workout

thanks for your sweet comments and emails, y'all. i appreciate your support. i'm feeling pretty good overall. the counselor is simply helping me maintain my balance.

another thing that's helping is a trial membership at nearby athletic club. i suddenly realized how much i missed my gym membership and decided to stop in and take a tour of this place i pass by every day. it's co-ed, which i'm not thrilled about, but it seems pretty chill so far. i've got a 10 day trial pass. in the meantime i'm going to check out a women's gym which isn't quite as convenient (and quite a bit smaller) and see how it compares.

now that it's cold and rainy (and snowy! it snowed yesterday!) i'm finding i'm not walking to work any more. i miss the exercise. so i hope one of these gyms fits the bill.

crazy stuff

after my big day of driving, i was pretty tired. still, there were so many things going on last night that i wanted to muster up the energy to do *something*.

april had invited me to go with her to the doug fir to see derby. i listened to their music online and liked it pretty well, but was maybe drawn more to the idea of seeing the purple rain tribute at dante's. there are a bunch of funky old movie theaters in town, too, that i'd like to continue to explore.

but what finally won out was this weird thing at the someday lounge (this is the same club where i saw the hot dog opera)... it was a film-screening of old 1940s-era stop-motion animation by ray harryhausen. almost all of what was shown was his mother goose & fairy tale stories.

that would have been fun enough, but what drew me to this show were 4 or 5 different san fransicso "noise" artists who provided live audio for the films. they generally went in the 'spooky' direction, with lots of rumbling bass and squeaky noodlings. when little red riding hood, for instance, knocked on her grandma's door, it was more of an echoey BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! than the cute little tap-tap-tap you'd might expect.

it was a good show, but the most difficult part was being there by myself. i got there when i thought the show was to begin, but in the end i ended up sitting alone for close to an hour, sipping a really friggin' amazing makers-and-fresh-ginger. there were some interesting-looking people i was eyeing, watching to see if they, too, were alone and maybe i could easily strike up a conversation. several people walked near where i was sitting and i offered them the extra chair at my table, but no one bit. "i'm just looking for someone," most would say. thankfully i was at a great vantage point for people-watching, and i didn't just have to stare at a wall for an hour.

and i realize i *chose* to be alone last night. i had an invitation to go to a rock show with april, and i turned it down in favor of doing something that seemed more interesting to me. i also figured it would be a more comfortable situation in which to meet and talk to new people. (i hate screaming over live rock music.)

anyway, i figured i'd use last night's situation as a lead-in to come clean on this blog. i'm having a great time here, don't get me wrong, and i don't for one second regret my decision to move. but i'm starting to have some real difficulty with Being Alone. yes, i'm dating. and yes, i'm making slowly friends. but coming home to an empty house at the end of the night is difficult. and not having my closest friends around me anymore... that's WAY difficult.

i'm generally very happy, yet i find myself crying every few days. so i took this as a sign that i needed some help. :) i called the EAP service my employer offers, and last week i had my first of three free counseling sessions. i don't know that just three is going to do much good overall, but it's something. and to her credit, after just one hour this counselor offered a couple of nuggets of advice that i latched on to, so i think this will definitely be worthwhile.

breathtaking day

just a warning that this is going to be a long and florid post.

i woke up and immediately took myself to the waffle window and had a nice crispy belgian waffle topped with pumpkin pie filling. and with whipped cream and caramel sauce, too. it was sinfully good.

i then went downtown to the giant farmers market and stocked up on some salad fixins and some fruit. there are only a few weeks left of the market this season and the vendors are slowly dropping away. my favorite pork guy was there, however he was out of bacon. that threw off my whole menu for the week. he says he's got "150 bellies hanging there ready to be cut", and that he'll have plenty of bacon next week.

from there i started my big project for the day: a tour around the mount hood scenic loop:


it's about a 4-hour round-trip journey that passes through the columbia river gorge, past countless waterfalls, and circles a huge volcano (mount hood).

on that map, exit 16a (at the far left) is the exit i take to go to KMHD each week for divaville. i'd never been beyond that exit on I-84, though, and had no friggin' idea what beauty lay beyond. within only 10 minutes or so, i was in tears over the enormity of what i was seeing. the interstate winds right along the columbia river (which is the border between washington and oregon) and the scenery was breathtaking. i literally kept gasping and saying to myself, "oh my god!" i wish i could have found a way to take pictures while driving. no, strike that. i wish i could have mounted a video camera to the car... that would have been the only way i could have come close to capturing the majesty of what i was witnessing.

i stopped the car at multnomah falls:


i still have a hard time believing this is a mere 30 minutes from my apartment.

the man at the visitor center gave me several maps, including one which details hiking trails in the falls area:


i *so* want to do this next spring or summer.

knowing that i still had a long drive ahead of me, i got back in the car and kept heading east. the bonneville dam and fish hatchery both looked cool from the road (i'm keeping a mental list of future trips), and i saw a sign for the international museum of carousel art that i'm going to have to investigate further as well. and around each bend was a sight more lovelier than the last. the water, the mountains, the lava-formed rocks... it was really overwhelming and almost too much to take in. i just cannot adequately describe the beauty of what i was seeing.

then i came to the town of hood river and started driving south. highway 35 is full of pear orchards and wineries, and i was told that there would be lots of fruit stands to partake of. well, there *are* lots of fruit stands, but the ground at that elevation is covered with snow and there is no longer any fruit on the trees. i wish i had the ability to take a photo of the snow-covered vineyards... quite a lovely and peaceful sight.

it was about this point, though, that i stopped kicking myself for taking so few pictures. *because* i don't have photographic memories of this trip, i think i'll convince myself to go back and do it again in the very near future.

my ears started to pop a little and i started to enter the mount hood national forest:


honestly, i was crying when i took this photo. the variety of the scenery i'd seen in just a couple of hours was so phenomenal.

i was noticing a lot of signs for "sno parks", and spotting a lot of SUVs parked on the side of the road with trailers for snowmobiles, and racks for skis and snowboards. if i were more into that kind of winter activity, i'd do some more investigation... it seemed like there were plenty of opportunities for free wintertime sports.

the road was getting slushy (and i was remembering the guy at the visitors center at multnomah falls telling me i'd "probably be ok without chains" on my tires today) and as i looked at some of the side streets it was clear that they'd recently been plowed. it appeared as if there had been several inches of snow at that elevation already.

highway 35 intersects 26 at the south end of mount hood, and that's where you can find timberline lodge, the setting for the exterior shots of 'the shining', historic landmark, ski resort and mecca for folk artists from the depression. i was told that i absolutely should not go up there without tire chains, so i'll have to save that journey for another day.

the rest of the scenic loop was not as pretty as the first 3 hours. but as i drove west through cute little towns (with names like rhododendron and zig-zag) i wondered how different the scenery would look if i circled the loop from the other direction next time. god, i can't wait to do this again.

the only frustrating thing about my trip today was my ipod's friggin' FM transmitter. it was infuriating to have to change broadcast stations so much. and the CD player in my car stereo doesn't work, so i spent more time than i would have liked just messing with my music. so when i finally got back to town i stopped at best buy and just bought a new damn car stereo... one with a direct input for my ipod (no more transmitter!) and one with an operable CD player. that was such a splurge of a purchase, but i will be *so* thankful next time i take a long scenic drive again.

the best buy just happens to be next to the ikea, so i breezed through with an eye out for some futon options for the 2nd bedroom. (i'm not using that room as much as i'd like, and i think it's simply because there is not a comfortable place to lounge.) i found this, but they're currently out of stock. i'll have to call them next week to see if they got any more:


it seems crass somehow to end a post about stunning natural beauty with a photo of an orange couch... but it's kinda cute, too, isn't it?

The American Flag Is Not an Object of Worship

i decided to walk to work this morning. it's been really cold the last couple of days (high around 45 degrees), but it's been clear and bright and sunny and gorgeous... so why not? besides, i'd been feeling a bit guilty about driving to work lately. i could use the exercise.

the frigid air felt like it was ripping through my throat, and when i finally arrived at work my nose was running from the cold and my voice sounded raw. i dressed warmly, but apparently not warmly enough. i can see now that i'll probably be driving to work quite a bit this winter, whether it's rainy or not... i need to protect my money maker. :)

so, my commute takes me through the mall, which was entertaining to see at 7:30am. usually i'm pretty much in the mall by myself at that hour, but not today. shoppers were already lined up in the halls, waiting for stores to open for their after-thanksgiving sales.

after work i had an appointment at my bank, and i walked through the mall again. insanity. i wanted to walk directly through the building, but it was a maddening experience. too much humanity making sudden stops and weaving about.

the appointment at the bank was to apply for a mortgage. i was approved for $250k, but after looking at the numbers i probably can't afford to spend that much, even with the honkin' big down-payment i've got saved up. i've been keeping my eye on the housing market here, and i have to say there's not much available for $250k. at least in the neighborhoods i'm interested in. i don't yet know exactly where i'd want to live, which is to my detriment, though with the market the way it is right now i don't know if i should really wait much longer. i can probably get some sweet deals if i act soon.

anyway, after the bank i walked through the mall AGAIN, on my way back to the train. (i can't believe i was in the mall 3 times today and didn't buy a thing.) i went downtown to the portland art museum. the guy who comes on the air after me at the jazz station happens to work as a security guard at the museum, and he offered to show me around for free.

he & i spent 2 full hours there tonight, basically careening through gallery after gallery. we didn't stop much, but rather he focused on giving me the broad overview of the museum. i was overwhelmed... it's huge, and they have some *amazing* works. i can't wait to go back and explore at a more leisurely pace. i really loved this museum a lot.

i then walked a couple of blocks over to pioneer square, where a couple of hours earlier they had just lit the big christmas tree. my friend april (roller girl) met me there and we ducked into an italian restaurant for soup & wine.


a pretty amazing day, all told.

(the subject line is the title of a richard serra painting i saw a the museum today.)

bizarre thanksgiving

i worked today. i will tomorrow, too. it's an attempt to make up some of the income i lost by going to sicily. working on holidays is actually quite nice. it's peaceful and quiet, and listeners are always happy to tell you how much the music means to them. gratitude is a big theme on thanksgiving, of course... people tend to be very generous with their thanks.

after i got off-air i went to a co-worker's house for dinner. except that when i arrived, she wasn't there. her family was, but she herself was in the hospital. turns out she had what she thought was a TIA (!) and she ended up taking herself to the emergency room. her family was in her kitchen, though, busily finishing the dinner she'd started.

she arrived a couple hours after we'd finished, with a diagnosis of transient global amnesia. we warmed up a plate of food for her and she recounted her tale -- she got into the shower at the two-minute warning at the end of the first half of a football game, and got a searing headache. she got out of the shower, downed some aspirin... then the next thing she remembers is watching the last five minutes of the second half of the football game. so... what? and hour or so elapsed? more? she remembers nothing of that period of time. which is particularly disturbing, as there was evidence of her having *cooked* during that period. she'd taken food out of the oven, put other things in, and set the table.

weird, eh? amnesia. just like in a soap opera.

anyway, it was a good night, if a little bizarre.

bread and ink

had a great lunch today with a new friend. we went to the bread and ink cafe... apparently, a portland institution.

that link takes you to a review on the 'road food' site. jane & michael stern are good enough food reviewers, but *man* they're bad photographers. the photos they took of this restaurant and its food are just terrible.

i had the dungeness crab cakes (which only remotely looked like that photo, and didn't have pine nuts on top) and they completely knocked my socks off. i was sockless! just amazing. then for dessert we split a triple ginger cake (fresh ginger, crystallized ginger and ginger powder. with espresso and prunes for added *yum*) and if there were any socks left on me they'd have surely been knocked off by this cake as well.

on weekends, mary the co-owner runs a little waffle window out of the side of the restaurant. based upon the goodness of that ginger cake she baked, you can bet your sweet bippy i'll be trying out her waffles soon.

damn good stuff.

nice nice people. bad bad weather.

it was a rainy and cold morning, but i wanted to go to the farmer's market. not the big one downtown, but the one closer to my house: the hollywood farmer's market. this was the last week the market would be open until the spring. (the downtown one will be open through december, i think.)

i don't know whether it was the weather, or the fact it was the last week, but there were barely any merchants there today. it was kind of a bust. i got some stuff to make a potato leek soup, and some apples, but that's about it. oh, and a nice filet of cod. the fish woman at the market is really amazing.

i then went to the mall and bought a pair of jeans. i'm sad to say my 12s are a little too tight (thanks, sicilian food), but after watching an episode of "what not to wear" i decided to dress the body i have and not keep squeezing into the uncomfortable jeans any longer. not that i wear jeans at all very much; i'm mostly still in skirts and dresses. but i'm going to the roller derby tonight, and that seems like a jeans kind of event if ever i heard one.

anyway, after the mall i went to foster and dobbs to stock up on some bacon chocolate. the store was having their 2nd anniversary party, with lots of little tasting stations all around. i tried a fig jam that was out of this world (bought some) and a couple of great wines (bought some). fig vinegar (nope) and beer peanut brittle (delicious, but the 14s were still on my mind, so i didn't buy any).

there's a little gelato store next door, though, and with sicily still on my mind i decided to calorie-splurge. i hadn't had lunch, so what the hell. i got a great coffee/chocolate flavor and the pumpkin flavor. yum.

that ratcheted up the sicilian memories so i decided on a whim to drive down to sellwood to this food cart to have some arancini -- sicilian fried rice balls. it was about a 15 minute drive to an area of town i'd never visited before. not only was the neighborhood cute, but the arancini were great! i had a nice conversation with the owners about their sicilian background, and we talked about the food i ate during my recent vacation. i'll definitely go back there. it's out of the way, but worth it.

wandering around sellwood, i happened across the columbia sportswear outlet, and found a great waterproof parka. the weather here is dark, cold & rainy, which is no surprise, i guess. since the weather turned bad i've been on the hunt for appropriate outerwear. i don't know if what i found today will work (it seems to be more of a skiing jacket than a rain parka), but i'll give it a shot.

while i was in the store, a customer commented on my lightweight land's end rain jacket. (it's really cute.) i then turned around and complimented her on her cool spectacles. as i stepped away from the register, the woman told me where she got the glasses and when i questioned her further she simply gave me her email address. she said "drop me a line and i'll take you there if you want."

i continue to be dumbfounded over how incredibly nice people are here in portland. it's unbelievable. and inspiring.

portland baroque

whoa. i saw one killer concert last night: the portland baroque. this ensemble was tight. they're a small orchestra (19 members last night), which is suppose is what was traditional in the 18th century. they are a period instrument ensemble, too... the program listed the age of each player's instruments, and almost all the violins were from the 1700s. the horns were valveless. they produced a great sound, and everything they played was really precise. a great concert.

afterwards my friend todd bought me a couple of drinks at one of his favorite bars. we met up with several of his friends, which was really fun.

a good night.

pink roses on my desk

I received roses at work yesterday, from a 75-year-old listener who likes my voice. It was very sweet. Some of my co-workers were jealous. ;-)

The orchestra rehearsal last night was... uh... interesting. I was really scared that after 6 months of not practicing that I would totally suck. It turns out I was the best in the section. They practically begged me to stay with them through the rest of the season. I don't know... it would be nice to play with a group that's a little more musical, but maybe they'll agree to let me play first horn if I stay. That way I could really work up my chops. We'll see.

And I'd like to report that I've gotten aggressive about meeting people. Folks I'm introduced to who make the mistake of saying "we should do lunch sometime" find me whipping out my calendar and trying to schedule something on the spot. I've got a few lunches and events set up in the next couple weeks with people I barely know... just trying to expand my circle of friends as rapidly as possible.

baby tomato

this morning i went to a breakfast held by northwest business for culture and the arts. that sounds like a boring thing, i know, but this organization is something else. it exists to encourage local businesses to donate money to cultural organizations. and they do some amazing work.

the speaker was sam adams, a portland commisioner currently running for mayor. i'm new here and don't yet fully understand local politics, but it seems like this dapper fellow is a favorite to win. i could see why, after listening to his speech. he's hip, young(ish) and very articulate. funny, too.

speaking of portland politics, election day came and went and i didn't participate. the only things on the ballot were a couple of state measures i didn't really understand. one about land use and one about taxing tobacco to provide health care for children. anyway, the only reason i mention that i didn't vote is because i still have the ballot here in front of me. oregon votes exclusively by mail, so by not voting i've still got a pile of paper on my desk: a ballot, a brochure that provides arguments pro and con for the measures on the ballot, a "ballot secrecy envelope", and a mailing envelope (postage not paid; you can drop the ballot off at several locations around town if you'd rather submit it that way).

anyway. that's the political part of this post. on to the musical part.

i'm going to finally be playing my horn again. a desperate member of the horn section of the marylhurst symphony orchestra pleaded for me to come help out for their upcoming holiday pops concert. he said that due to others' holiday scheduling conflicts he'd likely be the only horn player in the section. i think he was over-exaggerating, but i agreed to help out, contingent on the guarantee that i could play 4th horn. (theoretically the easiest part, and way down at the end of the line where i can't do too much damage.)

i don't know much about this orchestra (i can't even find a website to link to), which probably means that i can suck and they won't care too much. rehearsals begin thursday night. first, though, i need to remember where my horn ended up after the move. i think it's in that closest in the 2nd bedroom.

divaville continues to get a really good, enthusiastic audience on KMHD. the phone rings constantly, i get great email, and the program director finally decided to expand my 2-hour shift to 3 hours starting in december. that'll be exhausting (all of those damn songs are just 2 minutes long), but i love the music and it's great getting such good feedback.

ok, that's all for now.

vacation's over

i guess it's been a while since i've taken a vacation for vacation's-sake. usually i travel for work or for family. i guess ray & i went to the beach for thanksgiving a couple of years ago; that was probably the last time i went somewhere simply to get away.

so this trip to sicily felt really, really good. i mean, really good. it was a wonderful adventure, and made me remember how much i enjoy getting out of this bleepin' country every once in a while. before this trip, i'd only been to korea and the netherlands. and canada, but that barely counts.

spending time in the mediterranean was just wonderful... landscape i'd never seen before. a volcano, lots of lava and rolling hills, ancient architecture, and amazing food. good god, the food.

it was a great time. the whole thing, from start to finish.

here's the blog we all posted to. it has lots of fun videos of puppet shows and roosting birds and street demonstrations in palermo. and it also has some good words, too.

here are my photos, too, which tell a better story than my lame vocabulary can.

it was hard going back to work today, that's for sure.

sicily

hello. i'm in sicily.

here's the blog that mary and i (and past rossi-visitors) are posting to.