Category Archives: Portland

Jan 7 2012

Home Today, Portlandia, Wired, and Reading

Instead of getting up, getting out, and making a difference today, I was home getting over a stomach ache and sinus situation. This can best be described as not fun. It was almost dawn before I went to sleep, and I’m just starting to feel better. It has been a full day of 7up, orange juice, vitamins, and anything to help. The challenge to this day was the amount of downtime I had. You know that feeling of wanting to do things but not being able. That one. Not fun.

Tonight was the beginning of the Portlandia season.

Can hardly wait to see what the writers have put together for this year. Based on bits of information from those who are on the writing staff, it should be good.

The home network went through a major upgrade and is now spinning faster than ever. I’m delighted to have had the courage to seek change. And change, as is constantly reaffirmed to me through life experiences, is a very good thing. My former ISP provider was not delivering the goods no matter what I tried. The download speed was very low, and I knew this by the trouble I was having with some movies. So, I did what I had to do…conducted a speed test, wrote down my data for up and download, then researched the other major ISP provider here, got their stated download and upload speed data, and then gave them a call. After a new ISP and modem were in place, I conducted another speed test, and the results were exactly what I had hoped for.  Phenomenal.  And as someone who loves streaming online content, mostly movies, entertainment and lifestyle just got an upgrade.

The weather here has been La Nina blissfulness. So mild. I’m enjoying getting physically active after a little Winter hybernation fest. It feels good to get back in my fitness routine, especially yoga.

How did it get so late so quick? Think I’m turning in to finish reading Rumors of Water by L.L.Barkat, a book on writing. It is very stream of consciousness and about the world around the writer/how it should inform the content. It’s a fast not especially layered read that does have some entertainment quality to it and suggestions for writing, but it’s not a book that you can pull off the shelf and practice that thing with that activity from it. The chapters are short, based on every day life, and analogies are drawn to writing based on daily life. For me, it essentially is a peek inside the writer’s mind, how content is found from daily life. It’s an easy read.

So nighty night, sleep tight. Dream, fly, evolve.

Dec 28 2011

Portlandia Premiere, Potato Soup, and Craig Fergeson

Today was a magical day. I baked, cooked, and attended the premiere of Portlandia and everything was perfect. What a fun night! I was making potato soup and baking rolls for potato soup and a couple of loaves of bread when a ticket came through for the Portlandia season 2 premiere. I quickly scarfed up a bowl of the best potato soup I’ve ever made with a couple of hot rolls from the oven, got it together, and went.

Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live) and Carrie Brownstein (formerly of Sleater-Kinney) entertained and played videos all evening. They opened by reading and commenting on greeting cards they had sent one another which was a really cute bit, played a video followed by more skits and videos and evening playing music for us. Carrie shared from her fifth grade autobiography complete with slides and childhood photos. Such a love! And Fred was completely charming. I completely enjoyed the evening. The episodes looked great. Fred talked about how he liked that Portland is specialized. Carrie pointed out that Portland is special and needs to hear why its special. They are posting episodes on Facebook. Like IFCPortlandia to see them.  I came home with a warm fuzzy and a new tee shirt.

I mentioned potato soup which is the best I’ve ever made. Here is the recipe. I used Yukon Gold potatoes. I made a small pot and still have some left for tomorrow. As potato soup goes, it was perfection.

Okay, Craig Fergeson is on…gotta go.

Nov 14 2011

And here comes the holidays!

Thanksgiving Day planning, done. I am looking forward to some time to relax, enjoy a little down time to cook up something special, and decorating for the holidays. I will transform my apartment into a sparkly, twinkling winter wonderland and bake an assortment of cookies to finish the day. Love to bake. Love to make wintery sparkly.

I am looking forward to the holidays beginning this year, but not out of exhaustion and sickness like in so many years past, but out of gladness and joy. And December, well, it gets even better with tickets to Ballanchine’s The Nutcracker at Keller Auditorium and Magical Strings’ holiday concert. There are also things going on at church that I will attend. So life here is full, festive, and very satisfying.

I’ve been in the PNW for 30+ years now, most of my life, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else on earth. It’s home. I have lived from Seattle to the Gorge, and now that I have found the friendliest city ever with so much to do, I would really like to buy a home here and stay. I love to grow things so a little garden space would be perfect, and a patio would keep me elbow deep in potting soil, flowers, and vegetables.

And tomorrow night, one of the greatest contra bands ever will be in Portland. Wild Asparagus. So I will be dancing and reveling in the fact that they sound a lot like this! A good time will be had by all, no doubt. I really think it’s impossible to contra dance and not smile. It is so much fun.Now that I’m closer to Portland, I contra dance so much more and afterwards, it’s not an hour and half drive home. More like 25-30 minutes. Then The Nutcracker and Magical Strings is about the same. It seems most of my life I have moved closer and closer to Portland, namely Powell’s Bookstore, as well. It was all part of the master plan!

Okay, the hour is getting late and sleep calls.

Patricia

Aug 15 2011

This weekend

So Friday night began with Contra dancing. One of the better callers and a great band made a terrific night out of it. Good friends made it wonderful as well. Some Contra dancers are just hilarious! The comments and shenanigans while dancing are the best! I continually marvel at some of the antics of the dancers. Then Saturday began with the Bite of Portland followed by Saturday Market and then more Contra dancing. It has truly been an amazing weekend. The Bite of Portland was passing good. The music was good, the food was good to excellent, and I found two wineries there who offered two exceptional wines to my liking that I now have for special occasions, perhaps the holidays. August is a rare month in the Vancouver/Portland area as there is so much to love about it, so much to enjoy.