Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
First Hike of 2011
Yesterday, a group of friends and people volunteering for Reach the Summit (a program in which I participated in 2007 to climb Mt. Hood) came together for a winter hike. We headed to the beautiful gorge to do Hamilton Mountain, an 8 mile hike with 2000+ elevation gain. It was a great way to start off the year and to spend some quality time with good friends.
A snow-filled view of Beacon Rock and the gorge
Snow covered moss
A happy group taking a break for some food at the top
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Holidays in the NE
For three years now I've been traveling to the NE for the holidays. I seem to end up in a different town or a different state but I never fail to find that bitter cold that envelopes that part of the country during the winter. Burr.
This year I visited my Antarctican friend, Eric, in Boston. We met originally in 2008 while wintering at Palmer Station and have since visited each other occasionally for hijinks around the US and Canada.
Eric was our chef in Antarctica and this is the adorable restaurant he works in now:
Ten Tables
I did a bit of volunteering and peeled all of these cipollini onions
The Montreal Biodome
Ecosystems abound in under this dome of science
Birds of a feather
The first time I've seen these guys since I left the Ice...I must admit I got a little emotional
Getting sick again, the last dinner in Montreal was some soothing Vietnamese Pho in Chinatown
This year I visited my Antarctican friend, Eric, in Boston. We met originally in 2008 while wintering at Palmer Station and have since visited each other occasionally for hijinks around the US and Canada.
Ten Tables
Monday, January 3, 2011
Bluebird Day
I finally made it up to Mt. Hood for some skiing for the first time this season. It was an amazing afternoon spent with a good friend on the slopes. We had blue sky, lovely sunshine and no lift lines. Thanks Vestas for giving us a day off while almost everyone else had to go back to work.
Brilliant view
Fellow boarders/skiers hanging out in the sun at the midway hut
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Lights Out in Portland
Last night, I went to my friend, Elliot's, birthday party and the power in SE Portland went out. Being a somewhat rare occurrence in P-town, there was a lot of speculation as to what caused it and text messages were flying as we tried to figure out how widespread the outage was.
We then lit some candles and continued the party anyway.
And when the power finally came back on, we didn't bother to turn on the lights.
But we did eventually venture to the garage to have dance-offs on Elliot's arcade-style DDR machine (an engagement gift from his fiancee).
C-lin and I went head to head
The birthday boy
We then lit some candles and continued the party anyway.
And when the power finally came back on, we didn't bother to turn on the lights.
But we did eventually venture to the garage to have dance-offs on Elliot's arcade-style DDR machine (an engagement gift from his fiancee).
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Music
As some of you may or may not know, music is really important to me. I listen to music at work, on the bus and while running. When I get home from work, one of the first things I do is turn on my home audio system to get the night started. And once, years ago at my request, my friend, Josh, mailed me a set of travel speakers to Argentina. I now take these on all of my travels.
Lucky for me, Portland is a great town for music! I try to attend concerts regularly, especially if it is an awesome, local band. Last week I attended 3 in all. That's more than I usually attend in one week and sometimes even in one month, but there were some concerts I just couldn't pass up.
Drew Grow
This guy is amazing. He has a great voice and lyrics, and he really gives it his all while performing, even disconnecting from the audience and closing his eyes most of the time. Also, he played at The Woods, my new favorite venue in Portland. It used to be a mortuary and I believe that the artists now perform where bodies used to be laid out for viewing. That sounds morbid but it actually makes for a really good space.
The Head and the Heart
My new favorite band! This is a picture of them doing a sound check from outside The Crocodile as my friend and I stood outside in the rain asking anyone if they had extra tickets to this sold out show. After driving all the way to Seattle, I was ecstatic to eventually find tickets and then to enjoy a fantastic performance before making the long and late drive back to Portland. I'll be going up to see them again in January.
The Dandy Warhols
A Portland staple, this band formed in 1993. I also used to take yoga from the wives of two of the band members while working at Wieden + Kennedy. They played at the Crystal Ballroom and I wasn't in a great position to get a good picture but I like the combination of the green lights and the old chandelier.
Lucky for me, Portland is a great town for music! I try to attend concerts regularly, especially if it is an awesome, local band. Last week I attended 3 in all. That's more than I usually attend in one week and sometimes even in one month, but there were some concerts I just couldn't pass up.
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Christmas Markets of Germany
Last week, I had an awesome opportunity to visit Germany, a country I have never visited before! I spent the weekdays in Husum for work and then took the train to spend the weekend as a tourist in Hamburg. My exploring was hindered somewhat in both cities...in Husum, due to it being dark when the workday was done and then in Hamburg by coming down with what I believe to have been the flu. Regardless, I tried as I always do, to make the most of the situation and have some fun.
Unexpectedly, the theme for my week was Christmas markets. Before coming to Germany, I had no idea they were such a big tradition here. They are seemingly in every town and date back to the late middle ages. A Christmas market will have booths selling food, the traditional drink of warm mulled wine called Glühwein (pronounced glue-vine) and local arts and crafts. While walking through, one's senses are assaulted. The aroma of roasted chestnuts and grilled sausages fills the air while Christmas music floats in the ears and decorations and Christmas lights can be seen everywhere. But more than that, people seem to be genuinely happy standing in the freezing cold talking with friends while holding a warm cup of Glühwein in their hands. The whole experience definitely gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
My very first Christmas market...in Husum and joined by my awesome work colleagues
A warm fire to warm my colleagues and I as we enjoyed a post-work Glühwein
In Hamburg...one of the many Christmas markets and the historical Town Hall which amazingly survived the bombings in the war
Walking through the booths in another part of town
Unseen from the city center, Hamburg has a large harbour and busy port with many cranes and ships
The waterways help give this town a beautiful ambiance
A night scene on the lake
Unexpectedly, the theme for my week was Christmas markets. Before coming to Germany, I had no idea they were such a big tradition here. They are seemingly in every town and date back to the late middle ages. A Christmas market will have booths selling food, the traditional drink of warm mulled wine called Glühwein (pronounced glue-vine) and local arts and crafts. While walking through, one's senses are assaulted. The aroma of roasted chestnuts and grilled sausages fills the air while Christmas music floats in the ears and decorations and Christmas lights can be seen everywhere. But more than that, people seem to be genuinely happy standing in the freezing cold talking with friends while holding a warm cup of Glühwein in their hands. The whole experience definitely gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
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