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!