Portland in the Summer

One of the many things i love about Portland is all the free stuff that goes on in the summer. On friday night Sara and i went to see the ballet at washington park. Semi-frozen but mostly happy (luckily, no rain). The first half was just the Oregon Ballet Theater. They performed one of my favorite pieces from last season and a brand new ballet, which was brilliant. After intermission came Portland Cello Project. i had heard recently read an article about them, and was quite impressed (although the sound at the amphitheater didnt do them justice). they had a couple of guests on stage with them. the last two of which emcee at a local karaoke bar in sellwood. We had a bit of a cello dance party on the lawn when they performed "take on me," which was both weird and wonderful. They also covered a never released elliott smith song. i heart portland.

next: the summer finale. the symphony at south waterfront. ahh. mark your calendars friends, its gonna be a good one.

Dennis the Menace

Cant forget the legendary Dennis the Menace park in Monterey. As you can see, i'm winning! this was one of the most bumpy slides of my life...those twists and turns might look an adventure - but looks can be deceiving.

Bay Side (and i dont mean the high school in Saved by the Bell)

spending the weekend in Monterey was de-lightful. portland had been having a ridiculous heat wave, and my little apartment was overheating. being on the top floor with plenty of west facing windows didnt help anything. i, like many portlanders, do not have air conditioning. but unlike most portlanders, i also dont have a proper fan. what i do have is one of those t-i-n-y desk fans. so i took that little guy with me where ever i went. i couldnt move more than a few inches because i wasnt about to risk having to experience the true heat without my artificial breeze. it is a weird reality when the Bay Area is more temperate than Portland.

Monterey would have been lovely on its own, but it was doubly fantastic because it got me out of the heat. And you cant go to Monterey without going to the aquarium. i think it is one of the only things i've experienced that didnt feel smaller after revisiting as an adult. but then again, the place does have several life-sized whale replicas hanging from the ceiling, and i think that alone would keep anyone from questioning its magnitude. Kevin was a great tour guide - he knew all about the exhibits and would answer all my questions, i didnt have to bother reading those pesky placards next to each tank. who has that kind of time, anyway? we stayed in a really nice hotel and while we were there my mom and i relaxed and got pedicures, i'm still showing off my freshly manicured toenails. (i might have to consider making pedicures a regular routine:) marvelous.

what was weird to me was being on the beach where the sun didnt set over the water. because we were right on the Monterey Bay, the beach was often to the north and the sun would set away from the water. it kinda freaked me out. thats what happens when you spend most of your life only experiencing the pacific ocean. you dont know how to respond when your near water but the sun sets over the land. it felt wrong.

The Aquarium and the Marine Biologist

My brother and I have always had a good relationship. We've been friends since I can remember. Sure, we fought. Sure, he pushed me into the flower pot in grandma's backyard. Sure, we did all the usual stuff that siblings do. But Kevin holds a very special place in my heart, and there's nothing he can do to change that.

I'm going down to California tonight to spend the weekend in Monterey with my mom and brother. My family has a lot of memories in Monterey. Growing up, we lived about an hour away - so we were fortunate enough to get yearly memberships to the aquarium. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the most amazing places! Rich with color and texture, this is where Kevin taught me about marine life. Where I followed him around when we were little asking questions about how fish breathe and where they sleep (some wrap themselves in kelp to stay put). I have so many special memories of climbing rocks along the ocean, poking starfish and sea anemone in the tide pools, and strolling along cannery row. We haven’t been back in years, and because we've always lived near by we've never actually stayed in the night in Monterey. So I'm glad to go back this weekend. Looking forward to the break from this crazy Portland heat wave, and some more Marine Biology 101 with Professor Shiraz, and maybe a quick stop at Dennis the Menace Park if we're lucky.

when everything lines up

you know those moments when everything seems to be in slow motion? when things line up just enough that you dont have a care in the world. those beautiful moments where you can be present. not thinking about your grocery list or all the emails you have to send when you get to your desk. moments where you can just be. i had one of those this morning. as i stepped off the bus, my ipod started playing hoppipolla as if it knew the exact moment my foot would hit the ground. the sun was shining, it hadnt gotten too hot yet and as i walked the couple of blocks to my building i was engrossed in the beauty of that moment. eyes still heavy from sleep, a soundtrack that compliments downtown, and a moment to meander. ahhh.

MoMA

another reason i wish i lived in New York. Right now i'm watching a concert that Sigur Ros played at MoMA. it's at night. there's a wall of windows behind them and a huge bronze statue in the middle of their stage. ahhh.

not that the schnitz was bad.

treasures

treasures from the first night walking around nyc.