smartwick

Watch this space

2010-01-08T14:15:00.001-08:00

What? There's a new post on this blog? Unthinkable!

You have a couple of days to wrap your mind around the concept ... then I will be launching a new, slightly ambitious blog project for 2010.

Please, hold your applause.

What I did this summer, by Karen M.

2009-09-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

OK, wow. I didn't realize just how long it'd been since I blogged. Sorry. I blame Twitter.

If you follow me on Twitter/Facebook, or if you've talked to me recently, you've already heard about the madness I engaged in this summer. The madness has a name, and it is Portland Fitcamp.

I was looking for something new and intense to help me get in shape, lose some weight and replace fat with muscle. I read about Fitcamp in Portland Picks, saw that they had a 6:30 a.m. class near my house, and decided to go for it.

The week before the first class, the trainer, Dana, called to introduce herself. I confessed that I had some misgivings because a) I am not a morning person at all and b) I hate to run. She laughed and said, "Oh, there's running." She also said she wasn't a morning person either, but that I'd be surprised how easy it is to get up with the sun during the long summer days.

She was right. What started out as a one-month experiment evolved into a summer-long lifestyle change for me. I spent three months doing intense, one-hour long workouts four days a week -- all at 6:30 in the morning, and, yes, there was running. I wouldn't say I like running now, but I'm definitely better at it. (And I'm slightly more responsive to the morning alarm.)

Dana led our group of 6-12 women through the most challenging, varied and effective workouts I've ever encountered. This woman has an amazing knack for getting the most out of every muscle group ... that translates into having different sore spots almost every day, but it was a good pain. Basically, Fitcamp was like having a personal trainer, but with a small, motivating group -- and at a great savings.

After three months of Portland Fitcamp, I shaved about three minutes off my mile time (which was very slow to start with, but still) and -- with the help of my trusty food log, MyFoodDiary.com -- I lost 20 pounds (and counting). All that, and I feel strong, energized and ... gosh darn it ... proud!

Portland neon

2009-01-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

It's an idea Chris and I have been batting around for a few years now: photographing the best neon signs in Portland, Ore., while they're still here to shoot. As we ease into 2009, we've resolved to actually finish the project this year — but we need help finding the best and brightest (ha!) signs in the city and surroundings.

You can see a few of Chris' neon shots at Photo.net. Besides these, we've shot several other locations (to be clear, Chris is the photographer; I'm the ... let's say ... "creative assistant"), but we want to make sure we're not missing any good ones.

If you have favorite neons around town, please post them in the comments section. No sign is too small; we're interested in any good-looking or iconic sign, even if it's just inside a window. One note: we are focusing on night-time shots, so we're especially looking for neon that does what neon is meant to do — lights up!

UPDATE: Chris just posted some more photos and details on the project. Enjoy!

One fine first lady

2008-10-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

I've been admiring Michelle Obama's style for months (that I admire her intellect and taste in men goes without saying). She has a knack for balancing conservative looks with vintage touches and always looks like her own woman.

So, I love that she called attention to her J. Crew ensemble on Jay Leno this week. The folks at J. Crew took note and set up a page where you can buy Michelle's outfit — for a mere $337.98. (More than I spend on an average outfit, yes, but not bad for a national TV appearance. And considerably less than the stuff that other woman's been wearing.)

In the same interview, she also metioned that she likes to shop online. I can't wait for her to move into the White House!

In Tanuki we trust

2008-10-22T13:49:00.001-07:00

I had a fantastic meal — the best I've had in ages, really — at Tanuki with ThatJolieGirl last week.

Tanuki is a small izakaya in Northwest Portland. Izayaka means something like "place that sells sake," and the food is served tapas-style in small, shareable portions to accompany your drinks.

I'd been reading about Tanuki, which opened in spring of 2008, and had heard that ordering omakase — chef's choice — was the way to go.

We were not disappointed. We ordered drinks (very interesting sake shandies — sake and ginger beer with a shot of fresh carrot juice) and set a price of $20 each for food. Here's what we got:

Sunaku - House bar mix w/nuts, rice crackers & wasabi peas

Scallop sashimi

Kimchi

Mussels with ground chicken in broth

Shrimp with dried gourd noodles and cauliflower in a smoky hot tea sauce

Clams with pork and tofu skin noodles in savory broth

Shottsuru buta boro "nanakusa" - shottsuru braised pork in Chinese
style crepe w/seven-herb salad & bittersweet sesame sauce

Grilled unagi with house pickles

Okonomiyaki - savory griddle cake stuffed w/Oregon bay shrimp &
vegetables topped w/katsuobushi & special okonomi sauces

(It was a little tricky to figure out exactly what each dish was. The ones with Japanese names and descriptions came from Tanuki's site; the others are my guesses.)

Everything was delicious, but the standouts were the scallop sashimi; the dish with clams, pork and tofu skins; the pork wrapped in crepe with herb salad; and the okonomiyaki pancake.

Tanuki is a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of place, but clean and friendly, and by the time we were finishing our meal, it was really hopping in there. For the quality and quantity of food we got, it was an excellent value. I literally couldn't stop thinking about our meal for days and can't wait to go back! I think the goofy smile on my face in the photo Jolie took says it all.

That shoe*

2008-10-13T15:44:00.001-07:00

Is there an emoticon for biting your fist? Because that's what I'm doing every time I look at this shoe. So. Frickin. Cute.

*This shoe's silly name is Marlo. You know, Marlo Thomas, That Girl ... how old am I, anyway?

I'm consoling myself by checking out the new (cheap) cuties I'm wearing today:

Not buying it

2008-09-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Karen and I'm a shopaholic.

In the midst of global economic anxiety (have you heard about that??) and more than halfway through paying off my credit card debt (whoo!) I think I'm finally coming to a realization ... or perhaps getting more comfortable with something I've know for a long time: I have a problem with compulsive shopping.

I'm managing the habit and will have my credit card paid off by next April, but lately the compulsion has been rearing its ugly head (a la Putin).

Since I'm not keen to join a 12-step program, I've decided that I'll try blogging about covetable stuff instead of buying it. Who knows if it'll work, but at the very least, it's a way to share the cute things I find online but can't afford or justify.

Enough of the blah blah — let's see what I'm not buying right now!

Godless necklace, $45
The nontheist's answer to a gold cross. Sassy and classy. Well, maybe mostly sassy.

Apepazza 'Zebu' Boot, $294.95

How to resist something so freakin' adorable? Oh yeah, they cost $300. In addition to the cute knit accents, I just love the wacky name. Expensive shoes should have insane names.

Georgia dress, $49.99
One of my favorite techniques is to "virtually" shop online, putting everything my little heart desires in my shopping cart, basking in the glow of the checkout screen, then closing the window. I spent a little time pretending to buy this pretty thing last weekend. It was 20% off the marked down price, but I managed to talk myself out of it. Sigh.

I've been tagged

2008-09-26T12:26:00.001-07:00

Apparently, this is a thing that happens. You know, in the blog-o-sphere. Thanks, Megan!

1. How many songs are on your iPod?
5,243

2. What music would you want played at your funeral?
I don't want a funeral. But there could be a party, and I guess I'd want Throwing Muses "University" (the whole album) played.

3. What magazines do you have subscriptions to?
BUST, Paste, Entertainment Weekly, Lucky, Glamour, Self, Portland Monthly, Portland Spaces (yes, I have a problem)

4. What is your favorite scent?
Diesel Fuel for Life or a glass of Clear Creek Pear Eau de Vie

5. If you had a million dollars that you could only spend on yourself, what would you do with it?
Travel, a house, a car, more travel, save/invest anything that's left (to spend on more travel later)

6. What is your theme song?
"Hot Freaks" by Guided by Voices

7. Do you trust easily?
Hmm. People I meet - I trust until they give me reason not to. Politicians/people on TV - never trust them.

8. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think?
I'd say I do an intriguing combination of the two.

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Whoa. Have you been following the news at all lately? My bank failed yesterday, and there's apparently a chance that Obama might not be the next president. Yes.

10. Do you have a good body-image?
I think so. Definitely better than it was when I was anorexic. :)

11. Is being tagged fun?
It was, because it was distracting me from economic/political stress -- until question #9!

12. How do you spend your social networking (Facebook, etc.) time?
I love Twitter, because it lets me be a fly on the wall of friends (and strangers) around the country, some of whom have way more intersting lives than mine. Also hooked on Facebook, where I look at photos and play Text Twirl.

13. What have you been seriously addicted to lately?
Virus Buster, the game inside Brain Age 2. I pretty much see it when I close my eyes.

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
Oh, I know what kind of person she is. Super cool!

15. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
"I Know What Boys Like"

16. What’s your favorite item of clothing?
Shoes!

17. Do you think Rice Crispies are yummy?
No. The taste like nothing, then they got soggy.

18. What would you do if you see saw $100 lying on the ground?
Pocket that shit!

19. What items could you not go without during the day?
Water, Internet, coffee (not necessarily in that order).

20. What should you be doing right now?
Working on the PR database or rewriting my article about cocktails made with Portland spirits.

Tag, you're it, That Jolie Girl, Danifesto, Record Store Geek and Pickle Sisters!

We came back from Cali, Cali

2008-09-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly relaxing my hands from the permanently gripped-on-the-steering-wheel position they've been in for the past ten days or so, and feeling pretty lucky to live in humane and utterly easy-going Portland.

Which is not to imply that we had anything less than a stellar vacation. (Well, the squid- and pizza-induced food poisonings were not lifetime highs...) Otherwise, though, it was a great trip and we got to see lots of our great friends who, for some reason, don't live here.

Photos are still to come, but I thought I'd run down a few highlights while they're still fresh in my mind.

Chihuly at the deYoung - While the deYoung's collection wasn't too impressive, its Golden Gate Park setting and 9th-story observation deck were lovely. The Chihuly exhibit started out fairly modestly, but built to a spectacular, immersive display of glass in all colors, shapes and sizes.

Barbary Coast Trail - We love a good self-guided walking tour (yes, we're geeks when it comes to travel, too), and this one did not disappoint. Within about four miles, you see Chinatown, Coit Tower (great WPA murals and fantastic, though foggy, views), the cafes and Beat hangouts of North Beach and the Embarcadero. We took a slight detour to the Ferry Building for a delicious lunch.

Disneyland - This was a big surprise for both of us. Neither of us had ever been, and we definitely wanted to go once, but we honestly expected to find ourselves trapped in an overly commercialized, hellishly crowded and overpriced nightmare. Instead, we found D-land to be surprisingly compact, freakishly un-crowded, and pretty darned charming. In fact, I think we had a magical day.

More to come!

From one bitch to another ...

2008-09-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

This just in ... Portland-based feminist rag (ah, gotta love that phrase) Bitch is in financial straits and needs donations to stay afloat.

Check out their call to action and spare them as many dimes as you can.

UPDATE: Bitch is saved -- for now! The next issue will come out on Dec. 1. Read it!

Coming soon to a city near you ...

2008-08-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

So, you may have heard (because I assume that only my close friends actually read this) that I'm planning a little trip down south next month. When I say south, I mean it literally — we're going to San Francisco and Los Angeles. And we need help deciding what to do, where to go and what to see while we're down there. We already know who to see — our lovely friends, of course!

Having grown up in the heart of Silicon Valley, I have some idea of what to do in the Bay Area, but this recovering Californian has never been to LA! Or to this place! The horror.

So, if you have favorite SoCal spots, sights, restaurants or whatever, please send them my way!

I cannot possibly choose

2008-06-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I was challenged to list my top five movies of all time. Only five?! I doubted I could accomplish the task, but I did as any editor would: started with a big list, then trimmed it down. My initial list contained 53 films. For the first round of cuts, I threw out any movie I'd only seen once (it can't really be a favorite if I wasn't compelled to rewatch it). Then I did some soul-searching, read some tea leaves, and got the list down to my top twenty. I'm sure I'm still missing some unmissables, but it's a start ...

Here's the list, in alphabetical order, because ranking them would make my head explode.

City of Lost Children
Dead Man
Dead Ringers
Do the Right Thing
Dr. Strangelove
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fight Club
Glengarry Glen Ross
Harold and Maude
Heavenly Creatures
Lost in Translation
Memento
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Mulholland Drive
Princess Bride
A Room With a View
Rushmore
Spiderman
Spirited Away
Star Wars

Going coastal

2008-06-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, my fella and I had a mini-break in Newport. Somewhat to our surprise, we had an absolute blast. We've both been to the Oregon coast about a bazillion times, and, while we were looking forward to the trip, we didn't expect much more than a little relaxation — and maybe some vertical wind driving sand granules into our faces like a thousand little daggers. (Not that that's ever happened at the Oregon coast, of course — we just have active imaginations.)

Regardless of our low expectations, the weekend was fun, relaxing and stimulating — like a real vacation! We decided there were a couple of reasons we had such a good time: 1) The trip was a package I'd won at a silent auction, so it included some activities we wouldn't usually try (or be willing to pay for), and 2) Now that we know the responsibility of dog ownership, the freedom of two days without the little charmer tasted sweet indeed.

We stayed at Anchor Pier, a sweet little place on Yaquina Bay — it's a gift shop and dock at street level, with five rooms upstairs. It was nice and private, with a big deck overlooking the dock and well within earshot of the constantly barking sea lions. (Maybe it was because we missed Biscuit, but we found their noises charming.) Our package also included the Discovery Sea Life Cruise, a highlight of the weekend. The weather was decent, the crew were fun, and while we didn't see much in the way of sea life (one harbor porpoise, two ospreys and three caught-and-released crabs — no whales), we got to go tool around on the ocean, as well as the bay and river. Fun!

We spent the rest of the day checking out various spots on the coast:

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Depoe Bay - Home to the world's smallest habrbor! And some delicious salt water taffy and seafoam! But still no whales!

Road's End

Cape Kiwanda - Home to the "other" Haystack Rock

Pelican Brewery - Seemed overrated to me, but I may have been put off by the loud wedding party getting down to a cover band playing stuff like "Footloose."

Chinook Winds Casino - Totally felt like Vegas until we realized that our $50 (um, each) was gone in 45 minutes, not six hours. And we weren't drunk.

On the second day, we took our gift certificates over to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Chris had never been, and I'd forgotten how cool it is. From the moment you leave the parking lot, you enter another place — the entrances are shielded behind plants, and the walkways are landscaped to evoke the coastal wilderness. Once inside, the exhibits were awesome, especially the jellyfish! Oh, and the sharks! And the puffins — can't forget them! The new exhibit, called "Oddwater," featured some very cool creatures in artistic displays filled with handblown glass created on the Oregon coast. It also included a truly chilling movie about bioluminescent sea creatures — some of which looked like the fish version of the Silence of the Lambs killer, decked out in some other fish's skin. Just one complaint about this exhibit: it wasn't documented well, so you couldn't always tell what beastie you were looking at.

We spent the rest of the day making our way north, with stops at Cape Meares, where we checked out the cool lighthouse and the infamous (OK, not really) "Octopus Tree," and the Tillamook Cheese Factory. How could a boy who's lived in Oregon his whole life never have been there?! Well, now he knows what cheese curd tastes (and feels) like — as every state resident should. Finally, we wrapped up our weekend with one last stop at Mo's and a super-fun hunt for the only gas station in Cannon Beach (hint: it's in the RV park).

For the record, here's the seafood eaten in two days, just by me:

Lingcod
Shrimp (in Mo's Brucewich — heaven!)
Clams
Oysters
Salmon
Shrimp

$13 well spent

2008-06-03T16:11:00.000-07:00

So, I scheduled an appointment with a new hairstylist last week. For late July. While the wait made me feel like I must be on my way to being initiated into an elite group, my shaggy do needed help now.

I recalled the $10 manicure I got at the Aveda Institute a few weeks ago. Not the greatest, but still — better than ones I'd paid twice as much for.

I just needed a trim, and I'm prety confident in my hair's ability to grow back from anything (hell, it's been — at various times— shaved, finger-short and crayon red), so I made the call.

Here's the thing about the Aveda Institute. It's like other beauty schools in that appointments take a long time as instructors scrutinize students' work and make sure you're getting what you want. But that's where the similarity ends. The obvious advantage is that they use all Aveda products, so you smell like a trust-fund goddess by the time you're done. (I actually think it's amazing that the Aveda "scent" is so popular. I love it, but it's really ... green ... and not like anything else.) There's a cool-kid vibe to the place, and every service concludes with a "Finishing Touch" — a cutesy name for a quick application of lip gloss, but still a nice gesture.

My hair cut was a fantastic deal. The service started with a scalp massage, then shampoo, condition, cut and styling, finished off with a hand massage. And the woman who cut my hair knew what she was doing — my hair looks cute! Definitely worth $13 (plus tip). And, of course, this being Portland, the stylist is into Web design and strongly suggested that I check out Ignite Portland in a couple of weeks. Here's the premise, according to their site: "If you had five minutes on stage what would you say? What if you only got 20 slides and they rotated automatically after 15 seconds? Around the world geeks have been putting together Ignite nights to show their answers." I'm sold — I'll be checking it out at the Bagdad on June 18.

No coffee for you

2008-05-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hoo boy. Looks like I really missed out on some fun at the Scum Center last night. Had I been there, I might have been the lucky recipient of the non-existent latte. I've certainly encountered more noxious fluids there ... ba-dum-dum.

In other coffee drink news, I can't believe this "case" made it to court. Takes me back to my Odd Blog days.

Now I'm thirsty. Where isn't that latte?

P.S. I almost forgot — the stupidest coffee-related non-story of the week (or month, or year)...

Ninja. Rock.

2008-05-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

Perhaps not since "Rock Lobster" has the word "rock" been part of such a curious and intriguing pair.

Last week, some LRC alumni and I saw Fist of Dishonor, Portland's only (I'm guessing here) ninja rock band, which is led by one of our vocal instructors (and all-around ass-kicker), Tera.

First off, it was great seeing my fellow lady rockers again and sharing some overpriced drinks at the very cool Clyde Common. Over at the Fez, the opening band was Drop Dead Legs, a "tribute to early Van Halen" fronted by a female singer. They were good! I guess it helps that I like Van Halen (David Lee era only), and their costumes were just awesome. Tera got us dancing like fools.

Finally (it was late for a school night), Fist of Dishonor took the stage. Their show was a bizarre but fun combination of music, acrobatic fighting and drama. Each band member plays a character; enemies burst onstage to challenge the band (the bassist was killed and replaced by an enemy early in the set, only to be semi-revived to lend vocals to a later song); and mid-set, a woman came on stage and did some impressive stunts, including shooting a bow and arrow with her feet while balancing on her hands.

Tera's a great singer, and this band ... well, they have a vision. And some devoted fans. Definitely worth seeing!

Dig, if you will, a picture

2008-05-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

I just saw Paranoid Park this weekend. Portland finally got the movie it deserved. In addition to being a powerful film in its own right (similar to, but more accessible — and less disturbing — than Elephant), it's a tasteful postcard of Portland, showcasing the city's sights and sounds with a light touch.

My favorite Portland shout-out was Van Sant's cameo at Half & Half; I also loved seeing Jackpot Records and hearing Elliott Smith.

I saw another good movie shot in Portland not too long ago. Old Joy is a meditative film starring Daniel London and Will Oldham. I'd heard about it when it came out in 2006, but just happened to see it on TV a couple of weeks ago. Not much happens in this Jon Raymond story about two old friends who head to Bagby Hot Springs for a weekend, but it's evocative and moving — and a nice counterpoint to Paranoid's coming-of-age theme. Old Joy is about coming of a slightly older age, maybe even maturity.

Ebert liked it, too.

Hot hat

2008-05-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

So, it's 90-some degrees in Portland today, and I'm keeping warm in my just-finished second hat!

Here I am modeling it in my air-conditioned office.

And here's a detail.

(Sorry for the blurry shots. I'll try to post better pics later.)

This hat is knit in Fauve, and "designed" as I went along with some eyelet rows and half of a diagonal mock-cable stitch on the band. (I started and restarted the band about 10 times before finally finding a stich I liked. The band turned out a little rolly, but it works.) Finally, I finished this puppy with a vintage button from the 15-cent bin at the Button Emporium. The best button shop in Portland — or maybe the world — is 4 blocks from my office — how cool is that?!

Down by the river

2008-05-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

File this under, "How do I love my job? Let me count the ways ..."

Friday was our team-building day, so we all hopped on a bus and headed for Gotter Prairie, a 170-acre flood plain meadow purchased by Metro for watershed restoration. Staff and volunteers from Tualatin Riverkeepers met us at the site, and led us on a hike across the meadow, pointing out deer tracks, red-winged blackbirds and snakes (which I didn't get to see!).

Our morning project was to remove the seedheads of invasive grasses. After an hour or so of moderate labor, we filed back onto the bus and enjoyed lunch at Hunter's Ridge Grill in Sherwood. I'll definitely check this place out again on the way back from trips to Newberg.

Next, we were off to Tualatin Community Park, where we had the option of hiking or canoeing. I hadn't paddled since my Dragon Boat experiment, and I'd never been in a canoe, so I jumped at the opportunity. The short strecth of the Tualatin that we explored was peaceful and pleasant. The weather was fantastic, and one of our Riverkeeper guides paid me the compliment of asking whether I was an experienced paddler. And we saw two turtles!

Our host for the day was the executive director of Tualatin Riverkeepers, who mentioned that their organization is one of 177 similar groups that operate as part of Bobby Kennedy, Jr.'s Waterkeeper Alliance. Their goal is to protect every watershed in the United States — a great cause for which I'd be happy to pull weeds again!

Sink your teeth in

2008-05-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

Yup, it's video of my band's performance at the Ladies Rock Showcase at Satyricon, courtesy of Record Store Geek (thanks!). Before you hit "play," please remember — we met Friday afternoon, had our first-ever instrument lessons, wrote the song on Saturday, and performed it on Sunday. The finished product is definitely not perfect, but man, what a blast!

More LRC video:

Carbon Arc (featuring my pal Megan on drums)

Brutal Poodle (with Jean on vocals)

More Sensitive Teeth (same song, different angle)

I confess ...

2008-05-07T12:07:00.001-07:00

... that I just ate a bite of this little devil from Voodoo Doughnut. Right after eating it, I rushed back to my computer and went to one of my favorite websites: MyFoodDiary.com. As I meticulously recorded the quarter of a donut I'd devoured, I realized that logging what I eat feels like I imagine confession might — once I've logged a meal or a snack, a sense of calm (or is it absolution?) envelopes me, as I make peace with what I must do the rest of the day to stay on course ... or accept the fact that the day is a lost cause — but that I'll have a blank slate tomorrow.

This site is so cool (in a health-geek sort of way). In addition to tracking your calorie intake, exercise, vitamins, minerals, and fiber — and producing all kinds of cool, scientific reports and graphs — it allows you to enter daily notes. This is where I confess things like, "Ate a whole pint of ice cream. AGAIN," or record noteworthy occasions: "I think I felt my abs!" All of which adds to my clarity of conscience.

Hmm. Does this mean food logging is my religion?

Little knit

2008-05-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

Just got this photo of the baby hat (Stitch 'n' Bitch umbilical cord hat) I knit for a friend's baby-to-be. Thanks to Sharon for the photo, and to Carrie for modeling the hat (on her hand).

I also knit the petal bib from Leigh Radford's One Skein, but forgot to take a picture. I'm hoping to see an adorable baby modeling it soon!

Hero panties smell like hero butt

2008-05-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

That was just one of the many profund thoughts to come out of Ladies Rock Camp (our edited graffiti, barely visible in the photo above). Here's a photo gallery put together by our keyboardist's partner. You can tell from the photos that three of our bandmates are longtime friends — but I swear, I was in this band, too!

Here we see Sensitive Teeth in their native setting (the RnRC4G parking lot). Bunnies (and a cat and a hobo) live there, too!

Some other highlights:

Those are some sweet cupcakes! Amanda, reclining by the sugary treats, taught the sound/gear workshop and worked the board a lot.

Amanda and Beth Ditto kicked off karaoke night with "Jackson." Did I mention that Beth Ditto was there?! Singing?!

Red shoes rock!

Cool shit

2008-05-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

While I've been working, toiling, aplying myself utterly and completely to my job, I've somehow also encountered several interesting / cool / covetable things on the internets this morning.

Please come live in my bathroom:

Finally, a place to hang my hat — or to shape my own felted hats:

Best for last ... competition for Google? Damn you for making me swear out loud at my desk!

P.S. There's more info about Searchme on their blog.

Live where you fear

2008-04-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

"Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. Destroy your reputation. Be notorious." - Rumi*

In the days since LRC, I've been thinking about how to apply what I learned to my life as a whole. I keep coming back to the basic assumption that you can do whatever you want, and asking myself what I would want to do, big or small, if I believed that I could do absolutely anything.

Especially since starting my new job and finally seeing "Editor" on my business card (one of my life's dreams), it's not like I'm unhappy where I am. But I do wonder if I could be doing work that will leave more of a legacy, or be more meaningful and rewarding for myself and the world. I'm also a little jealous of friends who are heading to grad school and wondering if that's where I want to go, too.

So, here's a list of dream jobs that are swimming in my mind. Who knows, maybe I'll get a chance to do all of these!

Linguist
If money was no object, I'd definitely try to get into the Ph.D. program at MIT. Studying linguistics under Noam Chomsky? Definitely a dream opportunity.

I've also read good things about the program at University of Hawaii. Can't beat the location, and they specialize in preserving endangered languages in the Pacific islands — a noble pursuit that would make a difference.

Yoga instructor
What? Well, I haven't been doing much yoga lately, and I've never been a full-on yogi with a regular practice, but yoga makes me feel better than anything else, and I think being a teacher would be a fantastic way to help other people feel good and open their minds. At 200 hours and around $3,000 for basic certification, this might be a little cheaper than MIT. But enough of boring practicalities — I can do anything!

Jeweler
This is another dream that I've carried since high school (the other was to be a magazine editor — a path I'm currently on). I love the transformation of metal from solid into liquid and back into solid. I love how silver looks so dirty, then polishes up to a brilliant shine. I like pretty shiny things. I've wanted a place to set up a casting centrifuge for years ... maybe this will be the year ...

Teaching English abroad
My awesome cousin Lois taught in Japan for many years, and I've always thought this would be a fantastic way to escape from America, live like a local in another land, and do something positive while basically getting paid to travel — my favorite thing to do, ever. Costa Rica is a dream destination.

*I came across this quote while looking at yoga teacher training options in Portland. I love it!

The Greatest Love of All*

2008-04-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

I'm reluctantly settling back into my workday routine, and realizing more and more amazing things about LRC.

I never heard even a breath of negativity all weekend. Anything was possible. You want to have a band with two bassists, keyboards and a vocalist? You can do that! You want to stop singing and just talk for part of your song? You can do that! The only uncertain or criticizing comments I heard were women voicing doubts about their own abilities — but even these were shaken off quickly and easily. Examples: "I don't know that chord ... yet ..." and "I love this song we wrote, but I'm not sure I can sing it." (That was me ... and it turned out, yes, I could sing it!)

I just can't get over how transformative it was to write a song — especially over the course of a few hours, with people who'd never done that before. It was so amazing to watch/experience as it went from two chords, to three parts (a verse, a chorus, another sort of chorus thing), into something that's actually a song. One that can get stuck in your head! Holy crap.

I'm still absorbing these facts, but ... I have rhythm. I can carry a tune. I can write lyrics. (I have written the word parts of songs before, but never gave myself credit or thought they were "real" songs.) I'm a fucking songwriter!

When we got to Satyricon for the showcase, they were playing Guided by Voices. That (and perhaps the rum) — and definitely my friends being there — made me feel calm and like I belonged.

I was not nervous performing at the showcase. I think I could have moved more, sung better, smiled more, etc., but I did my part fine, had fun, and wasn't freaked out. I was way more nervous when I sang "Glad Girls" acapella in vocals class, and when we did our run-through on Saturday night — I forgot to sing a part of the song, and Morgan (drums) couldn't hear anything in the monitor ... but Beth Ditto still told me she liked our song. Be still my heart!

Speaking of Beth, she's just one of about 30 new heroes of mine after this weekend. Teri, Tara, sts, *winner*, Marisa, Claudia ... and pretty much everyone else there was amazing at what they do and incredibly generous. Thank you!!!

* A bunch of camp staff and volunteers sang this song at the kickin' karaoke party on Saturday night. It's cheesy, but the lyrics really do sum up what Rock Camp is all about. Too bad Whitney forgot these principles when she hooked up with Bobby.

I am lady, hear me ROCK!

2008-04-28T18:16:00.001-07:00

I don't have my photos up yet, and I'm still reeling from the awesome insanity that was Ladies Rock Camp, but I have to shout out to my friends and family who came out and supported me at the showcase yesterday -- and to my super cool band mates, and to the amazing women who founded the camp. Also, Megan kicked out the jams on drums, and she's ahead of me with her blog. You go, "Pants"!(?)!

More soon. I can't wait to go again next year!

Thanks to Jolie for the blog love and for this photo.

See my hat

2008-04-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to That Jolie Girl, I just took a fabulous hat design class from the talented and lovely Laura Irwin. Laura is a great teacher and really fun to hang with — we felt lucky to have her all to ourselves!

Here's a shot of my recently finished hat. As is my wont, I chose the main yarn first, for its texture and color, then we figured out together what shape to go for (the technical term is "floppy"). The trim was knit up and added last — another single skein from my little stash.

This was a great experience. I feel more confident in my ability to design/make stuff up, and I've already started my next hat!

This bird has flown

2007-12-01T12:36:00.000-08:00

That Jolie Girl and I were just talking last week about Portland artist Amy Ruppel, then I turned around and ... what's this? She's done all the illustrations for Target's holiday campaign!

I had the pleasure of interviewing the talented Ms. Ruppel a couple of years ago, and well, call me a shameless consumer, but I think it's awesome to see the mega-mart offering gift cards and a desktop widget featuring her designs.

There's a nice shot of a Ruppel-for-Target gift bag in Hillary Lang's photostream, and you can buy Ruppel's holiday cards at Vigo.

Life list

2007-08-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

I've been inspired (by this guy) to compile a list of all the bands I've seen. I'm kind of surprised at the total (124 so far), but I chalk it up to the fact that I did a lot of time at festivals, especially Bumbershoot, back when I was a whippersnapper. I tried to just list "national" acts...

P.S. I've now spent way too much time on this. I'm beyond inspired and smack-dab in the middle of obsession. I added as many venues and dates as I could remember, and bolded the folks I've seen more than five times. Must ... stop ...

Tori Amos - Civic Audtorium, 1994
Anthrax - Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium, Oct. 21, 1991 (with Public Enemy, on the night of the Oakland Hills firestorm)
The Beach Boys - Candlestick Park, San Francisco, 1980s (after a Giants game)
Beck - Champoeg Park, 1997; Bumbershoot, 1997
Ben Folds Five - Satyricon, 1995
The Beta Band - Gorge, 2001
Bettie Serveert - Bumbershoot, La Luna?
Andrew Bird - Aladdin (opened for Kristin Hersh)
BR549 - Bumbershoot
Bright Eyes - Roseland, 2004 (with Cat Power, M. Ward, et al.)
Richard Buckner - St. John's Theater, Dante's
Built to Spill - Bumbershoot, Crystal Ballroom
Camper van Beethoven - Bumbershoot (?)
Neko Case - Oregon Zoo
Cat Power - Berbati's Pan; Roseland, 2004 (with Bright Eyes, M. Ward, et al.)
Vic Chesnutt - Aladdin Theater
Concrete Blonde - Roseland
The Cramps - Gathering of the Tribes, 1990, La Luna,
Robert Cray - Bumbershoot
Sheryl Crow - Bumbershoot
Crowded House - WOMAD, San Francisco, 1993
Dandy Warhols - La Luna
Death Cab for Cutie - Bumbershoot
Ani DiFranco - Melody Ballroom, Roseland
The Donnas - Crystal Ballroom, Roseland
Dr. Octagon - Crystal Ballroom
Echo & the Bunnymen - Wonder Ballroom, 2006
Elastica - Satyricon (?)
Everclear - La Luna
Fifty Foot Wave - Berbati's Pan, Doug Fir, Lola's Room, Crocodile Cafe (Seattle), Offramp? (Seattle)
Peter Gabriel - WOMAD, San Francisco, 1993
Lisa Germano - Berbati's Pan
Granddaddy - Berbati's Pan (opened for Elliott Smith)
Grant Lee Buffalo - Berbati's Pan (opened for Robyn Hitchcock)
Guided by Voices - Berbati's Pan (3 times), La Luna, Crystal Ballroom (2 times)
Happy Mondays - (opened for INXS - or was that the Stone Roses?)
John Wesley Harding - Bumbershoot
Heatmiser - La Luna
Helio Sequence - Crystal Ballroom (?)
Helium - Meow Meow (?)
Kristin Hersh - La Luna, Berbati's Pan, Aladdin Theater (4 times), WOW Hall (Eugene), Music Millenium, Mississippi Studios, Bumbershoot, 1997, 2000
John Hiatt - Bumbershoot
Robyn Hitchcock - Warfield, San Francisco, 1993; La Luna, 1994; Berbati's, 1995; Aladdin, 1997; Aladdin, 1998; Aladdin, 1999; Music Millenium, 2003; Crystal Ballroom, 2005; Doug Fir, 2006
The Hives - Crystal Ballroom
Ice T - Gathering of the Tribes, Shoreline, 1990
Indigo Girls - Gathering of the Tribes, Shoreline, 1990
Interpol - Crystal Ballroom
INXS - Cow Palace, 1988 (?)
Jim James - Roseland, 2004 (with Cat Power, Bright Eyes, et al.)
Joan Jett - Bumbershoot
Daniel Johnston - Satyricon
Kaiser Chiefs - Berbati's Pan
Kraftwerk - Coachella, 2004
Lenny Kravitz - WOMAD, San Francisco, 1993
L7 - Bumbershoot
Lambchop - Aladdin (with Vic Chesnutt)
Mark Lanegan - Lola's Room
Ben Lee - Bumbershoot
Mary Lou Lord - Bumbershoot
Magnetic Fields - Bumbershoot
Johnny Marr - Berbati's Pan
Mecca Normal - Bumbershoot
Colin Meloy - Crystal Ballroom, 2005 (opened for Robyn Hitchcock)
Minus 5 - Doug Fir, 2006 (with Robyn Hitchcock)
Modest Mouse - Bumbershoot
The Mooney Suzuki - Crystal Ballroom (opened for The Hives), Berbati's Pan
Morphine - Bumbershoot
Morrissey - Shoreline Amphitheatre; Greek Theatre, Berkeley, 1991
Bob Mould - Warfield, San Francisco, 1993 (opened for Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians)
Mr. Bungle - somewhere in CA in the early 90s
Peter Murphy - Roseland
My Morning Jacket - Crystal Ballroom (opened for GBV)
The Neville Brothers - Bumbershoot
Heather Nova - Satyricon, 1995
Oasis - Satyricon, 1994
Sinead O'Connor - WOMAD, San Francisco, 1993
OK Go - Roseland (opened for The Donnas)
Olivia Tremor Control - La Luna; EJs
Beth Orton - Bumbershoot; La Luna
Joan Osborne - Bumbershoot
Pavement - Bumbershoot
Pedro the Lion - Bumbershoot; Cobalt Lounge
Grant Lee Phillips - Aladdin (with Robyn Hitchcock), 2000; Aladdin (opened for Kristin Hersh); Berbati's Pan (opened for Kristin Hersh)
Pink Martini - Berbati's Pan
The Pixies - Coachella, 2004
Pizzicato Five - Roseland (?)
PJ Harvey - La Luna
Iggy Pop - Gathering of the Tribes, Shoreline, 1990
The Posies - Bumbershoot
The Pretenders - Gorge in George, (opened for Neil Young)
Primus - Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium, 1991 (opened for Anthrax and Public Enemy)
Public Enemy - Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium, 1991 (with Anthrax)
Quasi - La Luna; Berbati's Pan; EJ's; Crocodile Cafe (opened for Elliott Smith), 1997; Bumbershoot
Radiohead - Gorge in George, 2001; Coachella, 2004
Bonnie Raitt - Bumbershoot
Red House Painters - ?
Lou Reed - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 2000
Jonathan Richman - Berbati's
The Roots - Bumbershoot
Sahara Hotnights - Berbati's
Screaming Trees - Bumbershoot
The Shins - Crystal Ballroom, (opened for ...)
Jane Siberry - Bumbershoot
Sleater-Kinney - Bumbershoot
Elliott Smith - Egyptian Room, La Luna, Berbati's Pan, Crystal Ballroom, Crocodile Cafe (Seattle), 1997; Roseland
Smog - Berbati's (with Cat Power?)
The Soft Boys - La Luna, 2001
Son Volt - Bumbershoot
Sonic Youth - Champoeg Park, 1997, Bumbershoot
Soul Coughing - Bumbershoot
Soundgarden - Gathering of the Tribes, Shoreline, 1990
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Bumbershoot
The Stills - Crystal Ballroom (opened for BTS)
Sting - Oakland Coliseum, 1988
They Might Be Giants - Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
Throwing Muses - La Luna, Berbati's, somewhere in Seattle (?)
Tiny Tim - Bumbershoot
M. Ward - Crystal Ballroom; Roseland, 2004 (with Cat Power, Bright Eyes, et al.)
Whiskeytown - Bumbershoot
Wilco - Bumbershoot, 1997
Yo La Tengo - La Luna, Crystal Ballroom
Neil Young - Gorge in George
Young Fresh Fellows - La Luna, 2001 (opened for the Soft Boys)
Zap Mama - Bumbershoot

You know your boss is cool...

2006-11-14T17:32:00.000-08:00

...when this is part of your birthday present to her.

Something to blog about

2006-11-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

I'll spare my fictional readers the details about what I've been up to in the million years since I last blogged, and just skip right to the shameless plug - my first real DVD review has just been published, and it doesn't totally suck (I think)!

Wonderfalls: The Complete Viewer Collection

P.S. In case you can't tell, the screen-cap shows a lesbian about to perform a tracheotomy with a Bic pen. Pretty much the coolest thing I've seen on TV, not counting the dancing dwarf.

I got it!

2006-08-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

A photo essay on my newest artistic investment, courtesy of Crisp. (Click on the thumbnails for bigger pictures.) This all happened last Saturday at Atlas Tattoo. The artist is Jennifer Billig and she rocks!

Stencil.

Laying down the line.

The hardest part is done!

Everything colored in except for the mums.

Finished product, later that night.

I realize now that none of these images really show how big it is in the context of my whole back (pretty big!). I'll post an overview photo next week, once it stops peeling.

There oughtta be an adage

2006-08-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

Why am I suddenly so into my blog? For the same reason that my friend and I decorated a long hallway in our first apartment with National Geographic clippings during finals week ... I don't know what the reason is, but it has to do with terrifying impending deadlines that make you want to devote time to everything and anything else. So much so that, so far today, I've cleaned my office, blogged three times, sent a joke voicemail and spent about 20 minutes searching Wikipedia for the name of my condition. Parkinson's law seems to come the closest, but it's not quite right. I love that there's a "coefficient of inefficiency," though.

Snakes on a mother-f'ing phone!

2006-08-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

The blinking light of my office phone held a pleasant surprise this morning: An intense, but oddly profanity-free, voicemail message from Samuel L. Jackson. Is this online movie marketing at its finest?

Viva los chompers

2006-08-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

Matt Damon as Captain Kirk? I don't know what to think ... Then again, I never imagined he'd be a convincing gay murderer, either.

Speaking of William Shatner, I'm looking forward to his roast on Comedy Central Aug. 20.

Hometown girl

2006-07-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

I saw Kristin Hersh with Grant-Lee Phillips at Berbati's last night with That Jolie Girl and Record Store Geek, and it was awesome! I thought she was a little technically off (or maybe it was me?) a couple of times, but she played great songs, her voice was awesome, and she was obviously having fun up on stage with her pal Grant.

Here's a must-see 5-minute interview with Kristin Hersh in her NW Portland house - where she practices with 50 Foot Wave. Desperate fan girl that I am, I'm tempted to start walking around NW with my ears open!

Here's KH's set as best I can remember - not in order, though:
Sundrops
White Bikini Sand
Hook in Her Head
Tar Kissers
Pearl
37 Hours
Your Dirty Answer
Listerine (awesome!)
Uncle June and Aunt Kiyoti
Gazebo Tree
Under the Gun
Your Ghost (w/Grant-Lee)

When the Levee Breaks (w/Grant-Lee)
Adult Books (X cover w/Grant-Lee)

"Listerine" was my favorite song of the night - for some reason, it hit me in a different way than it ever had before that it's about losing her son, cheating, and the Muses breakup (and maybe some other stuff) all at once. She has an uncanny way of capturing a lot of messy life in one "little" song. And her vocals at the end - amazing.

Grant-Lee was good, too. I've seen him perform with Robyn Hitchcock, and I think I saw him open for Kristin once, too. His new album is called "nineteeneighties" and, appropriately enough, is all covers of 80s tunes. As someone on Amazon said, "Grant-Lee stole my record collection!" He definitely grew up on the same college rock (remember when that's what it was called?) as I did - REM, The Cure, The Smiths ... I think "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" was my favorite cover of the night. I was disappointed by "Killing Moon" because, a) The only more obvious Echo and the Bunnymen cover would be "Lips Like Sugar" and b) There's already a completely kick-ass cover of "Killing Moon" done by Pavement. Also, the only Psychedelic Furs cover I ever need to hear is Robyn Hitchcock's "Ghost in You." I did love the New Order/Roy Orbison combination, and the X cover, too. On the Throwing Music message board, Billy O'Connell (KH's husband/manager) said that at the Seattle show,

Kristin and Grant [had] to phone John Doe from backstage for lyrics assistance. They left him a voicemail, so Grant kept his phone in his pocket so he could answer it onstage if John called back with who "shackles Jane". Grant decided to go with "Rico" just because he felt like it and it worked fine.

Grant-Lee must have gotten a call back from John because last night he clarified that it is, in fact, Clifford who shackles Jane. Then he mentioned that Kristin, John Doe and him were "almost in a band together." How the hell did I miss that?! Update: They actually did a "songwriters tour" together, which never made it to Portland. Here's a good review of a 2002 gig in Pittsburgh.

Speaking of shows, Jolie asked me last night how many times I've seen Kristin, and I honestly don't know. I started a list, and so far I've come up with 17 shows, including solo, Muses and Wave gigs. Does anyone know if there's a good Muses/KH gigography out there?

La La love you

2006-07-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

I can't thank Jolie enough for hooking me up on la la. Since I signed up about a month ago, I've traded 7 CDs that I never listen to anymore for 8 new CDs -- mostly oldies that I missed, like the Sundays, Tori Amos, Simon & Garfunkel, Jane's Addiction. Wow, most of those I had on tape or vinyl, back in the day.

Anyway, the magic of la la is that you list all your CDs (including ones you don't want to trade, to improve your recommendations), then you list CDs that you want, and the system looks for matches. The more of your CDs you ship, the more you receive. La la charges you $1.75 per CD you receive. Pretty good deal, especially for people like me who are too lazy to lug their old discs down to Everyday Music.

So, sign up and help me get the 66 albums on my want list! Yeah, I'm needy.

Back from the brink

2006-07-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, I had no idea it'd been so long... I knew it had been long enough that the blog was essentially dead, but three months - WTF?

At any rate, I'm back, with a beautiful drawing of my new tattoo! I'm getting it done in a couple of weeks. So pretty!

The artist is Jennifer Billig of Atlas Tattoo. I haven't settled on colors yet - any ideas?

Happy-sad

2006-04-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know that I love Kristin Hersh. Since I started this half-assed blog, I've thought a lot about how to write about her, but I haven't taken the plunge. I don't want to sound like a pathetic, obsessed fan ... the best way I can say it is that she's like a very cool friend who inspires me to be a better person; a strong, crazy, talented woman who puts love first and makes the world a better place—in short, the kind of person I hope I get to be before I die.

So, today, I went to her blog for the first time in a couple of weeks, and was instantly elated to read this line: "We moved to Portland, Oregon a couple days ago." I might see Kristin at a show, or in line at a coffee shop? Holy shit! I knew this was a good day.

Then I went on to read the whole post, and, like so much of what she writes, it took me from elation to sadness in about a minute. Please read it, and keep your eye out for a brilliant little pixie-looking lady with a mouth like a sailor ... now living right here in Stumptown!

More inspiration

2006-04-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

The flowers in this store's logo make me want my tattoo now! (It's also a great store, where I got a super cute jacket and pants - thanks, Paula!)

Sad but true

2006-04-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

This is what makes my night: "fresh" (cringe) Gilmore Girls followed by the Buffiest show on TV, Veronica Mars. All I need now is a little Earl. Sometimes I love being a complacent American.

Happy birthday!

2006-04-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm 33, I have attained enough wisdom to tell you that a) Daylight Saving Time is not a good present and b) If your birthday is on a Monday, for God's sake, take the day off work. Unfortunately, last week, I was a foolish young 32-year-old and didn't have the foresight to think of such things.

Wake me up when it's time for my free lunch.

P.S. Viva the bunny champion! Best birthday gift ever!

Hello my friend, are you visible today?*

2006-03-20T17:27:00.000-08:00

Here I am, from out of nowhere (by way of D.C., which I promise I'll post about soon), and I want to talk about my next tattoo. I've already got two, and it's high time for #3. I've been thinking on this one for a couple of years, and I've got the location (right shoulder blade) and theme (Japanese floral) pegged. But when it comes down to what it's actually going to look like ... not so sure.

So, I turn to you, my loyal, oft-disappointed and likely imaginary readers. Here are some images that are something like what I want. What do you think?

* My friend and I spray-painted t-shirts with this REM lyric in high school. Early evidence of my "style sense."

I am a bad blogger

2006-02-23T12:50:00.000-08:00

So far, that is. Eh, I'm not too surprised, and I hope you three who might be reading this aren't too disappointed!

For the next few days, I have a great excuse not to blog - I'll be in our nation's capital, taking in the sights and doing a little work, too.

To distract you during my absence, here's a quick look at how I'll be entertaining myself on the planes, in the airports, and on the streets of DC:

Reading

Knitting (except the color is "toffee")

Listening, listening, listening, and more listening

Happy trails!

Hello?

2006-02-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

After more than a year of threatening, I am "back" on the Web ... for now it's just a blog; one day there may be more.

In the months since I left OregonLive.com and my beloved Odd Blog behind, I've been keeping busy managing Web content for a health advocacy nonprofit which shall remain nameless at the suggestion of a paranoid but dear coworker, where I also do enough writing and editing to keep me very happy.

Watch this space for more exciting stuff coming soon!