Hall of Fame

[This post was started weeks ago...I'm just now getting around to finishing it]

Last night, Gabe solidified his position as my new concert buddy in Portland. He certainly does not replace Courtney, Ted, Dale, and Dan, but his name can now be added to that short yet distinguished list of Hall of Famers.

Since our first concert 2 weeks ago, we've been to 3 shows together. I've been meaning to blog about each of them individually, so this post seems as good a time as any to give a little synopsis.

Our first show together was The Hives at the Crystal Ballroom. We started the night off in the balcony (a la the Built to Spill show) but I could tell Gabe was itchin' to get down on the floor. The Crystal Ballroom is an interesting venue with a little something I like to call the Great Divide. Mature drinkers on one side, under aged non-drinkers on the other, with a big wide aisle between the two, so ne'er a cup of beer can be passed between the two (guaranteed by security force posted throughout the aisle). Seeing as how Gabe has only recently turned 21, I think he felt akin to the young rowdy bunch bouncing around on the kids' side (courtesy of the bouncy floor at the Crystal Ballroom). Since we weren't drinking, I didn't protest to hangin' with the kids. This decision resulted in my first foray into a pit in a long long time. I couldn't exactly call it a mosh pit...there weren't any mean and angry 16 year olds in Korn t-shirts randomly throwing punches and taking out all of their teen angst on the other mean and angry 16 year olds. It was one of those fun, happy, pin-ball machine kinds of pits. I have to say that it felt good to get in there and bounce my little heart out. The only downfall was the tween sweat that I was covered in when the night came to an end. Here's a picture of us after we got back to the car...if you look closely you can see that our shirts are soaked. Sick.

Our next show was Feist at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (which is an incredibly beautiful venue and home of the iconic Portland sign). Now, I've been to a lot of shows in my short existence, and I'd put this in the top 3. I want to be Feist. She was amazing. She has this voice that is pure and beautiful with just the right amount of grit. And come to think of it, that's how I'd describe her as well. She was incredibly personable and fun, a strong woman, but still soft and lovely. She rocked the guitar, dazzled the crowd, and looked like she was thoroughly enjoying herself. She even opened the stage up for a talent show mid-way through and was thrilled to death with the brave performers. Lovely, that is really the only word.

If you haven't already seen this video, I highly recommend you check it out.

Finally, we went to check out Quasi at Dantes (this little dive in SW). If you haven't heard of them, maybe this little quote from a fan will peak your interest, "Quasi is sort of a dedicated indie rock fan's wet dream." Eh? Eh? They are this very gritty, low-fi duo who belt out their harmonies and rock it on the drums and a portable keyboard. The last time I saw Quasi was on March 21, 2003. You may wonder why I know the date of a show seen over 4 years ago. But, March 21, 2003 was the day of "Shock and Awe" and Quasi was NOT happy about Shock and Awe. They were down-trodden and angst ridden and I'm surprised they even went on. Sam Coomes kept hanging his head low and grabbing his hair like the tortured soul that he was. He was wearing a white t-shirt with an anti-war slogan written on the front in black marker. They played their music, but it lacked the pep and soul that makes it so good. They were really just going through the motions. Needless to say, it wasn't the best show I'd ever been to. But, I really liked Quasi and I knew they usually were amazing, so I thought I'd give them a second chance. They totally pulled through on this one and delivered an incredible (and very happy) show.

Hodge Podge

I've been a bad, bad blogger lately. And I apologize to all 6 of you who check in on a regular basis. I know the pain caused when you repeatedly check back on old faves and find there has been nothing new posted. The reason for the silence is because I've been in one of those, "there's nothing really going on in my life" phases. The awkward kind that finds you at parties and FHE drowning in your attempts to make small talk about the absolutely nothing going on in your life. Well, now looking back I've realized that there have been things happening, but nothing really worthy of an entire blog post on it's own. But, perhaps all squished together with lots of pictures they could be of interest.

Fun with Food

A couple of weeks ago, our friend Travis (aka Matt) came over and taught us how to make sushi! Who knew it was so easy and could be so fun?? We started with some basic philadelphia rolls, but now I feel like I'm ready to move on to some more advanced sushi making.

The ingredients

The prep

A voila!

So, from gourmet to the very simple...remember fluffernutters?

I do. And I remembered them for dinner the other night. I love being a grown-up.

Fun with Amy

The most exciting thing that's happened lately is that Amy (of friendship basket fame) came to visit me a few weeks ago. We had a FABULOUS time! Amy explored the city, we had an empinada making party, we met a cheese monger and ate his delicious wares, we saw the Darjeeling Limited (which I highly recommend), we sniffed out a cupcake factory, we walked the ENTIRE city of Portland, we went shopping at my favorite boutique, we ate sushi, we laughed so hard we almost puked (literally), and just had an all around good time. What we did not do, was take any pictures. These are the only pictures I took from Amy's entire trip.

Fun with Salsa

Right before I left LA, I took some Salsa lessons (the dance, not the chip dip, otherwise this would be under fun with food). The lessons were good sweaty fun, but I never had a chance to test out my moves before I moved to Portland. Well, shortly after moving here I met a fellow salsa lover and a few weeks ago we got a group together and went dancing. So fun! We brought plenty of boys, so I never wanted for a partner, and toward the end of the night lots of the pros (read: non-english speakers) showed up and then things really got hot. I can't wait to go back and try again. We didn't get too many pictures of the dancing, but here are some shots from the night.




Fun with Fall

What would a post of mine be without talking about the weather. It's fall in Oregon, and while that means rain, it also means rainbows and beautiful fall colors. Everyday that I walk outside I am impressed with the beauty around me. Some days are clear and bright, with vibrant colors. Others are foggy and mysterious. But, it's all beautiful. Here are a few samples:

This is the view outside my office window (an office that I now have all to myself, for those of you aware of the earlier office dramas)

Rainbow, need I say more?

This is what I see everyday when I walk outside my house in the morning.

I should add that I've had to use my window scraper on my car 2 mornings this week...I didn't miss that when I lived in LA. It's a good thing I'm a pack rat and found my old scraper in my trunk!!

So, that's what's going on in my life! I hope you all feel adequately updated.

Friendship Basket - Scott

As many of you have pointed out (Mia, Amy, Kaydi), Scott has been in the friendship basket for a long long time. It's only fair that another friend be added to the basket. But, I think I've realized that the reason I've kept him there for so long is that I haven't wanted the tribute to be lost. So, for posterity's sake, I'm going to put outgoing friendship basketers in a post of their own. If you've already read the friendship basket sidebar, then you probably won't need to actually read this post. It's more for my own anal-retentive need for saving things. Be sure to check out the new basket sidebar (and the additional pictures of Poopie below).

This is Scott (and my mom). Scott is my BF (best friend) from high school. He currently lives in Colorado, just finished grad school, and has two adorable dogs. Scott likes to stuff grass in my face and guess what I'm wearing (he favors pastel cardigans). I am happiest when I'm dancing with Scott, or making up tricks on the slopes, or choreographing our next ice skating routine. He is an amazing leader, as evidenced by his stint as Student Body President, where he also perfected his banner making skills. Among all of the traits that make me love Scott so much, there is one that stands out above the rest. He is the best gift giver EVER - from the ugly woman, to homemade hand bags, to matching t-shirts, or hand-thrown plates, I have cherished everything he has ever given me, particularly his friendship.

And, just for fun, I'm going to throw in a few other photos...