The Proof is in the People

Today wasn't as jam packed with activity, but we took time to enjoy the people - and amazing weather - of Portland.

The day started with brunch at Mother's. I had a vanilla (Oregon?) chai and a strawberry Belgian waffle that I ended up sharing with the rest of the table. It was yummy, but sweet and filling.

Before breakfast was over we had experienced at least three random acts of kindness. First, one of my host's friends went out of his way to try to get us Wicked tickets for tonight. Without us asking. He stood in line outside the theater. It didn't work out, but it was a good effort on his part. Then at the restaurant, somehow things got screwed up and our name didn't end up on the list. We didn't discover this until we had been waiting slightly longer than our estimated time. Once we (and the host) discovered the error, they sat us at the very next available table. No questions asked. No bad feelings. Our waitress (who we had seemed disgruntled with the crowd when we first arrived) was amazingly fun at our service. She also kept winking at us.

After we ate, we walked along the riverfront again. SO many people were out enjoying the day. Kids playing in fountains...I was like, it's sunny, it's not 80 degrees, people! But it was refreshing to see the excitement the sun gave everyone. We saw babies who had probably never SEEN the sun before. We joked about the parents being like, "this is the outdoors" and "that is called sunshine, yes, it kind of hurts your eyes."

There was a protest of bicyclists. But they weren't marching down any streets so it was kinda boring...just speeches mainly. Yawn.

We spent much of the rest of the day walking around looking at shops. Everyone was in crazy good moods. I can't think of a single incident today with a stranger that was anything less than super nice. We discussed life with an antiques shop owner, we perused condos in the Pearl District. The contractor showed us the super fancy million dollar ones (just for fun) and then offered me all these incentives on the more relatively affordable ones. (He will match the $8k stimulus, give me a 3% interest rate, and let me spend a night in it to try it out.)

At one point we just sat on a corner, writing a song about all the Subarus we were seeing, and cracked up like schoolgirls.

It was just like everywhere we went, people were nothing but awesome and accommodating.

I head to Powell's tomorrow...I've already got that Christmas morning feeling.

Also on the docket for tomorrow is VooDoo Doughnuts, maybe a looksie at the food trucks, and more perusing of NW 23rd...then the plan is to leave Tuesday to mosey on up to Seattle. It looks like there are a couple of chances for rain there this week...I'm hoping the sunshine keeps following me.

If Portland Was a Guy, We'd Be Doing More Than Holding Hands

Seriously. You know when you have a crush on someone and you find out they like you back? That's pretty much the way I feel.

We had a super full day today. Again the whole me-using-my-own-computer-to-get-online conundrum exists so no pictures yet, but just imagine what these photo essays are going to look like!!

Started the day out with a homemade breakfast and a meeting with a kitchen contractor. Anyone who knows me knows I love kitchens, houses, and renovations, so even tho it seemed like a task a tourist wouldn't usually enjoy, I was watching, listening and asking questions like it was HGTV Live! or something.

Then we headed to the Saturday Market. It's hilarious how much I love markets like this when I think of all the years my mom used to drag us to them kicking and screaming. But I do. Largely because I love people watching and I love looking at random stuff. The windchimes made of spoons, the purses made from burlap coffee bags, the art...I'm into it. I bought a cool framed photo of the Rebulding Center. Specifically the part of it where tubs are lined up on the ground and toilets stacked on shelves. I was all "this is perfect for my bathroom!" Then I was all "I don't have a bathroom!" wunh. wunh.

We walked along the waterfront and then we decided to go see some more water. At the Multnomah Falls. Very majestic and they were flowing really well because of the snowmelt. The drive to the falls offered views of Mt Hood and Mt St Helens.

After that it was to 23rd street, a shopping district I'll visit more on Monday. Today we went so I could meet up with my friend Erin who lives in NYC but was here visiting her sister, nephew and brand new niece. Her nephew Harper demonstrated his mad yoga skills and kept us very entertained at the park. Seriously, if you haven't seen a 3 yo come up with his own yoga circuit (with real yoga poses!)...you should try it some time. Pretty awesome. We also had apps and beers at El Matador on 23rd, but we had to make an exit after they told us nobody under 21 was allowed in. We were informed less than politefully that Harper's presence could cost the establishment $5k.

Apparently today was like the first really good and sunny day of the year (yes this *kinda concerns me since it's April and all, but nobody's perfect)...anyway shorts - and more specifically THE WHITEST LEGS I'VE EVER SEEN were out in full force today. There were also a lot of pregnant girls walking around.

More than that tho, the thing you see the most here are Subaru Outbacks. They're everywhere. And have become the running joke. We saw two on one block tonight downtown.

Ok so tonight...we went to this poker tournament thing at the athletic club my hosts, Ryan and Elena are members of. Hilarity ensued when Elena made a guy laugh so hard he spit beer all over the place. And then we made a cameo at a bday party in Beaverton. Then we went back downtown to the Urban Farmer. A bar in a swanky new hotel. It's apparently the only 5 star hotel in Portland. I did not find the bathroom to be on par with a 5 star hotel.

Our goal was to make it to midnight despite our full day out. And we achieved our goal. Barely.

I know not having the pictures blows, but I'll post them in good chunks. Portland will have an album. Tomorrow is brunch, maybe wineries or bbq, then maybe Wicked...Who knows? But I bet it will be fun. And sunny.

PS The girls and I were talking this afternoon and we were like, what if I called the number one rated station here and was like, "Hey I rented an apt this wkend and put you guys down as my employer, so, can we make that official?" The bummer is that they (along with everyone else) just did a whole bunch of layoffs...but it might not hurt to reach out and touch someone...

12 Hours in a Car Will Do That To a Person

And when I say "do that" I mean make them want to never stop driving. Ever. Because it's this weird perfect freedom. Nothing hanging over my head. No place I have to be. No time I have to be there. Or back. It's my same ole Princess Anya ("Roman Holiday") syndrome. Wanderlust + time = best thing ever.

I can't get online with my computer tonight, so no pictures which REALLY sucks for you. I saw some amazing things today. There is seriously nothing like the redwoods of northern California. I was in awe most of the day. Then at one point I rounded like the millionth bend in a row (so many in fact that I thought I was going to get car sick despite being the driver) to face one of the most beautiful ocean views I've ever seen. Other times I drove alongside the Smith (?) river and marveled at the turquoise color usually reserved for fancy seas. I kept hoping to see some white water rafters but never did.

I did see elk. And like a billion things carved out of redwood. (The elk were real tho.) I also drove through a tree. Then an hour later I saw a "world famous" one that I could drive through. My experience had been cool enough tho that I didn't want to shun the first drive-thru tree into thinking it wasn't good enough...

The sheer size of these redwoods is crazy, and not just the height. Wait til you see the pic of me standing next to the trunk of one.

So I'm finally in Portland. And so far, gotta say, it's not letting me down. Reasons I already love Oregon:

1. it's crazy beautiful. like the same way the most beautiful thing you've ever seen is beautiful, but somehow better.
2. it's ILLEGAL to pump your own gas. this caused quite a bit of confusion at first, but now I'm like, what an awesome idea!
3. no sales tax.
4. it did rain on me a little bit coming up the 5 to Portland, but just enough to wash the dead bugs off my windshield and front bumper. done and done!

Tonight we headed to Andina, a Peruvian restaurant in the chic Pearl District *cough* home of Powells (the highly anticipated bookstore the size of a city block) *cough* and got some yummy tapas. And now it's bedtime because HELLO I woke up at 5h45 after a night out to drive 12 hours. BECAUSE I WANTED TO. Tomorrow it's brunch and the famous Saturday market and and and...whatever else I want. I've decided Powell's is something I should do alone. As I might cry and spend at least an entire day there.

Oh and so ever since I mentioned being interested in Portland as a city to live in, I've been warned about the weather and how it might adversely affect me. The forecast for tomorrow, Sun AND Mon?? Sunny and in the 70s. God's really loving me right now you guys.

Will get the pictures up asap...

The San Francisco Treat

Why is it I always forget how much I love San Francisco?? Every time I'm here, I have an awesome time with awesome people. We can do a little, we can do a lot, it can be with old friends or new...this town just WORKS for me, you know?

I spent the day chilling in out in Noe Valley, where Tara and Andy live. Walking around, stretching my legs in preps for the 11 (!) hour drive I have ahead of me tomorrow. Then late this afternoon I went over to Potrero Hill to check out Felipe and Malee's condo before heading to Yield to wine about life.

In the same vein of always forgetting my love of SF, I also forget how much better life looks through an empty wine glass. Malee and I split a couple (or 3?) carafes of a white that I wish I could remember the name of but I know it had chives in the description. Anyway, somehow, life seemed real manageable after that.

I can't seem to make the switch to red, even tho I know that at almost 31 I need to trade in the white stuff. But I like it, and I don't like red. So of course I had to try everyone's red because apparently if only I would TRY enough red I would find one I like. The mission continues.

All wine and no food makes one loopy, so we split the warm dungeness crab dip which was AMAZING. (read as: we ate what was left after the bread was gone with spoons.) Also delectable was the chevre-stuffed-dates and the cheese plate. The dates were like nothing I had ever had. Probably because I don't think I've ever had dates before.

Then we ventured over to The Front Porch. One look at that website and you know I loved that place. Our bucket of fried chicken was delivered in a popcorn bucket. And there were mashed potatoes and steak fries and brussel sprouts and dominoes!!! Tara won the dominoes. I got a shirt. I heart rocking chairs. I was trying to choose between two shirts, so I used the bathroom as a dressing room, modeled the choices and went with the one that we all liked best. We all being several people in the restaurant and the waitstaff...Oh and there was also a guy playing guitar that Andy kept talking to in Spanish.

Pictures to prove it all:

My SF hosts, T & A

Malee and MAB, followed by Tara and MAB

That's Brian our bartender and me with my new shirt which was totally right for me seeing as how it's "athletic in an ironic hipster way." I've never been described better.

I've got an early morning in which I will allow a vanilla chai. The gnome has been bugging me about missing out on the photo seshes so I promised him a stop along the 101 so he can pose with the Golden Gate bridge. That seemed to appease him. Little does he know we'll most likely run into a bunch of his gnome relatives during our trek down the Avenue of Giants...(I'm hoping we will at least...)

Day One

Miles traveled: about 400
Time it took: lil less than 6 hours
Stops: 2 (very unlike me, and I hope not indicative of the rest of the trip)

Breakfast. Barb. Brows. Perfect timing. No traffic. Grapevine. Ears popping. Bathroom break. Wind. Gusts of wind. Cars flipped over on the side of the road. There but for the grace of God go I. Are you there God? It's me Margaret. Orchards. Migrant workers. Stinky cows. Not as many as usual. Really stinky. More wind. Already to Oakland? Bridge. $4? Manageable traffic. Arrive. Coffee shop. Friends. Rex's. Pear Cider. Wii. Chocolate.

A pretty good first day. I've done this drive before (or ridden in the passenger seat) and it's one of the shorter driving days, so I'm glad it went well. Except for the bit about seeing the immediate aftermath of that car flipping over.

Here's a picture I took whilst driving through the grapevine...I should have taken a lot more because the sky was a vibrant blue and the mountains were beautiful but it was super windy and I was nervous about not holding onto the wheel. I did take this one because for an entire stretch these yellow flowers smothered the hills. Later on for a briefer stretch the hills were orange.


Chillin in San Francisco today. It's a beautiful sunny day (as it was yesterday) so I'm going to walk around and then later hang out with friends. Planning on leaving early (6a) tomorrow to make it into Portland at a relatively decent time tomorrow night. Will be driving through the redwoods via the Avenue of Giants. Pretty excited. I will also get to drive over the Golden Gate bridge for the first time. (I've walked across it before.) So it should be a good, albeit long, day of newness and adventure.

It's Like the Midnight Train to Georgia, but Different

So sometimes I get laid off and I try real hard to find a job in a horrible economy and then rent is due and I get bored, and well...I hit the road.

In honor of one of my favorite ideas other people have had: Choose Your Own Adventure, I invite you to follow mine. But it's not mine alone. I'll tell you where I am, and where I'm going. If you think I should DEFINITELY go somewhere or not miss out on some random activity, here's where you tell me. (Well, in the comments.)

So tune in often, you never know where I might turn up. And yes, I'll be job searching along the way. (Bozeman, Montana, I'm looking at you!)

Moral of the story? Stay tuned.

First stop: San Francisco.