walk with me

i am helping out with this great cause at work and hoped you too would want to walk with me. at the rate i'm going, another little natalie running around [by the way her name would be chloe, umlaut over the o, for a boy, i like the name bodie], isn't something i see in the near future but merely just a thought... for now and many years to come, i like being on my own.

next in line, i stumbled across the following saying about a month ago, author not to be disclosed since someone made a nano stab at it ;) the jist of it is, we all make mistakes just make things right in the end [but then there are a few of us that just don't get it]

"often we can achieve an even better result when we stumble yet are willing to start over, when we don't give up after a mistake, when something doesn't come easily but we throw ourselves into trying when we're not afraid to appear less than perfectly polished."

and michele, can't wait to see you on thursday!

small world

i was walking past the williamette week's office after work today and guess who stopped me dead in my tracks: barbara! what a small, small world. she's heading back to eugene today.

i got a free week's pass to yoga portland. the map below shows you: yoga facility, the hospital [my little ER run] and my apartment on overton .

some neat things to know: the state with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: alaska.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht i cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrdwaht i was rdgnieg. the phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid aoccdrnig to rscheearch at cmabrigde uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. the rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. amzanig huh.

coming soon... photos from my digital camera.

pas op! "schrikdraad"

pas op! = to watch out
schrikdraad = for electrical fence

[another warning: i got a little carried away with this blog. it's a bit lengthy. be prepared].

in the netherlands, you would see signs with the above writing on them. a warning to a person passing by maybe wanting to get closer out of curiosity's sake. hmmmm... so far, i've never seen a sign like that in the states. i saw these signs in the photos provided to me by my dutch cousin, astrid, who also sent to me a brochure of her property. check out a castle in a kasteel. in her letter, she wrote "i live in vaals, you know the place where we ate shoarma at a restaurant, the two of us with jehan." maastricht, not but 30 minutes away from the property, is another city we use to hang out at. now that we've reconnected with one another, a flood of memories has entered my head. [history recap: i was fortunate to be able to spend my summers in holland when i was a child. basically, my childhood memories stem from spending 3 months out of the year with my grandparents. over a 10 year span]. one of them is the time we danced the night away at the 'pepper mill' or the time when astrid's mom took off with jehan half in half out of the car [starting to sound like a trend with my sister ;].

well, my last project began as a bag but has now turned into an adorable orange with brown strips beanie hat. i started on a scarf already [yarn = lion brand color #345 corinthian] for my colleague that i will be able to whip out in a day. i've had to recast quite a few times due to being unsatisfied with the outcome of the type of stitches i was playing around with.

after i finish the scarf, i intend to work on the beanie hat for sharon. my level of expertise will be put to the test since i will have to 'decrease' at the end (closing off hat) versus drawing the thread all at once. i'm up for the challenge. yarnstore in las vegas.

i sent to jehan a package last week to make-up for my endless quipping and low and behold, i received one from her last night. the goal now is to try and get as much mileage on that one box. jehan: very impressive even down to the well-used bubble wrap. among the items was dental floss and some boulder, co. dushanbe teahouse silver needle yinzhen tea. boulder does have some of the cutest coffee/tea shops ;). there was also a postcard with a note telling me to head down to the corvallis arts center for a day's fun at the da vinci festival and to check out mary's peak. my next package to jehan will contain via demand: vegan chocolate chip cookies and more olives!!! from trader joe's. oh yea, congrads on your new baby: another VW wagon.

AND at ~6.01 pm last night, i was knitting away on my RED couch and felt my building shake! a 2.9 magnitude earthquake hit the hills of portland. 10 seconds of rumble. love it!

i like the new hilton ads. travel will take you places. i do find that travel releases spontaneity to induce discovering yourself and your surroundings resulting in new found knowledge. then... "there's a visceral aspect, too - the huntress [me] who is free. free to go, free to return home bringing memories to lay on the hearth." does anyone ever listen to me? ;)

i do not even want to talk about my digital camera. issue now is batteries low. hate it!

coming up:

this thursday's fun.
paley's place. - at 7,000 feet, everything tastes better and only (1) block from my apartment
and tonight, i signed up to take a hot yoga class at 5.30 pm.


i can't wait to go to work in the AM!

good times

i'm back. portland. i had a great time out in southern cal. i met some great people and two of them are based out of seattle. they've both invited me to come up and stay with them in the next month. the flight back from john wayne airport was a riot. me and (2) other passengers just kept going on and on. good times.
i met up with the girls and a boy ;) at navarre [small plates, big sips and communal spirit] for a birthday celebration. jen, i hope you have a relaxing day. happy birthday girl!

the reason for not being able to update my blog on a daily basis was due to not wanting to pay $8.00 a session for internet access. i am leaning towards the idea of making another purchase. a computer for my apartment so i do not have to rush when writing my daily blog. so forgive me if i sound choppy at times. the (1) hour limit at the library feels like 5 minutes.

so to sum up:

i gained this week an hour of sun time on my face before leaving costa mesa and received (2) packages in the mail. count them (2). i think for me the receival of snail mail puts me in the best of moods. i even mentioned to my colleagues during my sales seminar that i bounce around when i even see the package sitting there at my front door. joking around, joey [from chicago] said he was going to send me something with nothing in it. i actually took what he said in lightly and laughed with him. and then kirsten [from new york] was like you are going to get something and something obscene. so hopefully the mail will start trinkling in. my evil plan might come into fruition one of these days. ;)

i got an amazing letter from my cousin astrid with tons of photos included. [msg to astrid: i plan to write you a letter today and get it out to you this weekend. and yes, just like old times, i miss you too].

the second package was from sharon [from las vegas and msg to sharon: i LOVE all the goodies. you shouldn't have but you totally made my day so for that, thank you so much]. sharon sent to me a) a skein of black, softwist, 41% wool, laire and 59% rayon, vicose, b) a skein of vermicelli yarn 100% polyamide (with instructions), c) two burnt orange skeins to make a beanie using karabella yarns [made in italy] AND a knit chek, knit counter, locking stitch markers, bulky-knit-count, jumbo darning needle set and a cable stitch holder set. [msg to sharon, look what a donkey can get you, ha ha]

my loss this week: i lost the first 10 photos that i took using my 'new' digital camera. the group photo is gone. crap.

i'm heading back home now. my day will consist of knitting and eating. i hope michele has a great time in san diego. i was able to take a side trip out to newport beach. AND as i was flying back, the pacific ocean is a site for sore eyes. there is no place like the NW. none.

is this what jasmine wants? ;) meow...



last but not least,
~my tv stand arrives on february 12th.
~the new ad campaign.

costa mesa

correction: after a huge setback which wasn't really a travesty yet more of an inconvenience was the fact that my brand new nikon decided to fall apart on me after having owned it for less than 24 hours. i was determined to correct the situation and had it replaced with a canon PowerShot A520 digital camera. [4.0 megapixels, 4x optical zoom].

my flight out of portland was a smooth one. i flew alaska airlines flight 500. [i repeat, i flew alaska airlines ;)]. they serve you onboard a WARM macadamian coconut cookie. very nice. i landed at john wayne airport [other names are santa ana or orange county] and saw my first palm tree along with a touch of 65 degree weather. after riding 2.5 miles via the costa mesa shuttle, i arrived at my destination.

i have learned so much today. about conrad hilton: not only was he a successful business leader, his legacy lives on through his empire and the hilton foundation: an organization that helps people in need.

the other neat thing i learned today was that the waldorf=astoria was first built where the empire state building now stands today.

i leave you with this: 'a dogsled team makes good time across a snowfield near Nome in alaska's annual iditarod race'. the next time i fly alaska airlines will be to see this race.

fly wheel

while i was at the photo pro supply store i came across a book of melding photography and word artistry, fear not. i remember reading one of the titles which read: in the absence of love, love. i only know one way and that is to love. it is my choice and my choice alone. i walked (2) blocks over to Lint and met up with michele. she bought a pair of interchangeable knitting needles. she also bought me a little button that says 'love monkey' with two little monkies on it. we then took off, zoomed across town over the willamette and zigzagged back and forth until we found a place to eat. after lunch, we were without car [kar kaputt]. jehan told me later on in the day that the engines to all VW jettas and passets were refurbished after 2003. =( if anything, the drive back from the VW dealership is one of my favorites. traveling on I-26 (away from the ocean beaches) and right past exit 73 (pge park), is my favorite way to enter Portland. there is this beautiful bridge you pass under and since you are higher in elevation and descending into the city, i can't think of a better entrance into Portland. i puddered around last night in the privacy of my own home. oh yea, jehan's package arrived. half broken half intact. package properly, my little grasshopper. geez. ;) the last thing i pulled out of the box was a book (one that i wanted very much) entitled simple knits with a twist by erika knight.
i plan to knit in the wire very soon (24 gauge, 0.5 mm) and knit the woven woolen rug. today, i plan to also finish my bag and work on knitting coasters [raspberry stitch] with some of my leftover yarn.

here is your trivia question for the day: what is a smoot? hint: it has something to do with your hand. speaking of that, my finger looks like it was attacked by a bad case of jaundice (something i had when i was first born). and coming soon...

i am the brandnew owner of a Nikon coolpix 4600.

how easy. i figured out how to edit the links section on my blog. sometimes the 'help' feature comes in handy for those of us who find it difficult to use as a last resort if not able to figure it out on your own. [or you could call it laziness ;)]. either way, to edit your link list: log in to your blog and then click on the template tab. scroll down through the code until you see something like "sidebar-title" and replace existing links with your favorites.

last night i pulled (3) plates of sushi off of the 'belt' at sushiville. topped off with (1) black butte. i couldn't help but to people watch (not stare thank you very much ;).

monkey see monkey do. after another amazing jog this morning, i ventured out a little further past pettygrove, savier, thurman to NW vaughn street and found a kobos coffee house. not only does it serve coffee, it has an elaborate array of kitchen and bathrooms items. now i know where to go if i need to get a cheese slicer. ;)

question of the day: will it be a canon or a nikon? i will know shortly. more to follow.

next week: the city of costa mesa is 37 miles southeast of los angeles, 88 miles north of san diego and 475 miles south of san francisco, with its southernmost border only 1 mile from the pacific ocean. i have been to san francisco and drove all the way up the coast into oregon so this will be my first time in southern california.

laundry night

all i keep thinking about is how i'm going to miss portland next week. it will be nice to voyage to another state, CA, and be completely immersed in training, but it still won't be the same home sweet home. i pounded in a good day's worth of work today. from a business standpoint, i like the phrase: information is truly power - the more you know - the more effectively you can negotiate.

okay, i'm off to see if a photo shop is still open. tomorrow, i will be the brand new owner of a digital camera. posting photos on a regular basis is the premise behind the purchase.

stopped at jax last night. nice spot and its closeby.

oh and i forgot to mention that i (yours truly) taught someone how to purl stitch the other night. for whatever reason, i felt like i had accomplished something, something good.

out and about.

ROI

return on investment. i'm hoping that everything i put in (give) will one day be reciprocated.

so about today. i have a slight problem. the pace in which i think sometimes results in a made-up or either 'invented' word. today, i spelled the word 'truthiness' (in my haste) wrong [even a coined word, no less] and i've been known to go as far as addressing a card to a made up person, jen cpozek. there is no person by that name. ;) [i still am laughing at that one]

today's shorties:
i need to buy a parka and some ski pants, i am severly allergic to neosporin, the package from jehan made its way full circle, yes, back to macon, georgia (cringe), due to address 'smearage', i am told i should receive the package by this friday (thank you for a very LATE christmas present and i love you), i want to run the hood to coast race, and i attended a lunch function today with eleanor clift as their guest speaker. after listening to her, i have to say that we are a very divided country and i only hope that [those] stand up to the mic. do not let [your] fear guide you. but this is old news, isn't it? ;)

the knitting olympics

knippets

to the right is what turned into my beautiful stripped scarf. see red ball of tangle.

go here for michele's blog. created on a lunch break. ;)

thoughts of mine:
after i get back from costa mesa, i am heading out to the hood. skiing is a must. and before my CA trip, i am going to look into getting a digi. ?????? ugh, but which one ???????

laurel & hardy

no, its michele and natalie


i ran through wallace and montgomery parks on saturday am. as i was running back to my apartment, i took in a view that made me stop: line after line of douglas firs etched out in the NW hills. what beauty. also ran by dragon fly [couldn't find much on line about it]. ;) on sunday, we all met up [that is us knitters] at Lint on 17th and marshall. i've decided that i'm going to hang on to the red & gray/sage scarf. the more i wear it, the more becoming it is to me. i am currently working on a bag. i plan to also work on a newsboy cap [using the simple instruction route ;)] most of my monday was spent inside. for once, i didn't do anything. today, i attended (2) business functions. my lunch looked like something right out of a sci-fi movie. antennas included.

shorties:
my favorite candy is christopher's assorted fruit jellies. "made on equipment shared with tree nuts" [written on the container]. someone enlighten me? what does that mean?

in the works:
my first ever felted project. pre-finger problem :(

one of michele's creations:

[post more photos soon because of the following error i received: we apologize for the inconvenience, but we are unable to process your request at this time. our engineers have been notified of this problem and will work to resolve it. funny, i wonder who these engineers are?]

\ses-kwuh-puh-DAYL-yuhn\

word of the day: sesquipedalian
adjective:
1. given to or characterized by the use of long words.
2. long and ponderous; having many syllables.
noun:
1. a long word.

try to use that one on me. ;)

i went for a run this am. the weather is just perfect. i ran all over the NW but wondered where is everyone? the streets were so empty. i thought to stop by the library real quick and 'insodoing' stumbled upon the stepping stone cafe: it appeared to be the place to go for breakfast. located on 23rd and quimby. need to get back to see if michele has called. i have been so good about not taking my cell phone with me everywhere i go ;)

photo from my cousin marc. he lives in saudi arabia with his wife.


bahrein/saudi.
headoffice sabic jubail




today the sun was out for ~10 minutes. my advice when this happens is to stop in your tracks, close your eyes and feel the warmth of its rays on your face. and the blog that made me laugh. he's right. i've been sprayed a couple of times by 'idiots' who get off the streetcar or light rail and open up their umbrella right as i'm getting on. talk about thanks for getting me [more] wet.

remember to 'live it up' ~

joyful girl

[i won and we're off to dragonfishcafe this pm]

i enjoyed class the other night. the last time i received a syllabus was back in 1995. where does the time go? the class itself is going to help me develop my skills in the event planning process, developmental considerations, operational issues along with learning more about what all goes into a marketing plan. the class lasted till 9, arrived at home around 9:45. ate and went to sleep. last night, i went to the vault martini club. i had a joyful girl and a lavendar something with j & j. i'm looking forward to [my] weekend. need to make a grocery run to trader joe's. and everytime i buy a potted flower or plant from there, it eventually dies on me after my next scheduled trip. what is up with that? i have (1) plant, given to me, that lives and breathes in my apartment. not sure why the others do not survive longer than a week. [maybe, it has to do with the fact that the directions say to plant after a few days. but, i want my garden to be inside, curses] wanted to list out (will revamp later and embellish more on) the below:
99th portland rose festival
lagrotto
esprit clothing
bumbershoot in seattle over labor day weekend
oregon shakespear festival/program in ashland
race for cure
OSAM

[i signed up, you should to]
and for those of you in Portland, Oregon... "on Friday, February 24th from 1-4pm for our quarterly volunteer time at the Oregon Food Bank. hang out with the Meeting Strategies Worldwide team . if that isn't enough reason to sign up today, we will also be hosting the libations afterwards at a nearby Portland brew pub (work first, we will tell you the location afterwards). all you have to do is RSVP to nancy@meetingstrategiesworldwide.com and show up. nothing else is required"

sprinting from work to library (currently) to class. wanted to quickly get in a blog. i am currently reading the book entitled knitting heaven and earth by susan gordon lydon. no knitting patterns just an insightful look on life and the ties that bring us all together. its all a journey, isn't it. and my move out to portland makes me feel like i've found my niche, if you will. i went for a short walk last night around 9. the sky was so still. looking up, you could see a few clouds and past them was a night sky so clear i could actually see the stars in all their mighty. i woke up in the middle of the night to watch the rain pour. today i thought it was thursday already. what was i thinking? things coming up: saturday tub shopping, its not what it sounds like, a night out with the girls tomorrow night, and a try-to-get a colleague to go out for drinks afterwork on friday. can you say tug-a-war. ;) i am proud of the outcome of today.

where did the sage go?

what a day. i am spent. good thing i have monday off. a 3 day weekend awaits with much adventures to be had, maybe a trek up to seattle. i'm in dire need of a tv stand. and i've been told there is an ikea in seattle. watching tv off of the floor is making my neck sore. this is the hotel where my cousin works. who would have thought after 13 years we would once again find one another and no less, working in the same field. wow ~ its like a memory in a box opened.

i am happy to say that the RED & GRAY scarf is done. a total labor of love. except, i dislike the outcome. i am going to have to part with it. but first, directions on how to to flatten scarf. just get it damp with cold water and then roll it up and let it dry.

tomorrow night i have my first day back in the classroom. and i got my first copy of the WEEK in the mail last night. thanks mom.

[here's an idea for an easy dinner make: buy the chicken asian style for lettuce wraps package at trader joe's and the lettuce wraps themselves. goes well with a bottle of three buck chuck]

short and brief this pm. check out designyarns and mochi. mango is my favorite. AND i enrolled in a class at PSU. can't wait. tired today. off to overton for some good R&R and hopefully my package from jehan, which seems to have taken a wrong turn in its delivery, is sitting at my front door. geez...
notes to friends:
1. can i see your photo? nope. ;)
2. and pick me up even when i sound like such a log on the phone. ;)

slept in today. ahhhhhhhhhhh... at the very top of my list of trader joe favorites, you must try snapea crips & green olives by les olives du marche. little gems that please the tastebuds. what i liked last night about mississippi studios is the black & white film playing in the outside garden/patio. the days when movies had no audio. after the show, we nestled ourselves at crowbar . today, i want to master how to make a buttonhole. here's how to do it but physically mastering it, is another story: to work buttonhole, bind off enough stitches and then proceed as usual after binding off desired length. on the next row over buttonhole, cast on as many stitches as were bound off. pretty basic stuff. the red&gray (yes, i've accepted its gray color) scarf is still in the making. i hope to finish it this week.

a letter always seemed to me like immortality because it is the mind alone without corporeal friend. -emily dickinson. with that said ~ send me some snail mail. ;)

1. why is it that NOONE has seen (or even heard of) the movie happy accidents. rent it already.

2. what is myspace.com. going to find out.

3. what is monastrell: a strong variety for red wine with a very thick skin that produces wines with lots of tannins. the variety is also known as Mourvèdre

off to see the paper cameras...

after reading the lyrics below, think 'here's to MY next healthy relationship & 'let it go, be free and be happy'

[michele made lemonaide with these lemons]

Norah Jones
Cold Cold Heart Lyrics

I've tried so hard my dear to show
That you're my every dream
Yet you're afraid each thing I do
Is just some evil scheme

A memory from your lonesome past
Keeps us so far apart
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold cold heart

Another love before my time
Made your heart sad an' blue
And so my heart is paying now
For things I didn't do

In anger unkind words are said
That make the teardrops start
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold cold heart

There was a time when I believed
That you belonged to me
But now I know your heart is shackled
To a memory

The more I learn to care for you
The more we drift apart
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold cold heart

boulangerie

i experienced sushiville last night and a black butte porter.

my red&gray/sage scarf is coming along quite nicely. i have (2) more skeins of yarn to go. [and what is a skein]:
a. a loosely tied coil of wool or thread.
b. a tangle; a confused bundle of things.
c. a flock of wild geese in flight.
interesting. my red skein from the other day turned from a. to b. in less than 2 hours. i repeat, it was not a pretty site. great hair product in the new is pureology. if you thought your hair felt soft up until now, think again. went to ipnosi & lucky brand store today. i bought a pair of jeans size 27. uh? i thought i was gaining weight. tonite fun: mississippi studios. hope to hear some 'science and mathematics' ;).

okay. the timer at the library is telling me i only have a few minutes left of internet time. with that, going home to watch opb/real simple & knit.

one more thing. if you would like for me to knit you a little something, something, just email me a description of item wanted, color, softness level (1-10) and type of stitch. the list includes: a tea cozy, scarf, baby hat and... (its good practice for me) so don't be shy.

word for the day. sine qua non \sin-ih-kwah-NON; -NOHN; sy-nih-kway-\, noun: n essential condition or element; an indispensable thing. am i a sine qua non?

go winter hawks

more snippets from me. selling oregon, the city of portland and my hotel is what i do for a living. awesome. check out travel oregon. sign up for a free travel oregon magazine. we were also on the cover of outside magazine. i have settled down in the most hip, young, clean, green, friendly and the city sells itself for being quirky. how cool is that. i can't scream enough about portland. and i'm thinking about trying out this 'flexcar' concept. i liked the following adage i heard today: if you always do what you do, you always get what you get. nice. and can someone please send me a t-shirt from voodoodoughnut. j/k. going to checkout the self-proclaimed the 'magic is in the hole' goodiestore this wknd. oh yea, as i was leisurely walking thru trader joe's last night, i felt the universe unfold on itself. j/k. but i did buy a box of spelt: a cross between rice & coucous.

i'm not superman

i hope that everyone gets a chance to watch the tv sitcom scrubs. zach braff makes me laugh.

found a great site for jewelry. check out jools, do you get it? ;)[and i want to try this out] got snowshoes?

wanted to post how to stitch a scarf 'in the diagonal with strips'
1. row - increase (change color), increase (2 on your needle) purl until 2 left. purl those 2 together. turn and knit back.
2. change color (keep new color on the outside). increase first stitch. purl to the end. have 2 stitches left purl together. turn and knit back
*repeat 1 & 2 until complete

current project: the sage is not so sage. against the red, it looks gray. crap.
next project (pillow can wait): edwardian arm warmers

two birthdays coming up. 17 & 18...

my vim

the friend of baby zephyr is quite the artist. check out new work i'm impressed.

i had a fight this morning with my red ball of yarn. be forewarned, a yarn that begins to fall apart must be tended to right away because if it is not, you have to face the inconsiderate knot. to untangle is time not well spent.

hopefully this week i will get to experience "the best in conveyor belt sushi" at sushiville. only a couple of blocks up the street from me.

my monday discoveries: did my groceries at new seasons market and went to the yarn garden.

my creations and then some...

here you go. my creations. the hat [1st one] is a bit blurry but i think you all can work with me here. ;) [2nd hat was bought at the saturday market] & [35 mm is my best friend, no digital cameras in my future. keeping it simply]. saw memoirs of a geisha last night. can we say later on after some cathartic conversation, quiet there downtstairs... with michele now. working on a daunting knit. increase & decrease stitch along with changing out color. i've graduated to strips... [also photos of my view from my apartment, ahhhhh...] oh yeah, i finished my first run for the year in 34 minutes. listening to the shins, the clumsy lovers & nora jones...




























sitting on my balcony inspires me...



the room with the stained glass is going to turn into an art workroom.

i am sooooo happy with my life. sleep well everyone ~ more photos to be posted soon... project working on now: red & sage stripped diagonal scarf. its my pride & joy.


that's not jasmine!!! oh, its the cat jasmine...






bend head to right and look sideways....