Little Bubbles...

Random OM GNOME I found during a run and the view from the top of the hill I ran on;  isn't this city pretty?

I also lucked into some part time work recently and have been spending time training for that, but not without some adventures.

I met some really interesting and fun people at 23Hoyt, An American Tavern (23Hoyt), who, after a few rounds of my favorite cocktail game of Blatant Lies, introduced me to some of the fancier secrets in the city. After anecdotes and amazing experiences, musical preferences and thoughts on foreign travel, they invited me to Ambonnay Bar (Ambonnay) in Portland, which will soon be featured in Food and Wine magazine (again!). This lovely bar features quality champagne and sparkling wines with a knowledgable and charming owner ready to help you select just what you were looking for, but because it's tucked away in an industrial area and nearby the train, it still feels like a secret kept by the elite foodies in town.

I was also able to make it to the LEZBORADOS comedy show in SE Portland at the infamous BobWhite Theater with some great new friends. I laughed, drank and learned a nifty dice game. I recommend supporting your local sheriff and comedians.

Have a great day!

Chalk it up to Science

Hello!
   Wanted to share some fun discoveries of mine (way behind the trend, obviously)! I'm gonna try to copy the model (google images) on the left there and get some color temporarily in my 'do... though with all the curls and crazy non-styling I do, I'll probably end up something more like Carol Kane in a Color Run, and I'm okay with that.

Saw this kickass little graffiti^2 on a wall by the Trader Joes and had to share. I almost want this on a pillow. :)

 I made some tasty seasonal food of roasted brussel sprouts, carrots, some fried rice with peas and healthy serving of sriracha while I enjoyed some Walking Dead and was sent the workout/drinking game by a friend. :)

And lastly, got to enjoy a little quirky culture as a local theater advertised Science Pub tonight. 

Man, I love this city.

It's been a hot minute...

Hello, all!

It HAS been a hot minute and by that I mean I didn't update this because it was actually pleasantly warm here in Portland (sunshine and everything!) and I was doing things with my day.

What kind of things? Well... I went... I did... I met.... mostly overeating and exploring cafés.

On Valentine's day I went to a groovy café in the foodie part of town (one of the MANY) and enjoyed a spicy salad and some kale and pasta in a café that boasted an open hearth by it's booths. It wasn't lying; they were turning a pig on a spit the whole time I ate.

And I've done a lot of people watching this week (sadly, not with the forethought of a camera) and noticed a phenomenon I'd love to have explained. 

This, is what happens to my hair (if not made wet and allowed to air dry with product every 10 hours):

You're welcome.

And yet, every hipster and hobo in Portlandia manages to keep their hair perfectly coiffed and up-to-date with the faddish cuts (okay, not the hobos and hippies, but the hipsters for sure).

I don't understand the magic happening here, but I'm about to start street interviews with strangers.

I saw this Valentine's themed graffiti (don't worry, I will claim it on dentistry holidays too) on the back of a local karaoke dive. 

This was from the pig-roasting fire pit café (a.k.a. Jo Bar; Part of Papa Haydn).

And this stone tribute to Woman's Best Friend, which is so large I could sit on it and not have my feet touch the ground (but if I did, I couldn't have taken a picture), is just chilling on the sidewalk by the mall with absolutely no placard or sign. I'm not sure if the city put it there. 

Even the cats here are cool.

Sheesh.

Art Walk & Chinese New Year

Hello, again! This week I was lucky enough to attend the Portland First Thursday Art Walk and saw some really fantastic art. 

Below is one of my favorite pieces from the Museum of Contemporary Art, "Town Crier", by Daniel DuFord. There were far more fliers (it covered the whole wall) but these were my favorites.

And because Chinese New Year (Happy Year of the Snake) is nigh upon us, walking home I took a terrible shot of the lovely decorations adorning the not-Chinatown street.

  I don't remember which gallery this was from or catch the name of the artist, but I thought these were cool.

 And this one, I actually bought the print of, because it was beautiful. The piece is called "Erasure", by Robert Francian (www.robertfrancian.org) and his work was featured at Fleeting States Gallery (www.fleetingstates.com).  I can't wait to frame it!

This was just a small piece of the fun I saw along the way; that's right, this restaurant is named Sizzle Pie (www.sizzlepie.com). :) I can't wait to try it out!

  But what I did try out, was TeaZone and Camellia Lounge (www.teazone.com) where I enjoyed a delicious pot of Genmaicha green tea and some shortbread cookies. I didn't stay for the live music, but I plan on going back for it and the 90+ different loose leaf teas they offer. It's also RIGHT by the NS line of the streetcar, which means it's hella convenient. :)

Great, lazy adventuring week! Thanks, Portland!

Pittock Mansion, Weather Machines, Beavers and Ravens

So, clearly I stepped away from the blog for the weekend to really enjoy the city and what great things I found! I was fortunate enough to go thrift store shopping with a good friend of mine at a bulk Goodwill on the SE side of Portland and get a ton of winter sweaters on the cheap. 

I found these pretty sites near the court house:

 (I can't read this either; suffice it say there IS a sign.)

And on my weekend run up to Pittock Mansion I was able to hide my sweating, break-taking self in all the beautiful fog!

The Ravens won the Super Bowl later that day (woohoo!) and I also chanced upon some of Portland's unique graffiti on my errands.

 When "wash me"is passé.

I just love this dude.

Gypsy Paddington Bear?

Nothing much happened today because I whiled away the hours by staying indoors, reading, choosing classes for my next semester and enjoying a little solitude. That said, I also did take some time to find the best galoshes I've ever worn.

 REI makes my heart so happy :) To REI! But, it's pretty expensive still, so it won't be the go-to place for me to shop, but it is nice that they had galoshes in Portland (surprisingly hard to find) and a sale rack to pilfer. Also, it wasn't until this picture that I realized I have accidentally nearly created a human Paddington Bear outfit (all I need is a red hat!)...

So, ignoring that....

I also made a College Gypsy soup for dinner to ward off a little cough I was developing. To make your own, just get one packet of ramen (Oriental Flavor is vegan, but any flavor will work), cut up two carrots, one leek and add them to water as it just begins to boil. Then add the noodles. Wait till the noodles are soft, remove from heat, add flavor packet, 1-2 tsp Braggs amino acids, as much sriracha sauce as you can take and serve! :)

Stay warm, dry and safe!

Stairs & Library Stairs

Hello, Friends! As you can probably tell, my day was peopled (stairpled?) with stairs. I didn't do it intentionally, but as I loaded my day's photos, I realized I only took pictures of stairs. I had forgotten how many I walked on today.

 This hill charming flight of stairs was the first I encountered on my morning run in the refreshing 40 degree rain. Side note: if you ever decide to write a blog with the aspiration of outshining mine, all you have to do is have a better camera than your iPhone. I'm terribly lazy. Oh, and proper grammar, but, that's pretty non-standard these days anyway.

These bad boys were so fun to run down, I refused to run back up them! I took the long-way-not-intended-for-pedestrians (a.k.a. the road) just to avoid them with the pretense of adding on some mileage to my run because I "was feeling it".

 I know you may be thinking, at this point, that these trees are not stairs. You are right. BUT, I took them at the top of a flight of stairs to try to show how constantly rainy it was (/fail), so I think it counts. 

And these are the lovely stairs in the rose garden, by the Queens Walk and the Shakespeare Garden, which I "found" during my run by making several wrong turns on my pre-planned route. 

I also had the chance to get my library card (UNABASHED ENDORSEMENT FOR THE MULTNOMAH COUNTY LIBRARY - THE BEST LIBRARY I'VE EVER BEEN TO) by walking many flights of stairs (4 FLOORS AND BEAUTIFULLY ADORNED/ETCHED STAIRCASES), have coffee and a bite with an old friend and have some tender dreamy-dreams dashed by my college; that is to say, I was just reminded of how colleges work in real life.

Another beautiful day, all in all.

Thank you, Portland

YoYoYogi & Street Pony

Just an average day here in Portland; rainy, cold, delightfully gray and bright. One thing I've noticed here, and maybe it's just because I'm smiling all the time, but people are really nice here! I've gotten smiles, verbal "hello"s and more than one instance of someone just starting a conversation because we were near each other. It's quite nice.

On my way to a yoga I met Street Pony, which someone had sadly left saddled in the rain, though they were sure to tie him up. 

Yoga at YoYoYogi (I know, silly name, but great place) I took a "Power OM" class from Sweethome (#hippienamesDOexist) which was phenomenal. I need to improve my strength and balance, but at least I think I found a new place to do it. 

Click for YoYoYogi Info

I also signed up for the Shamrock Run 15k on St. Patrick's Day (Shamrock Run Info). More to come on the inevitable training triumphs and failures, I'm sure. 

And to close, this:

Because I don't know if it makes me happy or sad.

:) Thanks, Portland.

Bee Pollen and Rose Gardens

PORTLAND! 

 Just a weekend in Portland under my belt and what adventures I've had already! My favorite so far have been the views during my abysmally slow jog through hills of rain and cold.  Above a shot of the lovely Rose Garden, and below, the surrounding woods I ran through. That felled, mossy log made me so happy!

I also went to the Winter Farmer's Market at Shemanski Fountain, where I met lots of great farmers, bakers, sundry vendors and a kick ass soup shop.... annnnddd the bee pollen man.  This apiarist enthusiast was hocking honey and bee pollen between a butcher and baker stand (I still laugh at that) and, as I'm quickly learning, I should have been able to judge his crazy level based on the state of his facial hair. 

He had a long, wiry, explosion of a beard on his face with streaks of long white hairs driven throughout it. He showed off the raw honey and then the bee pollen, explaining that it was the reason he never got ill ("except the occasional cold") and that he had just finished a two month fast, wherein he only ate bee pollen and only drank water. IN FACT! One of his two meals a day is just bee pollen. It's 40% protein. It's so good for you. Don't put it on your face if you have sensitive skin.

I had a delightful time all in all, and ended up with bee pollen, fresh carrots, onion, salad mix, acorn squash, leeks, fresh scones and two quarts of soup for under $30. 
(Special thanks to Boyco Foods for letting me share my first impression of your stand and the delicious bee pollen. Similar kudos to Delphina's Bakery, Souper Natural, LLC., and Gathering Together Farm)

http://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/

My tiny studio apartment is sure to be a great prepping area for me to get outside more often and enjoy this lovely city!