Sometimes, it is imperative that a woman treat herself to a tasty meal. Tonight, I cooked myself a delicious dinner and loved everything I ate. Items on this fabulous menu included:
Saturday, July 18, 2009
The Dinner Bell
Sometimes, it is imperative that a woman treat herself to a tasty meal. Tonight, I cooked myself a delicious dinner and loved everything I ate. Items on this fabulous menu included:
Outdoor Movies
The summertime outdoor movie series in Portland has begun! Portlanders can go to local parks or to rooftops to enjoy a show and the fresh summer air. This week, my awesome friend, Kate, and I had to opportunity to go to the opening night of Top Down, a weekly outdoor movie screening by the NW Film Center on the parking rooftop of the Hotel Deluxe. Since the venue is very close to my apartment, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to spend the night outside, watching the sun set and looking at the night sky. While waiting for the movie to start, there was live music and yummy food and drink to be had. The movie itself was Duck Soup, a Marx Brothers movie from the 1930's. Though typically not my sort of movie, I found myself fascinated by the clothing, the music and the dialogue used in a movie so old...and the fact that they were still debating the correct pronunciation of the word 'either' even back then. And when the main character mentioned Admiral Byrd and the South Pole, Kate and I couldn't help looking over at each other and smiling.
The rooftop with my city looking on
The band providing some good tunes while we wait for twilight
My choice of placeholders that I had on-hand so we could wander around
The sun setting behind my delicious cup of ale
Monday, July 13, 2009
Mid-July Weekend Frivolities
....eating chocolate cake with complete abandon..
..hiking with an awesome girlfriend and our two dogs (well, mine is temporary)....
...doing cartwheels down the sidewalks of NW 23rd....
....walking face-first though a spider web and wondering if and for how long
a spider hung out in my hair...
...geeking out with a fellow fan of The Venture Bros....
...dinner, drinks and conversation with good friends..
..napping in a hammock..
Puppy love at first sight
..hiking with an awesome girlfriend and our two dogs (well, mine is temporary)....
...doing cartwheels down the sidewalks of NW 23rd....
....walking face-first though a spider web and wondering if and for how long
a spider hung out in my hair...
...geeking out with a fellow fan of The Venture Bros....
...dinner, drinks and conversation with good friends..
..napping in a hammock..
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Funks
We all experience valleys in life, times when we're down and things just don't feel right. Funks happen.
Mine started a couple of weeks ago for a myriad of reasons and was compounded by being sick and some stress at work. I thought it was just me until talking with friends and realizing they are experiencing funkiness of their own. Could it have been the recent full moon or are we having sympathy funks? Regardless, I'm desperately trying to pull myself, hand over hand, up out of my valley this week. My focus will go to the little positive experiences that happen daily and to stop patterns that lead to self-induced stress. I will slow down and laugh more until I reach that peak again.
Mine started a couple of weeks ago for a myriad of reasons and was compounded by being sick and some stress at work. I thought it was just me until talking with friends and realizing they are experiencing funkiness of their own. Could it have been the recent full moon or are we having sympathy funks? Regardless, I'm desperately trying to pull myself, hand over hand, up out of my valley this week. My focus will go to the little positive experiences that happen daily and to stop patterns that lead to self-induced stress. I will slow down and laugh more until I reach that peak again.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Quality Time
There are times when gear can be set out, ready to go, and a common cold can thwart your best laid plans to climb Mt. Shasta with friends. A strenuous climb when healthy, I made the tough decision this past 4th of July weekend to stay behind. However, what started out as sort of a bummer weekend that included a night of self-imposed confinement to get healthy again, ended up leading to a lot of quality time well spent. Quality time with my visiting Grandmother at one of her favorite places, the casino. Quality time with my new W+K IT crowd at a very yummy July 4th BBQ on the river. Quality time with myself on a solo recovery hike in the Columbia River Gorge, smiling and saying 'good morning' to passersby and feeling a certain affinity with other female solo hikers. And finally, quality time in my city (of which I've been away from for the last 6 weekends straight), walking streets new and old and going to my favorite coffee shop.
My friends thankfully had a very successful climb of Mt. Shasta. It will definitely be on my list of peaks for next year...
View of the Columbia River Gorge from the top of Angel's Rest
Wildflowers abound on the trail this time of year
My friends thankfully had a very successful climb of Mt. Shasta. It will definitely be on my list of peaks for next year...
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The Lovely Oregon Coast
I've been home in Oregon for 6 months now, and oddly enough, it has taken me that long to get back to the coast. So for the past two weekends, I have embraced the opportunity to hang out on the gorgeous beaches of Oregon with visiting family (some of which I haven't seen for two years). Both trips have been complete with good food, delicious wine, pacific sunsets, quality time with loved ones and even a fish biting incident.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Alaskan Exposure
Last week, I was very fortunate to spend 9 days traveling with a group of 5 companions in the midst of Alaskan grandeur. This adventurous opportunity arose after an email from a good friend from my South Pole days, Don, who owns an Alaskan tour company called Exposure Alaska.
Most of this adventure week was spent in the backcountry of Alaska, off the grid, with my sleeping bag for my bed and a vigilance for bears in my head.
The main adventures were:
1) Kayaking
3 days/2 nights spent on the Prince William Sound, exploring various coves and hanging out on the beach when the wind got too high for us to continue.
2) Ice Climbing on the Matanuska Glacier
A day of awesome!
3) White Water Rafting the Nenana River
4) Backpacking
2 days/1 night and 13 miles of trail. We really did get away from it all.
Not only was the trip expertly guided with yummy food along the way, I was presented with 360 degree views of mountains almost daily. I also spent quality time with friends new and old and brought home with me some great memories (along with some lingering mosquito bites).
Steve (Assistant guide with a good singing voice), Levette (a sweet Southern girl), Julie (our super cool guide), Stig and Michelle (father/daughter team from Denmark)
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