About 2 months ago, a rock hit our windshield and created a little itty-bitty starburst down near the passenger side windshield wiper. After watching a late night infomercial on a giant hotel TV in D.C., I discovered the wonders of windshield repair. I sat, slack-jawed, watching the magic that took place and vowed to get our windshield fixed as soon as we returned home. Well, the holidays happened and I never got around to it. As it turns out, one of our headlights just burned out and we need an oil change, so my job this week was to focus on the car. I guess the Mazda decided that I wasn't really going to live up to my promises, so on Christmas Eve she got all uppity and decided to crack the windshield nearly in two as we were driving home from picking up some packages. I guess I shouldn't blame this entirely on the car, since it was about 18 degrees out and we were blasting the defroster at full speed. But come on? Really?
Yesterday, I spent a large portion of the morning on the phone with our auto insurance company and local glass shops because driving around with a cracked windshield is terrifying. Also, we were having a stretch of unusually dry weather, so I wanted to take care of the problem before we had a soggy interior to deal with as well. I was feeling a little gloomy about having to drop off the car, take the bus home, and then haul my butt over to the repair shop again in the afternoon to pick it up.
Around 2pm, Jesse sent me a text message -- It's Snowing! I didn't believe him, because while it's been bitterly cold (and dry) lately, when there is precipitation, it always comes in the form of rain. Lots and lots of rain. I was so delighted when I looked out the window to find big puffy snowflakes pouring down on 21st Avenue. I quickly put on my coat and walked down to the bus station so I could pick up the car. I lucked out and got home just in time -- the roads looked like this just after I parked the car. Over the next hour or so, they continued to get worse. Jesse rode his bike home and came back looking like an ice monster, coated from head to toe in wet, dripping snow.
We walked over to one of our favorite happy hour spots to get nachos with a friend and by 4pm there was probably about an inch on the ground. It was beautiful and white (with the sounds of spinning tires in the background). I don't think a lot of people were prepared for the rush hour storm and ended up abandoning cars on some of the main roads leading out of Portland. They're calling it the worst commute in 20 years. I'd like them to rethink that declaration, since I personally experienced the worst commute in the history of the world last Christmas, but I will concede that a 25-mile backup on I-5 is pretty harrowing.
Today, the snow is almost all melted and we have a 10-day forecast of steady rain. That's how Portland winter should be, but I'm always happy for a snowy afternoon to break up the monotony.
Christmas this year, just the two of us, was a lot quieter than usual. I was thrilled at the prospect of not having to travel this year and eager to try and establish a few traditions of our own. We decorated the tree, played holiday music, and pulled out our warm socks to fight off the cold temperatures here in Portland. When we moved into our new place in November, I had grand plans of making a huge holiday meal, eating lots of Christmas sweets, and drinking spiced cider next to the tree. However, as the big day crept closer, my grand plans got derailed a bit. I was finishing up my class earlier this month, Jesse and I took a quick trip to D.C. shortly thereafter, and somehow in that time, the apartment never quite got fully unpacked. It was a bit overwhelming trying to think about decorating for the holidays when my towels, toiletries, and clothing were still floating around in mystery boxes scattered throughout the rooms. Jesse has been a huge help in getting things going and I'm happy to say that our living room and bedroom are finally starting to feel like home.
As for the huge holiday meal and lots of Christmas cookie eating, I have been feeling a under the weather and scrapped cooking almost entirely. We did manage to have a great Christmas morning, opening gifts and talking with lots of friends and family. Even as an adult, I can't help but open my presents and leave a giant pile of wrapping and boxes in my wake. After a nice leisurely morning, we got dressed and headed over to Anna & Brian's for an afternoon of games and Christmas dinner. Anna made a delicious ham and lots of yummy sides.
With Jesse's help, we were able to contribute to the Christmas party spread. He and I whipped up a dessert that we invented back in the summer time for a friend who couldn't have dairy (except for goat cheese). The crusts are made of pecans and dates and the goat cheese is sweetened with a little honey. We altered the original tarts, which had peaches on top, to include seasonal kiwis and pomegranate seeds that were juicy and delicious. The end product is not too sweet and actually quite healthy. The tarts also happened to be just the right colors for the season! I was glad that we had several kiwis and a whole pomegranate left over from the project, so I plan on having special toppings on my yogurt and granola at breakfast time.
Kind of makes you rethink the whole family outing to visit Santa at the mall. Video compliments of my new favorite Christmas site, Sketchy Santas. You better hope the fat man coming down your chimney tonight is a little more convincing than some of these guys.
Last night Jesse and I went out and purchased our very first Christmas tree. I picked him up at his office and we stopped by our favorite Thai restaurant for fuel before the big search. As it turns out, we found the tree after about 3 minutes of looking. I decided quickly that I wasn't interested in the Douglas Fir trees (they have more puffy needles that go all the way around the branch). They are fine looking trees, but I was drawn to the Noble Firs that have thicker needles and more defined layers of branches. We took a pretty big risk buying the tree before the stand, given that earlier in the week I went to 5 different stores with no luck.
I read an interesting observation this week from a blogger who had a similar experience finding a tree stand this year too. He blamed it on the "Christmas Creep" that started long before Thanksgiving, so that by the time Christmas rolls around, the shelves are bare. I too was annoyed that stores had been sold out of Christmas tree stands two or three weeks before the actual event. It's not like I was running around on Christmas eve looking for something to hold my tree! I did find one store that carried $90 tree stands, which was just annoying given that our tree only cost $35.
Anyway, I popped into our local Ace Hardware (that I love more and more) this morning and luckily, they had just gotten a fresh shipment of perfectly reasonable $14 tree stands. Reasonable may be a stretch in this case, given that it took me 45 minutes to get the damn thing together. I read the very simple instructions: "Insert legs into indented slots and fit center ring. DO NOT insert legs on non-indented slots or your tree will fall over." I tried and tried, but the ring simply would not fit properly. After struggling for way too long, I inserted legs on the non-indented slots and voila! The ring slid right on. So if you are every in the market for the Ideal BrandTM tree stand, do the exact opposite of the given instructions and save yourself a lot of cursing and fist waving.
I think our little tree looks pretty swell, but it certainly feels a bit naked in the corner -- even after stringing the lights. I wonder if a tree skirt would help? I'll just pile that on my to-do list for the rest of the week. (After a 30-minute diversion on the internet, I found that there is an abundance of really hideous Christmas tree skirts). Anyone have any ideas for something a little more mod? I'll have to put my thinking cap on for this one!
I'm hoping we'll have some time later this evening to start putting up the decorations. Jesse will have to bust out the Christmas tunes and I'll try to throw together some hot cider to make it feel more like the holidays. I also need to think about what we're going to do for Christmas dinner. It's just around the corner!
Last Thursday morning at 6am, I hauled my suitcase to the MAX station down the street in 13º weather to make my 8am flight to D.C. J had been in Maryland most of the week for a business trip, so we extended the stay through the weekend to meet up with friends and relax a little.
Our good friend, Kyle, defended his dissertation that evening and a bunch of the GW gang got together at a local bar for a celebration. I was happy to discover that Dr. Kyle did not let his new status go to his head, keeping conversations firmly in the gutter. As for the rest of the gang? I was pleased to find that we all just picked up where we last left off with relentlessness harassment, embarrassing story telling, being first-rate busybodies, and laughing until we cried. My ribs actually hurt when rolling over in bed that night. It was such a great evening.
On Friday and Saturday nights we got a sweet deal at the Churchill Hotel in Dupont Circle. Since J stays there often when he travels to D.C., they upgraded us to one of the king suites on the top floor with a view of the city. I swear the hotel room was almost bigger than our last apartment! Since J had to work on Friday in the morning and early afternoon, I went and had lunch at my old office and had a great visit with my coworkers and former boss. In the evening, J's office had its yearly office party and followed it up with a visit to U Street with Kyle, Sally, and Kevin.
Saturday was a little more low key, we slept in and had breakfast at the Florida Avenue Grill with Kurtis and Amanda. I opted for sides of macaroni and cheese and collard greens instead of the standard breakfast fare. The collard greens were mind-blowing. I couldn't finish them because they were so rich, but wow! Outstanding. On Saturday evening, we met up with Dan and Lydia, good friends and J's former co-workers. This visit felt like a true vacation and left me smiling all the way home.
This week is going to be pretty busy. I have a lot of things to accomplish before Christmas rolls around in just 11 days! Yikes!
This was Portland's weather status as of 6:45pm this evening. I'm officially a Popsicle.
In short, it's insanely cold here in the Pacific NW. Tonight, the low is supposed to hover around 15º and not really get above freezing tomorrow. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, this happened last year too in December. I seem to remember that it didn't last very long, except it was coupled with monumental amounts of snow. This time around though, we're just getting a terrible arctic breeze that cuts through every layer of my clothing. After walking around this afternoon, my skin feels like it was given a good sanding and is absorbing lotion like a sponge.
As a result of the arctic air mass hovering over Portland, I have spent a great deal of time jumping from room to room, closing the door, and blasting the heater to keep warm. The rest of the apartment has been sacrificed to the cold -- I don't even want to go into the dining room and kitchen, as I'm sure it resembles the ice palace scene from Dr. Zhivago. I never thought I'd say it, but I sure do miss having those radiator pipes pumping constant heat through the walls and keeping the apartment a balmy 78º during the winter. Is it so wrong to want to walk around in a tank top in December?
I've already gotten votes of "Alexander the Grape" and "Strawberry Short Kook" for favorite Otter Pop flavors. I haven't decided, but I think I'll go with "Little Orphan Orange" in honor of my multiple layers of clothes, wool socks and slippers, and the oh-so-attractive static-cling hairdo. What's your favorite ice pop flavor?
I haven't posted since before Thanksgiving. Where did the time go? I had a great visit with Jesse's family last week and got to meet The Crane Wife & Ancient Indian Wizard's awesome baby boy. Despite my great time in Santa Cruz, I did not take a single photo. So, what have I been up to you ask? Well, sorting out the tedious details of moving, like transferring insurance, calling around to find out where the heck our mail has gone for the past two weeks, and general sorting through piles of crap to find underwear and my toothbrush. I also have that pesky class to finish with a paper/presentation that just won't write itself.
I have made progress though. I unpacked the kitchen and was able to cook an actual, wholesome, delicious meal on Tuesday night -- black-eyed peas with sausage and roasted carrots with a balsamic glaze. Yum! It's been pretty cold in Portland lately, only getting into the low 40s during the day, so the beans were a nice stick-to-your-ribs meal. I was thankful for the leftovers, since I really didn't feel like cooking yesterday after preparing all afternoon for class. I am actually counting the hours between now and next Wednesday when I will finally be finished with school work for a few weeks. Winter quarter doesn't start until January 4th, so I'll have a bit of time to really get into unpacking over the next couple of weeks.
Also, I'm heading to D.C. next Thursday to meet up with Jesse for a long weekend. Our friend Kyle is defending his dissertation and we're going to spend a frosty weekend in our old home town. I'm excited to meet up with friends and kick off the holiday season!
Around 2pm, Jesse sent me a text message -- It's Snowing! I didn't believe him, because while it's been bitterly cold (and dry) lately, when there is precipitation, it always comes in the form of rain. Lots and lots of rain. I was so delighted when I looked out the window to find big puffy snowflakes pouring down on 21st Avenue. I quickly put on my coat and walked down to the bus station so I could pick up the car. I lucked out and got home just in time -- the roads looked like this just after I parked the car. Over the next hour or so, they continued to get worse. Jesse rode his bike home and came back looking like an ice monster, coated from head to toe in wet, dripping snow.
