I woke up at 7:45 yesterday morning. I took my first shower in 4 or 5 days, put on my work clothes, poured coffee, sat at the table... and my phone rang. It was my boss, asking if maybe I would like to enjoy the snow from my bedroom window instead of coming in. What? I'm already having my coffee. Fine, I won't come work, but I'll be by soon to pick up my tips. I walk through the snow and ice to work, pick up my tips, and bs with my boss for a little bit (actually my boss's son). When I tell him we're planning on driving to Port Townsend the next day, he tells me about the huge storm coming through - everyone's being advised to get in their houses at noon and stay there. He says that if it were him, he would just leave as soon as possible.
I go to Fred's for some breakfast stuff and call Rob on the way to tell him what Todd said. Freddy's is packed and it's only 9:30 on a Saturday morning. When I get home, we talk seriously about the feasibility of leaving in just a couple of hours. After seeking advice from both of our mamas, we decide it's the smartest thing to do if we don't want to be stuck in Portland. I've got chains for my car, Rob's driven on ice before, and we'll have Micheal and Sam in the backseat for extra weight. We're packed and ready at 11, have the chains on by 11:30 and are out of the parking lot just after that. It's snowing like a bitch, and obviously not letting up any time soon.
It takes us 45 minutes to drive to Micheal and Sam's. There's at least an inch on the roads, and four or so in their parking lot. Once we get on the freeway there's less accumulation, and we can hear and feel the complaints from the chains. Around the north end of Vancouver on 205 one of our chains broke. We stopped by the side of the road and took them off the car, deciding to get chains when we stop for lunch soon. We go to Burgerville in Woodland, and find chains at a Tire Factory. They're the light duty kind (strings of beads on cables instead of actual chains), but the last ones in our size. I pay for those and tensioners, then go back and we try to get them on my car. The first set was a pain to put on in the parking lot of our apartment, before the storm started in earnest. Now it's snowing buckets, the wind has picked up, and there's at least three inches on the ground. We just can't do it. We're too inexperienced, we're too cold, it's too hard to see. Some good Samaritans help us get the chains on, but advise us to keep under 30, and drive only on snow, but that no matter what, we're going to have trouble getting to our destination.
Once those chains were on the car is when the trip began for real for me. Driving 25-30 mph the whole way, it took us 13 hours from when we left our parking lot in Beaverton to when we rolled up at Rob's parent's. This included time for lunch and dinner, one gas stop, and several breaks to chip ice off the windshield wipers. The second set of chains broke in three places, but by the time we realized the severity of the chain situation, it was too late to fix it. So we drove through it. We had lots of trouble with the passenger side wiper collecting ice and not wiping properly. The 5th or 6th time we stopped to chip ice off, the entire wiping mechanism fell off the arm. After a couple unsuccessful tries to get it reattached, we just stuck it on the floor next to the first broken set of chains, and left the arm popped away from the windshield to wave with every swipe.
We saw a worse storm than any of us had ever seen, saw people driving like idiots, saw cars abandoned in ditches along the way. But Rob drove the whole way, probably the safest driver on the road, and got us there all in one piece. My car, maybe not so much..
We felt pretty stupid in the end, but at least we got here, at least we're stuck on this side instead of the other.
An adventure to embelish for the grandkids. Sunday, December 21, 2008
Obligatory "it's almost Christmas!" post Monday, December 15, 2008
We've been getting ready for Christmas! On December 1st we went on a pilgrimage to every store we could think of to get a chocolate advent calendar and there were NONE TO BE FOUND. So we made our own! Out of 156 sheets of origami paper! And it's reusable!! It only took us a week to finish, so whatever. Each box has two Dove chocolates in it, but could definitely hold more.
This last Saturday night we went on a hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. We didn't want something big, and we didn't really want something cut that would require a water bowl Cubby might mistake for his own. We found potted trees at Trader Joe's and Freddie's (and incidentally found 50 cent chocolate advent calendar's at Trader Joe's, as well) but the trees at TJ's were about $5 cheaper. So we bought a bunch of tiny ornaments on clearance at Freddie's (including a very tiny glass angel for the top) and used those, with a strand of lights from my old dorm room and a couple mardi gras beads Rob got in Mississippi last year, to decorate our very own 'little tree'. 
See? We even took a Christmas card picture! Too bad Cubby kind of looks like basement cat...
And then it got really cold Saturday night, snowed a bunch, then froze. So here we are Monday afternoon with my work cancelled and Rob's flights cancelled, frozen into our apartment that's too expensive to keep heated all the time.
Sunday evening
Sunday evening
Monday afternoon
We decided that since our apartment is expensive to heat, maybe just being fat, happy and drunk is, if not smarter, at least more fun.
Your name just got a whole lot cooler. Friday, December 12, 2008
I found this picture on the internet and I can't stop looking at it. 
There are two recipes I've found in the last 2 days on the internet that have turned out very successfully.
1) Mexican Marinade: I marinated some chicken for chicken enchiladas. The whole situation was delicious.
2) Eggnog: I will trust anything that Alton Brown says. If he told me his favorite flavor combination was kiwi-strawberry-cappuccino, I would try it. That's how much I trust him. But instead of using bourbon like he suggested, I used Sailor Jerry's like Jeffrey Morgenthaler suggests. It turned out deliciously. I am pleased.
Thanks to the eggnog and some wine I poured while I was making the eggnog, I am now drunk. I'm not sure whether or not you can tell.
Art, Pain and Television. Tuesday, December 9, 2008
I have now officially listed something for sale on my 7printciples site. Several somethings, in fact. Please go check them out?
My back/hip pain has flared up with a vengeance. After telling Amber about it, she told me she has the same thing, that it's probably my sciatic nerve being pinched. Ow. She recommended a couple of stretches, so hopefully they will help.
Rob and I discovered 30 Rock this week. It is, to be honest, one of the most hilarious, intelligent shows I've ever seen. I would put it up there with Arrested Development and Freaks and Geeks. AND it wasn't canceled prematurely, as the aforementioned were. Really what it comes down to is that I have a giant girl-crush on Tina Fey (doesn't everyone?).
Also, I'm a little ashamed to admit that I've been following Paris Hilton's My New BFF. We finally watched the finale (a week late). I'm glad Brittany won, fer sher.
Dear Babs. You are hot. Love, Stephen Colbert. Friday, December 5, 2008
Whoa, it's Friday already?
We watched Stephen Colbert interview Barbara Walters on a rerun of Wednesday's Colbert report. Then we watched Barbara Walter's 10 Most Fascinating People of 2008. I have to say, I'm a little in love with Barbara Walters. She is absolutely poised, absolutely unflappable, hilariously funny, and not afraid to ask difficult questions or call her interviewees out on their shit.
She got in a full on argument with Rush Limbaugh, and asked Miley Cyrus if she's afraid it'll all be over by the time she's 20. She asked Tina Fey the secret to impersonating Sarah Palin, and had her finish her interview as Sarah Palin.
I know she's been around for several hundred years and I don't know how I didn't really ever see her before, but I just feel like I need to let the world know:
I <3 Barbara Walters.
Good ideas and terrible puns. Tuesday, December 2, 2008
So I know I've been pretty mute about my craftings for several months now, but let it be known that I haven't been just... not crafting.
I have gotten myself into this arty/crafty subculture known as 'linocutting' or 'linoblock printing'. Pictures are drawn on a block of linoleum (or Staedler plastic, which is softer and easier to carve, but less forgiving when you make mistakes). The negative space is carved out with sharp tools, and then the stamp is used with ink to make copies on paper or other substances. Right now just paper. This craft has led me to two sideprojects:
The Good Idea
Myself, with Rob, Micheal and Sam, have been carving cute wintry things and making winter season cards. These are for sale over the internet here, at our etsy site. Please at least go look! I'm very proud of this!
7printciples (get it? get it?)
I am better at designing chalices than pretty much... anything else. I counted up the years my designs have been on PNWD youth and young adult shirts, etc, and realized it was something like five years. FIVE YEARS. That's some experience, right there. Anyways, when I started practicing lino-cutting, I started with designs of my own - chalice designs. And then last week I started experimenting with printing techniques (mostly because the tray and roller are at Micheal and Sam's)
This was my second chalice design, carved on a linoleum block and printed with black ink.
This is the first carving I did. It was carved into Staedler plastic. I printed this the same night as the hand chalice, with the same method.
I just set up the etsy site for this project last night. Rob came up with the name, which I absolutely adore. Hopefully I will have some prints for sale there by the end of the week. Hopefully.
I am going to put links to both etsy sites on the sidebar, so you can track their progress there.
Electricity will scribble out your family name. Wednesday, November 26, 2008
I am going home today! Rob and I are going to celebrate my Thanksgiving and his Christmas. I'm excited. Very excited.
Last night I listened to the following albums:
XO - Elliott Smith
Emerald City - John Vanderslice
When I Pretend to Fall - The Long Winters
Blame it on Gravity - Old 97s
PJ and I made pepper jelly salmon and jasmine rice. I made tea for myself and Rob and ate cookies and did butt-loads of dishes. Rob waltzed with me to Waltz #2 (XO). I folded laundry, cleaned up after myself, and did my weekly chores. I found out that John Vanderslice played at LC while I went there (maybe Freshman or Sophomore year) and I didn't go see him because I had no idea who he was until this last August. I imbibed and made prints of a special carving. I finally called myself an artist. We bundled up at 10 pm and went to Fred Meyers to buy a frame and came back with Q-tips instead. I did more chores, broke the wall, made more prints, and finally went to bed at 1 am.
It was a good night, indeed.
Hell yes! Wednesday, November 5, 2008
O.
BA.
MA.
Victory for the Democrats - Democratic president, democratic congress! Nothing can stop us now!
(...except the national deficit, the federal budget, the economic crisis, global climate change, and a legacy of bad decisions from the last administration)
Whatever... baby-steps, right?
Hail Satan! (I haven't had a Mountain Goats post in ages!) Wednesday, October 22, 2008
I don't know what started the Mountain Goat's fixation with satanism, (first their album, Heretic Pride, then their new EP, The Satanic Messiah), but it's hilarious and they need to keep it up. If it's not a joke, then more power to them. I am a proud heretic, myself!
So this week totally snuck up on me. This is an events week. On Monday Rob and I went to see Ralph Nader speak at the Baghdad on Hawthorn. I have to say, I wasn't really that impressed. I totally dig his politics, but his attitude leaves a lot to be desired. He could take a cue or two from Dennis Kucinich, who shares a majority of his ideals, but knows how to play the game. Nader is running on this platform of "both candidates will do terrible, terrible things for our country and only I and the green party know what we really need. And yes, I actually have a chance of winning, although my policies are miles to the left of the democratic candidate". Don't you understand? If Obama endorsed gay marraige, or actively said "no more war in the middle east. PERIOD." He would have no chance of winning? Kucinich recognizes that his politics are more liberal than most of the country and uses the Democratic primaries to get his face, his message, and his platform out there. He is an amazing man with amazing ideals and I admire him.
Nader has popularity in Portland, I can't deny that. Nader has done a lot of amazing things for our country, and there's no way I can deny that either. But he is bitter and jaded and wants to fix a flawed system without participating in the system at all. I agree that our political system is fucked up. Obama's policies HAVE become more conservative has the race has gone on, and I'm disappointed in him for that. But when he and McCain are the only two plausible choices we've got, what do you really want me to do, Nader?
Whatever. I'm not a political analyst and that whole tirade just came out of my butt. Nader will continue doing what he's done for the past 20 years and who am I to take away an honest man's hope?
Moving on. Last night (Tuesday) was what really snuck up on me. THE MOUNTAIN GOATS. What? How did it become late October already? I don't even know. I blame the muffins. This was an all-ages show at the Wonder, and since the show in Eugene last year was so awful, I was a little wary about another all-ages show. Not to say that I wasn't excited, because I'm excited for any chance to see the Goats, just wary.
Their tour-mate(?) and opener was the singer-guitar-virtuoso Kaki King. Tiny. Amazing. Adorable. Those are three good adjectives to describe her. Her set was really good, a little more instrumental than I usually like. I was annoyed at the audience, especially those in the bar, who were loud and talky, even during her quiet songs. I would like to hear more Kaki, I think.
Next up came the Mountain Goats portion. A-Fucking-Mazing. Someone on the Mountain Goats forums put it this way: "After all we've been through, you're this happy to have me back? Fuck it! Here's every barn burner you want and we're turning it up to 11." Just about every hit that gets yelled out at their concerts was played. Some just on the setlist, some in response to yelled out requests. Some I'd expect to hear: Palmcorder Yajna, Dance Music, This Year; some I was surprised that he played: No Children, Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton, Going to Georgia. The set was nicely broken up by a solo set in the middle (including some not-to-be-named songs I didn't know JD was capable of singing when not slobbering drunk), and a few songs by JD and Kaki, including a Morrissey cover. Five song encore to end the night.
JD was happy, engaging, hilarious, Peter Hughes was spot-on, dapper, a handsome devil, and Wurster was energetic and happy, as always. Such a perfect show.
And that's not even the end of it. As we left the venue, right by the tour bus, was JD himself, giving hugs and signing autographs. We got hugs! From JD! And he signed Rob's copy of the Satanic Messiah (the second to last copy EVAR).
This week isn't even over yet. Saturday we're going to see Conor Oberst (Lead singer/etc of Bright Eyes) at the Crystal Ballroom. Wheee!
Today I'm taking a sick day, partially because we didn't get home until 1:30 am, when I thought we'd be home before midnight, partially because I'm feeling a little under the weather and Rob's feeling way under the weather and needs taking care of. So here we are at 1:30 pm, watching Four Wedding and a Funeral on On Demand. I'm going to make soup a little later and enjoy this lazy day. Mmm.
edit: I think I really need to mention how the Mountain Goats took the stage after Kaki King, as it was priceless. After's Kaki's set was over and the stage had been re-set, the lights went down, the disco ball started glimmering, and "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" could be heard softly from the speakers. As the music crescendoed, from behind the curtains came first Peter Hughes, strutting his well-dressed, pin-stripe-suited self. Next was John Wurster, also be-suited, carrying a beer and smiling jauntily. Last was John Darnielle, smiling his usual Portland smile, wearing a suit jacket plastered with death metal band patches.
