Week in Review

Holiday weekends are the best. They give you an excuse to get together with friends, eat lots of delicious food, and lounge around without guilt (recovering from all of the friends, food, and activities). On Sunday, we went to a July 4th BBQ at Joanie &  Dan's house in Sellwood and walked over to watch the fireworks after the sun set. I got to test out my new camera in the dark, and I have to say it's not bad for a point and shoot. I realized while taking the photos that I really need to play around with it a lot more so I'm comfortable taking pictures on the fly when Baby G arrives. 

On Monday, J and I were generally lazy and watched movies in bed and didn't get out of our pj's until almost dinner time. At that point, some of my crazy pregnant lady hormones kicked in and I freaked out because we hadn't done a thing all weekend to get the baby's room more prepared. J looked at me like I had three heads, nodded, and got right to organizing. He's such a good sport. In the end it paid off, because good friends of Larson & Serena stopped in for a couple of nights on their month-long trip across the country and back. It was great having them around. I'm so excited that our guest bed is getting lots of use! 

The rest of the week is mostly a blur, with frantic spurts of work in between some pretty hot and uncomfortable days. Portland's weather went from a lovely 65º to nearly 100º in a matter of minutes. I would have liked a little more time to ease into summer, but I think it's just a short hot spell and we'll be back to the normal high of 80º by next week. The heat has been a test of the new apartment and I have to say that it's passing with flying colors. While uncomfortable in the afternoon, it doesn't feel like I'm roasting in hell like our old place on 19th Avenue. 

Luckily, we're escaping the heat by going to the coast with a few friends for a weekend camping trip. It feels like we get a July 4th weekend repeat and I couldn't be happier! J's parents think that I'm nuts to sleep on the ground in my very pregnant state (they may very well be right), but I see this as maybe a final hurrah before Baby G arrives. It's only for two nights, we have pretty decent camping mats, and I fully plan on relaxing on the beach and at the campground. If only I didn't have to go in to work this morning. I'm pretty excited to get this show on the road!

Finished!

Yesterday was my last day of economics class (hallelujah)! It's not that I didn't enjoy it most of the time, but Monday, March 15th was a day that I had been dreading for a while. I had a final paper due in addition to a final take home exam, and to top it all off I had to give a presentation on my paper topic. Needless to say, I've been off the grid for a couple of days trying to finish all of the work. Because having a doozie of a Monday in terms of schoolwork wasn't quite enough, last night the organization I work for part time was hosting a lecture. Basically, I was at work by 9:00am and didn't get home until 10:30pm with class and stuff in between.

The day actually wasn't as horrendous as I imagined it would be and that's due partially to scaring myself shitless into finishing all of my work ahead of the absolute final deadline. This was a first. (I also convinced myself in that fury to finish my work Sunday night that I had somehow killed our baby, but that is an entirely other neurotic story.) I woke up early on Monday morning starving, with the baby thumping and poking around -- probably waiting impatiently for an energy rush from a giant bowl of cottage cheese.

The weather outside yesterday was unusually nice, which made being chained to a desk at work even harder. That is, until I looked up and a little sign was glowing. "Open Windows." It's not like I hadn't noticed the sign before. I just assumed it was something for fire code that meant the windows were operable. However, this was the first time I had ever seen it glowing. So, I turned around and asked the nearest person what it all meant.

Prepare to be wowed.

Apparently, a few feet below that sign is a high tech fancy weather meter. It calculates the outside temperature and humidity and when the conditions are just right, the sensor shuts off the HVAC system and flips on the light. It quite literally means "open your windows right now because it's beautiful out and you will love the fresh air." I looked around and nearly all of the office had the windows cracked, even if just a bit, and were basking in the gorgeous weather. The architecture firm that currently occupies the floor renovated the space, which is the top floor of a historic building. They're really into taking sustainability seriously and have done as much as humanly possible to advance their efforts -- there are even food scrap bins for composting in the shared kitchen area.

I have to say, this idea wouldn't work everywhere. I think there would be about 3.2 days a year when the weather would cooperate enough in Washington, D.C. to warrant turning off the heat or air conditioning in favor of fresh air. However, Portland has an abundance of really nice weather, so why not take advantage?

Today wasn't quite as nice, so I wasn't sad to be inside finishing that one final paper. It's done now and I can breathe a huge sigh of relief. Spring break officially begins.....NOW.

Snow Snow Snow!

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.

I'm a Popsicle

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?

Sweet Relief

Last night the temperature finally dropped below 78° and I was able to sleep. Having gotten only a little over three hours of shut eye on Tuesday night, coupled with (almost) record-breaking temperatures of 107° in the afternoon, I was on the verge of a breakdown. Our apartment at midnight was 93°!! I haven't quite been that cantankerous since I was in my final weeks of grad school -- on a particularly rough afternoon Jesse declared, "it's a good thing you're cute and I love you." When were walking toward Powell's for another round of free air-conditioning, I fussed him for walking too fast and he sighed, "I'd enjoy this heat a lot more if you weren't perpetually ornery." I thought it was a legitimate complaint, who speed walks on a sweltering evening?

Anyway, we set up the second window fan in the bedroom (blowing full speed directly on my head) and I slept like a log the entire night. I was so rested that I was actually awake and decided to go for a run before the sun got too hot. Our apartment is still pretty toasty from four days of 100+ temperatures, so we headed out to the library to do work. It's been an incredibly productive day and to top it all off, I got to go to Döner Kebab for a lunch break. It's owned by a German family and is the closest thing that I've come to döners that I had in Berlin ages ago -- hence the name Döner Kebab -- and has quickly become one of my favorite lunch spots.

The meat is roasted on a spit, similar to gyros, but is way better. I also learned that the meat is turkey (and seriously out of this world), which makes it a little healthier right? I didn't take a photo of our meal (I feel uncomfortable about photographing food in restaurants), so the borrowed image from the Portland Mercury will have to suffice. I can't wait to test out the real thing in Germany when we visit in September to see how the Portland version stacks up.

Apparently I Moved to the Sun (or Reno)

Dear Portland,

I know it's oppressively hot, but for the love of god, please exercise some personal hygiene. I don't smell like roses at the end of a long hot day on my bike, but dammit, I try to not make my fellow streetcar riders' eyes tear from my stench. The serious funk is not acceptable, especially when I KNOW you aren't homeless.

Yours Truly,

Brasilliant

I have no words for the weather that we're experiencing. In fact, typing makes me feel as though I'm going to burst into flames. Today, it was 104º. One-hundred-four-degrees. Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of people telling me every single season that "this never happens."

This freak weather is making me a miserable soul with hair stiff from sweat who has to come home to an apartment that is 92.3 degrees (courtesy of the instant-read thermometer) at midnight.

Poo on this weather. I'm moving to the north pole.

P.S. We won our kickball game. That helped a little.

Decorating wtih Office Supplies

It got above 90 degrees for three days over the long weekend, which feels like the fires of hell in a third floor apartment with south facing windows. However, we still managed to have a great weekend. We met up with friends, went running, bike riding, and saw some fireworks. Because of the heat there was absolutely no cooking, so I have very few spectacular things, food-wise, to report. I'll post on our Mexican feast tomorrow when I'm feeling a little more ambitious. Mostly, we ate leftovers and anything could be had cold or at room temperature. Even doing dishes heated up the kitchen a little too much, so we didn't do a lot of that either.

I was slightly annoyed that our cheap metal blinds did very little to combat the melting sunbeams. On Friday afternoon, I started scrounging for items large enough to cover our windows in an effort to create make-shift blackout shades. Our plans were semi-successful. Guests from our dinner party last month will recognize our table cloth, stepping in to serve its wartime role as a binder clip roman shade. Our guest bed sheet is hanging in the bedroom with uneven swags created by straight pins and push pins. Who knew office supplies could come in so handy?!

Every time I curse the heat, I have to remind myself that such days are few and far between in Portland. I hardly think it's worth having an air-conditioning unit for a total of less than two weeks a year. I also try to remember that it's summer in one of the greatest cities for fresh produce and tasty food. I like to think that my torture this weekend is rewarded by gorging on a giant bowl of deliciously sweet fresh fruit for breakfast. Mmm. Summer tastes delicious.

Today, I am focusing on getting the apartment in order after the weekend. Hopefully, I'll cook a few dishes and make up for my lack of ambition for the past week. The temperature is only supposed to get up to 68 degrees today. Maybe I'll even turn on the oven for something sweet!

National Running Day

Eric alerted me to the fact that today is National Running Day. I felt obliged to participate (partially because I ate a lot of cake this past weekend and satisfied a rather large ice cream craving last night).

The run started out at a nice steady pace and I managed to keep it up for 15 minutes. I probably would have gone a little longer, but I reached the point in my route where I am confronted by a giant hill (one that makes me huff and puff just walking, much less running). After walking up the astoundingly steep, yet short hill, I decided to run again on flat ground. I was marveling at all of the roses in bloom in our neighborhood and how wonderful they smelled in the hot afternoon sun. Then, I hit a wall.

Around minute 9 of my second stretch of running, my legs turned to lead and my lungs shriveled up into raisins. So, I stopped, walked it off, and stretched a little. I tried running again and after only 2 minutes, I was halted by a wave of nausea (from hunger, not exhaustion). I had run completely out of fuel and my body was plotting to digest my legs. Thankfully, I was only about a half mile away from home. With engine lights flashing and my gas tank on empty, I dragged myself up the three flights of stairs and downed a glass of water, a grapefruit Juice Squeeze, and some leftover pasta from last night.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. I felt like Old Mother Hubbard this morning when I opened the fridge, so I made a grocery list and purchased an entire cart full of produce and basics like oatmeal, crackers, and milk. Apparently, I went on vacation a week early and managed to not buy an ounce of food before we left for Santa Cruz. While out, I also picked up another window fan, which is working overtime in our living room. Today peaked at 90 degrees, but was very tolerable inside. Thank you Holmes for manufacturing a cheap, yet effective way of not melting in the summer.

You know what is still on vacation (besides my brain)? My camera. I have yet to pull it out of the suitcase. What kind of blogger have I become? In lieu of a photo of all of the roses that were in bloom on my run today, here is a photo of a lovely flower at the Japanese Garden in May. It isn't a rose, and didn't really smell like anything, so you'll have to use your imagination.

Sandwich Night

Last night's dinner turned out to be a lot more fun than I had imagined. I picked up a loaf of cibatta from Ken's, dusted off my mandolin to slice thin veggies, and paired it all with a little ham and some goat cheese. The Ken's bread loaf turned out to be a little much for a traditional sandwich, so we used the slices as the mode of delivery for lots and lots of crispy greens.

Jesse really got into building his dinner creations and made pile after pile of stylized open-faced sandwiches. By the end, they no longer resembled sandwiches, but rather gobs of arugula, sprouts and cucumbers shoved into a tiny piece of crust and held together by a strip of ham -- kind of like a cibatta taco. I wonder if Mark Bittman has our tiny apartment tapped for blog ideas: Sandwich Anyone? Now that I look through the photo entries, I'm sad I didn't take more pictures of Jesse's creations. They were quite lovely and didn't raise the temperature of the kitchen one bit.

Speaking of temperature, the twin fan worked brilliantly (and Portland weather flipped me the bird). Not two hours after we installed the window fan, a giant weather system came through and cooled things down to a brisk 50 degrees. After the sun went down a little, the bedroom was 60 degrees in no time. In fact, it was a little too cold by the time we woke up this morning that turned it off completely. Of course, it won't work as well when the outside temperature is hovering at 90, but for now, it's perfect. As long as the evenings cool down, I think I can survive.

Wilting

It's gotten pretty warm for the past few days, up to 80 degrees over the weekend. Today wasn't bad, only around 75 degrees, but our apartment still felt like a layer of hell. Ok, I exaggerate a little, but according to the instant read kitchen thermometer, the apartment was about 82 degrees around 2pm. The problem with the apartment is that we have zero shade from the trees outside and the sun roasts our 600 square feet like an Easy Bake Oven. Given that our windows are all on one wall, there is very little air circulation -- especially when we have to keep the shades drawn for a better part of the afternoon.

Today I finally got tired of standing right in front of our oscillating fan to cool off, so I went out and picked up a window fan to try and draw some of the cool outdoor air into the bedroom. It's on a trial run this afternoon to see if I will make the cut. I have to admit that it is cooler in the bedroom (78 degrees instead of 82) and the extra breeze is a nice touch. However, it would be awesome if it had a 4th fan setting for turbo jet to create a tornado effect. We'll run it tonight to see if it really makes a difference. I'm hoping that it does. Otherwise, I'll just hang out in the basement all summer where it's nice and cool.

Another side effect of the warmer temperatures is that I haven't really wanted to turn on the stove at all in the evenings. This means that Jesse has run out of granola and our dinners have been simple and at room temperature. Last night we had pasta with bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, olives and feta. Today, I picked up a loaf of bread from Ken's and we're going to make sandwiches.

I think I'll probably break my non-cooking streak tonight and do a little baking once the sun gets lower. Last week I baked peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies and would like to try them again. They were delicious. I think both Jesse and I loved them so much because they were pretty hearty and relatively healthy -- I have deemed them "magic cookies" for their restorative powers. We've had them around for snacks and both found out that a "magic cookie" and a glass of water make the perfect fuel before runs. I'm going to reduce the sugar this time by 1/4 cup and continue to use regular oats (I don't have the quick cook kind in the pantry). I think they will be a staple in the kitchen, sort of like a homemade power bar.

April Showers

I know I sound like a broken record, but Portland's springtime weather is weird. The past few days have been really cold. It's so strange, because it should be warm and beautiful. I mean, look at the trees! They're exploding with blossoms. It looks like there was a giant pink wedding all over our neighborhood. Even the trash cans are lovely and pink with petals.

Today I took a walk to 23rd Avenue to send out a FedEx package for Jesse and decided to do a little window shopping. I stopped in at the Paper Source, one of the few stores that compel me to spend lots of money for no good reason. I am helpless in it's grasp, so I try to only go in when I have a specific item to purchase. It is also one of those stores that Jesse swears sucks oxygen out of his lungs -- that and shopping malls. Therefore, I choose to go alone. I spent about 30 minutes just looking and dreaming. It was nice, I picked up a lot of good ideas and left the store empty handed. I'm pretty sure that was a first!

I walked down the street to head home and was pulled into another shop, as if by gravity. It was Moonstruck Chocolatier. I know from experience that they love to give samples. Lucky day! I am not averse to trying samples! I tasted a raspberry Chambord truffle that was out of this world. They are smart, those Moonstruck ladies, because I never leave the store without a goody or two for later. I mean, I did it for Jesse. He'd be really sad that he missed out on chocolate. So, I picked out a milk chocolate banana truffle, and a Tuaca liqueur truffle with caramel. Did I mention that I am a mere selfless creature and bought the chocolates just for Jesse? They're being reserved for after dinner, but have been tempting me all afternoon.

As for now, I have a large task at hand. Graham, Jesse's youngest (yet tallest) brother, is arriving sometime tomorrow and the apartment needs a good cleaning. I think the truffles will be a nice reward for vacuuming and scrubbing the bathroom!

Monday Outing

Yesterday, I spent a good part of the early afternoon indoors doing laundry (I was running severely low on underwear supply), but the payoff was a walk down to the waterfront to see the cherry trees in bloom. The weather was perfect; 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. J called me on his way out of the office and met me near the Steel Bridge, where we parked his bike and took a nice walk in the sun. When I pulled out my camera to capture him riding in his work outfit, he said, "oh god, are you going to blog about this?" I promptly told him "yes" and that he better look cute. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Portland. Jesse is just one of hundreds who ride to and from the office in their work outfits.

For a minute, it was hard to tell whether I was walking along the Willamette River, or along the Tidal Basin in D.C. Of course, the show is not nearly as spectacular as the Jefferson Memorial framed by pink puffs, but it was pretty great. After our stroll along the rows of cherry trees, we had to haul home to make the tip off of the final NCAA basketball game -- UNC vs. Michigan State. I really didn't want to fill out a bracket this year, but J (and his brother, E) goaded me into submission.

I spent a few hours one night reading about the teams and made a couple of risky selections that eventually paid off -- Villanova beating Pittsburgh in a nail-biter of a game and Michigan State edging out Louisville. I am happy to report that I won this year's bracket and E's girlfriend, Lea came in second place. The ladies dominated. Sweet.

Anyway, we closely watched the game clutching bowls of homemade salmon and leek chowder that I whipped up. The inspiration for chowder on such a warm day? Well, I had a few leeks leftover from our trip to the farmers market and have had salmon on the brain ever since we went out to breakfast with J's parents at Kenny and Zukes. Besides, it was published in the April edition of Bon Appetit (1995), so I knew it couldn't be too heavy. And it wasn't. It's made with milk and only a touch of cream, so it's more silky than creamy. Definitely worth four forks! I made a few changes here and there, like adding corn, reducing the cream, adding a bit of Parmesan, and subbing equal parts wine, chicken stock and clam juice. I also think I might add a clove or two of garlic next time. However, other than that, the recipe was spot on.

Oh, also, I finally captured the elusive "La Pussy Wagon" on camera. We enjoyed a good chuckle with J's parents over breakfast one morning when we spotted it for the first time on Irving Street. Yesterday, it was parked under our window and the sun was just right! Ahh. It's watching you!

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Gorgeous doesn't even begin to describe the weather today (and all weekend for that matter). The sun is shining, the air is crisp, and I even heard birds chirping. We finally made it out to the farmers market down near Portland State University. The only complaint was that I forgot gloves and my hands nearly froze during the bike ride there and back -- I think it was only about 40 degrees Saturday morning. I was so excited to walk around and look at all of the beautiful fruits and vegetables. Also, the bakeries! There were at least five people selling baked goods, ranging from decadently sweet to savory. I went the savory route and split with Jesse a bacon leek tart (on right) and a broccoli ham puff. They were delicious!

The leeks were particularly nice, so we picked up a bunch, along with some potatoes and made a nice soup for dinner last night. Also, we purchased a variety of carrots and also sampled a few varieties of sheep's milk cheese -- this was our favorite. It's aged a little longer, so it's more crumbly than creamy. I can't wait to try it out this week, perhaps with a glass of Oregon Pino Gris.

I also went running on Sunday (something that I haven't done in a very, very long time). I jogged along the waterfront downtown and all of the cherry trees were blooming and everyone was out lounging in the sun. I wish that I had my camera to take a photo, but not to worry, Jesse and I are going to meet down there after work and enjoy the afternoon! I'll post more photos of the glorious afternoon tomorrow.

Snow Again

We woke up to snow again this morning. Thankfully, it's not sticking. I imagine it will be gone by the afternoon, but it certainly is pretty right now.

Rain Rain Go Away

...or at least slow down a little.

I thought the snow two weeks ago was bad. However, the rain seems to be just as damaging, maybe even more so. Coupled with the melting snow, the insane amount of rain we're getting has caused a ton of flooding, which has become the new **Severe Weather Warning** message that flashes across our weather.com screen. This is a photo of Interstate 5 about an hour-and-a-half north of Portland. In case you can't tell, it's completely under water. As of right now, it's still closed in both directions. Given that I-5 is pretty much the main road from Seattle all the way down to California, I'm imagining its closure is a little like I-95 suddenly stopping in Delaware -- there would be a lot of mighty pissed Giants, Jets, Eagles, and Redskins fans.

Thankfully, Portland hasn't been hit nearly as hard as the people to the north and along the coast. It's nice to see the sun out for a change! However, I think this is just a momentary break before we're pounded again later this afternoon. Since I have spent a better part of last week and this week in the car driving to various libraries and site visits, I can honestly say that the weather has been pretty miserable. Unmanageable? No. I'm not ready to move yet, but it provides a new challenge to getting around town in the winter. Cold and wet is not a great combination.

Today our car is in the shop for a tune-up, so I'm sticking close to home to do a bit of writing and also pulling my weight with the household chores. Dun dun dun. Lots of laundry is on the horizon!

Brasilliant's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Today was a day that made me, as some would say, "lose my shit." It was just your average Monday until I got to work, opened up my weekly planner and saw the number 46 (that's the number of days until my last day of work). Yay. Then I flipped the page to next week, and saw "give notice." Wow, that's painful. Granted, I submitted my first 3 (of 6) chapters of the DC Modernism study to my boss last week. As of today, she still hasn't read through it, which is seriously making me lose my mind. I don't think I can stress enough how inadequate I feel about doing this whole thing, but deep breath. Ok.

Jesse sensed my stress today and suggested that we have lunch on his roof deck at work. It was a lovely hour spent eating our sandwiches, gazing out over the city, and seriously getting the best pep talk I've had in a while. If this whole non-profit research & evaluation thing doesn't work out, motivational speaker/life coach might be a good option for him. I went back to work energized and ready to kick ass. And I did, for about 2 hours.

Then the afternoon slump (around 3:30) reared its ugly head, and in no time, I was ready to jump off my balcony. As tears welled up in my eyes (from anger no less) I sent Jesse an instant message that went something like this : SOS, want to die, why does work hate my guts? I was promptly instructed to take a walk to the drug store to buy earplugs, Reese's pieces, and a coke. It was a nice opportunity for me to feel sorry for myself, cry a little (once on the way, and then once again when I had to buy M&M's instead of Reese's), and pull myself together. I like to think of myself as a practical person, and seriously, this girly flubbery behavior does not fit within the realm of emotions that I am prepared to handle.

About 30 minutes before I was ready to head home, the sky opened and released a torrent of rain, thunder, and lightning. It was raining so hard (in a way that Washington excels in the summer) that it was bouncing back up from the sidewalk under my skirt. In my usual timely manner, I forgot my umbrella and decided to take the bus home with the other 87 bazillion residents of D.C. Long story short, I had to wait for 4 buses to pass by before I actually got home. When I walked in the door, Jesse immediately took my bags, gave me a giant hug, and handed me a plate of leftover vegetable lasagna and a glass of wine. I cried again, partially because of my day, and partially because geez, I certainly did find a keeper.

Two glasses later, I have calmed down enough to reflect on my day. Yeah, it still was one of the worst I've had in a long time, but at least its over. Oh, and we still have enough leftover lasagna for an 8-person family, but it is quite delicious. At least I'm good at that!

FRIED!

Jesse alerted me to this headline on our walk to work this morning. The Examiner is a free commuter paper that is produced (I think) by the Washington Times. The Times should not be confused with the Washington Post, which is an actual newspaper that has a substantial readership and rigorous commentary.

Anyway, the headline this morning pretty much sums up the past 5 days here in Washington. Although, I think "melted" is a better term, given that you're so wet that there's no way you could actually fry in this heat.

Things I Will (and Will Not) Miss in D.C. #7: Air Quality Index - Code Red!

At 8:02am today it was already 86° and the temperature is climbing. Apparently, we may hit the double digits by the afternoon (and I'm not even thinking about the heat index). The past 3 or 4 days have made me feel like melting, even in the early morning. If this weekend is any indicator of how the rest of the summer is going to unfold, our remaining 53 days in D.C. may prove to be quite miserable.

YES, WE ONLY HAVE 53 MORE DAYS!

According to an Alert D.C. Email this morning, Code Red air quality days are declared when there is stagnant air, little chance of rain, high humidity, and temperatures above 95°. Essentially, anyone who cares to breathe should stay inside and pray that their air conditioner doesn't explode from working overtime. I feel as though D.C. is giving us a little goodbye present (or swift kick out the door) with this lovey stretch of swamp weather.

On days like today I'm remind that we are, in fact, living below the Mason-Dixon line. I also really do understand why people in the south move like snails - otherwise they might just catch on fire. Although, on the plus side, if you did spontaneously ignite I'm pretty sure the sweat pouring down your body would squelch the flames.

I don't think we've had temperatures and humidity this high since my first summer as an intern in 2003. I distinctly remember sobbing on my way to work some mornings because I was so sweaty and hot (I only lived 3 blocks from the office at the time). My friend Lauren and I would gather at the water cooler, fan ourselves, and compare sweat stains that ran from the collar of our shirts all the way down our spines. If we were lucky, the perspiration under our arms wouldn't connect to the stripe down our backs. It was during our summer internship that we coined the phrase "sweattin' like a fat man." If you've ever visited D.C. between June and August, you'll know exactly what I mean.

As a side note, yesterday in Portland it was 66° and crystal clear. As I shake my fists at weather.com wondering how life could be so cruel, I try to remind myself that we're in the home stretch.

We are in the home stretch. We are in the home stretch....

**3:30pm Update**

I had to walk to the post office to mail more packages and decided to check out the trusty Suntrust Bank thermometer in Dupont Circle. Code Red Indeed!