Thursday, July 30, 2009

Lopez Island Getaway

Following my cousin's wedding in Wenatchee, Joel and I went to Lopez Island in the San Juans for a little getaway. It was blistering hot up there, but that didn't stop us from having a great time. We spent lots of time reading - against cleverly arranged driftwood on the beach and in the shade of a big pine tree at our campsite. In the evening we created our very own Lopez Island bicycle tour riding piece-of-crap rented bikes all over the island. The morning of our departure we took a kayak out in the Puget Sound. It was beautiful!

Home

Departure

It was too hot to stay in Portland today. Much too hot. In fact, right now it's still 102 and it's 8 pm. My goodness. So, instead of staying here and typing on my warm keyboard as promised, I went to Indian Beach with Sam and Joel. Layla, Sam's dog came with us and it was heavenly. On the way down to the beach, I thought to myself that I might be cold. Imagine that! And eventually I did have to put on a light sweater. It was around 85 degrees, foggy and misty with a very light breeze. It was quite possibly the loveliest beach day ever. Joel surfed while Sam and I chatted and traded some books. I gave her Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri and she gave me Julie/Julia by Julie Powell.

I've been back in this heat for about an hour now. I've dunked Rudy in cold water in the bathroom sink twice today because it's positively sweltering. Time to go take a cold shower. Then I can sit in front of the fan eating popsicles while I read.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

AWOL

I should really be doing mobile posting given how busy I've been buzzing around the Northwest lately. Tomorrow I promise to do the following posts (do I dare make this promise?)
  1. Anniversary Beach Trip
  2. Leavenworth
  3. San Juans Camping Trip
  4. Random Thoughts as of Late
Won't that be fun! It wasn't a question...ding!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Saturn Return

I am so in the thick of my Saturn Return it's not even funny. I suppose on some level it's just a bunch of astrological mumbo jumbo. However, I totally buy into that mumbo jumbo, so it's a big relief to me to read this. Time to go write in my journal and read some self-help books. For real.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Phew!

After literally months of procrastinating, I finally went to a Bikram class on Tuesday. Today I am still sore! It's good to get back into it again. I am hoping to try out a couple of the different studios in Portland and find my favorite. The studio I went to on Tuesday is really beautiful and peaceful and close to work. At Bikram Yoga Phoenix, where I practiced in Arizona, the instructors talked a lot throughout the class about the benefits of the poses, noting that during one posture you're aiding digestion, that in another, your strengthening your fingers and keeping arthritis away. I found all of that health benefit speak very motivating as I sought to release into the asanas. I noticed that during my first class here in Portland there wasn't a lot of mention of those things. None actually. Hmm. At any rate, it is still my favorite thing to do to feel healthy, rejeuvenated and transformed. Now I just need some cute new yoga clothes from Lululemon.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

L'anticipation

I can't believe I have to wait until September to see this movie. It almost makes me excited for fall, and the associated end of summer. Just like Desperate Housewives almost makes me excited for Sunday, and the associated end of the weekend, when school's in session. Almost being the operative word. See you in September, Audrey. Until then, long live summer.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Pretty Perfume

Tokyo Milk has the prettiest perfume around. Yes, it smells wonderfully pretty, but the bottle design is awfully pretty, too. My favorite, after smelling and awing over them all on a recent visit to Cargo in The Pearl, is Song in D Minor, shown on the right with the delicate birdcage motif. With white orchid, orange flower, gardenia and amber, it's powerful without being overwhelming.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Quotable Sunday

A good home must be made, not bought.
- Joyce Maynard

For more quotable sunday, click here.

Bastille Day {Portland Style}

Yesterday was a very Francophile day at Jamison Square in The Pearl. It turns out that Portland's Bastille Day Celebration, held each year on the Saturday before July 14th, the actual date of Bastille Day, is the largest Bastille Day Celebration on the West Coast. It is sponsored by the Alliance Française of Portland and there were plenty of thick accents accompanied by "Je parle français" buttons all around. C'était magnifique!
Some of the day's entertainment above the Jamison Square Fountain. The fountain is possibly the most genius design ever. It's essentially an urban beach and the kids love it.
Happy wine drinkers.
A bit of escrime.
Pétanque.
My friend Anne and her daughter Lily with a vintage Citroën.
La Course des Serveurs.
Judges deciding the outcome of La Course des Serveurs.
Joel enjoying our pique-nique.
Me with my pique-nique.
Delicious pique-nique dessert. Can you believe that is a flourless cookie? It is. Mmmm. From the delectable Nuvrei. What a lovely day.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

The Curious Case of Lovemonkey

One of my neighbors has no internet because of me. Allow me to explain. Last night after book club, and too many glasses of red wine, (so much for that feeling of pure detoxification I was after) I came home and decided it was a good time to hook up our new internet and router. I got the CD going and started up the instructions, all the while not noticing that my computer had automatically logged on to a neighbor's wireless by the name of Lovemonkey.

With all that wine in my system, I also failed to realize that when I went to http://168.192.2.1 to set up the password that the screen said Belkin, not US Robotics as it should have for my modem. Then, being in a bit of a stupor and feeling very determined to hook up the internet, but not entirely knowing what I was doing, I proceeded to do something that generated a WEP key. How magically techy! Of course, I did not write the WEP key down. And the next moment, I no longer had internet and Lovemonkey had a brandnew password. A password I had assigned yet did not know. Oops! By the time I understood what I had done, it was too late. Lovemonkey was under lock and key.

It occured to me this morning that it might be a good idea to figure out whose apartment emits the Lovemonkey signal and tell them what I did. But the thought of explaining the whole ordeal to a total stranger and informing them they'll need to reset their modem and reconfigure their network is wholly unappealing. They'll figure it out soon enough.

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Happy Camper

A common question among my family this week has been wondering what my nephew Lewis is doing at camp at any given moment. I am absolutely certain that he is having the most amazing time ever. I was a camper at Camp Reed myself and I admit that while dropping him off, I would have given just about anything to be 10 years old embarking on a week of camp. Won't it be fun to hear his anecdotes when he returns? And what could be better than childhood summers at camp?

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

So Adorable {and pink!}

I love this poster. Love. It. The first time I saw it was in a Domino spread on a 30-something couple that had recently moved in together, thereby merging and purging their stuff. I thought to myself, not only is that poster so darn cute, but it's also a good reminder in a relationship. Keep calm and carry on. Sound advice, indeed! This combo of pink and white has solidified my longing for a pink and white bedroom. Mostly white of course (I don't think I'm ready for pink walls just yet!) No. Just enough pink to make it really cozy and inviting. La.

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Quotable Sunday

I just realized that I was signed up for a cool blog project I discovered from my friend Kyrie. I also just realized that I completely neglected to do said project. So this upcoming Sunday I will definitely be participating in Quotable Sunday. Such a lovely, inspiring idea.

Green Sea

Joel said that watching the stormy winds whip across The Palouse was just like being at the ocean shore. I quite agreed. Possibly one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced.

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Detox

Since being sick, I've been taking lots of supplements, avoiding sugar, had no alcohol and generally feeling really healthy. I'm craving some yoga. I can tell my body's ready to go even further toward health and feeling wonderful. I miss this. When I return to Portland, from my visit in Spokane, I'm going to sign up and do a 30 day Bikram challenge. Pure detoxification, here I come.