Watch this space

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.

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

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

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

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*

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

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

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

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 ...

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 ...

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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)