don't hate me because i'm happy

i wish i had something more substantive to write. all i've got to say, though, is Things Are Good.

stephen & i celebrated his birthday earlier in the week. his favorite dessert is cherry pie, and in honor of his big day we engaged in part two of the Great Cherry Pie Trials. last month, in the midst of a particularly stressful time for him, i ordered what was promised to be 'the most delicious cherry pie on earth' from grand central bakery. they weren't kidding; it was spectacular. i never knew cherry pie could be like that.

but i wondered if there were other great pie restaurants just waiting to be discovered. so for his birthday i went to random order cafe and got one of theirs. it was amazingly good, too. (whereas grand central's crust was like a dense croissant, random order's was like a light scone.) anyway, we have now vowed to continue our pie quest and search for portland's greatest cherry pie.

we met some of his friends after work on tuesday for a pub quiz. i'm not great at trivia, but i knew where napoleon was exiled so at least i earned my keep. and we had fun, too. stephen named our team "the facts machine" which i thought was adorably clever.

i'm still enjoying my little dining group, though we've reduced in size from 5 to 4. last night we met at a sushi restaurant, which was outside my comfort zone... until i realized that the key to enjoying sushi --at least for me-- is to have someone else order. i'm so inexperienced that its helpful to have someone look out for me, to make sure i order only the most delicious stuff on the menu. i can now confidently say that i don't hate sushi. thanks, lessie!

this weekend stephen and i were planning on going camping, but there is actually snow in the forecast. instead, i think we're going to get a hotel on the beach and go on a few day-hikes. it'll be fun to get out of town with him for a few days.