Feb 18, 2013 | life around portland
Ooooooh! I feel almost cool! We went to Apizza Scholls last weekend.
This is exciting for two reasons 1) I made a reservation and 2) it was on Food and Wine’s 2012 best pizza places in the U.S. list . Don’t be fooled – we brought the kids, but the fact that we brought them somewhere where I made a reservation was a step up from our normal weekend dinner outings. Hahaha!
We liked it, very much. The crust was thin and delicious and reminded us of some favorites back home. Woo hoo! Finally! We got a plain tomato pie (sauce and cheese) and a tartufo bianco (white with truffle oil). Mmmmmm. Both were delicious. They were big – but I wanted to order two, so we had leftovers to take home (read: one less night of cooking) – haha. My plan worked out nicely! I definitely want to go back – there were a few other pies that were intriguing. Plus, we didn’t get any with meat toppings, and I know both my boys were missing that. 🙂
Bonus: they had cool art on the walls and played great music.
Feb 16, 2013 | life around portland
One of the best parts about Portland / Oregon is the thriving local brewery scene. My dad apparently agrees – and ordered a Portland brew tonight at the local Buffalo Wild Wings back in New Jersey!
I love this text for two reasons – 1) Portland made an impression and 2) he got auto-corrected, and subsequently, had to curse. I am quite sure he has no idea about damnyouautocorrect.com – which makes his comment that much funnier!
If you haven’t had Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen – it’s worth a try! Kenny and I like it in the summer – it’s light and has a clean citrus-y finish. (Their marketing folks do a much better job describing it – click the link – haha!)
Feb 14, 2013 | moving across the country...in stories
I had the joy of re-living the age of 15 this week.
I went to take my written driver’s test again. This time, it was so I could become a licensed driver in my new home state.
What’s that? Haven’t I lived here for a while now?
Yes.
Yes, I have.
For some reason, I wanted to hold on to one of the last bits of proof that I was Pennsylvanian. Or maybe I wanted to make sure this whole Oregon thing would work out and save myself a trip to the DMV. Haha. Looks like we’re staying, so I had to make it official. I also finally realized that even if I traded in my PA plastic for some OR plastic, I still have my accent. And luckily I met a New Yorker at the DMV who has lived here for 10 years and you knew exactly where she was from as soon as she opened her mouth. Perhaps that will hold true for me. I’d hate to start saying wah-ter instead of wooder. 😉
Of course, all these new license shenanigans meant that I had to read the Oregon Drivers’ Manual. I picked up a copy of the book when I arrived at the DMV – I knew if it was anything like the DMV experiences back in Pennsylvania, I’d have PLENTY of time to study while I waited for my number to be called. Oregon’s DMV didn’t disappoint. I arrived and was handed number 285. They were on 237. I read the whole book, cover to cover – AND had extra time to do the practice test in the back and re-read a few content heavy sections. Woot!
I wanted to share a few gems, because I assume most of you are like me and haven’t recently perused a Drivers’ Manual. Here are the most memorable sections:
1) Road rage.
I know this is a serious issue, and that road rage is very dangerous. However, I am not sure it was a topic when I originally took my written test 22 years ago. (Dear God! Why did I do that math?) It couldn’t have been, because I am quite certain the written definition of a ‘road rager’ would have stuck with me. In Oregon, it is worded as follows: These high-risk drivers climb into a vehicle and may take out their frustrations on anybody at any time.
Interesting. I had always assumed they became filled with rage upon having a driving ‘offense’ done unto them, you know – another, lesser skilled, moronic driver had slighted them in some way – cutting them off or not allowing them to merge. The definition presented implies that they are already raging upon entering the car. Perhaps they are. I just never thought of it that way.
My next favorite line? Their frustration levels are high and their concern for other motorists is low. Indeed.
But my absolute favorite part is when they list what they call the “symptoms” of road rage (Symptoms! Is this a disease? Can I take an antibiotic and be clear of road rage? Again, I always figured that it was just someone who had a crappy day or had a short fuse.) Road ragers may run stop signs and red lights, make improper and unsafe lane changes, make hand and facial gestures, scream, honk and flash their lights at motorists who are in front of them. Good, fun times to be had by all.
They close it out by asking angry drivers to stay home and give a break to the other drivers.
The whole section was brilliant.
2) Animals.
This section was mostly what I would expect except for the part that says, “Report the incident to local law officials. Do not leave an injured animal to die.” Now, the two animals they had just described were large game animals – namely deer and bears. And what I typed was the extent of the instruction. So, hypothetically and presuming I am not injured, am I just supposed to stand there next to the bear I hit and cross my fingers that he doesn’t regain strength and come after me in a revenge-filled rage before the police arrive?
I totally hate the idea of leaving an animal – any animal – on the side of the road to die. Especially if I was at fault. Something like that would haunt me. However, I also know I’d be terrified to stay there with it. And I probably wouldn’t be able to avert my eyes which compounds the trauma.
I am now nervous to drive, well … pretty much anywhere around here since we’re surrounded by wilderness. Woot!
3) Slowpoke.
They used the word slowpoke. In writing. As in a slowpoke on a highway can be as dangerous as a speeder.
That’s all.
4) Utility Pole Collision
They advise that you attempt to jump from your car without touching the vehicle and the ground at the same time, and to continue jumping until you are clear of the car and the pole. Dear heavens. My clumsly self would never be able to do that. Ever. The mere thought of me trying to do that is hilarious.
5) Sharrow.
That’s right, sharrow. Don’t know what that is? Me neither. It’s an arrow in a shared lane. Like ‘follow the sharrows, and share your lane with bikes.’ Uh, ok.
I am happy to report I am officially an Oregonian. I passed. Which means that I now have a driver’s license with my weight on it. Seriously. I know all my female family members and friends in Philadelphia are super jealous that their Pennsylvania licenses don’t contain this little information nugget.
And now, since my weight is public knowledge, I am off to have some chips.
Feb 4, 2013 | life around portland
I just overheard one of the local news channels that Tuesday could deteriorate into a bad hair day.
Hahaha.
Hahaha.
Oh my. I cannot stop laughing.
On one hand, as a gal with hair that frizzes easily, I can appreciate the warning. On the other hand, (which is apparently the less vain and more rational hand), I am wondering if this is really news. Either way – it made me laugh and got my attention to the point I needed to blog about it – so purpose served?
I am now also wondering what type of Portland weather brings on bad hair days? I mean it’s misty a lot. And rains a lot. It doesn’t get humid (by comparison to August on the East Coast). So what type of Portland weather event prompts such a warning? I guess I will see tomorrow. Haha.
Ok, I am off to apply some hair product as a pre-emptive strike before I head to bed. Because having good hair is an important thing when one works from home. 😉
Jan 21, 2013 | yup, i really did that
If you guessed this was another cooking story, you were right.
Tonight, I am making bolognese. It’s one of Kenny’s favorite things that I make, and since I am heading to New York for work tomorrow (until Friday night), I thought it’d be nice if I made the gang a good dinner before I leave them to fend for themselves. (I know, I used “good dinner” subjectively here. Honestly, I think they are better off without me and my culinary adventures at home. Haha.)
Grace wanted to help. She put the veggies in the food processor to chop, then skittered off to start setting the table. I pushed the button to chop the veggies. And by chop, I actually mean forcefully whip veggie chunks to every corner of our downstairs living space.
Grace sucked in her breath, made giant eyeballs and took off up the steps hollering, “Ken! Kenny! Mommy needs you.” You know it’s bad when she calls him Kenny instead of Daddy. That must get his attention more quickly? Haha. Meanwhile, I didn’t ask her to do this. At this point, it’s just second nature to run and get Daddy while Mommy is cooking.
Back to the veggies.
They were all over the counter. All over the kitchen floor. Under the kitchen table. On the couch. On the floor under the cabinet behind the couch. In the living room rug. On the coffee table. In the box with my mother’s unshipped birthday present. (Can you see it now? Happy (belated) birthday, Mom. Here’s a lovely gift and some week-old carrots and onions that were meant to be in my sauce. Mmmmm. Tasty. And thoughtful, no? Especially because the gift is already late!)
Luckily, I had a back up. I got myself a Ninja Master Prep Pro System (Hahaha! I couldn’t resist inserting the whole name) on sale + coupons at Kohl’s following our recent Sloppy and Elusive Smoothies Thursday. So far, I love it. And so far, it works. Really well. I am kind of in love with it if I’m honest. This is a good thing – especially now since I’ve broken everything else that breaks large food items into small(er) food items.
As for my goal of rocking dinner? The bolognese was saved (simmering away as I type), so I am still ahead on putting good food in everyone’s stomachs.
As for my goal of rocking dinner likely ending in an ‘A for effort’? Let me put it this way: I only need to break a few more gadgets before I can claim that I have all new small appliances. Hahaha. What’s left? Hmmm. The coffee machine. Toaster. Microwave. Electric tea kettle. Crock pot. Stand mixer. Hand mixer… I am sure I am missing a few. There’s still plenty of time, folks. I am down an appliance a week so far in January. Everything should be brand new by April at the latest if I keep this pace. Hahaha.
Oh, by the way, Grace never came back to help me finish up dinner. She’s a smart girl. Lol.
