Goodbye October

October 2011 turned out to be an incredibly shitty month. Lots of travel, sadness, and unanswered questions. It's fitting that it isn't even acknowledged in my blog. But I'm back, maybe not fully, but life continues and there's lots going on lately. My job has picked up, Miles is growing and changing like crazy, and we're looking to move to a bigger place -- I guess I'm not giving October enough credit. 

It made me remember how important family and friends are in my life. If I'm smart (and I like to think that I am) I will keep October close by and use it as a reminder to take a break now and again from my busy life to be thankful. Here Miles and I are with my sister, her fiance, Eric, my parents, and grandmother all together for the first time in a very long while. 

Webmaster (Not So) Extraordinaire

Wow, it's been a full nine eleven days since I posted last. I'll go ahead and blame my absence on preparing for/recovering from our four-day trip to Texas, but really, I should throw in a little laziness and chaos too. Work has been busy with two lectures in a row and we're still juggling our work schedules to watch Little (I know, I know, I need to find a nanny already). And to pile on top of the chaos of coming home, I think Little is teething again and turned into a Tazmanian devil. He literally destroys all sense of order in his path. But he does it with such a sweet smile, so how can I be mad?


I still haven't gotten around to writing that post about my Mother's Day Sichuan feast. That'll have to wait for another day because there's real work to be done. I have fundraising deadlines, mail merges to run (fun stuff), Tweets to post and a website to build (ha). I never thought when I took my part-time job at a non-profit last year that I'd be pushed into the deep end of databases, InDesign, Tweeting on a regular basis, and now, overseeing (and probably doing) a new website design. But something has to change, our website is pretty bad. We got an email on Wednesday night a couple of hours before our lecture that said:

"Hey, I love [Non-Profit Name], but your website is crap. I was going to say that your website needs a little fine tuning, but when I went to the staff page to try and contact someone, the person in charge of your information systems doesn't provide an EMAIL ADDRESS. Ha ha ha. AnyWho. Still love you and will see you tonight (I'll be the one with the bag over my head)."

We had a good chuckle and my boss emailed back that the website is the same vintage as our computers (2005) and that while the website may suck, it has done so reliably for the last six years. He assured her that we're trying hard to to change that by updating the website over the summer. The only thing stopping us from doing it sooner is funding. Hence, the fundraising drive.


And hence, my new role as web designer/IT lady.

First Mother's Day

Little and J worked together to make my first Mother's Day a special one. J woke up early with the little guy so I could sleep in as late as I wanted. Getting up at 9:30am to the sounds of Little babbling in the kitchen was pretty amazing. When I finally decided to roll out of bed, I found the breakfast room tidy with flowers and sweet treats from Ken's. My guys made it very easy to be a mom this weekend.

After breakfast, we lounged around the apartment, marveling at how great it feels to be parents while Little entertained with giggles, feats of strength (trying to do pullups on the dining room table), and cheesing the camera with his two bottom teeth. He also reminded me of those teeth this morning when I wasn't paying him enough attention by gently nibbling on my big toe. Those things are sharp. He'll appreciate them in not too long when he can enjoy a greater variety of his parents' culinary adventures. We made a Sichuan meal last night that was pretty out of this world. More on that tomorrow.

As an extended Mother's Day gift, Little was a delightful baby this morning (allowing me to finish a long overdue blog post for work). While I was typing away, he did a few chores around the house.  I guess he was embarrassed that I never polish the brass knobs on his changing table, so he took on the task himself. Such a helpful lad. I'll have to talk to him though about being more gentle in the future, don't want teeth marks on the hardware.

Christmas Take Two

Little met his Aunt Kay Kay for the first time last week and they instantly hit it off. She was definitely his favorite person (other than me of course) out of our group of visitors.

Staying cozy on a chilly afternoon in his new blanket from Kay Kay.

Little spent some time hanging out with his Papa, but probably wished at this moment that Aunt Kay Kay would come to the rescue -- she has way cooler jewelry and hair. Shortly after this photo, he got a little fussy so we took off his pants and let him kick around on the floor. He quickly turned himself over to his belly and put on quite a show by hoisting his legs under his hips and sitting in the crawling position long enough for us to gawk and pull out our cameras. I think he was pretty surprised about his new tricks, but it's only a matter of time until the crawling position is no longer an accident and we will have a mobile child on our hands!

We all opened gifts from each other one evening while Little slept. Fortunately he didn't really care that he missed out on the present opening, because he woke up to a bunch of new playthings. The shades are my favorite. He pulls off the naked cool guy look pretty well.

Little finally had to say goodbye to his favorite Christmas present this year -- the Christmas tree. He sat with his Grandmom for a few minutes and stroked the branches and then tried to eat a few needles. We also said goodbye to the last year that we'll probably be able to have ornaments hanging on the bottom half of our tree. Next year he'll be toddling around and wreaking havoc on all of our decorations.

New Year, New Leaps

December was a blur! Between preparing food and drink for our holiday party, setting up the decorations, and hosting Christmas at our place this year, I hardly had time to think about Miles' upcoming developmental leaps. I wrote earlier about this book that I found, The Wonder Weeks, and how it took a really positive spin on Miles' fussy behavior by explaining the changes going on in his brain. While our family was in town, Miles was the center of attention and demanded constant interaction. I thought that the hustle and bustle around the house was causing his discontent, but then I looked at the calendar and realized that the weeks surrounding Christmas were leading into Wonder Week 19: The World of Events. 

Miles' understanding of the world around him got much more complex, and as a result, the little guy probably was feeling pretty overwhelmed. Thankfully, there were many loving arms to hold him when he fussed, because I'm not sure how I would have made it on my own. One night after feeling completely exhausted and exasperated at his insanely short naps, lack of sleep at night, and constant uneasiness I picked up The Wonder Weeks read it aloud to Jesse's mom. We both chuckled because it was like someone had been spying on our family and reporting on the action -- mood swings, sleeping poorly, wants more physical contact, bad temper, wants to put EVERYTHING in his mouth. Some days, the fussiness far outweighed the cool new things he was able to do like rolling over, sitting up with just a little support, exploring everything with his hands and mouth, and general fascination with the world around him. However, it was a relief to know that what seemed like the perpetual wonder week would come to an end and we'd have back our charming son again. 

I have already started reading about the upcoming Wonder Week 26 so that I will be more understanding and prepared to challenge him through the next developmental leap. I recently upgraded to the newest extended edition of The Wonder Weeks, released in November, which goes all the way through week 75 (or 20 months). As we all know, this is the period when our babies experience their first adolescence -- the dreaded "Terrible Twos." According to Dr. Plooj, transitioning into toddlerhood is a cause for celebration and those months don't have to be terrible if I am prepared and know what's going on in his head. I plan to read and re-read these chapters so that Jesse and I can make the most of a very challenging time ahead.

Even in just the first few months of reading about Miles' developmental leaps, I've found that planning ahead and preparing myself for those upcoming stormy periods has helped me to be more accepting of those cranktastic days, knowing that something awesome is just around the corner.

Christmas Eve

Little supervising sugar cookie decorating.

Sugar cookies ready for hungry bellies.

 Delicious crab cakes made by E & L.

The frantic search for the pickle ornaments.

Opening the medium pickle prize.

On Our Own

My mom left for home this morning and J and I are officially on our own. I feel pretty lucky that we had three weeks of uninterrupted assistance from our parents after Little's arrival. My unplanned c-section threw curve into our postnatal plans, so having family around has made easing into parenthood a lot more fun. Also, our parents got to witness his incredible growth and development in just the first three weeks of life. He now holds his head up pretty well, can track objects and recognize faces, and he even has started to smile at me and J while awake. Oh, also, he's completely busted out of all of his newborn clothing and has moved on to his three-month duds. This little dude knows how to eat!

Last night was a big step for us all, Miles slept for two four-hour stretches and another three hour stretch after that. As a result, he was a very happy baby this morning. If we had actually gone to bed with him at 8pm, we would have gotten eight hours of sleep! I'm hoping that I'm not jinxing it by telling his great accomplishment to the internet. My mom took advantage of his good rest by getting some last minute quality time while Little was incredibly alert. He cooed and kicked happily all morning. 

Also, notice his hair? That's all natural. I let it dry without combing it after his bath last night and it puffed and crinkled up like he'd been charged with electricity. It's undeniable that he's J's son -- his hair grows straight up. I've noticed that he has some new fine hair growing in just in front of his old man receding hairline. It will be interesting to see how his non-baby hair turns out!

Photo Update

Yikes! The last time I updated was over two weeks ago! The lack of posting hasn't been for lack of good material, but I've been super busy (and without a functioning camera). So, here are a few photos (taken exclusively by others) to get you up to speed.

Chicago was amazing. For once I brought good weather with me on vacation. I had such fun catching up with Lauren and exploring her neighborhood. We stopped in for the afternoon at the Chicago Botanical Gardens and admired all of the early bloomers.

This variety of Ranunculus were absolutely gorgeous. Definitely on my list of must have garden items when I get that patch of grass someday.

J's parents were in town for the weekend and we caught the first Timbers game of the season. It's a good thing we got there early and secured good seats, because the Timbers won to a sold out crowd. I celebrated by inhaling a giant hot dog. I can't wait for the rest of the season!

On Sunday, we all took an epic hike up to the Japanese Garden, then on to the Pittock Mansion, and back down to the city through Forrest Park. I'm guessing it was in the range of 6-8 miles (with lots of uphill climbs) and we were all happy to land at the final destination, St. Honore's Boulangerie for sandwiches and pastries.

I had another prenatal group meeting with the midwives yesterday and all seems to be going well. I got to hear Baby G's heartbeat again, which is always a nice treat, but not without some difficulty -- he kept kicking the dopplar before the nurse's aid could get an accurate count. Finally, he played nice and let us document the 150 beats per minute. He then settled down for the afternoon, but started up again right around bedtime so J could feel his bumps and rolls. J's finally been able to understand what I mean when I say "the baby is going nuts right now."

Back in Portland

Last week J and I flew to Jacksonville, FL for a much overdue visit with my parents and sister. After a bit of a snafu with our plane in Portland, we thought we might not make it, but somehow miraculously showed up only two hours later than scheduled. The week was filled with a bit of work, a bit of play, and for my mom and me, lots and lots of shopping. I guess I should say browsing, because there wasn't a whole lot of buying -- except for a couple of maternity shirts that I found on sale. We looked at crib options, car seats, tested out strollers, and I even allowed myself to gush over the totally cute bedding at this boutique that carried really really expensive strollers. I had to keep repeating to myself, I will not be seduced by monkey sheets, I will not be seduced by monkey sheets, I am stronger and more powerful than the cutesy monkey sheets.

On Saturday, we all drove down to St. Augustine for an afternoon in the gorgeous sunny weather. Neither Jesse or I had been before, so it was a treat just to walk around and check out the town. We spent quite a bit of time at Castillo de San Marcos, one of the oldest standing structures in North America. The fort was started in 1672 by the Spanish to defend their empire and is one of the cooler forts that I've seen. You'd probably get a better sense of my new totally normal looking maternity top if my sister hadn't pinched my rear end two seconds before the shot was taken. Look at her smile. She is so proud.

Later, we walked around the Flagler College campus and explored the lobby of one of their main residence halls. Can you believe students actually get to live in this building? As we were walking my parents to their car, a horse and carriage parked next to an old church that we were admiring. Apparently, I must suffer from post-morning sickness trauma, because the smell of horse pee sent me leaning over the church wall trying desperately not to lose my lunch. Luckily, I was able to compose myself before anything terribly embarrassing happened, but just in time for an entire group of trolley riders to witness my dramatic scene.

J, Katie, and I were left to our own devices for a couple of hours while waiting to meet up with my good friend Jon and his wife, Cathy, for dinner. Had circumstances been different, we probably would have ponied up to a bar and sampled a local brew or two. Since I've found that it's not really all that exciting to watch my husband drink great beer, we settled on a roaring game of mini golf instead. We found this 18-hole course tucked into a maze of hedges near the marina and had a blast. And at only $4.50/person it was quite a fun deal.

Sunday was a low-key afternoon. Jesse and I packed up our things, we all had a delicious lunch, and then went for a walk on the beach before heading out to the airport. It was a great trip.

No Inspirado

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!

Grand Larceny

Jesse's parents were in town this weekend for a quick visit and we had an awesome time. We went on lots of neighborhood walks, stopped at a couple of our favorite food spots, and went to a Timbers playoff game at PGE Park. Unfortunately, the Timbers tied with the Vancouver Whitecaps, which was not enough to advance them on in the tournament. It was quite heartbreaking to see the team so distraught after the game. So, we had to all drown our sorrows in some good Cajun food at Montage. I personally comforted myself with the Spold mac & cheese with Andouille sausage. We also shared a plate of crawfish hushpuppies that were outstanding.

On one of our walks through Ladd's Addition, we stopped to admire this plant that nobody could identify. I'd never seen anything quite like it before and was struck by the beautiful pink flowers and teal centers/berries growing inside. I haven't bothered to Google it yet, as I'm hoping that you, the internets, will help me come to some determination. The flowers were growing on what appeared to be a small tree, or a very well-trained bush. Seriously, I've never seen that blue color occur like that in nature. It was pretty awesome.

Walking through the neighborhoods made me long for a cute house with a yard again. It was like tearing open a wound that I thought had healed. Given that I still have not been able to figure out what I'm going to do for work here in Portland, renting will likely have to suffice. And honestly, I'm pretty okay with that solution. I went to a couple of websites this afternoon to check out what's available. Jesse and I are going to ride around a few neighborhoods this weekend to see if there is anything on the rental market that might work.

With that said, I didn't have much time to think about those cute bungalows calling my name, as I had a short interview with a staffing agency and later broke into a friend's house and stole their car. Heh. I like to leave out the part about them giving me permission and giving explicit instructions on how to break into their house and car. Even still, I was a bad-ass ninja today (avert your eyes if you can't handle the the masked facade). The photo was taken just before I (the perp) entered the premises and made off with their Matrix. My ninja status was seriously compromised by the baby car seat and smiley sunshine face in the backseat. However, if I didn't look in the rear view mirror too much, it was easily ignored. Besides, even ninjas sometimes have to transport cute babies and their parents home from the the airport from time to time.

Welcome Back Fall

Today seemed to be the quintessential fall day in Portland -- gray, cool, and rainy. It was a perfect day to lounge around the apartment, dreaming of good (warm) things to cook. My absence from the blog over the past week has been due almost entirely to the fact that my sister was in town visiting. I had such a nice time having her around that I forgot entirely about updating. Thankfully, I didn't forget to take photos!

The week was packed full of things that I felt were essential to getting to know "my" Portland. We went out to Fabric Depot to hunt for new project fabric and found inspiration for a Halloween costume. On our way home, we stopped by Burgerville, the local fast food joint that serves up very tasty burgers and sandwiches (and sweet potato fries). Friday was very sunny and warm, if a little hazy, so we drove up to the Pittock Mansion for one of the best views of Mt. Hood. Before heading out for our excursion, we stopped at Kenny & Zukes on NW Thurman for tasty sandwiches.

After the Pittock Mansion, we stopped to smell the flowers at the International Rose Test Garden. The sun was perfect and Katie got a lot of great shots of the final blooms for the season. On the agenda, of course, was one of our favorite happy hour spots, Bridgeport Brewery. Most every evening was ended with a round or two of games, so I was in heaven.

While it was tempting to sleep in and lounge around most days, we got up early and out the door for a full day of bike riding on Saturday. After renting a bike for Katie, we rode around town on a 17.5 mile tour. One of our stops was at Stumptown Coffee where our good friend, Brian, gave us a tour. Then, we had an outstanding lunch at Por Que No. Between the bike ride, Mexican food, and tasty margaritas that we made in the evening, Katie said that she'd never slept better!

Overall it was an awesome week and I hope she comes back soon!

Comfortable Shoes? Check.

Today was the first day of freedom after a very long two weeks. Summer school toward the end kind of kicked my butt. I forgot how tiring class can be and how insanely disruptive it is to the day to day schedule. Since mid-July, my life Monday-Thursday has consisted of getting up, eating breakfast, reading/note taking, class, and totally spacing out before bed. I learned a lot, but whooo doggies, I don't think I'll do summer school again. Class two days a week is much more my speed.

Maybe I wouldn't have minded as much, but my parents were in town last week, just as class was getting stressful. Their visit wasn't stressful to me, just the fact that I hated having to break up the day for school. I wish I could have suspended classes for a few days so I could maximize my time, but unfortunately I haven't perfected time travel. If I could warp time (Star Trek style), I would go back to Thursday afternoon when I skipped a trip to Multnomah Falls to study for the exam that turned out to be open book/notes. Whatever, I don't want to talk about it. I'm thinking happy thoughts.

The weather during my parents' visit was grey and rainy, which quite literally was the first time that happened in about two months. Mt. Hood stayed hidden behind the clouds their entire stay. However, the clouds kept things cool, which was really nice for walking around the city. This was my Mom's first time visiting Portland, and my Dad's second (his first was in the early 1980s) and he somehow remembered that Beaverton was a lot closer to Eugene. It's a good thing he came back to clear things up! While I am always happy to see my parents, this trip was particularly exciting, because this is the first time we were all together in our new city. It was great showing them around our neighborhood and introducing them to our favorite happy hour spots. We also toured around the east side of Portland quite a bit to show them the areas where we're interested in living someday. I think I have my Dad all but convinced that they need to retire here, but that's several years in the distance. They're playing into my nefarious plans to get all of our friends and family to relocate here. Watch out! You're next.

Anyway, with most of July and half of August consumed with school, I've had very little time to plan for our trip to Belgium and Germany. I looked at the calendar today and realized that it's just 17 days away! I have so many things to do to prepare, so I decided to head out to the dreaded mall and do a little shopping. First thing on the agenda was finding a bathing suit (not for Europe, but a rafting trip we're taking next weekend) and pair of comfortable walking shoes. I'm trying not to remember the bathing suit shopping. Why do department stores insist on putting such unflattering lights in the dressing rooms? I looked like myself in 15 years if I developed a gnarly case of jaundice. In bathing suit terms, that's just about the worst thing possible.

Luckily, my shoe mission was a lot more enjoyable. I did a little research online and found that comfortable no longer equals hideous (or sneakers). In addition to comfort and cuteness, I determined that I need a strap so I don't lose them when riding my bike (like the day that my ballet-style shoe flew off on a commute home from school and barely missed a moving vehicle). So, I stopped by a local shoe store with a great variety -- they even measured my feet and arches to determine just the right size. The perfect shoe, the Naot Primrose, turned out to be one of the most expensive in the store -- naturally. They feel like heaven, as they should, given that they cost more than our weekly grocery budget. However, Jesse reminded me that I wear through shoes much less frequently than he does and having comfortable (cute) shoes is important. I've been wearing them around the house this evening and can't wait to put them to the test on the town. I have quite a few more (non-car related) errands to run tomorrow.

Remembering

My grandfather passed away last night after a rather quick bout with leukemia.

J and I were lucky enough to have visited last spring before he knew he was sick. Our visit to Terrebonne Parish was highlighted by lots of food, laughter, and culture. J found a soul mate on that trip, someone who wore snap-down cowboy shirts nearly every day (a fashion statement that J wishes he could pull off at the office). It was an amazing trip for both of us, but for different reasons. J had never been to Louisiana, eaten a crawfish, or had hush puppies, but most importantly, he had never shared this part of my life. For me, it was a wonderful opportunity to explore the place that lingers as faint memories from my childhood, but holds such a rich history for the generations of my family that have settled no further than 20 or 30 minutes from their birthplace.

We took a bit of a driving tour down to Montegut where my mother was born and raised. It felt good to see that day the parts of Louisiana that were so important to my grandfather. We followed the road through Montegut literally to its end -- if you wanted to go any further, you'd need a boat. Paw-paw's eyes would light up whenever he talked about the water. He knew every inch of the bayous and could recall every storm and change over the years with brilliant clarity.

I regret that I never bothered to ask him how he made his rabbit stew. It's probably one of the most simple, yet delicious dishes I've tasted. I also wish that I sat down to talk to him sooner to hear all of his stories about life as a commercial fisherman, working on the giant oil rigs, or hell, how it felt to grow up in one of the weirdest yet, most incredible places in the country. (If only I had started my blog five years earlier, all of the history I could tell).

At the same time, some of my fondest memories are of me and him sitting in our back yard in Atlanta. One summer, I forced him to listen to one of my hideous Cabbage Patch Kids cassette tapes over and over and over while he whittled a bow and arrow out of some spare sticks. He was an amazing woodworker and I'd like to think some of Paw-paw's industriousness rubbed off on me a little -- his devilish streak certainly did. Even though he was moving slowly on that last visit, my grandmother still shielded her rear in family photos. He was constantly on the hunt for the best opportunity give her a goose. You can see by the cheer in his eyes (and the grimace on her face) that he found that opportunity just before we headed for the airport.

Goodbye, Paw-Paw. You will be missed.

Checking In

Yes, I'm still alive. Not as active on the blog, but still alive. It's been a rough week.

My Mom decided to extend her week-long trip in Louisiana to visit my grandparents because my grandfather is not doing very well at all. He and my grandmother agreed to let Hospice come in and take over on Friday and his condition had been deteriorating rapidly. I spent a lot of time this weekend accepting this fact, but I've also been preparing for this for a while. However, my grandmother isn't handling it very well and that's been a strain. My Mom has relayed countless stories about how the relatives are worried that he's not interested in eating anymore. I can just imagine them telling my Mom, "maybe you could just puree a little gumbo for him" -- leave it to a southerner to worry about a dying man's appetite.

J's parents are coming tomorrow to visit for a few days. I am really excited for their arrival and can't wait to explore Portland this weekend while they're in town. Although, this week has prevented me from doing the chores that I would normally obsess over when guests are imminent. I just haven't had the (mental) strength to struggle with the vacuum hose. Lame. I know, I've already given myself plenty of guilt trips over that fact this week. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to have a morning filled with vacuuming, dusting, and general scrubbing. What have I done instead of vacuuming and scrubbing you ask? Well, I made an extra large pot of chili and a veggie lasagna large enough to feed a family of eight. I must be genetic -- I cook food in crisis, and lots of it.

Despite the rough week, I've kept myself busy working around the house and doing a bit of editing for J (to relieve him from a bit of strain that's piled up as a result of his site visits in February and March). I also signed up to do an online focus group and write a "blog" about my home decorating choices and purchases. At the end of 10 days, I'll get a nice fat $150 check, but mostly this stupid focus group/blog has been my sanity. I get to mindlessly sit down in the evening and write about my inspiration, which revolves around how I'd like to eventually redecorate my bathroom, kitchen and living room. It's all fantasy of course, because I'm pretty happy where I am right now in terms of home decoration, but it has given me a few ideas.

And, oh the things I've learned from having to do home decorating research online. Did you know that Fiestaware just came out with a new color called Lemongrass? I think it would look pretty rad in our kitchen. Also, for this focus group, I have to write a daily "inspiration journal" and realized that I should probably have a pretty shower curtain in the bathroom (instead of the clear liner that we've lived with for the past 7 months).

Speaking of redecorating, I have had this fabric from Urban Outfitters sitting around since Christmas and it just occurred to me that it would be a fabulous addition to the bathroom. Oh focus group blog (probably sponsored by the Devil), why do you taunt me when you know I have better things to worry about?! This evening (after writing my "inspiration journal") I pulled the fabric out of the closet and hung it over the shower curtain just to see if my mind's eye was on target. I summonsed J in the bathroom to give his expert opinion. I don't think he realized was that I meant was, "what do you think of me making this a shower curtain tonight?"

What? Can't a woman be spontaneous?

Louisiana Kitchen

Jesse comes home tonight from his three-day trip to Washington, D.C. From what I can tell, he worked hard, but he also played hard. Even though I joked with him yesterday that I could get used to the apartment being this quiet all the time, I'm really excited to have him back. Since he's managed to gorge on terrible food for the past three days (burgers, grilled cheese, pizza, and who knows what else), I've decided to cook a nice satisfying meal to celebrate his arrival. What's on the menu? Gumbo, Mama's Yeast Rolls (from Paul Prudhomme), and King Cake.

I've had King Cake (and my grandfather) on the brain lately and was sent over the edge last night when I started reading Calvin Trillin's The Tummy Trillogy. In his introduction he talked about scouring Louisiana for the best boudin (pronounced boo-dahn). While reading, I couldn't get my mind off of a trip we took to Louisiana last year to visit my grandparents. Jesse and I enjoyed some damn good boudin from Bourgeois Meat Market in Thibodaux, which my grandparents swear has the best around. I wonder if Mr. Trillin would agree?

Boudin is one of those truly regional foods that -- Mom correct me if I'm wrong -- I have yet to find on a menu outside of Louisiana. We picked up boudin in the three varieties available that day; white (pork and rice), crawfish, and red (pork blood sausage). Boudin is cooked inside the casings, so you just have to heat it up before eating. The only way I can describe it is a delicious, thick, meat stew made into a sausage. We also got homemade beef jerky that was out of this world. Served with a side of red beans and rice, you have a respectable dinner or supper.

In this photo, Jesse is enjoying four pounds of crawfish. The waitress said her boyfriend could eat that much and still have room for sides, so that's what he ordered. Four pounds proved to be almost too much, even for Jesse. Anyway, in addition to crawfish, shrimp, and hushpuppies galore, Jesse also got to sample my grandparent's gumbo, which was awesome. It's not the fancy-pants gumbo you get in restaurants, but simple, rich, delicious, and made with just a handful of ingredients -- I have yet to perfect it myself. It's the kind of gumbo that I grew up on and as a result, I now a very low tolerance for anything that doesn't meet the mark. So, I usually just eat it when I go home (and make it occasionally myself).

Since finding boudin in Portland seems to be a long shot, I'll have to settle for a giant pot of chicken and sausage gumbo. I'm pretty sure there's a shop down the street that sells andouille sausage, so my mission today is to seek it out. I'm also going to have to perfect my roux for just the right flavor. It's going to be a fun afternoon!

A Long Weekend in Photos

I had a nice long weekend and I'm sad to see it come to an end. Although we didn't really do anything spectacular, it was nice to just hang around the house with Jesse and relax. Tomorrow he is off on another business trip and I have the apartment all to myself. That means I have a list of things I want to accomplish while he's gone.

The Pecan Shortbread Strawberry bars were a hit at the office, but were trumped by a lemon cake. I never saw it coming. Oh Lemon Cake!! Why!? (shaking fists). Jesse got second place and took home a cute little box of truffles from a local chocolate shop. It was a valiant effort, but next year we're going to have to whip out the big guns.

In preparation for a busy week around the house, I maximized relaxation time this weekend. Most of my days were spent in slippers and sweats, only getting dressed when leaving the apartment was absolutely necessary (like beer and wings night for Valentines day).

We had a Risk extravaganza and Jesse kicked my butt again. I didn't really mind that he annihilated my army because I was "practicing" for our Belgium/Germany trip with Trappist ale. I think we will have to play Risk more often. It was a lot of fun.

The rest of the weekend pretty much revolved around sewing and cooking. My work space at the beginning of the week was a mess, so I started by cleaning up a bit.

I found out this week that my grandfather was diagnosed with leukemia. He's been sick for a while, so the diagnosis is more of a definite answer to a series of symptoms than a surprise -- nonetheless, it was shocking. I don't think the news quite set in until this weekend and as a result, I spent a lot of therapeutic ironing time, just thinking. There's something incredibly calming and satisfying about a giant stack of ironed, folded fabric. Don't you think?

I started playing around again with circles and some new color combinations. I've always been drawn to more primary and secondary colors for quilts, but decided it's time to branch out a little. I've been inspired lately by greens and browns and even orange. So, welcoming the tertiary spectrum into the sewing room has been a nice change. I have no idea where this one is going, but I am the queen of multiple projects!


Finally, finishing up the long weekend, I made a delicious dinner. I cheated a bit on the fish (it was marinated at Trader Joe's and quite tasty), but the sides were all homemade with love. We've been on a bit of a dark leafy greens kick, so accompanying the fish was swiss chard sauteed with mushrooms and onions, and creamy lima beans. The beans were made with the The Picayune's Creole Cookbook recipe and were even tastier than the first batch I made a few weeks ago.

Speaking of the Picayune, Fat Tuesday is on February 24th! That doesn't give me a lot of time to experiment with King Cake before the Lenten season begins. Not that I participate in Lent, but maybe it will be a motivator to try out some baking this week. I also have to make another round of granola, as Jesse has nearly made his way through my first batch. Needless to say, it's tasty!

Long Weekend Part 1: A Taste of Adventure

As I mentioned earlier, Eric and Lea visited for the long holiday weekend. I was so happy to have them here in our new town. We had a great time just hanging out, exploring Portland, going to a concert, making delicious food, and drinking delicious beer. One of the highlights? Taste testing four grades of maple syrup that Eric brought home from his visit to Vermont this winter. What better way to start a day than with eggs, Ken's Artisan Bakery's Oregon Croissants, and homemade french toast. MMM! That's happiness.

The weekend was packed with lots of adventures, but unfortunately I failed to take very many photos (other than this rad pic). More exciting posts are certain to follow as soon as the weekend photographers share their wonderful shots! Saturday, in particular, was quite a day. We experienced ice, wind of epic proportions, beautiful crisp weather, rainbows, noodle soup, and a concert.

As for now, I need a nap. Big time. I had the misfortune of having some work to finish yesterday that took a lot longer than expected. Unfortunately, I didn't spend much time after lunch doing anything except for writing alone in the bedroom. My meeting this morning went really well, so I'm glad I stayed up late to finish, but now my body is crashing.

Hopefully while I'm napping, a certain stranger will make me very happy by posting her video taken this Saturday on YouTube. She was able to capture Jesse and Eric scaring the ever-loving-crap out of me with their antics on one of our outings. I barely survived the trauma and certainly didn't have the wherewithal to pull out my camera. In case the anticipation is too much to handle, here's a little taste of the conditions at Crown Point in the Columbia Gorge on Saturday:

(This is video footage was taken same day that we visited the gorge...Gusts up to 100 mph.)

Christmas in Santa Cruz

I seriously need to get my butt in gear to bring our icy Christmas story to a close. Luckily, it all ended well. Since we were all up way past midnight on Christmas Eve, we all slept in a bit on Christmas morning. I think things got going around 11am as we all slowly migrated towards the living room around the Christmas tree. We spent a couple of hours opening presents and watching Jesse and his two brothers fall right back into their regular routines of horsing around and creating general chaos with their playful teasing.

After presents we had a delicious apple pancake breakfast (as warranted by tradition) and lounged around in our slippers into the afternoon. J pitched in and set the table for the Christmas dinner, coming up with this utensil teepee for our enjoyment.

Friday and Saturday were spent here and there at home and downtown. It was so nice to relax and enjoy spending time with J's brothers and parents. Saturday night we had family friends over for dinner and drinks and were able to catch up on all the days that have flown by in 2008.

Following dinner (and a few drinks) J and Larson started reminiscing about one of their favorite childhood games, Marble Run. They set up the game in the living room and we (nine grown adults) were screaming and jumping as our marbles raced down the track. Luckily, J's brother E knew how to set up sports brackets and we played for at least an hour or two.

I have a couple of videos of the action that I took with my camera, but I can't figure out how to rotate them. I thought about posting the video sideways, but it's kind of annoying. Maybe someday I'll figure it out!