my pride and joy - the cabled newsboy hat

i can get away with pig-tails, finally...



this is josh (left), michele's fiancee... ;)

timberline lodge - first floor

snow levels are up...

i look like an orange marker or something...





joel and i faced the brutal elements... ;) what a fun day!

blue skies

[just received this link today] i think its neat. this is joel. very nice. i'm impressed. i'm just a girl who stands in the back and soaks it all in...

the paper cameras played great last nite. can't wait to post photos.

i don't have too much to rant about today. planning a trip to LV end of march and jehan - you're on! i'll make the drive to MONTANA in july. and thanks, mom, for the package.

its still light outside. must go.

in the UNO world, SKIP today

soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts soy nuts
are good for you…

ttfn

spring is almost here. march 20th.

a sango creation

sy-uhn

march 1st at berbatis. click on event calendar. teeming masses, paper cameras, skidmark are playing.

the girl scout in me writes:

toured the newmark and winningstad theatre's over at the portland center for the performing arts building today. the stage supervisor donned in mardi gras kitschy wear gave us da tour. the winningstad theatre was decked out in my favorite color, RED. the show, thumbelina, was setting up stage today and is using shadow puppetry [reminds me of my days at the center of puppetry arts] to captivate the storytelling along with live music. the oregon shadow theatre is bringing to life the hans christian andersen's tale of a tiny girl who searches for a home until she finds the land of the flower fairies. this girl found it in oregon ;).

check out the march edition of the portland monthy. on the cover, 50 things every portlander must do. i am on my way to becoming a definitive denizen of this town. found out that the hood-to-coast race is all booked for 2006. crap. guess i'll have to shoot for 2007! and i have a desire to summit mt. hood via the portland parks oudoor recreation program, 503.823.5132. are my goals way too lofty or what? i hope not. ;)

and there is something foul brewing in my neighborhood... funny stuff. AND what is an RSS feed?

in my knitting world, this is what they call a ball winder... working on a hat right now.

who would have thought it? someone did find me and responded to my disgruntled blog regarding the new look of portland metroblog.

going to go see josh and seth play this wednesday night. what was that about valentine's? i heard the band that starts with an s. was a fun band to watch ;) still interested...why can't every night NOT be a school nite.

RAIN all this week...

not including myself and michele [who noticed it a few days ago while i was still in denial about it all] but is anyone else finding it hard to deal with the 'new look' of portland metblog's website. my annoyance by the change [did anyone ask its readers for a vote] went through a few stages: first, i ignored it... then, michele stated how vexed she was by it all and then my frustration transformed into something more nefarious [yet contained meaning i guess no one will really know how disturbed i was except the few that read my blog].

this weekend i felt like i was just floating, suspended in liquid. joel invited me to go see (2) girl bands play at the doug fir: storm and hells bells. danced a bit more at goodfoot [i bet shawna's house is right smack behind goodfoot]. good times... when you don't end the night until ___ in the morning, you know you're in for a pretty quiet and uneventful saturday. and i have to say, my saturday was completely uneventful. ;) it was 'just an ordinary day'... just a day, just an ordinary day, just tryin' to get by...

as i tried [tried very hard, a mild case of knitter's block] to figure out what to knit next, reading through what the various yarns at home were made out of, i had to look up the following word: worsted. it means a smooth, hard-twisted wool thread or yarn.

i see that beth orton has a new CD out: comfort of strangers [weighty lyrics on hypocrisy and heartbreak]. hmmmmmm... i'm looking into buying a pair of redfeather hike snowshoes. or is there a better kind? oh yea, and i'm fully stocked now to make smoothies using my new blender. sounds messy, doesn't it!

this is another 'borrowed' photo. inside of timberline lodge. i've got a good collection of photos on my digi but will wait till the weekend before posting. my method... go to the stupid shutterbug and have them burn a CD for $5.

a good Friday word

munificent \myoo-NIF-i-suhnt\ = very liberal in giving or bestowing; very generous; lavish.

the lamp post reminded me of you jehan. the distorted view reminds me of the way i feel right now. almost melody like...

quasi, click on the eye. the music is good and on a political note, i quote...'its no different in the final analysis than lining up hundreds of warriors in front of a stone altar & one by one ripping their hearts out of their bodies, as the aztecs used to do...' i can't help it. i try so hard to blur out the news about the war or turn the other way when photos appear on the tv. when will this chaoes that continues on day after day after day ever end?

okay. i'm off to figure out what i'm going to knit next!

can't run and never will

today for next week, i challenged everyone at my work to donate their morning starbucks coffee money to the march of dimes. the mass email war exploded and i sat back watching it escalate into a what are we going to do without coffee yet its for a good cause frenzy.

and mom, thanks for the blender. i haven't had time to open the box it came in yet. it still sits on my kitchen floor.

mcarthy. i was reminded of a city i had visited in AK a few years back. my friend generated the site. check it out. the dirt road - 58 miles to be exact - is real my friends.

dial M for monkey. N-deal. O-no.

this week has just soared by, hasn't it? i started to decrease [p2tog or k2tog] my stitches way, way too early last night which resulted in a beautiful newsboy cap to fit the head of a small infant. with a hugh sigh, i gave it to the soon-to-be baby zephyr's mom as a pre, pre baby gift. she was overjoyed with the present.

over the wknd, susan bought me more than a hundred dollars worth of yarn. she found a sale when visiting seattle and told me she just couldn't stop herself. i can't wait to see what colors and textures i get to work with next.

and... i have a starbuck's addiction. why does a cup of joe have to cost me $3.10 per day. how do you stop this kind of madness? answer: you don't ;)

i'm looking forward to the wknd...

what you did, what you did, what you did...

on monday: a visit to mt.hood/timberline lodge with joel.

no doubts about it, at 6,000 ft, it was a white wash of a wonderland.

[photos coming soon...]

it was a ME kinda of wknd ;)

another mix of photos. enjoy. [click on each to make larger]
















the cable newsboy cap becomes...

come march when the saturday market opens again, everyone should have a bag like the one shown above...

my cable stitches gyrated

npGreenway

i am stiff as a board this AM [my hike from yesterday is finding its own sweet way of reminding me]. i am trying to take it easy today but i can't help but walk, walk and walk some more. especially on a day like this [another gorgeous sunny day in PORTLAND].

i'm planning a trip to LV in march. one of the sites i will get to see is redrock.

my most recent knitting high is that i have mastered the cable stitch. eventhough my newsboy cap is half way done there is but one diminutive blemish. so that brings me to the concept of perfection: a state of flawnessness. the idea of the perfect hat or scarf or whatever is all an illusion=grass is greenier on the other side.

from my point of view, the scientist in me, i think we should all aim for a state of being perfectly balanced.

i found the perfect ;) chocolate croissant this morning at:

life is good

37°F, clear, wind: ne at 29 mph, humidity: 19%. what is better than experiencing the most recent arctic chill is finding out that ultra violet is coming out... i inspire to look like milla.

the infamous wildwood trail

what a remarkable day. i woke up this morning to the loud roar of my landlord's tank [truck]. worse than the Z71 twin cab truck i use to drive. geez. well, he did me a favor. i got up and headed up thurman to 30th where you can enter forest park. the sun was out but i still had to bundle myself up in layers due to the sub-zero conditions ;). last time i hiked this particular section of the trail, i took a right at the stone house. this time around i continued to my left and began to zigzag my way up towards pittock mansion. i walked around to the front of the house and was mesmerized by its spectacular view. i found a spot on a picnic table and just soaked in the sun. all 5 volcanoes were in site. the wind was fierce this morning. i figured if i continue on wildwood trail, i'd make it [somehow] to the rose garden. and in fact, i made the right call. i found a bench again and just sat there. i relished in how quiet it was and how absolutely wonderful it felt to feel the sun on my face. where do i go now? heading downhill toward portland, my hike ended right on burnside & 23rd. perfect, i know how to get home from here. my lunch today was a shrimp and potato burrito from pepino's. yum! i took some great photos. i hope to post them this sunday.

to my peeps who want to come visit me: ATL to PDX is right now on sale for $233

i need to learn the art of swashbuckling

inigo montoya: hello, my name is inigo montoya. you killed my father: prepare to die. now, offer me money.
[slices count rugen's cheek]

count rugen: yes.

inigo montoya: power too. promise me that.
[slices count rugen's other cheek]

count rugen: all that i have and more. please...

inigo montoya: offer me everything i ask for.

count rugen: any thing you want.

inigo montoya: i want my father back, you son of a bitch.
[stabs and kills count rugan]

the end ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

where were you when the world went flat? globalization is a topic that leaves few indifferent when they are truly concerned about the future of mankind. thomas l. friedman, in the world is flat, wants to tell you how exciting this new world is, but he also wants you to know you're going to be trampled if you don't keep up with it. this message sent from space while monitoring your personal phone calls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

enough cut'n and paste'n on my end... ahhhhhh. my three day weekend starts right now. i plan to take lots and lots of photos over the weekend. its like sub-zero outside. i hope tomorrow lets up since i'm heading up and into the woods for a full day of hiking. good luck papa, rami & jasmine with the science olympiad this wknd. hope the leaning tower made out of balsa wood holds up to its reputation. all that hard work is going to pay off!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the fremont bridge, similar night like tonight ~

firewall

the sun! it's just like liquid rain...

and i've been told to go check out hood river.

weather update: Readings are in the 20s this morning as the sun rises across the northwest. If you think this is cold, wait until tomorrow! An arctic blast of cold air is set to arrive overnight tonight and tomorrow. Today we'll see temperatures reach the lower 40s with partly cloudy skies. Tonight, the arctic front arrives. We may see a few flurries from it, but more importantly, lots of cold air and strong east winds. Winds coming out of the gorge will top 30-40 mph, gusts to 50 mph. Combine that with highs near 30 degrees and the wind chills will be around 10 degrees! Some places near the gorge will see early morning wind chills at (-)10 or 20 below!!! Flurries end quickly and we'll see the sun come out Friday afternoon, but the cold stays with us through the weekend. Take pre-cautions now and stay warm!!!

can Friday get here already...

m1

note to jehan: i think one of my ears is larger than the other. i heard something snap. true. if you call me, i might tell you what happened. and don't forget, my kidney is the first one to go... ;)

i'm missing out tonight on a LIVE opb radio show. crap. 91.5 FM. last night, 'savage love' columnist dan savage discussed his latest book “the commitment: love, sex, marriage and my family,” and answered as many questions about sex as he could on public radio... [funny]

is there anything better than to be longing for something when you know it is within reach... i had to take what started out as a newsboy cap apart last night. its like the game where you land on a piece that asks you to move back 2 spaces* [* = repeat]. i'm starting over (no pun intended ;). the simple technique of cabling is a matter of crossing one group of stitches over another. what i'm more worried about is when i have to m1 (make one) from my starting CO of 76 stitches to 114 stitches.


i got some great info from someone at friends of forest park today. [thank YOU for all the info]. the first time i went for a hike, well you all know what happened...but this weekend i plan to stay on course and go left after passing the stone house. i will stay on wildwood trail, cross over another bridge at balch creek, cross cornell road and begin a steep climb up to pittock mansion. my insightful resource stated this is a great place to visit on a sunny day where you can view all (5) volcanoes: rainier, st. helens, adams, hood and jefferson. i've been calling them mountains all this time. from pittock, i'll continue on wildwood trail to washington park (japanese garden, hoyte arboretum, rose garden [to see the rose called monticello, etc.)

fyi, beth orton is playing at the wonder ballroom on march 27th.

i enjoyed having a vase full of red and orange gerber daisies [my favorite] on my office desk today - very nicute. at the end of the day, i took a photo of a heart-shaped loaf of bread, rose-like thorns included.

and i had to post my latest and greatest news:

~ michele and josh are engaged ~

20% chance of snow this friday! mostly sunny on saturday with highs in the 30s. perfect hiking weather for me. i have president's day off too! a 3 day weekend awaits...and next stop, mabel's cafe & knittery in se portland.

well, i'm heading home to work on my newsboy cap.

hello again. i had something entirely way to depressing as a post for today that when i was able to read it again this afternoon, it made me ill. why did i even make note of a fleeting thought not worthy of my blog (for those of you who had the chance to catch the entry), i have no idea. with that said, i announce to the world: i am better than that [and thanks sharon for the kick in the butt ;)].

i met a boy at amnesia brewery this past saturday. maybe a good thing since he didn't appear repulsed when i showed him my knitting gear that i pulled out of my super awesome hippy purse i tote around these days - my first purchase at the saturday market [can you say run-on sentence].

my newsboy cap is coming along. michele instructed me over the phone on how to create my first cable stitch. cable pattern: rnds 1-3:*P2,k9,p2,k6; rep from * to end. rnd 4: *P2,k9,p2,c6b; rep from * end. i am currently on rnd 4. to make a c6b, you take 3 stitches and move to a doublepointed needle [place in back], knit 3 and then knit the 3 in back that were on the double pointed needle [this needle should be in your left hand].

and jas, i got the goods. send package to you in the AM.

[more photos to be posted on saturday]

my unofficial knitting olympic entry

the start of MY funky newsboy-styled cap, brim included... i will attempt my very first cable stitch - a special skill per the instructions. be afraid, be very afraid... i am using manos del uruguay yarn, color 111, giving off a marbleized, striated effect.

i bought a CD with various songs/artists on it today. one of them was 'do you realize' by the flaming lips. so i wanted to know more about what this song was trying to convey. [after looking up the lyrics, i pause and wonder... this was on a CD of love songs... hmmmmm...]

Do You Realize - that you have the most beautiful face
Do You Realize - we're floating in space -
Do You Realize - that happiness makes you cry
Do You Realize - that everyone you know someday will die

And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round

Do You Realize - Oh - Oh - Oh
Do You Realize - that everyone you know
Someday will die -

And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round

Do You Realize - that you have the most beautiful face
Do You Realize

the 5th element is...

good morning. the sun is out and i just finished a very long run.

last night, i was at this store next to java vivace and was looking at rings. some had chinese symbols on them representing the 4 elements. i never thought much about it but amongst the 4 elements (fire, earth, water & wind), i am fire. what does that mean? the internet says i have passion, humor, emotion, energy, courage, enthusiasm... like duh?

michele and i walked over from her office (on quimby) to glisan to try out 'bartini'. i've been meaning to check it out since it is right next door to the trader joe's that i regularly shop at.

and if you ever wondered where i got the idea for my blog title, i 'borrowed' it from life is good. i bought a shirt [finally] from the local vespa store. the headless t-shirt you've all been waiting for is here... ;)


i'm off to find a cup of coffee and to acquire a few chococat items for sango ~

so i'm told, i missed the grammy's last night. AND... i had class for crying out loud [smile]. in class, i learned all about risk management. hmmmmm, taking a risk. how often do i do that. answer: all the time. okay, enough i sound a little hard around the edges here. let's talk about something fun. i have witnessed (3) uninterrupted days of absolutely BEAUTIFUL weather here in the P-LAND. wow.

real quick: i haven't gotten around to my letters so for those of you who i have promised a letter (and package, sorry sango), i'll get them out to you this weekend. i promise. even down to the (2) ritter-sport brand chocolate (square packages) -- dark chocolate, dark chocolate with hazelnuts, and praline. its just been a very busy week for me. i am about to go out to dinner with a friend tonight. when tomorrow rolls around, i have kept my weekend completely wide open so i can catch up on my projects. i need to start a new knitting project as well [btw sharon, the beanie hat is coming along]. the knitting olympics start tomorrow night in conjuction with the real olympics. i am not participating in it but michele is. make sure to check her site out for updates [click on Perennial Knitter to your right].

and... someone is giving me a bmw 2002. hmmmmmmmmm... all my visions of saving the planet have gone to crap.

sites to check out: bend winterfest, i SO want to go...but i have a feeling i'm going to just stay in P-land. i'm assuming as well that it would be a difficult drive. i'm not accustom to thinking there might be snow on the road(s).

i have class tonight!







[check out sauvie island]

a must buy...

made by maitre pierre Taste of Alsace, a french style flat bread with ham, caramelized onions & gruyere cheese [purchase at trader joe's]

i took some photos today from the 23rd floor of my building. priceless is to be able to see DAILY* mt.hood and mt. st. helen after a short service elevator ride.

*only when the sun is out...

my daily walk - i'm going to start walking every day from my apartment to the streetcar stop where the fareless section begins...the word is "expect more ticket checks." basically, from my apt. to 11th is dubbed ticket country with fines of up to $200. i could very well spend $75 on a yearly pass but why?

more jehan & tyson photos...i have a (full) hour this pm at the library to check my emails, etc.

i like the lighting in this photo...

i am accessing the internet from the 3rd floor of the library for the very first time. ;) the view from up here is gorgeous and another rushed entry to my blog.

read a blurb on something that happened in goleta, ca. the brief news snippet mentions "massacre at mail plant" where an ex-postal worker fatally guns down (5) people before killing herself. and to think, just the other day i knew about it already through another source - not the media. geez...

and what would happen if we continue to not cut down on global emissions..."the disruption to the planet's climate will become irreversible if global temperatures rise by just 4 degrees fahrenheit..." just a thought. [i don't even own a car. here's my 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000001 degree drop to the world, ;)]

and photo of my sister. isn't she purty... thanks for sharing your OR photos with me.

black & white

super bowl sunday and the big deal is what? ;) last night, i started to work on a scarf made out of baby alpaca grande yarn. i have made so many scarfs out of it but never one for myself. this yarn has got to be the softest yarn i've worked with so far.

[photo of the scrumptchy soft yarn]

i have visions of making a backgammon playing board for my father. we would play this game all the time when i was little.

i got a hair cut yesterday at leaping lizards. right next to my favorite trinket store: stella's. i recognized the front desk guy immediately when i entered the salon. it was the guy with the green hair who helped me find my way to my PSU class for the first time. clay was his name and he introduced me to marilyn who was the owner as well as the person who trimmed my hair.

the computer purchase will have to wait since i need a blender [to make smoothies with], a new umbrella [mine is on its last legs] and a dvd player [the 5 channels i have suffice but i'd like to watch a movie from time to time]. why can't money just fall from trees? in the funny is the fact that i was able to get [1] load of laundry done this AM in the basement of my building but when i went to go for a second, the part where you place your quarters in jammed up on me. curse not having [free] service.

okay. michele is somewhere in my neck of the woods. her office, the williamette week, moved closer to my apartment [sweet]. in a few, we are heading to a super bowl party ;)

note to rami: thanks for talking to me last night. ;) and THE WEEK had an article on central oregon's oasis

BELOW you will find an assortment of photos taken with my new digi.

this afternoon.

my [2nd] beanie hat

the beginning of the scarf for susan

my office, susan and scarf. see my welcome gift to the right.

my portland. hilton is on the right.

do you see the blue sky. view from my living room.

she [my tv stand] is so beautiful

happy birthday sango!

so the library person tells me when i ask where the CD drive is - "we don't have those anymore?" [natalie scratches forehead] i'll have to post my photos on monday then.

well if i can wait for that, i can pretty much wait for anything. one leapfrog at a time ;)

[they say chance of rain again today]

i bought (4) 2500 mah ni-mh AA rechargeable batteries for my digital camera along with the charger this AM. did i get the right kind? i hope so...

[the SUN is out...gotta run...]

science at its best isolates a common element underlying many seemingly disparate phenomena. john horgan, the undiscovered mind

i have, yet again, come across another word unbeknownst to me - dais. it means 'a raised platform.'

and i had the best gyro sandwich for lunch today. sorry papa. wish you could be eating one with me.

i finished the scarf i was working on for one of my colleagues. i will post a photo of it here sometime this weekend.

last night i had dinner at sin ju, on 10th and Johnson claiming to be "a pearl of sushi wisdom in the trendiest part of town." i sat at the sushi bar alone watching a poker match on their BA plasma screen TV. got home and talked to my neighbors for a bit. one of my neighbors is a chef and bought the small restaurant across from us. he is going to call it brio and serve 'spa cusine' [i'm thinking because it is attached to the fitness club]. well the tv stand did not arrive yet. instead i found a huge box chock full of energy bars made by revival. thanks mom, do i really need more soy in my life? maybe it will get rid of those nasty panic attacks of mine. ;) just maybe...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASMINE [chococat]

on the 4th, you'll be the big 17!

warm vanilla sugar

so now i'm even more stoked about hiking mirror lake trail because i have a snowshoe hiking buddy [michele] to go with. another road trip would be to joseph, oregon. you know what, there is no way in h#&l i will ever, ever leave the NW. ;)

right now, i am exhausted. this weekend, i want to celebrate the chinese new year at the portland chinese garden and finish up on some of my knitting projects. between catching up on my work from being out last week, my event management class and yoga classes, i have had very little time to relax.

okay, i'm making a dash for the streetcar and hopefully my tv stand (to be assembled) will be waiting for me at home. hmmmmmm... yet, another project!

sang-froid

i think next weekend i am going to hike mirror lake trail on the tom, dick and harry mountain.

today: not one single drop of rain fell from the sky.

check out sequim lavender festival and the the portland monthly