hood

Yesterday, we went to Mt. Hood and visited a snow park with the dogs, who felt right at home. Since Christmas was sunny in Portland, it was nice to see some powder deep snow over the holiday and watching the dogs fly threw it and unwittingly diving into the hidden snow pockets was wildly entertaining. I didn't realize just how snow-covered Hood really is until I was traipsing through it in the snow park which was entirely dressed in white. It was stunningly beautiful.

There are more pictures on my Flickr.

After we got home and ate some left over Turkey, we met up with some friends to see Sherlock Holmes, which was engaging and visually compelling, which I can vouch for, sitting in the first few rows.

After this I won a Scrabble match which I wouldn't normally mention, except I actually got a scrabble with the word "nitrates". I was pretty freakin' excited. I live life right on the edge you know.

I hope your holiday was equally as enjoyable.

schnitzelwich

Portland seems to be a food cart cornucopia. There are options, atypical of what the normal food cart fair furnishes, and after recently reading the local foodie magazine, Mix, I stumbled upon "Tabor" a Czech food cart located in one of Portland's many food-cart colonies that made it a must-eat. After checking out the menu, I was determined to stuff my face with their highly advertised schnitzelwhich, a breaded schnitzel with a parika spread, sautéed onions, horseradish and lettuce on a crisp ciabatta roll.

After a nice walk with the doggies at Hoyt Arboretum, a long brisk walk downtown (parking is generally a no-go anywhere near the heart of downtown), I did indeed stuff away and it was gooooood. A twist on the typical Czech schnitzel, but still very tasty and cooked to perfection. And now, I can "czech" one off the list (c'mon, I never get to make those jokes) and look forward to trying Bosnian-style pitas, crepes, waffles, Nigerian stews and I could go on and on and on with the choices. Best try most of the them in the spring/summer tho.

OK. So, it might look kinda gross, but I assure you, it will be the best doughnut you'll ever have, or at least, whichever you choose at Voodoo. This one was not my personal choice, but one I would definitely order on the next run to Voodoo Doughnut. The "O'l Dirty Bastard", pictured to the left, is a peanut butter drizzled, oreo cookie covered, chocolaty mess of dough.

I played it safe with Portland's "official" doughnut, the Portland Cream Doughnut (my personal favorite) and a sugar cake doughnut. Voodoo is a Portland staple that I will definitely be frequenting. Visitors to my new domicile will be dragged there, maybe even more than once.

invictus

A friend recently went and saw Invictus in the theater and I was curious what that meant exactly and so I looked it up. It was a poem written by William Ernest Henley, an English poet. I wasn't sure if this was what the movie title's inspiration was drawn from, but the premise seems to align especially to the poem. Not only was it relatable to the Nelson Mandela sports movie, but it spoke to my own experience. And although these lines are far bigger than how they relate to me, they moved me enough to share them with you.

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

park your butt and eat your pudding

*click on image to enlarge view - Mom and I

I never much looked like a little girl. I think my hair finally surpassed my shoulders in the 6th grade for the first time in my life. Running around half naked with fair skin and blond hair in Africa, early on in life, among the native Arab children in 100 degree heat and 90% humidity, didn't lend itself to braids and bows, dresses and mary-janes.

My mother was never a girly-girl either; no makeup, no hair product, no sparkly jewelry or shiny wardrobe and I think I took after her in that regard. She is just a natural woman who spends more time caring for those around her than she does herself; selfless and loving and I miss her so.

I miss both of my parents, who are a country and an ocean away now. I am not sure why all of the nostalgia lately. Looking through old family photos while going through old shoe boxes probably had something to do with it. There is something so comforting in knowing that I had such a special childhood and shared a bond with my family that even distance can't touch. And there is also great comfort in knowing that Delta has flights daily.

And although I can only get a trace of this memory (i think i was 2 or 3) I somehow remember the taste of this pudding, which I can only describe as the most glorious vanilla/caramel childhood treat that I am sure ever existed, at least in my humble little universe. Viva le France and their untouchable pudding!

step 1: do something productive today

And I did. Thankfully, with the help of rainy weather and a self imposed kick in the ass, I did something productive today. I started a fishing tale, a personal blog that has been on the impending to do list for quite some time. And although there are no earth shattering news breaking here, I have accomplished my first personally important goal since moving. Now if I could just maintain this slight momentum and remember that finding related products for table tents, although important for a few big reasons, is only temporary and a path to personal self-fulfillment is still very much the accessible reality that it once was. Hooray for me!

And to get some semblance of the Christmas spirit, I went to a local market and picked up a small tree over the weekend and a few trimmings despite my internal moral struggle (i think you may know what i mean). Although my only decoration and one that I wasn't sure I could handle, I am happy to have the comforting smell of fir filling my apartment for the next couple of weeks. AND, to fan the shy flames, I also went to my apartment complex's Christmas Party, mingled and won a gift card. But, more importantly, I made two new friends, named Sara and Sarah. That's right, Sara, Sarah and Clara.

I am looking forward to a new year full of adventures, new people, a new job and tales to write about. In the meantime, there is room for making work, research, learning new things and hopefully, if I can manage it, a new woodworking class next month. Thanks for the read and the continued encouragement and support. I couldn't get the worm on the hook without you.

Clara

Oh, and the image above, in case you were curious, is of me kissing my mom's nose when I was a little girl, when we were living in France. There is a series of photos that are near to my heart that perhaps I will share in their original form in a future post. A large part of a fishing tale is my journey to rediscover happiness, in whatever form it chooses to present itself. Supremely sentimental, I know, but really the most fundamental thing I think we are all looking for said out loud.