Portland, Oh How I Love Thee.....

Here is the new Travel Portland video. I was so excited when I saw it that I had to share it here with you. I love this city and all that it has to offer. We are the most ecofriendly city in the states, microbrew capitol of America, Willamette Valley wines, no sales tax, Cannon Beach...the most photographed coast line in America, Mt Hood ski and recreation area. One hour to the coast and one hour to the mountains, the Deschutes River among so many others with great river rafting, the abundant Hood River Valley, coops, community gardens, Farmers markets, great restaurants....and so much more!! Have a look for yourself and if your ever in town, please look me up!

Yes or No?

I've been contemplating buying one of these however, it's a pretty major purchase and with my impending trip to Milano and a subsequent sidetrip that we are planning, I am wondering if I should spend the money. One could argue that this is a good reason to make such a purchase. I will come home with beautiful pictures of our travels. When I think of all the beautiful pictures I could have had from all my previous travels, I say to myself, you have to buy it! My little point-and-shoot Sony digital camera did an OK job, but nothing spectacular. Nothing like what I could have with this baby:



Oh the joy this little beauty would bring me! Of course then the frugal and very logical person in me (who the hell is that??!!) thinks of how much smaller my bank account will be when I slap the money down for this and I think, I really shouldn't.....sigh... I'm like a paranoid schizophrenic arguing with myself about this. Best Buy has this package deal but being that I don't know a whole lot about digital SLR's, I'm not sure if I should go for it. Then of course I will need memory cards, an extra battery and such. The price is really going up! And do I really need to buy the Geek Squad Black Tie 4 year protection plan for $249.99??!! Of course, we have no sales tax here in Oregon, so that's an instant savings on that alone! But still....

I live in one of the most beautiful states in the union and there is so much opportunity for beautiful pictures here. I don't travel as often as I used to, or as I would like, but I still travel at least once a year, more or less. (I'm trying to justify this major purchase here, in case it isn't obvious) The Italian says there is always new technology coming out for these things and that as soon as I buy one, there will be a better one to follow it. Of course there will be. That's true with just about anything these days, but I am sure that this toy will last me many years to come and will bring me lots of joy and treasured memories. I can blow-up and frame my own artwork. I would have to take a class or read a book though because until now, I haven't even mastered my point-and-shoot, but to be honest, I never really cared because I knew that it could never do what an SLR can. I'd like to make my blog more interesting with pictures of Portland and her surroundings. Of the beautiful Oregon coast, and all the other places we will be traveling in the near and distant future. Of life and our future together. I'd also be doing my part to stimulate the economy, no?

Do those of you out there with an SLR think it was a good investment and have no regrets?

I've made my case. What do you think? Yes or No?

Vote!!

So my official ballot arrived in the mail on Friday. This is the first time I will be voting as an Oregonian. I have had the pleasure of voting in other states such as California, New York, North Dakota and now Oregon. Things are done a little differently here in Oregon.

I asked at school if we were going to be allowed to miss the first hour of class so that we could go to our local polling place and cast our votes. The whole class looked at me like I was smoking crack. What?? They said, duh, you mail it. What?? Um, hello, this is my first time voting in Oregon and every other state I've ever voted in, you go to a polling place and vote. Oh ok, so they understood. I was kind of surprised by this method. I mean, anybody could steal mail, even if it is a federal crime. Just recently, I swear, someone was stealing my Netflix movies and watching them and then returning them. (In my apartment building you leave your outgoing mail out above the tenant mailboxes) It's usually a 2 day turnaround from sending in the movie to getting the next one. Well the last 2 weeks it was taking 5 days to get to the Netflix distributing center which is right here in Hillsboro, a suburb of Portland. So that's my theory and now I walk them over to the mailbox on the corner.

When I told the Italian about having to mail in my ballot, he laughed and said, oh, that would never work here in Italy. All the ballots would be stolen. I'm sure the same thing would happen in Mexico. So I'm a little uncomfortable about putting my ballot in the mail, but I guess I have no choice.



I thought it was kind of funny that there is a "secrecy envelope" that goes within the outer envelope. I mean, is this really going to deter someone who wants to take a peek at my ballot?? If they've opened the first one, why stop there, right??

It took me a couple of hours to research all the measures on the ballot and the politicians running for local government. It was pretty interesting. Did you know Oregon has a cap on the tax deductions you can claim on your tax return??!! It's only $5,500. As a student and someone who is paying medical bills, I find that a bit hard to swallow. So you can guess which way I voted on that one. I wonder if I can claim my IRA losses?? Anybody know?? So my ballot is filled out and I will walk it over, along with my Netflix movies, to the mailbox tomorrow afterschool.

I did something kinda evil too. You see, the Italian and I like to play jokes on each other and so I thought I'd rub it in a little (remember, he's a Republican sympathizer) and took a picture of me filling in the little circle next to the Obama/Biden choice. I emailed it to him with a big I LOVE YOU written in. Ah, bipartisan love conquers all, doesn't it??

Twilight

Saturday I had to drive out to Beaverton, a suburb of Portland, to pick up some pants I was having altered by a seamstress. She told me last week that she was going to be home all day so I could stop by anytime on Saturday. As luck would have it, she was not home when I arrived. I called her cell phone and she told me she was out running errands and wouldn't be home until 3:30pm. It was now 12:30pm. Great. Lesson learned. I should have called before I went. I didn't want to have to drive back to Portland and back again, so I remembered that there was a movie theater nearby. There are a few movies I've been wanting to see but the only one starting when I arrived at the theater was "Righteous Kill", the DeNiro/Pacino movie. All the others had already started, so "Righteuos Kill" it was. This movie was just ok, not their greatest body of work. It was a bit predictable. The Italian would have probably liked it more than me as this is his kind of movie and he is a DeNiro fan. When the movie ended, I still had an hour to kill, so I headed over to Barnes & Noble.

Normally, in terms of buying books, I scout out the book at Barnes or Powell's(Powell's deserves it's own post and that will be coming soon), then I come home and order the books that interest me from amazon.com. Unless Powell's has a used version. So when I went to Barnes, there was quite the display for this book called "Twilight". Being artistically inclined, I'm a sucker for a good display. I was intrigued. So I picked up the book and kind of thumbed through it. Seemed pretty good, so I wrote it down on my list of books to scout out on Amazon. Now I have to tell you that this book is about a love story between a vampire and a normal girl. Not normally a subject I like to read about, vampires. I like books that transport me to another place, and perhaps another time, but I used to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer back in the day, so I thought, why not? Plus, it is listed as a young adult book, but there were some older women talking about how they loved the book. I'm such a sucker, I know, I know. Some of the other books that interest me are "The Bastard of Istanbul" and "The Flea Palace" by Elif Sharak.

So when I got home and started researching this book, which is actually the first in a series, I was sort of thrown for a loop when I found out that this book has like this total cult following all over the world. It's been on the NY Times bestseller list like forever, it's been translated to over 20 languages and there's a movie coming out in November AND it was filmed right here, in Portland, Oregon. Where the hell have I been??? People have created websites dedicated to this series of books and they are traveling to the litte town of Forks, Washington where the story takes place. I'm not normally one to "jump on the bandwagon" but all of this really has me intrigued, so I am going to order the book from Amazon. I checked the library website to see if it was available and the system has 89 copies with 471 holds on this book. Insane. I want to read it before the movie comes out, so I'm not willing to put my name on a waiting list of 471 people. After I finish reading the book, which may take a while because I have a lot of other reading to do for school, I will post my review. Off to order my book!

Here's a trailer for the movie:

Portland, OR No.3 on Top 5 List of Amazing Green Cities

Portland is the only U.S. city in the top 5 list of Amazing Green cities. People here really care about their surroundings. We have solar-powered parking meters and tons of green space. People pick up their dog poo (95% of the time) and when I'm out on a walk I rarely see trash laying around in the street, as far as trashy people are concerned, that's another story...just joking! Rounding out the top five were:

5. Malmo, Sweden
4. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Portland, Oregon
2. Vancouver, Canada
1. Reykjavik, Iceland

Here is the article from Howstuffworks.com:

Green City 3: Portland, Ore.

­­Portland lies on the banks of the Willamette River in the Pacific Northwest and is home to more than 500,000 people. It’s been a model of sustainable living for decades, smartly mixing urban and outdoor spaces.

Chuck Pefley/Stone/Getty Images
The Portland skyline is backed by Mount Hood.

Its greenness is hardly new. Since its 1903 "Report to the Portland Park Board," Portland has been inspiring cities across the United States and the world to embrace green space in their urban planning. Thirty years ago, Portland continued leading the way by demolishing a six-lane highway to develop a waterfront park in its place. Today Portland has roughly 92,000 acres of green space, including 74 miles (119 km) of biking, hiking and running trails, and has enacted an urban-growth boundary to contain the urban landscape and protect 25 million acres of forest and farms [source: Grist].

Portland was the first city in the United States to enact a plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and was a founding member of the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign. It has also held rank at the top of green city lists in the United States and in the world for several years [source: Progressive Policy Institute]. The city has 50 buildings that meet or exceed U.S. Green Building Council standards for sustainability, and its mix of commercial and residential areas is pedestrian and bike friendly -- roughly one quarter of commuters bike to work [source: Popular Science].

­Looking ahead, Portland has set ambitious energy goals. By 2010, the city plans to supply 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources, including innovative approaches such as solar-powered parking meters.

Yet another reason to love Portland! More reasons and pics to come soon.

Palin: Are You Kidding Me?? The GOP Has Lost It's Proverbial Mind

I am sitting here watching the RNC and listening to Palin's "speech". This is a joke, really. Michelle Obama's speech was far better. Michelle Obama is far more fit to be the VP than Palin. Palin has no where near the education or experience that Michelle Obama or Hillary Clinton do. She can't even see Barack. She was a small town mayor who had to hire a city administrator to help her do her job because a town of 6,000 or whatever was too much for her to handle. Um, how about a country of millions?? Taking cheap shots at Obama saying he's unqualified, WTF??? Let's compare apples to apples here. The woman has ZERO experience on foreign policy and I don't even think she's ever been out of the country. She probably doesn't even own a passport. But I digress.

Sarah Palin is far right politically, and contrary to what the GOP would have you believe, her experience does not qualify her for the 2nd most important position in the country. This is a cynical gamble on the part of John McCain - shame on him for putting this country and the world at risk in such perilous times. It's funny how the GOP is always touting itself as the party of national security - what a joke!

Do these people realize that McCain is 72 years old and not in the best of health. If something happens to him, she becomes President. OMG! The world is laughing at us right now, seriously. The London Times is calling Palin "An Apalling Candidate". She just mentioned no earmarking in her speech, yet her record clearly shows she earmarked in the past. She is being investigated for abuse of power (i.e. corruption) after less than two years in office. That sure shows something about her leadership style. And now she says she wants to build more nuclear plants!!?? She wasn't even properly vetted before McCain announced she was to be his running mate. I won't even comment on her family.....Mamma Mia! You can read more about her here: http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/about-sarah-palin-by-someone-w.php

I'm really scared about the way politics are going in this country. This blog is not going to get political, but I just had to say something. I'm going to change the channel now because I'm getting sick to my stomache. I'm so glad I live in ultra-liberal Oregon. I'll never leave this place. God help us all......!

I'm Back to Blogging, He's Back in Milano

The month practically flew by.......but we did so many things and had such a great time. He made some new connections(important ones!!) and I continued on in school. I must confess, I took a few days off to enjoy with my Ale, but no harm no foul. I still got good grades on my tests, that's all that matters and I am only 2 and a half months away from Graduation!

We are total foodies and tried lots of new restaurants and caffes and have yet to post some of our reviews on Yelp because we are avid Yelpers!! He also cooked a lot. I'm so lucky to have such a good cook for my Fidanzato! I've learned a lot from him. Admittedly, I don't like to cook much. Baking is more my thing, although I haven't done much of that lately either so as not to sabotage my lifestyle change.

I will miss some of the cute things he used to say like, "field and tracks" instead of "track and field" when we watched the Olympics. "Gender Bender" instead of "Fender Bender". Isn't he so cute??!!

But more importantly, we grew closer and stronger together and there are big things in store for us, but I can't elaborate on that just yet. You'll just have to tune in and see what happens!

Here are some of our adventures:
Here he is with Smokey the Bear at Timberline Lodge in Mount Hood, Oregon. Safety first!! And us together with the volcano as our backdrop.


















Ale by the Hood River and Mt Hood and the Hood River Valley.
There are more pics to share and I will post them later. Oregon is already showing signs of Fall. The temps are a little cooler and the breezes a little crisper. It's my favorite season of the year and I hope it brings good things!

Saturday Farmers Market at Portland State University

My morning started at about 9:50am. I meant to leave earlier since the Farmers Market starts at 8:30am but I had to wait for the bank to open since I couldn't make my transaction through the ATM. After I finished my business at the bank, I walked down Lovejoy from 23rd to 12th and down 12th to Everett. I had heard about Caffe Umbria via word of mouth, then had a look at their website and decided I had to try it. It was a good mile and a half to two mile walk from the bank so I built up a good little appetite on the way.

I walked in and had no idea what I wanted. I decided to observe a little first then make my choice. It was nice to see that it was run more like a cafe' in Italy than that of a Starbucks. I chose to have a cappuccino and a biscotti to go. I have to say that it was quite good.

I took my cappuccino and biscotti and headed down Everrett so I could catch the Streetcar to the South Park blocks at PSU. The Streetcar was standing room only. Lots of people heading to the Farmers Market or to the Rose Festival, which started this weekend, but I will save that for another post. Since this was my first time to the Farmers Market, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had been to other Farmers Markets before, but I had heard that this one was one of the best.

When the Streetcar dropped me and the crowd off, I couldn't help but stop to look at the beautiful greenery around me. The South Park blocks and the PSU campus are some of the prettiest places in Portland proper. It's so many blocks of tree-lined streets. These streets are also lined with Churches and museums. It's called the Cultural District.

After taking a few pics, off I went to explore the Farmers Market. It was pretty crowded. I guess I wasn't expecting such a big crowd, but it was a beautiful morning and the good weather brings Oregonians out.

One of the first booths I saw was the Pearl Bakery. I love this bakery! Last year I popped into the bakery and had a fig panini and it was absolutely delicious. I've been a fan ever since. I bought a few pieces of bread and decided I'd find something there at the market to spread on my yummy fresh baked breads. I know fresh-baked bread is not such a big deal to some people, but I used to live in North Dakota where fresh-baked bread is nonexistant, so I always consider it a treat.

I was overwhelmed by the wonderful aromas that filled the air. This is defintely a place to bring a healthy appetite. I wasn't planning on buying much since I planned to spend a good part of the day walking around downtown and the Rose Festival. But there was so much temptation! From gourmet popcorn....

to more bread, all kinds of bread!!

Grilled sausages...oh, these smelled so good!

Fresh veggies...

Colorful flowers.....

This one brought a smile to my face. I love Calla Lillies!!

Just look at these beautiful strawberries!! They were delicious!

Yummy pastries. This pic is a little blurry but this was as close as I could get. This pastry booth was jam packed with people.

Fresh herbs....

OK, enough of all that, it was time to find some spread for my bread! I came across some mango pepper jelly and champagne mustard. Both of which were quite tasty, but I decided to keep looking.

Then I stumbled onto this.....Lavender Jam...whah?? It peaked my interest, so I tasted some and it was just perfect! I bought the Lavendar Raspberry Pear jam, and let me tell you, it is as good as it sounds, even better!! It's made by Sundance Lavender Farm in Salem, Oregon. They had so many different flavors, all infused with lavender.


To go with the beautiful fresh-baked bread I bought.

It looked like everyone had a good time. When there's good fresh food involved, who doesn't??!!

After I finished making the rounds at the market, I headed for the Rose Festival, but I'll save that for another post. I got hungry after so much walking around so I figured I'd have lunch at the Pearl Bakery in the Pearl District on the way home. It's a pretty inconspicuous place.

Unfortunately they no longer had the fig panini, so I picked the tuna sandwich. It didn't look like much, but it sure was tasty. It's described as White Spanish tuna, dill aioli, romaine and dijon on pistolet. The bread looked like somebody's backside, but I didn't mind, it was good!

Then I hopped on the Streetcar and my last stop before going home was Alotto Gelato. My favorite gelateria in all of Portland.

I had pistacchio, gianduia, and fresh banana. The perfect way to end my afternoon!

It was a perfect day. The only thing missing was my Ale, but I always carry him with me in my heart :) Next post, Rose Festival.

Caffe Umbria
303 NW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97209
(503)241-5300

Pearl Bakery
102 NW 9th Ave
Portland, OR 97209
(503)827-0910

Alotto Gelato
931 NW 23rd Ave
Portland, OR 97210
(503)228-1709

Cannon Beach, OR

Cannon Beach is about an hour west of Portland and what a beautiful beach it is. The beach to your front and the forest right behind you. Where else in the world can you find this?? Cannon Beach was named for a cannon that was discovered on the beach. In 1846, the U.S. Navy schooner Shark was wrecked while trying to leave the Columbia River. A large piece of the schooner's deck with a cannon and capstan attached washed up on the beach, and the town's name is based on this event.

The arts are emphasized in Cannon Beach, and some of the best crafts, shopping and galleries on the coast are located here. The city is planned for strolling, and many visitors take advantage of this to visit the quaint bookstores, shops and bistros. Strict planning regulations have helped Cannon Beach keep its earth toned, rustic look.
We had great weather the first day we were there, the rest of the time was overcast and rainy, in August! Only in Oregon...We stayed at a quaint hotel called Inn at Cannon Beach. It's a really romantic little spot. Our room had a fireplace and a jacuzzi tub. Sorry, those pics won't be posted here. The Italian might not approve! The hotel offered a deluxe continental breakfast and they even had a BBQ for guests on Saturday with hot dogs and hamburgers, yum! The meat-loving Italian was in heaven.
Cannon Beach is also a seafood lovers' paradise. I think I ate clam chowder at every restaurant we dined in, except for when we went out for a fancy dinner at Newmans at 988 That was a pleasure for the senses!!
Since the weather wasn't cooperating we drove up and down the coast exploring different places including Ecola State Park, Astoria and the Tillamook Cheese Factory for free samples of yummy cheddar cheese!! Even though the weather wasn't ideal for us beachgoers, we still had a great time. We realy bonded on this trip to the beach, grew even closer and fell deeper in love :) I highly recommend a trip to Cannon Beach. It just may be the thing your relationship needs!

On Dressing for an Interview...Liberal Oregonians!!

I was finally given the ok to go back to work by my Doctor, so I immediately started my search. This past Saturday I went to a job fair for Wells Fargo Bank. On Friday I bought some nice slacks and a nice top to match. I figured I'd pair them with my high-heeled boots. The interview suit I have was a little too tight. The meds I'm on have made me gain quite a bit of weight, so I had no choice but to buy something new. The job fair was from 11am to 3pm. I got there at 11:05am, fashionably late. So, there was a small queue and I must have been like the eighth person. They shuffled us into this big room where there were about 50 people already waiting. OK. I have to tell you, I couldn't believe my eyes. People were wearing jeans, tennis shoes, Birkenstocks, and cleavage hanging out all over the place. One guy was sporting a beany and looked like he was ready to walk on to a construction sight. Another woman was wearing a slip dress, yeah, a slip dress with no nylons, gold open-toed slingbacks, and a tattoo on display.

There was a hip-hop star with his pants hanging off his ass. The lady sitting next to me was wearing jeans and she brought her husband! Yeah! They were kissing at the job fair! I mean come on!! As much as I love my Ale, I wouldn't be caught dead smooching with him at a job fair AND I would leave him home. Is it gonna kill ya to be without him for a couple of hours?? It could wait for later, don't ya think? My Mama always told me dressing up for a job interview is a must. I love how liberal Oregon is but sometimes liberals have to use common sense. Although the people doing the interviews didn't seem to mind. Maybe they are used to it?? Have you ever known anyone that dressed like a slob for their interview and got the job?

Come on Oregonians. Go out and shop for that winning outfit. There's no sales tax, remember?

Naked Oregonians

Oregon is probably, if not the most Liberal state in the union. Just jump on any Oregon highway and you will see liberal stickers plastered on car after car. IMPEACH, KEEP PORTLAND WEIRD, WTF stickers. It's great! I love it! Oregon is the tree-hugging, granola-munching, no-bra-wearing (the same women who don't shave their pits) haven of the Pacific Northwest. Myself excluded!! OK, so I hug trees, eat granola and wear Keens. However, there are somethings I wouldn't do....

In the news a few days ago, Steven J. Howatt of Happy Valley, OR was featured in the news because his neighbors weren't appreciating the fact that he enjoyed gardening in his birthday suit. When questioned about his actions, he said it's a religious experience for him. He feels closer to God, Allah, Jehovah or whoever he prays to, while gardening in the nude. He's a self-proclaimed Naturalist (ahem, there are lots of those here.) I'd like to see this guy plow snow in the dead of a North Dakotan winter sans Fruit of the Looms. Let's see him get some sub-zero religion! I mean, I could reference vegetables to body parts...but let's not even go there.

The city is considering passing an ordinance which would outlaw nudity visible from public places. The irony in this is that it may not be illegal to garden in the buff in Oregon. Oregon law does not prohibit nudity on private property unless the exposure is sexual. There have been no complaints against Howatt. His neighbors did kindly ask him to put on his britches, but he politely declined.

Here is the lastest including an interview with Howatt himself. Would you want to see this guy naked?? Ew!

While researching this, I came across more naked Oregonians. Apparently clothes are going out of style in Oregon. Somebody better put in a phone call to Paris and Milan.