Grinchin' it.

Am I a Grinch? Everyone here makes me feel as though I am as soon as the topic of snow arises.

The thing is, I don't love snow. Am I wrong or is snow cold, wet, and hard thing in which to travel? When snow sits around it gets a hard crispy layer on top that cuts your ankles when you are going on a run. When it's fresh it's almost impossible to ride a bike to work. When it's old, it gets fouled and turns into hard brown bunches. Slick ice hides right next to the whitest pile of snow and dogs love to pee in the stuff (that may be more on the dogs than the snow).

The only time when snow is acceptable is in that first 12 hours after snowfall starts - when, you don't have to be anywhere and you can just watch the world change into it's alternative self for a while. Then, I'll give it to you, snow is beautiful and ethereal. It changes everything from the hard and dark of winter to a soft and white otherness. It quiets the sounds and gives the world cold clean scent. The smell of snow.

I guess maybe i need to stop taking such a hardlined stance against snow when it comes up in conversation. The people here are easily entranced. When it snows nearly an inch they are excited, scraping together snow leavings in order to make muddy, brown "snow"men. They gasp at the magical effects and maybe they're right. The snow rarely lasts longer than the 12 magical hours that my patience allows anyways. But, I am still not in love. Give me falling leaves and burnished autumn colors any day and I will be happier than any amount of snow and hot coco can make me.

USPS

I've always been a big supporter of the United States Postal Service, as we all should be.

From starting off as the Pony Express, to it's, likely, near end as a slightly more affordable mail service than it's competitors. The USPS has always been the postal delivery service for me. To be fair, I wasn't around during the heyday of the Pony Express. However, I imagine it to have been quite an invigorating event to have mail arrive for you by the hands of a horse riding and (most likely) handsome traveler. 

The USPS never forces you to travel a minimum of 30 mins to get a package that they refused to deliver to you because your doorbell doesn't work. They always have keys to your apartment building where they can leave you packages in the relative safety of your apartment hallway. The USPS has a federal law against other people opening things for you (Can UPS say that? Can Fed Ex say that?). The USPS has specialty stamps and  a generally predictable arrival time. 

If you ask me the Unites States Postal Service is worth saving. So, send more letters. Send some postcards. If you're not sure who to send them to, send them to me. I promise to do the same. As a wise woman once said to me, "Sending people mail is a really cheap way to make them happy". Keep that in mind when you're grumbling about the tiny price increase. And stick with it. 

The USPS didn't fail you when you had a pen pall in the 4th grade. You failed yourself when your forgot to send that pen pall mail. Don't take it out on the innocent. Send me mail.

All the best,

Rachel

Yoga Sadness

Tonight I learned, much to my distress, that my yoga studio was discontinuing their yoga classes. I am deeply saddened as yoga had become a regular part of my week and I felt as though I was really connecting with the instructors at the studio.

Now, it's on to searching for a new and affordable studio. Luckily, living social offers a lot of yoga deals for my area so, I'll be able to search in affordable style.

Wish me luck kiddos.

New Years Resolution: and only four days late

So, I finally got around to resolving to actually change my behavior. Funny thing is, I don't usually make any resolutions for the new year. I'm such a goal oriented person that, I am pretty much constantly making some sort of resolution. Am I going to run everywhere I go for a month? eat a strictly palio diet? train for a specific race- the Monument Ave 10K (some would argue the best race ever)? apply to a certain amount of jobs in a week? exercise x number of times in a week? Read a certain book? or what? I am always questing after these sort of things anyways. I have a basic "read every book you get from the library" policy, a current 3-5 days a week exercise schedule, and am a regular volunteer.

So, this year I decided to do some things that I should have done in the past year anyways. I want to be a tourist in my own city. I want to go back to or go for the first time to the iconic Portland things I haven't been to before. I started off my first year here on such a budget that even traveling to get to some of these places wasn't feasable. However, most of them are in the city and a lot of them are even free. Here's my list of places I want to go see and things I want to do.

1. Pittock Mansion

2. Portlandia

 Portlandia. I just went to see her today.

3. The International Rose Test Garden
4. Powells City of Books
5. Bike the East Bank Esplanade
6. Bagby Hot Springs
7. The Central Library

That's all I've got for now. All but one of them are in the city. Many of them are free. I think I should be good on this List. I'll keep you posted.
It's a constantly evolving

Zoobie doobie doooooo

Today was sadly enough Katelyn's last day in town. It was a wondrously, not too rainy day here in Portland. But, even better than the outstanding weather, it was free zoo day! So, we went to the zoo. 

We saw plenty of animals, most of them bipeds in small herds, wearing rain jackets, and pushing strollers. We did see more unusual species too. Some of our favorites were these bronze lions but we also spotted some tiny bronze elephants too. 

It's been nice having family around. We spent Christmas together, went hiking. She saw one of my favorite parks and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry while I worked. We got donuts, and made cookies, had many a quiet breakfast together and kept up a pretty good running regiment. We volunteered together, drank a beer together (or part of a beer depending on which one of us you were watching), tried some Portland specific foods, went to see a whole gaggle of cheap movies at second run theaters. We had a Harry Potter movie marathon to welcome in the new year and of course went to the zoo.

Of course, I'll be glad to have more space in my room as I'm sure Katelyn will be glad to sleep on a regular bed. But, mostly, I will miss hanging out.

Pretzelz!

The past few days have been a baked goods bonanza. On Christmas, Katelyn and I made about 5 dozen cookies. Later in the evening my roomie, Travis, came home bearing two pies, enough cookies to feed my mom (who has a major sweet tooth) for days, and some delicious breads (chocolate chip, pumpkin bread anyone?).

Tonight Katelyn and I decided to follow all of those baked treats up with... wait for it... even more baked goods!! So, we took it upon ourselves to bring the household some home made soft pretzels.

I know, I know, you're impressed. But, don't look at us as heroes. Look at us as role models for yourselves and your children. Here's some photo documentation for your enjoyment.

 Pretzel's fresh out of the oven

The first bite (on camera that is) 

Look at the joy these fat little pretzels bring into our lives

As my computer is dying, that's all for now folks.  

Into the Wild and other Christmas Adventures

Katelyn and I spent Christmas morning hiking at a spot called Angel's Rest. Much of the time, we were wondering about what in the world we were doing outside, in the rain on Christmas day.Some of the photos may reflect that.

Katelyn, unsure about the babbling brook. 

 Me "why are we doing this"

 Katelyn's finally coming around to the hike (in the background is the beautiful Colombia River)

 A beautiful tree burnt in a past year's forest fire

 A little gnomey doll we found on a tree.

 At the peak of our hike

 There was a lot of fog but we know the view would have been spectacular

Bracing against the cold under this tree.

 Frowning at the cold, in front of the void.

A window into the void through these rocks

pictures really can't do it justice

We spent the rest of our day baking labor intensive cookies, making (and eating) curry and coconut rice and watching Christopher Nolan movies with my friend Jon. Making cookies, eating curry and watching movies is my and Jon's new Christmas tradition. We did it last year and hopefully we'll do it in years to come. After Jon left Katelyn gave me some delicious looking canned foods to eat. We got into one of them this morning. 

Canned goodies

To continue our Christmas festivities we will be opening a package we received in the mail today from home.

Hopefully you all are having safe travels and fun times out there over this holiday season.