chaos as most flights canceled. How does a visit in June sound to you?
11.5 inches as of this morning, still snowing heavily! Flight in 45 hours. Airport in chaos as most flights canceled. How does a visit in June sound to you?
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Oh golly, oh gosh!
There's so much I haven't told you, my friends. Please sit down, let's talk!
1) Thanksgiving. I went over to a friend's house for Thanksgiving, and we all ate and drank and carried on. Unfortunately, the one photo I took of the food table was accidentally deleted, so I'll just throw out a word and you can create your own mental image. First? Delicious. Second? Excessive. Yeah, I think that about does it. Afterwards, I walked around town for hours (with a piece of pie in my hand) and felt very thankful indeed.
2) I've had the good fortune to see two of my friends play shows recently, and they've both been excellent! To be in your 20's is to know many, many people in crappy bands, so I'm always pleasantly surprised when one of my friends manages to step up to the plate and make music that... is good? Imagine that! I suppose that this is part of a larger trend. I've been thinking lately about what an exciting time it is to be this age, to see each other begin to excel and make things happen. I see you, friends! I see you studying and working hard, staying up late to work on things that make your hearts beat, I see you meeting people that make you happy, and I see you starting families. I see you traveling and learning and cultivating hobbies and habits that bring out the best in you. I see all of you, don't think I haven't noticed! And I am so very proud of the people I know, because I know there are great things coming. I have been quietly inspired by so many of you, just doing the things you do -- so thank you, and let's keep it up.
3) My other main inspiration these days is pumpkin butter. I slather it on everything.
4) The high today is a stupid 28. I know, I know, that's nothing, but I don't have a heating vent in my room! I spend a lot of time huddled pathetically by my space heater, dramatically chattering my teeth. Oh, how I suffer!
5) Oh right, and this weird white stuff fell on the ground yesterday:
That's my house. Look, Mom, you can see the snowman decal in the front window! The row of windows on top is my room.
Looking north on my street.
1) Thanksgiving. I went over to a friend's house for Thanksgiving, and we all ate and drank and carried on. Unfortunately, the one photo I took of the food table was accidentally deleted, so I'll just throw out a word and you can create your own mental image. First? Delicious. Second? Excessive. Yeah, I think that about does it. Afterwards, I walked around town for hours (with a piece of pie in my hand) and felt very thankful indeed.
2) I've had the good fortune to see two of my friends play shows recently, and they've both been excellent! To be in your 20's is to know many, many people in crappy bands, so I'm always pleasantly surprised when one of my friends manages to step up to the plate and make music that... is good? Imagine that! I suppose that this is part of a larger trend. I've been thinking lately about what an exciting time it is to be this age, to see each other begin to excel and make things happen. I see you, friends! I see you studying and working hard, staying up late to work on things that make your hearts beat, I see you meeting people that make you happy, and I see you starting families. I see you traveling and learning and cultivating hobbies and habits that bring out the best in you. I see all of you, don't think I haven't noticed! And I am so very proud of the people I know, because I know there are great things coming. I have been quietly inspired by so many of you, just doing the things you do -- so thank you, and let's keep it up.
3) My other main inspiration these days is pumpkin butter. I slather it on everything.
4) The high today is a stupid 28. I know, I know, that's nothing, but I don't have a heating vent in my room! I spend a lot of time huddled pathetically by my space heater, dramatically chattering my teeth. Oh, how I suffer!
5) Oh right, and this weird white stuff fell on the ground yesterday:
That's my house. Look, Mom, you can see the snowman decal in the front window! The row of windows on top is my room.
Looking north on my street.
I woke up yesterday morning and nearly had a heart attack. I'd heard there was snow in the forecast, but I expected the same scraggly flurries that we got last year, not this 2-inch blizzard mega-storm! Oregon doesn't really know what to do with itself when it snows (besides close every road and business immediately) but they make up for it with sheer enthusiasm. I went for a snowy walk, and everyone was in the greatest mood! It was fantastically pleasant.
6) We had a party at my house on Friday night! I suppose I still have some youth left in me, since I managed to stay up until 6 am. I then went out for breakfast and went back to sleep until 5 pm, when my roommate woke me up by banging on my door and yelling, "I made breakfast, come downstairs!" I ate a second breakfast (nearly identical to my first), briefly sat on the couch, then went back to sleep again. On a normal Saturday, I have usually already run, showered, eaten, and gone to the farmer's market and back by noon, so this weekend was quite the hilarious contrast. Can we do it again?
7) I am testing breakfast cereals so you don't have to. Here are my important findings:
Ezekiel 4:9 is my new favorite cereal. It is basically Grape Nuts with Bible verses on the box -- apparently, God wholeheartedly endorses organic sprouted grains. Now available in delicious cinnamon raisin flavor!
Kashi Heart to Heart hot cereal : like twigs and old pancake batter. DO NOT EAT.
Alpen, what are you? You show me a charming array of cartoon nuts and berries, but eating you is sort of akin to pouring a bowl full of flour. You were a gluey mess with three shriveled raisins. This is not the muesli I know and love! I have been lied to.
Oh yeah! Finally, someone has combined honey and sunshine into one cereal! You are sweet and delicious and I like you very much.
You may know this as the oatmeal I was stirring when my famed "Spider Revenge Plot" went horribly awry. Bad connotations aside, I have crowned it king of all quick-cooking oatmeals. Lately, I've been enjoying it at work with chickory honey!
8) 9 days until I get to Illinois! I think we're going to have some fun.
9) I think that's all I had to say. How've you been?
6) We had a party at my house on Friday night! I suppose I still have some youth left in me, since I managed to stay up until 6 am. I then went out for breakfast and went back to sleep until 5 pm, when my roommate woke me up by banging on my door and yelling, "I made breakfast, come downstairs!" I ate a second breakfast (nearly identical to my first), briefly sat on the couch, then went back to sleep again. On a normal Saturday, I have usually already run, showered, eaten, and gone to the farmer's market and back by noon, so this weekend was quite the hilarious contrast. Can we do it again?
7) I am testing breakfast cereals so you don't have to. Here are my important findings:
Ezekiel 4:9 is my new favorite cereal. It is basically Grape Nuts with Bible verses on the box -- apparently, God wholeheartedly endorses organic sprouted grains. Now available in delicious cinnamon raisin flavor!
Kashi Heart to Heart hot cereal : like twigs and old pancake batter. DO NOT EAT.
Alpen, what are you? You show me a charming array of cartoon nuts and berries, but eating you is sort of akin to pouring a bowl full of flour. You were a gluey mess with three shriveled raisins. This is not the muesli I know and love! I have been lied to.
Oh yeah! Finally, someone has combined honey and sunshine into one cereal! You are sweet and delicious and I like you very much.
You may know this as the oatmeal I was stirring when my famed "Spider Revenge Plot" went horribly awry. Bad connotations aside, I have crowned it king of all quick-cooking oatmeals. Lately, I've been enjoying it at work with chickory honey!8) 9 days until I get to Illinois! I think we're going to have some fun.
9) I think that's all I had to say. How've you been?
Saturday, December 06, 2008
I am alive, but...
... I am using all my strength to fight a cold. On the plus side, I have an excuse to drink hot toddies. Be back soon.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Portland, Las Vegas, Chicago, Champaign, Dallas, Portland
Two breaking news stories from my office:
1) I had my annual review and my company seems to be under the impression that I'm doing a good job. I'm not sure where this information came from, but who am I to argue? (I suppose that when I go clawing through my drawers for a snack, it might appear as though I'm looking for an important paper.) I also got a generous raise -- look out world, I'm now making $0.24 more per hour! That almost covers the cost of the coffee I now have to make at home every morning since the company switched to the dreaded "Costco Roast."
2) In these hard times, my office has also suspended tea service. Since I need at least 3 hot drinks per day to keep focused, I usually keep my desk fairly well-stocked with several kinds of tea. At this point, it bears mentioning that though my desk would appear to an outsider as a barely-controlled tornado of papers, office supplies, and various foodstuffs -- well, I know exactly where everything is. For example, my publisher notes are right next to the leaking bottle of honey. My post-its are next to my mugs, and the tea is... not there. The tea is not there? Yes, that's right, THE TEA IS NOT THERE BECAUSE SOMEONE STOLE IT FROM MY DESK. Along with my fork.
Once again, I am the hapless victim of Office Crime. As I mentioned briefly before, there was an unfortunate incident of lunch theft, after which I left a sarcastic note on the communal refrigerator, hoping to shame the thief into reforming his/her ways (no lunches have been stolen since). Since passive-agressive notes seem to be the way to go in my office, I saw no reason to change my tactics this time. I drew a skull and crossbones on a post-it, with "DON'T STEAL MY TEA!!" printed underneath in bone-chilling ALL CAPS. It now hangs underneath my new supply of tea, warning any would-be thieves to stay back or pay the price. I have also taken to monitoring people's reactions to the note, to see if they betray any incriminating emotions when they read it. So far, I have it narrowed down to everyone in the entire company, including the CEO (who lives in England).
So, that's what's been going on with me. There's also this:
Wed, Dec 24th, 2008
Depart: 07:10 AM Portland, OR
Arrive: 09:18 AM Las Vegas, NV
Depart: 11:30 AM Las Vegas, NV
Arrive: 05:15 PM Chicago, IL
Depart: 07:25 PM Chicago, IL
Arrive: 08:15 PM Champaign, IL
Sun, Jan 4th, 2009
Depart: 06:45 AM Champaign, IL
Arrive: 09:05 AM Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX Depart: 11:55 AM Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
Arrive: 02:10 PM Portland, OR Total Travel Time: 9 hrs 25 mins
See you then????????????
1) I had my annual review and my company seems to be under the impression that I'm doing a good job. I'm not sure where this information came from, but who am I to argue? (I suppose that when I go clawing through my drawers for a snack, it might appear as though I'm looking for an important paper.) I also got a generous raise -- look out world, I'm now making $0.24 more per hour! That almost covers the cost of the coffee I now have to make at home every morning since the company switched to the dreaded "Costco Roast."
2) In these hard times, my office has also suspended tea service. Since I need at least 3 hot drinks per day to keep focused, I usually keep my desk fairly well-stocked with several kinds of tea. At this point, it bears mentioning that though my desk would appear to an outsider as a barely-controlled tornado of papers, office supplies, and various foodstuffs -- well, I know exactly where everything is. For example, my publisher notes are right next to the leaking bottle of honey. My post-its are next to my mugs, and the tea is... not there. The tea is not there? Yes, that's right, THE TEA IS NOT THERE BECAUSE SOMEONE STOLE IT FROM MY DESK. Along with my fork.
Once again, I am the hapless victim of Office Crime. As I mentioned briefly before, there was an unfortunate incident of lunch theft, after which I left a sarcastic note on the communal refrigerator, hoping to shame the thief into reforming his/her ways (no lunches have been stolen since). Since passive-agressive notes seem to be the way to go in my office, I saw no reason to change my tactics this time. I drew a skull and crossbones on a post-it, with "DON'T STEAL MY TEA!!" printed underneath in bone-chilling ALL CAPS. It now hangs underneath my new supply of tea, warning any would-be thieves to stay back or pay the price. I have also taken to monitoring people's reactions to the note, to see if they betray any incriminating emotions when they read it. So far, I have it narrowed down to everyone in the entire company, including the CEO (who lives in England).
So, that's what's been going on with me. There's also this:
Wed, Dec 24th, 2008
Depart: 07:10 AM Portland, OR
Arrive: 09:18 AM Las Vegas, NV
Depart: 11:30 AM Las Vegas, NV
Arrive: 05:15 PM Chicago, IL
Depart: 07:25 PM Chicago, IL
Arrive: 08:15 PM Champaign, IL
| Total Travel Time: 11 hrs 5 mins | ||
Sun, Jan 4th, 2009
Depart: 06:45 AM Champaign, IL
Arrive: 09:05 AM Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
Arrive: 02:10 PM Portland, OR
See you then????????????
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
In which I wax philosophical and come to the same conclusion as fortune cookies everywhere
You know, it's odd. Sometimes very basic things about life suddenly surprise me, and I mean that in a Successories poster type of way. I learn these life lessons (did you know, for example, that life is what you make of it?), wonder why nobody ever told me before, then realize that, actually, everybody told me, and that I had to learn it for myself. <--- That is also a life lesson. So the next time you see a cliche printed next to a photo of a soaring eagle, you might try taking it to heart. It's ok, I swear. And why would an eagle lie?
Anyway, this kinda lame thing happened. Since I am young, I am still under the impression that "that won't happen to me!", "that" of course signifying "anything bad, ever." I have to remain pretty esoteric here, but I will say that a big chunk of my history recently dissolved into thin air. As that one dude (ok, Shakespeare) once said: "These violent delights have violent ends." Yeah, no joke. But as that other dude (ok, Rilke) once said, "Oh disobedient world, full of refusal. And yet it breathes the space in which the stars revolve." Or, if you prefer: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Hey, they may be onto something here! Because the same world that gives us loss also gives us contellations, the ability to make cheese, new leather boots (oh, yeah!) and, like, one gazillion wonderful people that I haven't even met yet. Cheese, boots, friends, stars. And lemonade. Bring it on, let's go.
On my windowsill, one of the previous occupants of this room wrote, "Yes, you can." I find this oddly touching and inspirational. It's just a dumb phrase, scrawled in pencil, but I look at it often, because it's good to be reminded. So when I clumsily post the equivalent of, "Life good! Life good! Life good!" it is a reminder to me and to you. Because if I need to hear it, then surely you do too, sometimes. So, internet: LIFE GOOD. And, also: yes, you can. So there! Now no one can say they were never told.
And now, for your enjoyment, here are some photos.
We pitied the person who had to answer the phone at this insurance agency.
I keep my positive outlook by eating chocolate tarts and cider for lunch.
How I spent my Halloween!
Anyway, this kinda lame thing happened. Since I am young, I am still under the impression that "that won't happen to me!", "that" of course signifying "anything bad, ever." I have to remain pretty esoteric here, but I will say that a big chunk of my history recently dissolved into thin air. As that one dude (ok, Shakespeare) once said: "These violent delights have violent ends." Yeah, no joke. But as that other dude (ok, Rilke) once said, "Oh disobedient world, full of refusal. And yet it breathes the space in which the stars revolve." Or, if you prefer: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Hey, they may be onto something here! Because the same world that gives us loss also gives us contellations, the ability to make cheese, new leather boots (oh, yeah!) and, like, one gazillion wonderful people that I haven't even met yet. Cheese, boots, friends, stars. And lemonade. Bring it on, let's go.
On my windowsill, one of the previous occupants of this room wrote, "Yes, you can." I find this oddly touching and inspirational. It's just a dumb phrase, scrawled in pencil, but I look at it often, because it's good to be reminded. So when I clumsily post the equivalent of, "Life good! Life good! Life good!" it is a reminder to me and to you. Because if I need to hear it, then surely you do too, sometimes. So, internet: LIFE GOOD. And, also: yes, you can. So there! Now no one can say they were never told.
And now, for your enjoyment, here are some photos.
We pitied the person who had to answer the phone at this insurance agency.
Why, this is a portable hood! I call it "Porta-hood." I wish to be buried in it.
I keep my positive outlook by eating chocolate tarts and cider for lunch.
How I spent my Halloween!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
High fives all around
After 2 weeks of absence, I bring you this important update:
THESE ARE THE CUTEST MITTENS IN THE WORLD!!!!!
THESE ARE THE CUTEST MITTENS IN THE WORLD!!!!!Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Zoopity doo dah
Zoooooooooooooop!
And by zoop, I mean soup, of course. Oh, it's crisp and blustery outside and we all enjoy a nice bowl of soup this time of year and blah blah, but the real reason I like eating soup is my insane ritual of what I term "Zoop Zongs." Zoop Zongs (that is, soup songs) basically consist of any tune with either most or all of the lyrics replaced by the word "zoop," sung quietly or silently during the entire soup getting/making process. For instance, a week or two ago I made this turnip soup:
It was really good, but that's beside the point. While chopping the vegetables, I started off with the tune of the dreidl song you're supposed to sing at Hanukkah: "Zoopy zoopy zoopy, I made you out of zoop! Zoopy zoopy zoopy, zoopy zoopy ZOOP!!" Other favorites include "Row, row, row your boat" ("Zoop, zoop, zoop your zoop" -- especially popular while walking to the store to buy soup ingredients) "Super Trooper" by Abba (almost too easy) and, well, "Bananaphone" by Raffi ("Zoop-zooper Phone"). Uhhh, yeah. See, don't you want some soup now?! Zoop Zongs really work!
Ok, here is some news:
1) I made chili tonight! (Chili counts as soup, so there was singing.) I would rate it a solid B+, but the real news is that it was accompanied by the best cornbread I've ever had, which I picked up on a whim from the bakery at New Seasons. I love that the world's best cornbread has been hiding all this time in an unassuming supermaket bakery. Nom nom!
2) I have some new glasses.
I like 'em. The guy that works at the eye place (6 blocks from home, hooray) totally picked them out for me first thing, then waited patiently as I tried on thousands of other pairs before finally admitting he was right. By the way, he was from Peoria! Also, if you look very closely at the background, you'll see that my bed is holding a black mask, a package of tinsel, and two chocolate bars. I believe the phrase is, "That is how I roll."
3) Here is a typical weekday for me: Drudge drudge drudge, coworkers complaining, more news of downsizing, nearly being run over walking to the bus stop, getting crushed against the window on the packed bus back to Portland while everyone yells into their cell phones. Dejected, I am dumped off the bus into downtown Portland. And then I walk over the Hawthorne Bridge, and instantly forget I've ever had a problem:
Walking over the bridge is absolutely one of my favorite things, ever. There are always boats out, and the sun shines off the water, and you can see Mt. St. Helens. It's the country's busiest bike commuter bridge, so there are always tons of people whizzing by on their bikes, cheerful to be getting off work. Last week a car broke down in the middle of the bridge, and 2 bikers immediately hopped off their bikes and ran to help push the car, then cheered and waved goodbye when it picked up momentum and got going again. People here are kind.
From there it's about a 40 minute walk home (or, when it's raining, a 10 min bus ride). It's my favorite part of the day. It mostly looks like this:
I walk through a neighborhood called Ladd's Addition, which ends about 4 blocks from my house. I love it. It's like a giant maze, much bigger and more confusing than the map conveys (my house is just off of Division and 24th, which you can also see on this map):
But from the street, it looks more like this:
It's filled with alleys, and big houses, and kitties. Each roundabout has a (huge!) rose garden, with twisty paths and benches that you can sit on.
This sorry photo gives absolutely no sense of what it's actually like. The center roundabout is especially large; it's filled with big trees and you can't even see to the other side. One one of the streets there's a tiny cafe, which I occasionally stumble across but can never seem to find when I actually want a cup of coffee. If you don't know exactly where you're going, you'll never get there.
And by zoop, I mean soup, of course. Oh, it's crisp and blustery outside and we all enjoy a nice bowl of soup this time of year and blah blah, but the real reason I like eating soup is my insane ritual of what I term "Zoop Zongs." Zoop Zongs (that is, soup songs) basically consist of any tune with either most or all of the lyrics replaced by the word "zoop," sung quietly or silently during the entire soup getting/making process. For instance, a week or two ago I made this turnip soup:
It was really good, but that's beside the point. While chopping the vegetables, I started off with the tune of the dreidl song you're supposed to sing at Hanukkah: "Zoopy zoopy zoopy, I made you out of zoop! Zoopy zoopy zoopy, zoopy zoopy ZOOP!!" Other favorites include "Row, row, row your boat" ("Zoop, zoop, zoop your zoop" -- especially popular while walking to the store to buy soup ingredients) "Super Trooper" by Abba (almost too easy) and, well, "Bananaphone" by Raffi ("Zoop-zooper Phone"). Uhhh, yeah. See, don't you want some soup now?! Zoop Zongs really work!
Ok, here is some news:
1) I made chili tonight! (Chili counts as soup, so there was singing.) I would rate it a solid B+, but the real news is that it was accompanied by the best cornbread I've ever had, which I picked up on a whim from the bakery at New Seasons. I love that the world's best cornbread has been hiding all this time in an unassuming supermaket bakery. Nom nom!
2) I have some new glasses.
I like 'em. The guy that works at the eye place (6 blocks from home, hooray) totally picked them out for me first thing, then waited patiently as I tried on thousands of other pairs before finally admitting he was right. By the way, he was from Peoria! Also, if you look very closely at the background, you'll see that my bed is holding a black mask, a package of tinsel, and two chocolate bars. I believe the phrase is, "That is how I roll."3) Here is a typical weekday for me: Drudge drudge drudge, coworkers complaining, more news of downsizing, nearly being run over walking to the bus stop, getting crushed against the window on the packed bus back to Portland while everyone yells into their cell phones. Dejected, I am dumped off the bus into downtown Portland. And then I walk over the Hawthorne Bridge, and instantly forget I've ever had a problem:
Walking over the bridge is absolutely one of my favorite things, ever. There are always boats out, and the sun shines off the water, and you can see Mt. St. Helens. It's the country's busiest bike commuter bridge, so there are always tons of people whizzing by on their bikes, cheerful to be getting off work. Last week a car broke down in the middle of the bridge, and 2 bikers immediately hopped off their bikes and ran to help push the car, then cheered and waved goodbye when it picked up momentum and got going again. People here are kind.From there it's about a 40 minute walk home (or, when it's raining, a 10 min bus ride). It's my favorite part of the day. It mostly looks like this:
I walk through a neighborhood called Ladd's Addition, which ends about 4 blocks from my house. I love it. It's like a giant maze, much bigger and more confusing than the map conveys (my house is just off of Division and 24th, which you can also see on this map):
But from the street, it looks more like this:
It's filled with alleys, and big houses, and kitties. Each roundabout has a (huge!) rose garden, with twisty paths and benches that you can sit on.
This sorry photo gives absolutely no sense of what it's actually like. The center roundabout is especially large; it's filled with big trees and you can't even see to the other side. One one of the streets there's a tiny cafe, which I occasionally stumble across but can never seem to find when I actually want a cup of coffee. If you don't know exactly where you're going, you'll never get there.
And then: this is my street! Hello, hello.
Unfortunately, it looks like I've run out of time, which is a shame, because we still have some things to talk about. In particular, I'm sure you'll all enjoy hearing the sad tale of how a bee defied the laws of physics and flew up my pant leg. (Spoiler: not a happy ending) Something to look forward to, I suppose!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Cusp
I feel like something good is about to happen! I dunno, I've been having this premonition all day long. (I'm wearing purple tights. Maybe that's why?) Don't let me down, future!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Help me live my life
Here are two scenarios for how I will spend the next few hours. Please help me choose the correct one:
1) Go to bakery, buy bread, go for a run, shower.
2) Go for a run, shower, go to bakery, buy bread.
I am paralyzed by the weighty life decisions I'm always having to make.
EDIT, 2.5 HOURS LATER: I chose option one, which ended up working out pretty well, though I can't help but wonder how my life would have turned out differently had I chosen option two. Ah, two roads diverged... !
1) Go to bakery, buy bread, go for a run, shower.
2) Go for a run, shower, go to bakery, buy bread.
I am paralyzed by the weighty life decisions I'm always having to make.
EDIT, 2.5 HOURS LATER: I chose option one, which ended up working out pretty well, though I can't help but wonder how my life would have turned out differently had I chosen option two. Ah, two roads diverged... !
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Mud, butter.
Here's a video preview of the race that Ben is coming up to Portland for on November 9th (he will be here Nov 1-10). It's the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship, otherwise known as "Best Most Totally Fun-Time Awesome Spectacle." The video was filmed at last year's race, and occasionally you can see us leaning into the frame, doing dumb stuff (you really won't be able to spot us unless you know exactly where to look, so don't spend too much time doing that). Anyway, I'm really looking forward to heckling those fools from the sidelines and pouring beers on them as they struggle to run uphill with their bikes in the mud. I hear Ben has an orange bike with hot pink tires and matching 80's helmet! Oh, and the winner gets a tattoo and a golden speedo. I would lose on purpose.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch: I just found out today that there are TWOOOO waffle stands within 10 blocks of my house!! This is big news. The thing I missed the most from my old neighborhood was the waffle stand down the block, which I visited so often they knew my name and order. It was like "Cheers," with butter and powdered sugar. Don't worry, I will update with detailed info as soon as I visit both carts. These things are important.
UPDATE: I've had several people ask me if the giant spider ever appeared again at my workplace. Luckily, it has not.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Turnips!
PERFECT FALL DAY ALERT!!
Actually, my plans for the weekend kind of failed. On Saturday, I walked over to the Laurelhurst to see the Don Hertzfeldt screening, only to find a crowd of mid-30's pudgy animation nerds (my people) staring dejectedly at a "DON HERTZFELDT IS SOLD OUT" sign in the window. Ugh! Despite my best efforts, I couldn't seem to work up a hunger or thirst, so I just wandered around the area for awhile, eventually finding myself in a cemetary. I don't know how autumn manages to be so sneaky, but it seems like there's always one day where I totally get my mind blown by the realization that the leaves have started turning, and I guess yesterday was it. So I stomped around in my boots and my skirt, admiring the wet leaves and the crisp air and imagining an exciting future filled with caramel apples. Also, I now have a large jug of apple cider, so I feel that anything is possible.
My other unrealized goal for the weekend was to watch the Portland Marathon, especially since I plan on running it next year. Instead I... slept. For 14 hours. I woke up at around noon, sorta confused and weirded out, since on normal days I've usually been up for at least 6 hours at that point. I feel illness looming, so I suppose it was warranted. In true "I'm almost sick" fashion, I have accomplished nothing today, save dragging myself to New Seasons for vitamin C smoothies and the Sunday NY Times. Luckily, I made a big batch of this the other day, which I plan to consume with gusto in about an hour:
Hello, I am poorly-photographed lentil & spinach soup!
Actually, my plans for the weekend kind of failed. On Saturday, I walked over to the Laurelhurst to see the Don Hertzfeldt screening, only to find a crowd of mid-30's pudgy animation nerds (my people) staring dejectedly at a "DON HERTZFELDT IS SOLD OUT" sign in the window. Ugh! Despite my best efforts, I couldn't seem to work up a hunger or thirst, so I just wandered around the area for awhile, eventually finding myself in a cemetary. I don't know how autumn manages to be so sneaky, but it seems like there's always one day where I totally get my mind blown by the realization that the leaves have started turning, and I guess yesterday was it. So I stomped around in my boots and my skirt, admiring the wet leaves and the crisp air and imagining an exciting future filled with caramel apples. Also, I now have a large jug of apple cider, so I feel that anything is possible.
My other unrealized goal for the weekend was to watch the Portland Marathon, especially since I plan on running it next year. Instead I... slept. For 14 hours. I woke up at around noon, sorta confused and weirded out, since on normal days I've usually been up for at least 6 hours at that point. I feel illness looming, so I suppose it was warranted. In true "I'm almost sick" fashion, I have accomplished nothing today, save dragging myself to New Seasons for vitamin C smoothies and the Sunday NY Times. Luckily, I made a big batch of this the other day, which I plan to consume with gusto in about an hour:
Hello, I am poorly-photographed lentil & spinach soup!
Ok, but can we be serious for a second? I need to talk to you about vegetables. All summer I've been going to the Groundwork Organics booth at the farmer's market, and all summer I've been having my, uh, existence rocked by the quality of their produce. I know this is a boring subject, but this week's cauliflower made me want to weep. It's such a treat to buy from people who are knowledgeable and passionate about the food they grow. I consistently buy stuff there, get it home, and think, "I had no idea that ____ could taste this good." These are vegetables with character. After suffering through years of tasteless produce that's been shipped across the country and had the life bred out of it, I'm falling back in love with food.
This week was especially exciting for me, because they had turnips, and I love turnips! Two varieties of turnips, which... I didn't actually know there were other varieties of turnips. How many more times can I say turnips in this paragraph? Turnips, turnips, turnipsturnips. Turnips? Anyway, the mystery turnips are red! Red turnips! They look like citrus fruits:
The color's off, sorta. But man, these turnips -- do you mind if I call them "rad"? So spicy, so complex, so at home in my belly. Also pictured are some carrots, some Romaine lettuce, the aforementioned cauliflower, and a green striped Roma tomato, which I had no idea even existed. And yes, all are now at home in my belly.
Sigur Ros tomorrow. Also, my wrist is now able to bend! (Slowly.) Yes, yes, yes, concerts and wrist-bending, here I come.
This week was especially exciting for me, because they had turnips, and I love turnips! Two varieties of turnips, which... I didn't actually know there were other varieties of turnips. How many more times can I say turnips in this paragraph? Turnips, turnips, turnipsturnips. Turnips? Anyway, the mystery turnips are red! Red turnips! They look like citrus fruits:
The color's off, sorta. But man, these turnips -- do you mind if I call them "rad"? So spicy, so complex, so at home in my belly. Also pictured are some carrots, some Romaine lettuce, the aforementioned cauliflower, and a green striped Roma tomato, which I had no idea even existed. And yes, all are now at home in my belly.Sigur Ros tomorrow. Also, my wrist is now able to bend! (Slowly.) Yes, yes, yes, concerts and wrist-bending, here I come.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
!!!
La la la! Here are some things I'm very excited about:
1) Sigur Ros on Monday!
2) Cut/Copy show on Tuesday!
3) Pine nuts. Oh, yum.
4) Hot cider and Tuaca. Get thee to an orchard, then get thee to a liquor store.
5) Watching the Portland Marathon on Sunday.
6) Training for the Portland Marathon next year!
7) Seeing Don Hertzfeldt (of "Rejected" fame) speak on Saturday.
8) Seeing Art Spiegelman (writer of "Maus") speak next Thursday!
9) Doing another vegan experimentation month during October. I swear, it's fun!
10) I have a new stovetop espresso maker! Sometimes I get excited to go to sleep so I can wake up and use it. I have a tiny cup, too! You can drink from it if you come over.
I'll tell you more later. What are you excited about?
1) Sigur Ros on Monday!
2) Cut/Copy show on Tuesday!
3) Pine nuts. Oh, yum.
4) Hot cider and Tuaca. Get thee to an orchard, then get thee to a liquor store.
5) Watching the Portland Marathon on Sunday.
6) Training for the Portland Marathon next year!
7) Seeing Don Hertzfeldt (of "Rejected" fame) speak on Saturday.
8) Seeing Art Spiegelman (writer of "Maus") speak next Thursday!
9) Doing another vegan experimentation month during October. I swear, it's fun!
10) I have a new stovetop espresso maker! Sometimes I get excited to go to sleep so I can wake up and use it. I have a tiny cup, too! You can drink from it if you come over.
I'll tell you more later. What are you excited about?
Monday, September 29, 2008
On my knees in front of the event
Chicago was wonderful. Old friends, too much food, too many jokes, not enough time. Lots of tomfoolery and breakfasts and getting lost, none of which translate too well into a dryly-written internet life story. Summary: we had fun! In the end, I both did and did not want to leave, which I suppose is an integral part of this whole "growing up and moving away" business. I'd better get used to it, since it doesn't look like we'll all be moving into a giant castle overlooking the sea anytime soon.
As you may or may not know, I flew to Chicago to see My Bloody Valentine. I've been waiting for this show for about 4 years now (when Pitchfork first posted that they were reuniting). Since less than .01% of the people reading this blog care about 90's shoegazer bands, I will keep this short: if you fly 2,000 miles to see a concert, it probably means that you love this band, that they really mean something to you, and that, yes, while standing in line you will repeatedly almost burst into tears of sheer joy and nerves and anticipation. These things are true. And if you fly 2,000 miles to see a band, people will probably want to know if it lived up to your expectations. Unfortunately, this is not a question that can really be answered, at least not with language. You might spend the entire plane ride home trying to make sense of what exactly happened. You will probably fail. What I mean to say is that it was almost nothing like I expected, and we didn't high-five and yell "awesome!" when it was over, and the noise and vibrations were so intense that we physically suffered, but the fact that I have not stopped thinking about it for even an hour since it happened means... something. I have no context for such an experience and sometimes I am terrified by the extent that I am unable to describe what it was like (trying to find even one word makes me lapse into a sort of half-trance as my mind spins its wheels in the mud), and well, it was really just a group of people playing some loud guitars and surely bodies and minds have to be expected to react to such things in new and sometimes alarming ways, but... by golly, I still maintain that it meant something!
I don't know why I ramble on, when all I need is one Harold Brodkey quote:
"I distrust summaries, any kind of gliding through time, any too great a claim that one is in control of what one recounts; I think someone who claims to understand but who is obviously calm, someone who claims to write with emotion recollected in tranquility, is a fool and a liar. To understand is to tremble. To recollect is to reenter and be riven. An acrobat after spinning through the air in a mockery of flight stands erect on his perch and mockingly takes his bow as if what he is being applauded for was easy for him and cost him nothing, although meanwhile he is covered with sweat and his smile is edged with a relief chilling to think about; he is indulging in a show-business style; he is pretending to be superhuman. I am bored with that and with where it has brought us. I admire the authority of being on one's knees in front of the event."
As you may or may not know, I flew to Chicago to see My Bloody Valentine. I've been waiting for this show for about 4 years now (when Pitchfork first posted that they were reuniting). Since less than .01% of the people reading this blog care about 90's shoegazer bands, I will keep this short: if you fly 2,000 miles to see a concert, it probably means that you love this band, that they really mean something to you, and that, yes, while standing in line you will repeatedly almost burst into tears of sheer joy and nerves and anticipation. These things are true. And if you fly 2,000 miles to see a band, people will probably want to know if it lived up to your expectations. Unfortunately, this is not a question that can really be answered, at least not with language. You might spend the entire plane ride home trying to make sense of what exactly happened. You will probably fail. What I mean to say is that it was almost nothing like I expected, and we didn't high-five and yell "awesome!" when it was over, and the noise and vibrations were so intense that we physically suffered, but the fact that I have not stopped thinking about it for even an hour since it happened means... something. I have no context for such an experience and sometimes I am terrified by the extent that I am unable to describe what it was like (trying to find even one word makes me lapse into a sort of half-trance as my mind spins its wheels in the mud), and well, it was really just a group of people playing some loud guitars and surely bodies and minds have to be expected to react to such things in new and sometimes alarming ways, but... by golly, I still maintain that it meant something!
I don't know why I ramble on, when all I need is one Harold Brodkey quote:
"I distrust summaries, any kind of gliding through time, any too great a claim that one is in control of what one recounts; I think someone who claims to understand but who is obviously calm, someone who claims to write with emotion recollected in tranquility, is a fool and a liar. To understand is to tremble. To recollect is to reenter and be riven. An acrobat after spinning through the air in a mockery of flight stands erect on his perch and mockingly takes his bow as if what he is being applauded for was easy for him and cost him nothing, although meanwhile he is covered with sweat and his smile is edged with a relief chilling to think about; he is indulging in a show-business style; he is pretending to be superhuman. I am bored with that and with where it has brought us. I admire the authority of being on one's knees in front of the event."
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Revenge: Not as sweet as promised
This morning I was at work, stirring my oatmeal, when I spied some movement out of the corner of my eye. Well what do you know! It happened to be the biggest spider I've ever seen in the "wild", taking a little stroll down the aisle by my desk. It was about the size of my palm, with a huge body and fat legs and horrific markings. No, really -- completely appalling. It could've eaten a small mammal. NO, REALLY. COMPLETELY APPALLING.
It was moving pretty slowly, and I was about to try to find help when it took a sudden and unexpected turn into - well, hello! - the cubicle of a woman who is really, really not nice to me. As in, she sabotages my work and spreads lies. Hey, no big deal! Anyway, I watched with a certain amount of sick glee as the spider walked in to her empty cube, turned a corner, and disappeared. I continued stirring my oatmeal. She was coming down the aisle already as the spider entered her cubicle, so I figured the whole thing would be over in about 10 seconds; she'd see it (the thing cast a shadow, how could it hide?), become hysterical, and I'd continue stoically pouring honey into my oatmeal, laughing on the inside. THIS PLAN COULD NOT FAIL, OBVIOUSLY.
Except, it totally did! She came back to her desk, sat down, and started working. She did not see the spider. I continued stirring the oatmeal. She continued working. It had to be there, right? I found an old paper, ran to the recycling bin, and casually peered into her cubicle on the way back to my desk. Oh my God! Oh my God. Ohhhhhhh my God, the spider was no longer there. But if not there... where? My cubicle??! My hair? Did it jump into my hair?? It's in my hair!!! When I realized that the spider had departed for parts unknown, I almost fainted. You think I'm joking, but I'm telling you -- I had to go sit in the bathroom with my head between my legs for about 20 minutes. Because, I don't know if I mentioned this, but... the spider was as big as my palm. Ohhhh ho ho ho h ooooo no, it was not good.
So, how do you think I spent the rest of my day? Why, living in a hellish state of paranoia, of course! The spider never reappeared, and I wasted most of the day looking around suspiciously and swatting at phantom spiders that were crawling on my feet. As for the woman I was trying to get revenge on, she passed the day in peace and never had any idea of what had happened. I see that I should be absorbing a life lesson here, but I refuse! As I write this, there's another spider spinning a big web right outside my window and right over the place on the roof where I like to sit. How am I going to get rid of this thing? It's hanging in midair. I actually considered a pellet gun for a second, before realizing how insane that sounded. Ok, but wait, would that work? Or could I spray poison on it? Does anyone have a flame thrower I could borrow? We've all seen those Wile E. Coyote cartoons, so I think we know how this is going to end: walking off the roof while holding an "Acme Spider Killer," looking down, saying "Yipe!" and falling. It's been fun.
But anyway, I'm going to Chicago tomorrow! I would love to tell you more, but I've used up all my energy raging against spiders. I return on Sunday, we'll talk then!
It was moving pretty slowly, and I was about to try to find help when it took a sudden and unexpected turn into - well, hello! - the cubicle of a woman who is really, really not nice to me. As in, she sabotages my work and spreads lies. Hey, no big deal! Anyway, I watched with a certain amount of sick glee as the spider walked in to her empty cube, turned a corner, and disappeared. I continued stirring my oatmeal. She was coming down the aisle already as the spider entered her cubicle, so I figured the whole thing would be over in about 10 seconds; she'd see it (the thing cast a shadow, how could it hide?), become hysterical, and I'd continue stoically pouring honey into my oatmeal, laughing on the inside. THIS PLAN COULD NOT FAIL, OBVIOUSLY.
Except, it totally did! She came back to her desk, sat down, and started working. She did not see the spider. I continued stirring the oatmeal. She continued working. It had to be there, right? I found an old paper, ran to the recycling bin, and casually peered into her cubicle on the way back to my desk. Oh my God! Oh my God. Ohhhhhhh my God, the spider was no longer there. But if not there... where? My cubicle??! My hair? Did it jump into my hair?? It's in my hair!!! When I realized that the spider had departed for parts unknown, I almost fainted. You think I'm joking, but I'm telling you -- I had to go sit in the bathroom with my head between my legs for about 20 minutes. Because, I don't know if I mentioned this, but... the spider was as big as my palm. Ohhhh ho ho ho h ooooo no, it was not good.
So, how do you think I spent the rest of my day? Why, living in a hellish state of paranoia, of course! The spider never reappeared, and I wasted most of the day looking around suspiciously and swatting at phantom spiders that were crawling on my feet. As for the woman I was trying to get revenge on, she passed the day in peace and never had any idea of what had happened. I see that I should be absorbing a life lesson here, but I refuse! As I write this, there's another spider spinning a big web right outside my window and right over the place on the roof where I like to sit. How am I going to get rid of this thing? It's hanging in midair. I actually considered a pellet gun for a second, before realizing how insane that sounded. Ok, but wait, would that work? Or could I spray poison on it? Does anyone have a flame thrower I could borrow? We've all seen those Wile E. Coyote cartoons, so I think we know how this is going to end: walking off the roof while holding an "Acme Spider Killer," looking down, saying "Yipe!" and falling. It's been fun.
But anyway, I'm going to Chicago tomorrow! I would love to tell you more, but I've used up all my energy raging against spiders. I return on Sunday, we'll talk then!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
"breaking" news, part 2
The good news: my wrist isn't broken!
The bad news: apparently, the type of extreme sprain that i have is more painful than a break. also, i have to wear a giant splint for 6 weeks. oh, bother.
Thus begins my one-handed life. You will probably notice that it contains fewer capital letters, for which i apologize. For my first one-handed meal i made a curry, which took forever because i had to be careful not to sully my splint with any of the ingredients, lest i sentence myself to smelling like an indian restaurant for 6 weeks. also, try mincing garlic with one hand. haha, only a crazy person would do that, right?? well, technically, yes.
for inspiration, i leave you with a photo of the one-armed drummer from def leppard:
army of one!!
The bad news: apparently, the type of extreme sprain that i have is more painful than a break. also, i have to wear a giant splint for 6 weeks. oh, bother.
Thus begins my one-handed life. You will probably notice that it contains fewer capital letters, for which i apologize. For my first one-handed meal i made a curry, which took forever because i had to be careful not to sully my splint with any of the ingredients, lest i sentence myself to smelling like an indian restaurant for 6 weeks. also, try mincing garlic with one hand. haha, only a crazy person would do that, right?? well, technically, yes.
for inspiration, i leave you with a photo of the one-armed drummer from def leppard:
army of one!!
Monday, September 15, 2008
My Wrist Hurts, and other tales of woe
Breaking news! I tripped and fell tonight while running (there was a stick, we exchanged words) and... ow. I no longer have any skin on my left leg, knee, hand, wrist, elbow, or shoulder. I also appear to have sprained my wrist, badly. Can you imagine what would happen if I tried something like hang-gliding? Or mountain climbing? I'm barely even getting through a normal day without dying!
Oh, and hey! I figured out what my tattoo should be: "Stop buying new books, jerk" in bold font, on my hand. I seem to have a real problem. Actually, the appearance of the word "books" would probably serve as a sort of trigger, backfire, and cause me to run to Powell's, so maybe that's out. I use the other side of my bed (I knew I bought a queen size for a reason) as a sort of "on deck" section where I pile the new books; then I can easily make a decision about which ones I want to read that day. Unfortunately, it's getting to the point where there's no longer room for my entire body in the bed, which so far hasn't deterred me from buying even MORE BOOKS (just yesterday, even!). I'm like an eccentric cat lady, without the cats. There are 18 sitting there right now. If I get to 20, I'll have to sleep in the yard. Please stop me before I get to 20. (I'm definitely getting to 20.)
Oh, and hey! I figured out what my tattoo should be: "Stop buying new books, jerk" in bold font, on my hand. I seem to have a real problem. Actually, the appearance of the word "books" would probably serve as a sort of trigger, backfire, and cause me to run to Powell's, so maybe that's out. I use the other side of my bed (I knew I bought a queen size for a reason) as a sort of "on deck" section where I pile the new books; then I can easily make a decision about which ones I want to read that day. Unfortunately, it's getting to the point where there's no longer room for my entire body in the bed, which so far hasn't deterred me from buying even MORE BOOKS (just yesterday, even!). I'm like an eccentric cat lady, without the cats. There are 18 sitting there right now. If I get to 20, I'll have to sleep in the yard. Please stop me before I get to 20. (I'm definitely getting to 20.)
Monday, September 08, 2008
Pattern recognition
Dude!
I have a friend that starts nearly every "paragraph" of his speech with Dude! I guess I'd only passively noticed this until the other day, when it started to strike me as funny, since the Dude! is nearly always followed by something akin to, "I was reading this article about economic systems in Africa the other day...". (Which is usually followed by a glazed expression on my part, since I only want to talk about kittens and candy.) He is also a frequent user of sweet, kick ass!, and word. Come to think of it, this pattern of speech could describe any number of people I know. A large portion of my friends talk sort of like hyper-literate versions of Jeff Spicoli. I don't know how this came to be, though there really is something that feels right about reducing something heady and complex to, "like, totally lame."
And I do it too, of course. I'm sure you've noticed the iron-clad pattern that this blog follows. It goes something like this:
Irreverent greeting!
Something I noticed the other day that has no real bearing on my life or yours. Details of my "deep" observation. Wrap-up of story, followed by weak joke to end the paragraph. Zing!
Abrupt change of subject. Story of how I fell/said something dumb/made a fool of myself. Another "zinger."
Weak attempt at segue, followed by a loosely related list of things I want to talk about. Meditation about how great Portland is. Promise to revisit subject that I was not able to adequately cover (always broken). Realization that I have run out of things to say, followed by literary equivalent of, "Uh."
Attempt at hilarious sign-off, followed by exclamation points!!!
How did I even get on this subject? What I actually came to talk about today, though, is the surprising realization that I'm beginning to think that tattoos look, like... kinda good. Like... really kinda good, actually. Oh boy, this is how it starts. I welcome your attempts to change my mind. But wouldn't I look great with a giant, soaring eagle covering my back? (I'm kidding, Mom.) I guess I'm a real Portlander now.
I have a friend that starts nearly every "paragraph" of his speech with Dude! I guess I'd only passively noticed this until the other day, when it started to strike me as funny, since the Dude! is nearly always followed by something akin to, "I was reading this article about economic systems in Africa the other day...". (Which is usually followed by a glazed expression on my part, since I only want to talk about kittens and candy.) He is also a frequent user of sweet, kick ass!, and word. Come to think of it, this pattern of speech could describe any number of people I know. A large portion of my friends talk sort of like hyper-literate versions of Jeff Spicoli. I don't know how this came to be, though there really is something that feels right about reducing something heady and complex to, "like, totally lame."
And I do it too, of course. I'm sure you've noticed the iron-clad pattern that this blog follows. It goes something like this:
Irreverent greeting!
Something I noticed the other day that has no real bearing on my life or yours. Details of my "deep" observation. Wrap-up of story, followed by weak joke to end the paragraph. Zing!
Abrupt change of subject. Story of how I fell/said something dumb/made a fool of myself. Another "zinger."
Weak attempt at segue, followed by a loosely related list of things I want to talk about. Meditation about how great Portland is. Promise to revisit subject that I was not able to adequately cover (always broken). Realization that I have run out of things to say, followed by literary equivalent of, "Uh."
Attempt at hilarious sign-off, followed by exclamation points!!!
How did I even get on this subject? What I actually came to talk about today, though, is the surprising realization that I'm beginning to think that tattoos look, like... kinda good. Like... really kinda good, actually. Oh boy, this is how it starts. I welcome your attempts to change my mind. But wouldn't I look great with a giant, soaring eagle covering my back? (I'm kidding, Mom.) I guess I'm a real Portlander now.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Paradise City
Hello from my new house!
I apologize in advance if I fall asleep in the middle of this entry. Between seeing shows every day (Music Fest NW) and moving all of my earthly belongings across town, there hasn't been much opportunity for rest. Luckily, today is a lazy Sunday -- I slept in my new room for the first time last night, and this morning I sat on the porch and read the paper and made half-hearted attempts to continue unpacking.
Can I tell you about my new neighborhood? I'm now down in SE Portland, in an area that I have tentatively nicknamed "Cute Boy Paradise." It is really right in the middle of everything (SE Portland is sort of the standard place where everybody lives and does stuff), whereas my old neighborhood was a bit more isolated and less developed (but still wonderful). I can basically walk or ride my bike to everything, including the best grocery store ever, which is 4 blocks away. THIS IS GOOD NEWS. Also, my rent is cheaper than it was in Urbana! Also also, my window opens up to the roof, so I can sit on top of the house and look out over the neighborhood. Yes! It's always been a huge hassle to get from North Portland to activities in SE, so I'm looking forward to living down here and getting to know a whole different part of the city.
My new address is easy to remember:
2424 SE 24th Ave.
Portland, OR
97214
I'm just... really super excited. Pictures will come after I finish unpacking.
So anyway, there was also Music Fest NW. As I predicted in a previous entry, it was in fact both "totally awesome" and "totally exhausting." On Friday I saw live music from 5:30 pm until 2:00 am! I want to lie down just thinking about it. The high point was most definitely seeing Built to Spill play "Perfect From Now On" in its entirety; I actually sort of started to tear up during the first song, just because that album has been on heavy rotation during so many points in my life. Oh man! Yeah, the whole festival was pretty great.
For no real reason, here is a photo of what I had for dinner a few weeks ago. Maybe this is why I can't button my pants anymore? (note: not an exaggeration)
Dude. That is chocolate almond cake, caramel mousse, and salted almonds, all covered in chocolate. Accompanying it is a Rogue chocolate stout with mocha ice cream. I felt very ill afterwards. Luckily, I went from living near the N. Portland location of Pix Patisserie to living near the SE location, so I can continue being gluttonous without any extra effort. I'm also living near the SE locations of a few other of my most beloved N. Portland hangouts (Fresh Pot, Albina Press, Por Que No, even Powell's has a SE location near me) so I can basically live the same life I've been living all along. But with more cute boys!
I apologize in advance if I fall asleep in the middle of this entry. Between seeing shows every day (Music Fest NW) and moving all of my earthly belongings across town, there hasn't been much opportunity for rest. Luckily, today is a lazy Sunday -- I slept in my new room for the first time last night, and this morning I sat on the porch and read the paper and made half-hearted attempts to continue unpacking.
Can I tell you about my new neighborhood? I'm now down in SE Portland, in an area that I have tentatively nicknamed "Cute Boy Paradise." It is really right in the middle of everything (SE Portland is sort of the standard place where everybody lives and does stuff), whereas my old neighborhood was a bit more isolated and less developed (but still wonderful). I can basically walk or ride my bike to everything, including the best grocery store ever, which is 4 blocks away. THIS IS GOOD NEWS. Also, my rent is cheaper than it was in Urbana! Also also, my window opens up to the roof, so I can sit on top of the house and look out over the neighborhood. Yes! It's always been a huge hassle to get from North Portland to activities in SE, so I'm looking forward to living down here and getting to know a whole different part of the city.
My new address is easy to remember:
2424 SE 24th Ave.
Portland, OR
97214
I'm just... really super excited. Pictures will come after I finish unpacking.
So anyway, there was also Music Fest NW. As I predicted in a previous entry, it was in fact both "totally awesome" and "totally exhausting." On Friday I saw live music from 5:30 pm until 2:00 am! I want to lie down just thinking about it. The high point was most definitely seeing Built to Spill play "Perfect From Now On" in its entirety; I actually sort of started to tear up during the first song, just because that album has been on heavy rotation during so many points in my life. Oh man! Yeah, the whole festival was pretty great.
For no real reason, here is a photo of what I had for dinner a few weeks ago. Maybe this is why I can't button my pants anymore? (note: not an exaggeration)
Dude. That is chocolate almond cake, caramel mousse, and salted almonds, all covered in chocolate. Accompanying it is a Rogue chocolate stout with mocha ice cream. I felt very ill afterwards. Luckily, I went from living near the N. Portland location of Pix Patisserie to living near the SE location, so I can continue being gluttonous without any extra effort. I'm also living near the SE locations of a few other of my most beloved N. Portland hangouts (Fresh Pot, Albina Press, Por Que No, even Powell's has a SE location near me) so I can basically live the same life I've been living all along. But with more cute boys!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Great Moments in Amanda-dom
After getting out of the shower tonight, I spent almost 10 minutes looking for my glasses, only to finally realize that they were (and you've already guessed this, of course) ON MY FACE. Also, remember the part when I said, "after getting out of the shower"? That means that I'd been wearing the glasses in the shower without even realizing it. People, I wash my face when I take a shower! DOES NOT COMPUTE.
Before Bed Public Service Announcement: Do not mix watermelon and cheese, ever. I'm trying to think of some clever metaphor to convey how bad this tasted, but I'm pretty tired, so can we just leave it at this? It looks nice in the refrigerator, at least. (And it'll look even nicer in the trash. Fare thee well!)
Before Bed Public Service Announcement: Do not mix watermelon and cheese, ever. I'm trying to think of some clever metaphor to convey how bad this tasted, but I'm pretty tired, so can we just leave it at this? It looks nice in the refrigerator, at least. (And it'll look even nicer in the trash. Fare thee well!)
Sunday, August 17, 2008
2727272727272727272727
I made it to 27! It feels kinda like 26.
My birthday was pretty nice. Work was bad for several reasons (one of which? The stupid birthday committee completely forgot my birthday, and I did NOT receive the expected card filled with generic well-wishes!) but I was in good spirits and didn't really mind. That evening I went to dinner at Lovely Hula Hands, which was... well, lovely. I took some photos for you! As usual, they are of D- quality, but I did the best I could:
This is the appetizer, "House-made mozzerella with a grilled peach, green bean and hazelnut salad." (Not pictured: "Rosemary focaccia with arbequina olive oil.") You'll notice that I've taken one bite, after which I decided it needed to be photographed so I could look at it every day and taste it in my mind. OH, MAN. I think I want to start making my own cheese.
This here is the main course, "Grilled Oregon albacore tuna with yukon gold potatoes, aioli and a green bean, saffron onion and tomato ragout." Like the appetizer, it was also quite edible.
I can't even look at this photo without wanting to cry. This, of course, is "Chocolate pave cake with espresso cream and salted almonds," and its good buddy, "Pistachio ice cream with strawberries and an ossi dei morti cookie." We spent a lot of time scraping our plates clean. For cocktails, I had a cold milk punch (milk, irish whiskey, sugar, nutmeg) and a kir (cava and Chambord). Um. Yum!
My birthday was pretty nice. Work was bad for several reasons (one of which? The stupid birthday committee completely forgot my birthday, and I did NOT receive the expected card filled with generic well-wishes!) but I was in good spirits and didn't really mind. That evening I went to dinner at Lovely Hula Hands, which was... well, lovely. I took some photos for you! As usual, they are of D- quality, but I did the best I could:
This is the appetizer, "House-made mozzerella with a grilled peach, green bean and hazelnut salad." (Not pictured: "Rosemary focaccia with arbequina olive oil.") You'll notice that I've taken one bite, after which I decided it needed to be photographed so I could look at it every day and taste it in my mind. OH, MAN. I think I want to start making my own cheese.
This here is the main course, "Grilled Oregon albacore tuna with yukon gold potatoes, aioli and a green bean, saffron onion and tomato ragout." Like the appetizer, it was also quite edible.
I can't even look at this photo without wanting to cry. This, of course, is "Chocolate pave cake with espresso cream and salted almonds," and its good buddy, "Pistachio ice cream with strawberries and an ossi dei morti cookie." We spent a lot of time scraping our plates clean. For cocktails, I had a cold milk punch (milk, irish whiskey, sugar, nutmeg) and a kir (cava and Chambord). Um. Yum!
Afterwards, we went up to the Bye and Bye (my most favorite of all bars) where a table of my friends rowdily lead the bar in singing "Happy Birthday" to me (uh, twice). Hey, it was nice! I'd been feeling sickly all week, so I was pretty low-key -- in bed by midnight, I think -- but luckily others stepped up to the plate and celebrated for me:
What a pal!
On Saturday, I took myself on a full-day birthday date. I got up early and went to the farmer's market. Afterwards, I wandered over to Powell's, where I bought some dumb magazines and a book of Robert Hass's poetry criticism, which I've been meaning to pick up for awhile and which was on mega-sale! As if that weren't enough, the cashier turned out to be a huge Robert Hass fan and started gushing about "Praise," which was basically a dream come true for me.
Then I took myself out to breakfast at Kenny & Zuke's, where I loitered over gossip magazines, french toast, and a mimosa. While I was sitting there, a naked bike parade rolled by, which created a hilarious Woody Allen-esque commotion with the Jewish tourists sitting next to me ("Why aren't they wearing pants?! They don't have pants!" "Ma, you're yelling! Just don't look." "Well, I still don't see why they don't wear pants."). Afterwards, I went shopping and spent a foolish amount of money on dresses. Ah, to be young and stupid!
Then I walked around and did some other stuff, came home and did more stuff, sat on the balcony and read my book, drank ginger ale and ate a small melon. Leftover pizza, crude drawings with the colored pencils my mom sent me. Went to bed with a smile on my face. Over and out!
Then I took myself out to breakfast at Kenny & Zuke's, where I loitered over gossip magazines, french toast, and a mimosa. While I was sitting there, a naked bike parade rolled by, which created a hilarious Woody Allen-esque commotion with the Jewish tourists sitting next to me ("Why aren't they wearing pants?! They don't have pants!" "Ma, you're yelling! Just don't look." "Well, I still don't see why they don't wear pants."). Afterwards, I went shopping and spent a foolish amount of money on dresses. Ah, to be young and stupid!
Then I walked around and did some other stuff, came home and did more stuff, sat on the balcony and read my book, drank ginger ale and ate a small melon. Leftover pizza, crude drawings with the colored pencils my mom sent me. Went to bed with a smile on my face. Over and out!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Maundering
Today something on the bus shorted out, causing the horn to blare whenever the driver hit the gas pedal! I can't even think about it without laughing. <--- (I just laughed for like a minute straight.) You should have seen the faces of all the other people on the road. And the cyclists! Whenever someone new got on the bus, they'd be confused and afraid until someone explained the situation to them. All the while, the horn would continue to blare until we stopped at a light, then the driver would hit the gas and it was BEEEEeeeeEEEEEEeeeeeEEEEEE[......]ppppp all the way until the next one. At one point we rounded a corner, horn blaring, and some homeless dude jumped back from the curb and screamed, "NO BRAKES!!!!!!" It took me like 20 minutes to write this paragraph because I had to stop and laugh after every sentence! Oh, man. I suppose I'd better switch topics.
Three loosely related points of interest: I just got back from eating here! It's outstanding. I got a slice of sausage pizza that had more meat on it than I've eaten, total, in the past 4 months. I also got one with "cheese" made out of cashews! (It doesn't actually taste anything like cheese, but it was really good. And it was topped with sweet corn, yum!) Also, it is the eve of my 27th birthday, and it was 105 degrees today. When I said "loosely related," I really meant it.
Fourth point of interest: I am ill, which is probably why I've been blogging so much. This does not bode well for a memorable birthday celebration, and probably means that you'll be treated to a maudlin, "I am 27, what does it all mean??" post in the next few days.
5th point of interest: I'm always shocked when "classic" novels turn out to be good, even though they really always do (that's why they're called classics, you fool). But seriously! I'm reading "Brideshead Revisited" right now and it's so good, so funny. I guess that's why they made it into a movie (twice). I also just finished reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," which is not a "classic" but was fantastically enjoyable (I guess that's why her books sell millions of copies). On the other hand, I just read that Murakami book about running; this is my second Murakami, and... I don't get it. There was a lukewarm review of the book in the NYT last week by some dude who was about as familiar with Murakami as I am, and we both seemed to come away with the same impression: "Wait, does he mean to write like that?" The book was fine, and Murakami's likeable, but doesn't he kind of write like a fourth grader? A little? Anyone? I guess my opinion doesn't count, though, because I always thought Hemingway was a crappy writer, too. Everyone always thinks I'm joking when I say that, but someday I'll find someone who agrees with me and we'll form a secret club and have the best times ever not liking Hemingway together. In our clubhouse.
Three loosely related points of interest: I just got back from eating here! It's outstanding. I got a slice of sausage pizza that had more meat on it than I've eaten, total, in the past 4 months. I also got one with "cheese" made out of cashews! (It doesn't actually taste anything like cheese, but it was really good. And it was topped with sweet corn, yum!) Also, it is the eve of my 27th birthday, and it was 105 degrees today. When I said "loosely related," I really meant it.
Fourth point of interest: I am ill, which is probably why I've been blogging so much. This does not bode well for a memorable birthday celebration, and probably means that you'll be treated to a maudlin, "I am 27, what does it all mean??" post in the next few days.
5th point of interest: I'm always shocked when "classic" novels turn out to be good, even though they really always do (that's why they're called classics, you fool). But seriously! I'm reading "Brideshead Revisited" right now and it's so good, so funny. I guess that's why they made it into a movie (twice). I also just finished reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," which is not a "classic" but was fantastically enjoyable (I guess that's why her books sell millions of copies). On the other hand, I just read that Murakami book about running; this is my second Murakami, and... I don't get it. There was a lukewarm review of the book in the NYT last week by some dude who was about as familiar with Murakami as I am, and we both seemed to come away with the same impression: "Wait, does he mean to write like that?" The book was fine, and Murakami's likeable, but doesn't he kind of write like a fourth grader? A little? Anyone? I guess my opinion doesn't count, though, because I always thought Hemingway was a crappy writer, too. Everyone always thinks I'm joking when I say that, but someday I'll find someone who agrees with me and we'll form a secret club and have the best times ever not liking Hemingway together. In our clubhouse.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
100% boring for 99% of my readers
This fall is going to be insane. Tomorrow I'm buying a wristband for MusicFest NW, which will serve as a kickoff to a 2 month spread of live music that's going to blow my mind! (and eardrums, probably)
My schedule for MFNW:
Wed, Sep 3: Mogwai (yes!!! yes yes yssyeeyss)
Thur, Sep 4: Deerhunter (or M. Ward)
Fri, Sep 5: BUILT TO SPILL!!!!! (performing "Perfect From Now On" in its entirety!!!!!! what????!!!) then I'll run over to see Vampire Weekend for the later show (unless I have died from happiness after Built to Spill)
Sat, Sep 6: Fleet Foxes, Menomena, Helio Sequence
Sun, Sep 7: sleep all day, post boring blog entry about how awesome everything was.
The week after that, Spiritualized plays (Sep. 15)!
The week after that, I jet back to Chicago to see My Bloody Valentine (Sep. 27)!
The week after that, Sigur Ros plays (Oct 6)!
The week after that, Stereolab plays (Oct 18)!
The week after that, I sit down. For a very long time.
My schedule for MFNW:
Wed, Sep 3: Mogwai (yes!!! yes yes yssyeeyss)
Thur, Sep 4: Deerhunter (or M. Ward)
Fri, Sep 5: BUILT TO SPILL!!!!! (performing "Perfect From Now On" in its entirety!!!!!! what????!!!) then I'll run over to see Vampire Weekend for the later show (unless I have died from happiness after Built to Spill)
Sat, Sep 6: Fleet Foxes, Menomena, Helio Sequence
Sun, Sep 7: sleep all day, post boring blog entry about how awesome everything was.
The week after that, Spiritualized plays (Sep. 15)!
The week after that, I jet back to Chicago to see My Bloody Valentine (Sep. 27)!
The week after that, Sigur Ros plays (Oct 6)!
The week after that, Stereolab plays (Oct 18)!
The week after that, I sit down. For a very long time.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Honk if you love editors
It's my birthday week! That means I get to do whatever I want all week (as opposed to other weeks, when I am the epitome of self-restraint), which so far means reading new poetry books and guzzling wine on the balcony (again, in great contrast to other weeks). And today, it means that I get to blog about grammatical errors!
My mom was telling me awhile ago that one of her friends had recently published a children's book, and she said, "See, anybody can get published." Unfortunately, this is true. I keep this file at work with all of the literary blunders I come across (because I'm strange, okay?), and it's kind of unreal. Sometimes I want to write hate mail to the publishers. Today I saw "illicit" used in place of "elicit" in the first paragraph of a book on how to create professional presentations. These words are not interchangeable. Are you sure you're qualified to help me create a presentation? Still, thanks for the laugh. I've also learned that my favorite cliche opening is actually quite popular among people who write introductions for books; that is, "Since ____, humankind has ______." "Since the dawn of time, humankind has searched for meaning." You don't say?! I never thought about it that way before. Or, my favorite, straight from a biology textbook: "Since the beginning of civilization, man has been entranced by the sea." Oh, really? Do you have a source for that bold statement? Sheesh, people.
I think I might have posted this before, but this calls for my favorite Dinosaur Comic ever:
Oh also! It was this guy's birthday yesterday, so if you see him reading poetry and guzzling wine, it's okay because it's his birthday week, too (actually, if you see him doing that, you should probably be concerned).
Yeah, I know.
My mom was telling me awhile ago that one of her friends had recently published a children's book, and she said, "See, anybody can get published." Unfortunately, this is true. I keep this file at work with all of the literary blunders I come across (because I'm strange, okay?), and it's kind of unreal. Sometimes I want to write hate mail to the publishers. Today I saw "illicit" used in place of "elicit" in the first paragraph of a book on how to create professional presentations. These words are not interchangeable. Are you sure you're qualified to help me create a presentation? Still, thanks for the laugh. I've also learned that my favorite cliche opening is actually quite popular among people who write introductions for books; that is, "Since ____, humankind has ______." "Since the dawn of time, humankind has searched for meaning." You don't say?! I never thought about it that way before. Or, my favorite, straight from a biology textbook: "Since the beginning of civilization, man has been entranced by the sea." Oh, really? Do you have a source for that bold statement? Sheesh, people.
I think I might have posted this before, but this calls for my favorite Dinosaur Comic ever:
Oh also! It was this guy's birthday yesterday, so if you see him reading poetry and guzzling wine, it's okay because it's his birthday week, too (actually, if you see him doing that, you should probably be concerned).
Yeah, I know.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Bildungsroman (or: Look at the Useless Vocabulary Word I Learned in College)
So, it occurs to me that I've been here for just over a year now.Last week I was downtown during the day for a doctor's appointment (an eye infection, I'm fine) and I had a bit of time to kill beforehand, so I stopped at Stumptown and had some coffee and a scone before heading off. It'd been so long since I'd been anywhere except work at that time of day, and I was struck by a weird feeling of deja vu, remembering the day I'd arrived back in Portland after being in Seattle -- wandering, walking around the city, thinking about the possibilities, being pleased with things. I knew I'd blogged about that day at some point, so when I got home that evening I searched for the entry, which just so happened to be... exactly a year ago to the day. It was a strange coincidence that really had no meaning, but at the same time sent me on one of those sentimental trips down memory lane that I'm so fond of indulging in.
So, as I mentioned, it occurs to me that I've been here for just over a year now. Right now, I can't decide whether to type "it feels like I just got here," or "it feels like I've always been here," so I'll write both and try not to think about it too hard. What I do know is that this has been one of the most exciting and fulfilling years of my life. I know this blog is already an exercise in self-congratulatory excess, but can I just pat myself on the back for a few more seconds? This year has been hard, in almost every kind of way. I lost things. Things got taken away. And the years before that weren't so smooth, either. (Remember 2006? Yeah, me too.) I remember feeling so good when I got here, and that feeling hasn't gone away. How can it not have gone away?! I blog about spilling things on myself, or going to nickel arcades, or missing the bus, but between these entries are things (some small, some big) that have been quietly shaping me. Most of these things will never be written about. All I can say is that I'm proud of myself, and I'm happy with the way things are going. It's not like I've accomplished anything huge, but at the same time I've accomplished more than I ever knew I was capable of. Arghhh! I wish I were more eloquent... how to explain? I guess: things aren't perfect, but they don't need to be. Yeah, that's about right.
So, please bear with me, because I can't seem to shut up about Portland, or running, or local food, or new recipes, or new friends or new music or just feeling good and fine and happy. Happy anniversary, Amanda and Portland! I wouldn't trade this year for anything. But I think Robert Ryan puts it best:
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Berry Punny
I AM IN BERRY HEAVEN.
The one great part about my job (aside from the fact that they pay me to go there) is the unexpected appearance of a giant row of blackberry bushes near the road by my office. What looked like a giant patch of tangly weeds suddently began producing delicious berries! While our coworkers sit motionless in their cubicles, my friend Travis and I have been using our breaks to harvest berries in the sun. Today I came home with 2 big tupperware containers full, an amount that probably would have cost... over $10 at the farmer's market? Ha ha! I keep meaning to make a cobbler or something, but I stuff them down my gullet so fast that so far it's been impossible. Right now I'm enjoying them with some sparkling wine!
In other news, the other day I got jalepeno oil on my eye. I was making some Vietnamese food, and I'd picked up some jalepenos at the farmer's market (no salmonella for me!) that were labeled "mild," so I wanted to see exactly how spicy they were before I put them in the food. Uh, they were really freakin' spicy. Like a fool I picked up a tiny piece with my fingers and ate it, setting my entire mouth on fire. After trying in vain to cool the fire within, I washed my hands thoroughly... or so I thought. At some point I must have rubbed my eye, because I began noticing a sharp pain on my eyelid, which quickly escalated into a 4-alarm fire that could not be stopped. Boy, I wish you could have been there. With a swollen up eyelid, I did a frantic one-eyed internet search to see what I could use to stop the burning; I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but milk products are basically the only thing that can cool jalepeno fires. Unfortunately for me, I've been eating vegan (for a fun experiment, not forever... more later on this?), so there were no milk products to be found in my home. "The Internet" recommended oil or vinegar as solutions if no milk products were on hand, so I desperately smeared both on my burning eyelid, only to have the terrible fire intensify. At this point, I would also like to mention that the original fire in my mouth had never really gone away, and my lips were swollen to Angelina Jolie proportions. After the fire had cooled, I actually admired my mouth in the mirror and wished I had somewhere to go.
Luckily for me, I remembered that Corinn had left a yogurt parfait in the back of the refrigerator (we had a brunch at our house last weekend). I say "luckily" because this meant that the burning in my eye could be stopped, though it also meant smearing a slightly spoiled, crusty handful of yogurt and granola all over my eyelid. Again, I wish you could have been there. To make a long story short (too late!), the yogurt worked, and I'm fine now. Also, the food I was making turned out to be, uh, out of this world, so I guess it was worth it.
Stories for later:
How I Got Shot With a Supersoaker by a Car Full of Teenagers (On My Way to a Date)
How Someone at Work Stole My Lunch & I Put a Childish Note on the Refrig. to Shame Them
The one great part about my job (aside from the fact that they pay me to go there) is the unexpected appearance of a giant row of blackberry bushes near the road by my office. What looked like a giant patch of tangly weeds suddently began producing delicious berries! While our coworkers sit motionless in their cubicles, my friend Travis and I have been using our breaks to harvest berries in the sun. Today I came home with 2 big tupperware containers full, an amount that probably would have cost... over $10 at the farmer's market? Ha ha! I keep meaning to make a cobbler or something, but I stuff them down my gullet so fast that so far it's been impossible. Right now I'm enjoying them with some sparkling wine!
In other news, the other day I got jalepeno oil on my eye. I was making some Vietnamese food, and I'd picked up some jalepenos at the farmer's market (no salmonella for me!) that were labeled "mild," so I wanted to see exactly how spicy they were before I put them in the food. Uh, they were really freakin' spicy. Like a fool I picked up a tiny piece with my fingers and ate it, setting my entire mouth on fire. After trying in vain to cool the fire within, I washed my hands thoroughly... or so I thought. At some point I must have rubbed my eye, because I began noticing a sharp pain on my eyelid, which quickly escalated into a 4-alarm fire that could not be stopped. Boy, I wish you could have been there. With a swollen up eyelid, I did a frantic one-eyed internet search to see what I could use to stop the burning; I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but milk products are basically the only thing that can cool jalepeno fires. Unfortunately for me, I've been eating vegan (for a fun experiment, not forever... more later on this?), so there were no milk products to be found in my home. "The Internet" recommended oil or vinegar as solutions if no milk products were on hand, so I desperately smeared both on my burning eyelid, only to have the terrible fire intensify. At this point, I would also like to mention that the original fire in my mouth had never really gone away, and my lips were swollen to Angelina Jolie proportions. After the fire had cooled, I actually admired my mouth in the mirror and wished I had somewhere to go.
Luckily for me, I remembered that Corinn had left a yogurt parfait in the back of the refrigerator (we had a brunch at our house last weekend). I say "luckily" because this meant that the burning in my eye could be stopped, though it also meant smearing a slightly spoiled, crusty handful of yogurt and granola all over my eyelid. Again, I wish you could have been there. To make a long story short (too late!), the yogurt worked, and I'm fine now. Also, the food I was making turned out to be, uh, out of this world, so I guess it was worth it.
Stories for later:
How I Got Shot With a Supersoaker by a Car Full of Teenagers (On My Way to a Date)
How Someone at Work Stole My Lunch & I Put a Childish Note on the Refrig. to Shame Them
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Happiness, sappiness
Dear Internet,
I know it's been awhile. The thing is, I'm really happy, and it takes up all my time! And now it's been so long that I don't know where to start. So, you know:
Biking around, going to 2 farmer's markets a week, walking around town and eating a pint of blueberries, beer fests, mountains, 75 degree days, tapas, brunch, the waffle stand, cooking elaborate dinners for myself, running 5 miles a day, growing my own herbs, reading 4 books at once, listening to the Besnard Lakes album until I get sick of it (not yet), new bands, new people, finding furniture on the curb and dragging it home, eating tacos with Anna, street fairs, margarita tents, biking to get the Sunday Times, getting up early, finding a blackberry bush, picnics, parks, happy hours, kiddie pools, bbqs, fun sunshine rainbows unicorns happiness!!!
I'm having a blast, not really because anything special's happening, but just because. I guess you could say that Portland agrees with me. The fact that I walk around with a smile on my face all day, even when my job is getting boring and I miss my old friends -- well, that's a wonderful thing. And the fact that things will only get better and happier -- well, golly! The only thing I don't like right now is my haircut, but you know, that'll grow out.
I know it's been awhile. The thing is, I'm really happy, and it takes up all my time! And now it's been so long that I don't know where to start. So, you know:
Biking around, going to 2 farmer's markets a week, walking around town and eating a pint of blueberries, beer fests, mountains, 75 degree days, tapas, brunch, the waffle stand, cooking elaborate dinners for myself, running 5 miles a day, growing my own herbs, reading 4 books at once, listening to the Besnard Lakes album until I get sick of it (not yet), new bands, new people, finding furniture on the curb and dragging it home, eating tacos with Anna, street fairs, margarita tents, biking to get the Sunday Times, getting up early, finding a blackberry bush, picnics, parks, happy hours, kiddie pools, bbqs, fun sunshine rainbows unicorns happiness!!!
I'm having a blast, not really because anything special's happening, but just because. I guess you could say that Portland agrees with me. The fact that I walk around with a smile on my face all day, even when my job is getting boring and I miss my old friends -- well, that's a wonderful thing. And the fact that things will only get better and happier -- well, golly! The only thing I don't like right now is my haircut, but you know, that'll grow out.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Summertime, and the livin' is... 45 degrees-y
It's June 10th, and we have the heat on. Today I wore gloves, a down vest, and a scarf! I actually don't really mind it, especially since I know what the alternative is, but still... it's June 10th. I guess it all works out, since the 10 hours a week I used to spend complaining about the heat in Urbana has now been changed into the 10 hours a week I use to commute to and from work. (You know, like that one law of the universe that says matter can neither be created nor destroyed.) Anyway, it's supposed to start being sunny and 75 on Thursday, so I may finally get to put away my scarf and realize my summer dreams, which, at this point all sort of resemble things that happened in Country Time Lemonade commercials. See you at the old fishin' hole!
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Since I left you
Things I missed about Oregon when I was in Illinois:
Things I miss about Illinois, now that I'm back:
not pictured: Alex Bass.
Things I miss about Illinois, now that I'm back:
not pictured: Alex Bass.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Oh Portland, I've missed you.
Pygmy goat boards a TriMet bus
At approximately 9:45 p.m. last night, an unattended pygmy goat walked on a Line 14- Hawthorne bus. The bus was on layover at SE 94th and Foster and the operator was standing outside her bus with the doors open. The operator was concerned because of the freeway nearby and busy street traffic, and closed the bus doors. She immediately called dispatch and TriMet’s dispatch called 911. A Portland Police Officer responded and transported the goat. The 35-pound goat was wearing a nylon collar.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Broken ankles -- so hot right now!
Never a dull moment. I injured my ankle running last week; I thought it would get better, but it continued to swell and bruise until I finally gave in and spent a magical Friday evening in the urgent care ward at the hospital. My self-diagnosis going in was, "Uh, this might be a stress fracture, but I'm not sure"; after 2 hours in the hospital, I finally received the official diagnosis of, "Uh, this might be a stress fracture, but I'm not sure." In any case, I got to have an x-ray and see a picture of my own fibula, which was kind of exciting for me. (Isn't it kind of weird that there are bones inside of you?) Anyway, there's no obvious break in my ankle, but stress fractures can't really be seen without an (expensive) MRI, so we'll probably never know. For the next few weeks I have to wear this boot-like ankle brace, which will hopefully mend my ankle well enough that I'll be able to avoid the dreaded full-leg cast. Unfortunately, the brace makes me limp even more noticeably than before. I was even mocked by a group of junior high kids as I walked home from the hospital, which was so ludicrous that I actually laughed out loud when it happened. Why don't you just tie tin cans to my ankles and throw rocks at me already?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
bus woe.
Man, I missed the bus again. Why must a 5:42 am bus run 5 minutes early? And why must it speed away as I run after it, yelling? And why did I even run after it, after all we've talked about? So this is what it's come to -- blogging at 6 am.
How are you this morning?
How are you this morning?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
postcards from the edge
Dear Everyone,
Hello. How are you? I am fine. I will update soon. I am in the first stages of carpal tunnel, so I've had to stay off the computer. I have some wrist braces now, they are very elegant. Sometime this week I will post photos from my trip to Los Angeles. You will get to hear all about my sunburnt neck. We will have fun!
your friend,
Amanda
Hello. How are you? I am fine. I will update soon. I am in the first stages of carpal tunnel, so I've had to stay off the computer. I have some wrist braces now, they are very elegant. Sometime this week I will post photos from my trip to Los Angeles. You will get to hear all about my sunburnt neck. We will have fun!
your friend,
Amanda
Saturday, March 01, 2008
New shoes and nyquil
Happy birthday to my chronic state of malaise, which turns 34 days old today! It seems like only yesterday I was coming down with the flu, which then morphed into a hacking cough and laryngitis, which has now settled into bad cold territory (but not before bringing a second round of laryngitis, much to the delight of my "friends," who thought it was really hilarious to ask me to recite lines from "Ghost" in my smokey early 90's Demi Moore voice). YEAH, OKAY. So, needless to say, I've been rather absent from life and the internet because I have little time for anything other than eating citrus fruits, taking nyquil, and moaning in my sick bed. It actually makes no sense to my why I've been so sick, since my lifestyle is probably the healthiest it ever has been or will be: I'm happy, I exercise regularly, I always get enough sleep, and my diet is based around fruits and vegetables. I eat like, 5 oranges a day. I even replaced my morning coffee with green tea and fruit juices! I think my body just misses eating candy all day at Rentertainment and having 4:00 beers with Geoff.
But anyway, I do have a few pieces of news:
1) I had my 1st review at work, and it went extraordinarily well! My marks were very good, and my boss complimented me on my "calm and in-control" attitude on the job, which I guess means she hasn't heard me crunching loudly on the ubiquitous bag of pistachios that I keep in my desk drawer. I get to buy now, which is sorta fun. And one day I even got to work on poetry books! I have more work to do now, so I rearranged my work schedule to earlier, longer days for most of the week, which means that I usually get to leave pretty early on Thursday and Friday. Leaving work at 3:30 on a sunny, 60 degree day is basically like being handed a sack of gold. And a box of powdered sugar donuts. At the same time!
2) Geoff and Jill visited! We had fun. I won't post photos because they're all terrible, but we spent most of the time eating, drinking, and making fun of people, so you can conjure up your own mental picture of what we looked like. They should move here, don't you think?
3) I almost got a bike ticket!! I met a friend over at Pix Patisserie and was in such a rush to get there that I forgot to put my bike lights on (it was light out at the time). Literally 15 seconds after I left Pix and started to pedal home, I passed a cop car. I saw the cop staring at me, so I immediately pulled over to the sidewalk, got off the bike, and called Ben, trying to make it look like I was just hanging out. The cop car responded by doing a u-turn in the middle of the intersection, parking in the middle of the street with its headlights shining directly on me (nervously leaning against a building and talking on the phone) and sitting there for two full minutes. It then revved its engine, screeched its tires, and zoomed off. Okay, you made your point, Mr. Policeman... I'm a bad girl. Man, it was close.
4) I cut my own hair (at 6:00 in the morning, without contacts in) and ended up looking like the mom from "The Family Circus." This is not the look that I was going for.
It's also the day that I decided to wear my new shoes to work without breaking them in first. I knew it was a mistake after about 10 seconds, but I was running to catch the bus and didn't have time to change; I have to walk a few miles every morning to get from bus stop to bus stop, and by the time I got to work, my feet were bascially giant lumps of ground hamburger. My solution to this was to fashion half-socks from a pair of fingerless gloves I keep at my desk, which also involved stapling the thumb opening to the rest of the "sock" after it freed itself and flapped open in the breeze, making me look like a total idiot. Did I mention that this was also the day the CEO of the company was visiting? I'm sure no one even noticed (I was wearing pants that covered up my terrible secret), but it's surprisingly hard to feel professional when you're wearing gloves on your feet and dragging them behind you like Quasimodo. The punchline to the entire day came when one of my coworkers complimented me on my shoes, then asked if they were comfortable. I said that they were.
5) I'm going to visit Ben in LA in a few weeks! It's the first Spring Break trip I've ever taken. Then, the weekend after I get back, I think I'm going up to Mt. Hood and staying in a cabin with some friends! They're going skiing, but I don't have any ski clothes here, so I'll probably just hang out and wander in the woods while they do that. I'm excited!
But anyway, I do have a few pieces of news:
1) I had my 1st review at work, and it went extraordinarily well! My marks were very good, and my boss complimented me on my "calm and in-control" attitude on the job, which I guess means she hasn't heard me crunching loudly on the ubiquitous bag of pistachios that I keep in my desk drawer. I get to buy now, which is sorta fun. And one day I even got to work on poetry books! I have more work to do now, so I rearranged my work schedule to earlier, longer days for most of the week, which means that I usually get to leave pretty early on Thursday and Friday. Leaving work at 3:30 on a sunny, 60 degree day is basically like being handed a sack of gold. And a box of powdered sugar donuts. At the same time!
2) Geoff and Jill visited! We had fun. I won't post photos because they're all terrible, but we spent most of the time eating, drinking, and making fun of people, so you can conjure up your own mental picture of what we looked like. They should move here, don't you think?
3) I almost got a bike ticket!! I met a friend over at Pix Patisserie and was in such a rush to get there that I forgot to put my bike lights on (it was light out at the time). Literally 15 seconds after I left Pix and started to pedal home, I passed a cop car. I saw the cop staring at me, so I immediately pulled over to the sidewalk, got off the bike, and called Ben, trying to make it look like I was just hanging out. The cop car responded by doing a u-turn in the middle of the intersection, parking in the middle of the street with its headlights shining directly on me (nervously leaning against a building and talking on the phone) and sitting there for two full minutes. It then revved its engine, screeched its tires, and zoomed off. Okay, you made your point, Mr. Policeman... I'm a bad girl. Man, it was close.
4) I cut my own hair (at 6:00 in the morning, without contacts in) and ended up looking like the mom from "The Family Circus." This is not the look that I was going for.
It's also the day that I decided to wear my new shoes to work without breaking them in first. I knew it was a mistake after about 10 seconds, but I was running to catch the bus and didn't have time to change; I have to walk a few miles every morning to get from bus stop to bus stop, and by the time I got to work, my feet were bascially giant lumps of ground hamburger. My solution to this was to fashion half-socks from a pair of fingerless gloves I keep at my desk, which also involved stapling the thumb opening to the rest of the "sock" after it freed itself and flapped open in the breeze, making me look like a total idiot. Did I mention that this was also the day the CEO of the company was visiting? I'm sure no one even noticed (I was wearing pants that covered up my terrible secret), but it's surprisingly hard to feel professional when you're wearing gloves on your feet and dragging them behind you like Quasimodo. The punchline to the entire day came when one of my coworkers complimented me on my shoes, then asked if they were comfortable. I said that they were.
5) I'm going to visit Ben in LA in a few weeks! It's the first Spring Break trip I've ever taken. Then, the weekend after I get back, I think I'm going up to Mt. Hood and staying in a cabin with some friends! They're going skiing, but I don't have any ski clothes here, so I'll probably just hang out and wander in the woods while they do that. I'm excited!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
#1 Most Adorablest Crime
Awhile back, I posted about about the ghost bikes that are set up to memorialize bikers killed in Portland. Well, apparently someone stole one of them last week! BUT HOLD ON! In a twist ending that could only happen in Portland (or the Care Bears cloud castle), the thief was seized with such guilt over the theft that he returned the bike to its rightful place, along with a handwritten note of apology.
You can find the (highly recommended) story here.
You can find the (highly recommended) story here.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
This makes me miss home.
Yes, even Lincoln Square Mall! (home of Tim Johnson)
(EDIT: This was filmed in Champaign-Urbana, for you out-of-towners. And the band is Headlights!)
Saturday, February 02, 2008
I swam and walked and read and ate sparingly.
I'm back!
Apologies for not updating, but it's been a busy (and lovely!) 2008 so far -- Shadie moved in, so we've been busy running around the city, finding the best happy hours, and hosting visitors galore. Our internet has also been quite spotty, and for the past week I've had a terrible case of the flu (unfortunately I still had to work, which made for some pathetically hilarious situations). But here I am, look!
Jacob, Me, Mitch, Shadie
-Ed Ochester
I'm feeling good about where this year is headed, how about you? Here's hoping that 2008 is filled with simple happiness for all of us!
Apologies for not updating, but it's been a busy (and lovely!) 2008 so far -- Shadie moved in, so we've been busy running around the city, finding the best happy hours, and hosting visitors galore. Our internet has also been quite spotty, and for the past week I've had a terrible case of the flu (unfortunately I still had to work, which made for some pathetically hilarious situations). But here I am, look!
Jacob, Me, Mitch, Shadie
Here's a poem I discovered the other day. You might like it:
The Origin of Myth
That summer I was drinking
apple cider vinegar because I read
in an obscure book it was good
apple cider vinegar because I read
in an obscure book it was good
for my health. A tablespoon or two
in a glass of spring water, with a bit
of honey or raw sugar. Controls weight,
the book said, flushes harmful toxins
from joints, tissues and organs.
"Doctor George Blodgett drank it
every day, and remained vigorous
until his death at age 94."
in a glass of spring water, with a bit
of honey or raw sugar. Controls weight,
the book said, flushes harmful toxins
from joints, tissues and organs.
"Doctor George Blodgett drank it
every day, and remained vigorous
until his death at age 94."
One reads
and perhaps believes almost anything
when one has lived alone for a while.
I felt good, doing it, though perhaps
that was because I walked on the beach
every day, swam, then walked again,
collected beach glass smoothed by the waves.
Pale blue and green, like solidified air,
dark green like emeralds, very rarely
sapphire blue and once a tiny piece
of red round as the pupil of an eye.
No one was on the beach because it was
September, and I had a white cabin
to myself. I swam and walked and read
and ate sparingly. I had come there
to be alone, and to think things through.
Every morning I drank my vinegar.
I read that the soldier who gave Jesus
vinegar on a sponge did so not in mockery
but in pity, to offer a restorative.
After a week I set the "red eye" on my desk
so we could watch one another. At dusk
the mist far out over the water looked like
distant hills, and I understood how
an earlier inhabitant might have though
these were mountains that rose at nightfall
and disappeared with the dawn.
and perhaps believes almost anything
when one has lived alone for a while.
I felt good, doing it, though perhaps
that was because I walked on the beach
every day, swam, then walked again,
collected beach glass smoothed by the waves.
Pale blue and green, like solidified air,
dark green like emeralds, very rarely
sapphire blue and once a tiny piece
of red round as the pupil of an eye.
No one was on the beach because it was
September, and I had a white cabin
to myself. I swam and walked and read
and ate sparingly. I had come there
to be alone, and to think things through.
Every morning I drank my vinegar.
I read that the soldier who gave Jesus
vinegar on a sponge did so not in mockery
but in pity, to offer a restorative.
After a week I set the "red eye" on my desk
so we could watch one another. At dusk
the mist far out over the water looked like
distant hills, and I understood how
an earlier inhabitant might have though
these were mountains that rose at nightfall
and disappeared with the dawn.
-Ed Ochester
I'm feeling good about where this year is headed, how about you? Here's hoping that 2008 is filled with simple happiness for all of us!
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