Sweetness

I'm trying NaBloPoMo again this month. I tried it a few months back and lost steam because I went out of town a few times. For the month of May I will post on my blog once a day. Yes, every single day in May. That's 31 posts. Of course I picked a month with 31 days! But it is spring, so I suppose I'm feeling inspired. The theme for the month is "Sweet" if I choose to use it. Today I will...

If we're talking sweets, we're talking dessert. If we're talking dessert, then for me, above all else, we're talking CHOCOLATE. And I mean the real kind, not the icky, weird concoction they call "milk chocolate." Here's a few factoids and trivial things about our friend chocolate:

• The Mayans and Aztecs were the original chocoholics. Some of them loved it so much they even grew cacao in their backyard gardens. Now, that's my kinda urban gardening!
• One of my favorite chocolate books is Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquival. Each chapter of the book begins with a recipe. The novel employs a heavy dose of magic realism which works well with the foodie, soap operatic plot.
• Xocolātl is a popular cacao drink that the Mayans and Aztecs made. Dagoba makes a bar they call Xocalatl.
• Seeds from the evergreen tree Theobroma cacao are used in making chocolate.
• Another fictional chocolate I enjoyed is the film Chocolat with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. The themes aren't entirely different from Like Water for Chocolate with passionate chocolate making and high drama about a small conservative French town who receives a big shake up with a new chocolatier in town.
• Theobromine is the bitter alkaloid in chocolate that gives you that nice chocolate buzz.
• "Chocolate gives you zits." Remember that old rumor? Well, bust that myth, cuz it ain't true.
• Portland is home to some pretty nifty chocolatiers. Alma Chocolate, Cacao Drink Chocolate, and Moonstruck Chocolatier are some of the standouts.

Here's a young girl after my own heart. Photo courtesy of RIPizzo on flickr.

Gorging on the gorgeous Gorge

Matt and I took a much-needed day off today. It was time for a little nature adventure. Our first thought was to hit the famous Multnomah Falls. A friend advised we try some of the other, slightly less popular (and less crowded) hikes. So, we consulted our trusty Afoot & Afield Portland/Vancouver hiking guide. After considering a few, we decided to check out Horsetail Falls.

I can't believe how close all this stuff is to Portland. The Columbia River Gorge is only about 30 or so miles east. I'm embarrassed and a bit regretful that we haven't explored here sooner.

This is Horsetail Falls. So wonderful to sit underneath and just experience the falls crashing into the creek. It's springtime so all the falls are going off.

As you can see from my curry chicken salad sandwich, we enjoyed a divine lunch in front of Three Falls.

The famous Multnomah Falls. Stunning.
You can see more of our photos from the trip at my flickr photostream.

And here's my curry chicken salad recipe:

2-3 cups of chopped chicken (you can use canned, or I always used leftover rotisserie chicken)
2-3 tblsp curry powder
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 -3/4 cup peas
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2-3 tblsp mayo

Fold all that stuff together in a bowl until well-mixed. Serve with greens or in a sandwich.

the happy home office

It's early and I'm sitting here in my new office. Matt and I have been spending the last week or so trying to purge, clean, organize and store some crap in order to switch our office spaces and by doing so create a more workable guest bedroom. After some serious cleansing and negotiating little bits of space, have pretty much accomplished our goals. I must admit IKEA (and their yummy cinnamon roll) comes in handy at these moments.


It's been quite a process and we're nearly there. It reminded us both about how traumatic moving is, but also how exciting it is to make positive change. And that was on just the smallest level of switching two rooms. Needless to say, I'm anxious/thrilled that someday in the near-ish future we'll be shopping for a new home. But, that's a whole other story...

I'm also excited about my cute new business cards. I used some laminate samples I found at SCRAP and printed the text on clear labels, which I stuck on the back.


As someone who works from a home a lot of the time, it's always a challenge to stay tidy, organized, motivated and to keep boundaries. Having a separate space definitely helps. Inspired by my new office digs, I will now share with you some of my home office philosophical insights:

Those who multi-task, stand tall on a pile of paper, binders and notepads.
Warning: a new home office may bring inspired work, prolific blog entries, random acts of crafting and a safe space for screaming.
A good pen, engenders a happy writer.
Containers, containers, containers.
Land lines still sound better than cell phones.
Things to add to the to do list: jiggle your head, relax your shoulders, eat a snack, sing a song, talk a walk.

Stuff to see around PDX in the next few weeks

I thought I'd better start this list of things I want to see over the next couple of weeks. Of course, it includes some shameless (yet, deserved) plugs.


My hubby's improv group Super Project Lab has a new show for just two weeks more (Saturdays at 8pm) at the Winningstad. It's called "Dear ___" and in this format the players incorporate the audience's letters, email, postcards and correspondence into the show. Plus if you bring a letter in, you can get 2 for one tickets. Another bonus - a portion of this run's proceeds benefit the awesome program Write Around Portland.


This month's Hip Hop Cabaret at the IFCC celebrates women's contributions to hip hop. Seems like a great way to honor Women's History Month and International Women's Day. Sunday March 8 at 7pm.

The annual Clowns Without Borders benefit show is coming up Friday, March 20th at 7:30pm at the Da Vinci Middle School Theater, 2508 NE Everett, Portland. "The best of new vaudeville and modern circus to fund two Portland-led Clowns Without Borders projects in Haiti." CWB is just amazing and this annual showcase is always a lot of fun. Bring the whole fam!


Da Vinci: The Genius is a much-lauded traveling exhibit currently on display at OMSI. The exhibit explores everything you ever wanted to know about Leonardo. An intriguing display is the "Secrets of Mona Lisa Gallery" in which French engineer/photographer invented a 240 million pixel camera to photograph the Mona Lisa Gallery. I don't really get it, but it's peaked my interest. No if I could only track down some comp tix...

13

13 trivial things about Friday:



1. Etymologically speaking, "friday" refers to "day of the planet Venus." (photo from voobie's photostream on flickr)
2. The original Friday the 13th in 1980 made the name Jason and hockey masks super scary. The franchise spurned eleven, count 'em, eleven sequels, including a mashing of the series with another iconic horror franchise Nightmare on Elm Street in Freddie vs. Jason. And now, a new revamped Friday the 13th opens in theaters today, at a multiplex near you.
3. Freaky Friday is a classic children's book by Mary Rodgers in which a mother and daughter wake up and find themselves in each other's bodies for a day.
4. The hit 1995 film Friday helped boost the acting careers of Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. Two sequels: Next Friday and Friday After Next.
5. The first T.G.I. Fridays restaurant opened in New York City at First Avenue and 63rd Street. Now in strip malls across America.
6. In Robinson Crusoe, Man Friday is a native whom Crusoe saves from other savage cannibals. Man Friday becomes Crusoe's personal slave, I mean, servant. Now we use the terms Man Friday or Girl Friday to describe a loyal, dedicated assistant.
7. Black Friday often refers to that lovely day after Thanksgiving when shoppers go insane on the first shopping day or the Christmas season. The anti-Black Friday is "Buy Nothing Day" a day of protest started by Adbusters Magazine.
8. Ironically (or not) Black Friday also refers to human disasters like the Haymarket massacre, the Eyemouth disaster and the US Canadian tornado outbreak in the 80s.
9. Casual Friday, in which companies allow their employees to do away with the suit and tie for a day, actually started in the 50s with a few companies, but became more popular in the 70s, then the 90s with the dot-commers.
10. Friday is the title character in Robert Heinlein's award-winning 1982 sci-fi novel about a superior artificial woman.
11. In the classic kids song "Today is Monday" where you go through foods associated with each day of the week, Friday is fish day.
12. In Christianity, Good Friday is the day that Jesus Christ was crucified, three days before Easter when he arose from the dead. Maybe it's just me, but "good" in this case seems a misnomer. I'd go with something more like "Crap Friday" or "Shite Friday but don't worry Good Sunday."
13. Speaking of divinity, TGIF/Thank God It's Friday was first coined by an Akron, Ohio deejay Jerry Healy in the 70s. Another Ohio deejay, Alan Freed, is credited with first using the term "rock and roll." Go, Ohio, my home state.

when in doubt, make a list

oy, i've been so busy that i've had little energy for blogging. so, what to do? time to make a list. here's a list of places i'd like to see, based on recommendations or inspiration from trusted friends. domestic sites for today; i'll go international another...

the boneyard: a part of the neon museum in las vegas, the boneyard is a a lot filled with non-restored signs of all kinds. seems pretty surreal, industrial, nostalgic.
(photo by angie1611 on flickr, creative commons license)



grand canyon: what can i say, i've never been.

high desert test sites: from their website - "The High Desert Test Sites are a series of experimental art sites located along a stretch of desert communities including Pioneer town, Yucca Valley, Joshua tree, 29 Palms and Wonder Valley. These sites provide alternative space for experimental works by both emerging and established artists." andrea zittel is one of the artists who founded it. rad stuff.

sequoia national park: hamblog recently made the trip, and it inspires. big, old gorgeous trees in the amazing sierra nevadas.

25 Random Things

I have been remiss in posting but finally garnered some inspiration. This meme has been going around Facebook and I've been tagged several times to do it so here goes.

25 Random Things

Rules:
Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

1. I'm generally not an addictive person, but I do think I've become addicted to volunteering/doing projects. Either that, or I'm not as good at saying "no" as I thought or my ex-Catholic guilt has cursed me with endless obligation. At the moment I have 4 paying gigs, all of which include a certain amount of "volunteer" hours and at least 4 active volunteer gigs. Oh gods, I think I'm going to lie down now. Oh wait 24 more "things" to go. See? Another project.
2. Sadly, I am eating a burnt frozen pizza right now. A bizarre oxymoron.
3. I am also known as Tita Toni, Aunt Toni, t-love, Tone, T, TTR.
4. I get my hairs cut every four weeks by a fun gal named Juneka.
5. I freakin' hate washing dishes. I live for the day we have a dishwasher.
6. I love my hubby very much. He makes me laugh, pretty much everyday. One of our wedding vows was "Never forget the importance of snuggling."
7. I am a cylon. I am a geek.
8. I love a good handbag. I know, weird. I think I got it from my mom who also loves a good handbag. She taught me how to identify quality vs. trendy. Thus, I like expensive handbags. I also love a good tote bag and a good panier (for my bike, yo). Okay, I am a bag freak.
9. I love Portland. I like the size of it; the vibrant and collaborative arts scene; the rivers and bridges; the proximity to the ocean and to the mountains; the bike culture; the history. I know it's a super "white" city, but that just means there's lots of good work to do, activism in educating people about racism, socio-economic oppression, etc, etc. See #1.
10. I'd like to speak Spanish. I'd also like to speak Tagalog more. I had a funny experience when I went to the Philippines with Matt (my white hubby). I'd never been to the Philippines with a non-Filipino and realized quickly that I was going to have to translate for Matt. And whaddya you I was able to translate fairly well. The funny thing was, people would speak to us in Tagalog, I would translate and respond in English. They would respond in Tagalog. It all worked out somehow.
11. I knit, but I want to try crocheting. Last weekend someone showed me how. I'll be trying it any day now.
12. Oh dear, not even half way there yet. Let's see. The most recent book I've finished: Ursula K. LeGuin's My Left Hand of Darkness. Loved it! Other books I have not yet finished: Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, Standing Up to the Madness by Amy and David Goodman, On Beauty by Zadie Smith.
13. Countries I've visited: Philippines, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada. Countries I'd like to visit: China, Australia, Greece, South Africa, Peru.
14. I love word games. Boggle, Scrabble, crosswords, word jumbles, cryptograms. I'm a general fan of board games. My newest (thanks to my bro Eric for the most excellent Christmas present!) is called Foodie Fight - kinda like trivia pursuit for foodies. It was a big hit at my friend's birthday beach outing last weekend.
15. I wear eye glasses. I am a glasses person. I feel like eye glasses are a part of my visual persona. Eye glasses and short hair.
16. I wish I felt more confident in my creativity.
17. I recently started feeling like a near-40-something, rather than a thirty-something. And I'm cool with it.
18. I am a chocoholic. I do also like other sweet things - bread pudding, fresh fruit cakes, pies - but if there is a chocolate option for dessert, it always trumps anything else.
19. I'm pretty good with directions and I like reading maps.
20. I'm also one of those people who finds things. Common scenario: hubby looks all over the house for his lost keys. Pockets of clothing, bags, drawers, table tops, car, etc. The first place I look for his keys (usually someplace he has already tried to look) I find the keys.
21. In 2005, Matt and I had a crazy summer of wedding events when we married. We called it the "Union Tour" and even had concert-like t-shirts made with all the various locations and dates. First an engagement party in his hometown, Middletown CT hosted by his folks. Then, a wedding shower in my hometown Rocky River OH hosted by my folks. Then, the actual wedding ceremony in Stateline NV/Lake Tahoe. After that, back to OH for the wedding "reception" again hosted by my parents. Finally, a last-minute small gathering of friends in Davis CA where we were living at the time. Truthfully we missed out inviting our close friends to anything which is our only regret. Look out for our 5 year anniversary!!!
22. I am very good with spatial relations. I perfectly pack moving trucks, car trunks, luggage and boxes. One time I packed a car well-enough to fit 5 humans and all our snowboard crap into a car. My friend declared that I had good "spatial consideration." I know use that term for my special skill.
23. I enjoy making compilation cds. Back in my teens, I used to call my mix tapes "Tone's Tunes."
24. I recently found out that I'm anemic. Annoying!
25. I make a delightful lasagne and a lovely veggie curry.