midwest games

 

Today, I orchestrated a game of Agricola at Sophia's. After I won, Sophia and Tim showed us Euchre. Andrew says it's an old game, referenced by such authors as Jane Austen and Walter Scott, etc, but it was very familiar. The rules were slightly different than pitch, Wizard, or hearts but the play was typical. Sophia and Tim referred to it as a midwest game which I guess is why it was so familiar. I can't wait to play it again!

blackout workout

 

The heat finally broke AND we got a blackout! This, I love!

I have not been a fan of the weather this summer so far so I was overjoyed today when I woke up to clouds. There was a slight drizzle in the air but not quite the rain I was promised by the weather app. I skipped the gym yesterday so I went today and was pleased to find that the power was out. I was wondering why people were out in the streets on my walk over, talking to their neighbors. It was a peacefully quiet workout. Normally the TV is on and some radio is playing and the treadmills are running. Today, it was silent and wonderful. And, later on, we had a great downpour. I'm still wearing shorts but I am oh so grateful that the rain has returned.

coming out as a pot-smoker

 

Last holiday season, Dan Savage talked about how holidays are typically time for people to come out to their families. They can come out as gay, bi, poly, or even as a pot-smoker. I didn't come out over the holidays but I did take it as a cue that this should happen sooner than later, especially since it's legal here in Oregon now. I am a pot-smoker.

I've been a casual smoker for a while. It's so much better than alcohol. There's no bloating, no hangover, no messiness. It's just a happy high. In the past, I've had some issues with paranoia but since it's been legal, you can get the strain you want with the effects that you want and none of them include paranoia.

A while ago, my mom was told that she was going to have to have her thyroid removed because it was pre-cancerous. Just recently, the US acknowledged that cannabinoids are good for cancer and cancer treatment so I called my mom yesterday and offered to get her some. She declined but then I took the opportunity to let her know that I smoke occasionally. She had questions but didn't seem alarmed which was good.

Really, it feels good just to be honest. I've been smoking off and on for a while now and I've always just avoided saying it. Now, I don't have to worry or make up stories or say I was drinking when I was really smoking. And I can be honest here. Yay for the truth!

In order to set the scene for coming clean, I went to Laurelhurst Park in the dog area and sat down for a bit to enjoy a new cider, which was my new thing.

 

a true original

 

Today was exhausting but it was all worth it.

I took Ava to work with me so we could go straight to her blood donation after work. She did a great job this time and was completely relaxed as she donated. I was so proud of her. Then, I ran her home and had 10 minutes to sit down before I had to go to the gym. After my workout, I biked home again, showered, walked Ava, then biked downtown to meet Andrew for dinner before going to PHAME's first original performance.

The play was wonderful. It's my friend Jessica's last production with them and it was a triumphant note to end on. The performances were great, the story was fun and interesting, and the music was delightful. It's so exciting and it really really makes me miss direct work with customers. Before the play and during intermission, this girl kept referring to me as "button-down shirt" and grabbed my collar at one point to see what label was on my shirt. I probably should have informed her that it's not appropriate behavior but after working at GW, I'm used to people grabbing me and I just laughed it off.

As delightful as it all was tho, I am exhausted. I need some good down-time, some me-time. I think I may have to schedule that in tho if I want it to happen.

What else?

On Sunday, I was in the mood to clean so I did a deep-cleaning of the house, even wiping down the railing of the stairs for the first time. If I had been the one to decide, I wouldn't have painted the railing white.

On Monday, I met another PA from a different brokerage as we all got together to come up with housing solutions for our customers.

On Tuesday, I met a delightful huskie-mix at Mt Tabor dog park as Ava and I hung out there for a while during the afternoon. I also talked to our new 401K rep at work. It's weird to think about retirement but I hope my retirement consists of a lot of dog parks.

making circles

As I may have mentioned before, I don't like house parties. House parties where I know all of three people and the only dog is locked in the basement are even worse. However, I found myself enjoying this party.

Our friends Yvonne and Terri had a party tonight along with another couple to celebrate their anniversaries. I like Yvonne and Terri a lot so I was willing to go to the party. Their cake toppers pictured above are testaments to how simpatico we are. Initially, I was uncomfortably clinging to Andrew who also didn't know a lot of people there. Little by little, we integrated into the party and I ended up producing an ice-breaker and forming a little circle of people to talk to and smoke pot with. Andrew also found some others to talk to and we rejoined later with a larger pool of people to hang out with. I was pretty proud of myself for breaking out of my comfort zones although I think I may have spent too much time talking about Ava.

What else?

On Thursday, August 20th, I brought Ava  to work and I got food to go (for the first time) from Pho Gia and we ate outside which turns out to be an ideal environment for Ava.

On Friday, I got the cheese plate at NWIPA which hit the spot after a long work day and full gym workout.

diy rack fix

 

When I have a bike problem, the first thing I do is mentally review Seven Corners Cycles schedule to see if I can get my bike in. Yesterday, when I was biking home, my bike started to make this awful rattling noise but Seven Corners recently changed their hours and they are now closed on Tuesdays. I looked it over a few times and figured out that the bolt at the bottom of the right side of the rack had fallen out so the rack was rubbing against the chain. I managed to tuck the rack in, sling the pannier over my shoulder and make it home.

However, rather than take it in for one screw, I simply stopped at the hardware store today and bought a replacement screw. After I fixed it, I saw that top screw on the left side was missing as well. This was slightly different screw but there are a number of unused screws in the frame (for putting a rack on the front of the bike or an extra cup holder in) so I used one of those and fixed it. It's a simple simple new thing but I am so happy that I did it on my own.

And again, it serves as a perfect example of why a bike is so much more preferable than a car. With a car, if it makes a funny noise, I turn the stereo up. I would have almost no way to diagnose it on my own, let alone fix it. Yay bikes!

our lil work park

 

A little over a year ago, my work moved offices a block and a half northwest. It's a much nicer building and it has a courtyard which is one of the things that our last building sorely lacked. However, today was my first day actually taking a break out there. Initially, it just looked like a slab of concrete with some tables that the business types in the building used. But, today I walked out there and past those tables, there is a few more tables for those of us who really don't want to be around others while we eat and read. I think I may start bringing my lunch in more often!

derby day 2015

We went to the Portland Adult Soap Box Derby today. This is my second year attending it. Last year, we brought Ava which turned out to be too much for us and her. This year, we brought a flask which was a much better idea.

This year, we didn't move around either which made it much more relaxed. We just sat back and watched the cars go by. I filmed a lot of them in slo-mo on my iPhone which made it easier afterwards to really appreciate the cars. Most of them went by more than once so I was able to enjoy it outside of my iPhone as well. My favorites were the Spaceballs RV, Ecto 1, Steampunk R2D2, the Duff Balloon, and the Racing Snail, shown in the movie above. My new thing was getting Duffed by the Duff Balloon. In the video below, you'll notice that the balloon was spraying. With six of us sitting there on the sidelines watching, I was the one that got all of the spray. It was shocking but very enjoyable.

What else?

Since we weren't taking Ava to the derby, we took her to coffee, brunch, two parks, and a pet store first. At one of the parks (actually a school yard), we met Moby who is a St Berdoodle. I have never met a St Bernard/poodle mix but he was huge, adorable, and full of energy. He and Ava got along splendidly!

I also finished Armada, Ernest Cline's follow-up novel to Ready Player One. It wasn't a sequel but it was similar in theme and pop culture references. I would recommend it.

On Friday, my new thing was trying the Kale Salad at Fressen. It was okay.

self-care day

In my social work graduate program, they were big on coming up with a self-care plan. This was mine.

It was a stressful week (and it's not even over yet) and I needed a day to recollect myself so I took today. I leisurely got up and made myself breakfast, watched some Supernatural, and then took Ava to the river where we sat and listened to cover songs and beach music. I didn't swim but waded in the water quite a bit. On the way back, we definitely explored new-to-me land as we tried to bushwhack our way thru a shorter path and ended up getting caught in some blackberry bramble. I gotta give the dog credit. She's always down for an adventure.

The day did it's job and it gave me perspective. I like being able to do this and I want to continue to work at a social work place that understands the need for self-care days. I also don't want to work at a place that would require me to wear pants because this damn heat still hasn't let up.

thai surprise

I have been let down by a lot of Thai places recently and I really love Thai food. We've been trying to find a good place within walking distance of our house in FoPo. Tonight, our hunt led us to Thai BBQ. This place has been around for a while. I don't think it was here when I lived next to Creston Park 13 (!) years ago but I know I've driven by it for some time now, ignoring it only because it's right on Powell. Well, neither of us felt like driving or biking today and it was too damn hot to cook so we gave it a shot and it's a good thing we did.

The decor inside is charming and they even have a side patio so we may bring Ava one day. The staff was friendly and they have wine and beer. However, the real selling point is the food. Between us, we had the salad rolls, the Pad Woon Sen, and the Garlic Pepper stir fry; all of which were wonderful! And they deliver! This was a big win for us. I'm so grateful for this blog which prompts me to try new places.

from garden to grillin

 

When we bought our house last year, we were happy to find that there were large tomatoes already growing in the garden boxes. The house has a watering system on a timer so they were cared for and ready for us when we were ready to move in. Andrew's been working hard to cultivate a garden that produces food and is also functional this year too. For the last several meals that we've made at home, tomatoes have been a prominent ingredient. I daresay that we have too many tomatoes but it's just made me expand my culinary resume to include more tomato-laden recipes.

Today, I made tomato, veggie sausage, and pecorino pasta which also included fresh basil which Andrew got from the garden. Next year, I am going to insist on potatoes and possibly onions because I love pulling food out of the yard. It tastes so much better!

What else?

We went on the people's preview of the Tilikum Crossing. It was cool to be able to cross it but there were WAY too many people. It will be a blast when the hype dies down. Also, today was the BridgePedal so there was an excessive amount of garage cyclists (people that pull their bikes out of their garage a few times a year for big events like this). It was annoying and as goddess as my witness, I will never ever participate in a BridgePedal.

men who play cribbage

 

We have a morning routine on the weekends. We get coffee out at one of the coffee shops we like in SE and play BattleLine on our apps. We then decide where to go to brunch and while at brunch, we play cribbage. We play cribbage at dinner too typically. We're often recognized by restaurant staff as soon as we pull out our cribbage board. Today, we decided to go do brunch at a new-to-us brunch spot Oscar's Cafe in Lents and when we walked in, for the first time, we saw another group of people playing cribbage. There were three guys playing a three-person game. It's good to see that we're not completely alone in our routines.

the first step

I admit it; I have a problem. Some time shortly after I got this tablet, I started downloading video games. It started with Tetris which I just played here and there when I was bored but it was never really alluring to me. Then I got Injustice: Gods Among Us. It's a fighting game with DC Comics heroes & villains. Nightwing pictured above was my favorite guy initially. I was able to keep it under control for a bit. Then they started luring me in with tournaments for new characters. Then I began playing online & vying for a higher position which would yield greater rewards. At first I tried to hide it from Andrew cuz I was embarrassed. Then my need to play overcame any shame & I was unstoppable. It infiltrated my dreams & I started taking longer lunch breaks at work just so I could increase my score & rank.

Today was the end of an online season which generally lasts for six days. This last season which just ended had the reward of the Batgirl character. I already had her but I wanted to make my character stronger so I spent WAY too much time over the last six days playing. I was in the top 3% & was supposed to have some sweet rewards coming my way but they never showed up. And I see this as a sign; It's time to stop.

I have always known that I have a video game addiction. I've gone thru periods in my teens and early twenties where I would stop for a bit but I would always go back. In 2003, I sold my PlayStation and it was liberating. I was so proud of myself. Lately, I've been really feeling that I was a slave to the game & wanted to stop but seriously lacked the willpower. This game glitch was divine intervention. Praise the goddesses.

My new thing was writing a review for the game online in which I reached new nerd depths & complained about not getting my Batgirls. After that was when I realized I had to stop. And just to solidify my resolve, I already filled the space it was taking on my tablet...with the show iZombie & a collection of Deadpool comics cuz I'm still a dork but I'm a dork minus an addiction.

fostering community

I don't know any of the people pictured in the photo above, nor do I know the band that's playing and this is very close to my backyard. Today was the Foster-Powell (FoPo) day at Kern park. Ava and I hit Kern Park probably once per day as it is the closest place to our house. However, I don't really feel that these people are my community.

I think there are communities within the larger community that I can identify with. There are the regular patrons of my local coffee shop with whom I feel a kinship. There are of course the local dog owners and especially those who go to Kern regularly with whom I am very familiar (but it should be noted that I do not know the humans' names, only the dogs'). And then there are my direct neighbors. I know two sets of them now (since two others have recently left).

I wanted to go to this event today with Andrew and Ava because I want to be more familiar with my nearby community but I just don't feel that I'm there yet. I have only been here for less than a year tho so maybe I just need to give it more time.

What else?
On Sunday, I was too tired from the exercise the day before and the lack of sleep from the night before so I just bummed around the house. My new thing was buying and trying a cinnamon bun from New Deal.

On Monday, a customer and I interviewed some new people and I got to meet her at her boyfriend's apartment. It made me realize what a community my customers have because it was the same apartment complex that another of my customers lives in. I don't think they know each other but maybe they should. However this physician needs to heal thyself first before I go and start The Neighborly Connection.

my favorite misadventures

 

I do not like owning a car and I like it even less when my car breaks down. However, my car troubles have often resulted in some of my more unique adventures, leaving me stranded in a place I would most likely not be talking to people I wouldn't have a reason to talk to otherwise.

Today, Andrew came up with a plan to go find a new water hole in which to swim. I'm not big on swimming but I am always up for new things so we did a little bit of research and headed out to Rowland Lake. We had to stop by Target in Fairview on the way out to get some things and while we were leaving there, the power steering went out. Apparently the water pump seized up and shredded the serpentine belt. There was an auto repair shop near by so we coasted into there and found a mechanic to work on it.

We had all of our lazy swimming day supplies with us so we went to the Salish City Ponds so Ava could swim and we could relax. It wasn't a lake but it worked. I think that if we were parents to a human child, they wouldn't have had any idea that our plans had been derailed since we recovered so fast. And, yes, car repairs suck, but we set out for an adventure and we were having one. Andrew pointed out that I was very optimistic about this and I felt that too. Normally, I would be bemoaning it all but what could I do but make the best of it.

A few hours and $353 later, my car was fixed. It was a little late to keep going out to the lake but the Thousand Acre Dog Park was close by and we could swim in the Sandy River so that was our new plan. It worked out great. The water was chill and deep in some parts. If I gotta swim, I'm glad I got to do it with Ava. She's gotten so good at it. Just within the past few weeks, I've really seen that she's developed a liking for swimming.

We also got to see several other dogs. There was an adorable bull terrier who wanted Ava's frisbee and a pug named Biggie Smalls who walked up and sat in my lap. When we were leaving, we took the main path for a bit and then headed off to a smaller path that was more akin to bush-whacking. When we were close to the middle of it, we ran into Biggie and his canine brother, Bruiser the pit pull, and his human. She thought she was heading out but then turned around and walked with us. Biggie was lagging behind with me and, rather than try to stomp down the underbrush for him to step over, I just carried him.

So, it wasn't what we had planned and I was totally fine with that. We can try for Rowland another day but I wouldn't have traded this day for anything.