It's summer! We've had a few sunny days here in Eugene and it's great. The summer was late to show, but now that's it's here, we're all thrilled. We've been waiting all winter for this (except for those with allergies - that's not so fun). Since it's warmer, I like to drink cold drinks. Honestly, I prefer iced tea. You may recall my favorite tea, Vanilla Roobios. I do this whenever I have time to self-brew. However, on the go, I enjoy the always-available passion tea. I add my own twist to it though. Instead of the traditional classic syrup for sweetener, I add sugar-free vanilla. So refreshing. If you'd like, there is a passion tea lemonade as well. The black and green teas aren't too bad either. By the way, I get venti size when it comes to iced tea beverages. How to “call it” (order it)? Iced Venti, Sugar-free Vanilla, Passion Tea.
Apparently this is the happenin' month - birthday, 100 posts celebration, and now today. Today marks my official one year in Eugene (that's 365 days). Looking back, I can say that it's been a great year. For one (and the best), I am so glad to be here with Josh. Plus the change has been good for me in so many ways too. I'm experiencing all sorts of new things since living here. To name a few, I've experienced life ...
In a small town (one big on their college sports)
Outside of California (born and raised Cali girl)
Working at a non-desk job and on my feet (no computers all-day)
Without Yumi Yogurt (<- that's my froyo)
With green all around and rain (and wildlife in the front yard)
With tons of coffee (not just SBux, but coffee life in the Pacific NW in general)
Where you can get across the city in 20 minutes (or less)
With some wonderful new friends!
As for the flip side, there are a few things I will be glad to see return with a bigger city. These include...
A bigger Mall (one that includes Nordstroms and an Apple store)
More dining out options (starting to get tired of just the small choices here)
An airport with more, and cheaper flights
People that don't stop before turning right (or drive a bit faster)
On an ending note, let's recall a photo from my first day here...
I just realized that my birthday post yesterday was my 100th post! Wow, thanks to all my readers to staying interested (at least, I think people are still somewhat interested since I get some visits yet).
To celebrate the 100th post, I'll give you a little factoid: Did you know I track traffic onto my post? I can't track exactly who, but I can see if it was visited each day and which state (or country) the visit came from. Yesterday there were 7 visits! After these 100 random posts, people are still visiting. Awesome!
Oh, and I realized I had a video for my birthday on my phone. Here's the link or watch it now...
The 18th of June marks the annual celebration of my birth. I had a great day and really appreciated all the efforts from my family and friends.
I started my day with ultimate relaxation. I slept in to my favorite 9am hour. Then I packed up a magazine and got myself a coffee and muffin at Full City (Josh had to study). Thanks to Josh, I headed of to The Pearl Spa for an 1-1/2 aromatherapy massage. It was incredibly nice. They even gave me a bottle of aroma oil to take home. She offers me 1 of 3 scents. She held them up and I ended up choosing basil. I read somewhere that basil is good for stress (or something like along those lines).
After this heavenly morning, I headed home. I thought Josh would be at school studying all day, but he came home to study instead. Before it got to late, I popped online and chatted with my friend Caroline (in Germany) over iChat. Remember she's my twin - my German equivalent.
Josh and I decided to enjoy lunch out, so we tried out a new Italian restaurant in town called Osteriz Sfizio. I had some tasty chard-ricotta ravioli. It was a decent day out, so it was perfect sitting next to the window (a bit too chilly for outsides yet).
Fret not, I did get my wonderfully delicious frozen yogurt in the afternoon. I met up with my friend Kim at TCBY. Sadly they don't carry my favorite cookies 'n cream flavor, but I liked the chocolate peanut brittle flavor blended with some oreos (they call it a shiver).
I also got some fabulous gifts. I received a cute Timbuk2 messenger bag that fits my iPad perfectly. It will be great for Seattle when I commute around town in the rain. Not only that, but i also got some gift certificates to froyo (believe-it-or-not), movies, and Ann Taylor. This mean some more fun times ahead. Oh and got a cute top and a Seattle book. I feel so loved.
I ended the night with Josh and some friends at Chao Pra Ya Thai - Thai is the best!! And a pumpkin cookie for dessert at SweetLife.
The main definition of a miracle according to my computer's dictionary is, "a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency." Perhaps, with this definition, I should say this week's rice miracle wasn't really a miracle. There is explanation. However, the second definition listed is, "a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences. " I like the very welcome consequences part, so I think it's okay to stick with the word miracle. Do I have you wondering what rice and miracle are doing in the same sentence yet? (BTW, I was going for The Onion type of post title with this one).
I'll leave you in suspense no longer. Rice saved Josh's iPhone this week. Josh dropped his iPhone in water earlier this week. I was at work and I got an email that his phone would might be "out of commission." I emailed back saying RICE! I had read an article awhile ago (I can't remember the source - probably some blog I follow) saying how rice will save a phone from water damage. Josh also remembered this trick from an article last week. We are geeks, okay. Anyway, he was at school and I was at work. Upon our return home, we investigated the phone. There was moisture in the lens and it definitely wasn't turning on.
We started to plan for what to do? Buy a new iPhone 4? Get an older phone? Hmm. Tough call and bad timing. We decided to hold off for the night and try this rice trick. Apparently, the rice is dry and draws out the moisture from the phone. So we submerged the phone in rice overnight and waited.
The next morning during my break I got a text message from Josh...his phone was alive! A miracle - one with an explanation (something scientific), but one with that brought welcome consequences.
Here's a photo of Josh using his phone just a week ago...
My dad has two special days this month - his birthday and Father's Day. A double whammy on gift giving - he's the hardest guy when it comes to presents. Usually he buys something and gives it to you to return back to him on the special days (Birthday, Father's day, Christmas, etc). Either that, or he gives specific instructions on what to buy. For instance, a polo shirt, tan pants, or wine. Actually it's one of those three things that he tends to get - ha!
Lately, I've tried to venture away and do a little surprising lately. For his birthday he got the Smithsonian Rick Steves special edition (and a subscription). I thought this clever. I scored points too (at least it appears that way). I won't say what he's getting for Father Day since that is yet to come, but it's another surprise. I love my dad, he's so predictable; it's cute.
I love the below picture because it reminds me of playing catch with him after dinner on week days when I was a kid. The other picture was his 60th birthday in Chicago (oh, and my b-day two...their close together). [Oh and get it...2 days and 2 pictures.]
This past weekend (my "weekend" being Friday and Saturday - a schedule thing), Josh and I headed out of town to get some one-on-one time together. Josh is starting to take the prep classes for the Washington Bar exam. The classes and studying for the bar is super intense - i.e. imagine finals time but extended for about 7-8 weeks. With all this starting Monday, 6/7 we thought we'd go on a mini-trip before it all begins (okay, technically it's started already. Sorry I lagged getting this post written).
It was actually a last minute deal for us. We thought about going on a trip, but didn't have any specific plans until the night before heading out - very spontaneous for us. We had specific criteria and sorted through a few ideas, but we ended up deciding on The Dalles area. Basically, eastern Oregon. We found a cute hotel online in Dufur (eh hem, not dufus).
Before leaving, Josh setup a system where we could upload photos to my Flickr site, which then updated a website all using our iPhone cameras as well as my fabulous iPad (tech geeks!). We vowed to take pictures every hour on the hour so our trip was documented in photos. You can see this at our Hours in the Dalles website, thedalles.joshwbrown.com. Note the copyright line - that's all Josh. See what law school does to people!
By 1pm Friday we were on the road with iPhones in hand. As we reached the Gorge area, we started to make random stops whenever we saw something beautiful or cool. This started at the Lewis and Clark park and then some following viewpoints. We made a stop in Hood River for a walk around town and for some grub. We ate at a nice placed called Brian's Pourhouse where we shared some tasty pizza and salad. Then we headed back on to the road toward our final destination of the day, Dufur.
As we reached the road from The Dalles to Dufur, we were gifted with some incredible lighting. The sun came out, but the night clouds were out in the distance. Not to sound too British, but it was quite lovely. Once we reached our hotel, The Balch Hotel, I ran out to take photos of the nearby silos and farm stuff (tractors 'n stuff). In anticipation to your question: No, we didn't stay on an actual farm. We actually stayed in a historic hotel. In fact, it's in the National Register of Historic Places - totally true...there is a placard on the front near the door to verify this fact. However, this meant no television or phones. Not to fret though, there was wireless Internet and with our iPhones and my iPad we were covered.
The hotel owners were quite delightful people - Samantha and Jeff. To start, they hooked me us up with a discount (always a plus in my book). They were the most hospital people offering us cookies, giving a whole hotel tour, etc. There weren't a bunch of other guests, but they were all very pleasant. It was interesting to talk to the other guests and hear all their stories and whatnot.
Included in our stay was a full three-course breakfast. Before eating, Josh and I headed outdoors since it was the annual Tour de Hood bicycle ride. There was a rest stop at the hotel for the bikers. These were the recreational bikers, but the pros turned up the road. Some of the guests at the hotel had a daughter that was running the tour (not running literally, but manage it, etc). Apparently she was a very talents biker and was runner up for the Olympics - cool stuff.
Anyway, fast forward to breakfast. We started with some fruit-nut parfaits, followed by a potato-spinach-feta frittata and a toffee nut coffeecake. All the guests were served and we sat and chatted it up. With full tummies, we took a few more pictures and headed out.
On the return route, we took a brief detour to the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. As we neared lunchtime, we opted for a meal in Hood River again. This time we ate at a British Pub called Horse and Hound.
After lunch we continued back on the Oregon side. I was driving and made a few random stops including the Bridge of Gods. I also make an impulse stop at the Horsetail Falls. Then I persuaded Josh to go with me on the upper trail hike. At the top, we saw the...wait for it...the back side of water (Disneyland, I miss you). There is a quick video on my Flickr site as well.
The final, and not any less important stop, was YoCream. Oh yea, that's right; can't miss the froyo. To top it off, there was my favorite cookies 'n cream. Heaven. In. A. Cup. I contemplated trying to transport it home, but decided it sadly wouldn't survive the 2 something hour drive.
That's about it. A one-night outing, but a fabulous time. I think the great weather really helped too. We've had some unusually late rain here in Eugene (makes me feel better to here the locals say this is unusual). It seems like this weekend may have been the turning point in the weather and we'll be getting some better weather now.
Don't forget to browse my photo album on Flickr. I took the site pro this weekend just so you could see more pictures. Enjoy!
You might be curious about my job these days. I was just checking out my calendar and realized I've been a barista for about 8 months now - shocking. I feel like I know the ropes pretty well now, although there is always room for growth (nobody's perfect I suppose - I keep try though!). Here's some random stuff about life as a barista:
Customers - We have a ton of regulars - no joke. I'm horrible with estimating numbers (i.e. don't ask me the population of Eugene), but it's gotta be something like 50 something regulars many that come everyday. Some of them get something as simple as a cup of coffee (or maybe a grande in a venti Pikes) to more complicated like a decaf venti vanilla soy with whip latte. Some get crazy amounts of shots or flavor, and some get straight up shots. I think my favorite is the grande breve, 3 sugar, with whip and chocolate drizzle mocha. We see lots of crazy drinks folks, but it sure makes it interesting. I actually love our regulars since you get to know them and it's fun to be like "hey so-and-so, want your such-and-such today?"
SBux 7 Dwarfs - Speaking of regulars, I was coming up with Starbucks dwarf alternative names. Doppio, Breve, Starry, Frappie. Still thinking of others. Maybe something with VIA or beans.
AM Stuff - The past few weeks I've been working more open shifts. Our store opens 5:30am on weekdays and 6am on weekends. This means we need to be there at 5am and 5:30am respectively. And that translates to a 4-something wake-up time. It's rough, but then you have the whole day to run errands, appointments, nap. Right now I'm tired because I opened, but I've already done the laundry and had froyo with a friend (work-friend haha). Not bad for a day's work, ehh?
Cheers - Some customer (not a regular) thought I looked like a character from Cheers. Apparently I have a striking resemblance and personality to Shelly. I really can't say since I didn't watch the series except for a few times as a kid and that was just passing through channels, so I don't recall any of it.
Team - Tuesday we had a team outing to Putters. Alright my Cali friends, get this, it's an indoor mini-golf place. Yes, inside. There are indoor tennis courts here too. It also doubles as a lazer tag place and restaurant. You might recall previous posts about lazer tag - this is that place. The whole team enjoyed some pizza, pepsi and mini golf. It was a good time (Sorry, I forgot about picture taking. Okay, I'll be honest, I felt funny asking people for photos - I hate that). Good times though. We have a few new people joining the team, so it was good to get to know them a bit more.
Signs - I'm still of the official store sign maker. I made a new one this week about how to use your VIA. I also made a hiring management sign. On the latter, I did the ultimate challenge: the Starbucks logo. I think I did pretty well except that our white marker paint pen was dry so it was in yellow.
The End. (But Starbuck's life continues).
P.S. You'll see photos of me on the job at my Flickr album. You'll also see some girls I've become friends with at work.
Josh wasn't Dustin Hoffman this past weekend, but he was a graduate. An official graduate of the University of Oregon Law School. Three cheers! Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray! For he's a jolly good fellow! And all that jazz.
Yes, we are all excited. Josh even got excited once finals were over. Graduation called for big time celebration. All the families convened to make this one dang special event. My parents and Josh's parents all flew up for the ceremonies and festivities. Although it rained, it did not rain on our parade (I really need to stop these pop culture references, huh? I think I'm so clever sometimes).
My mom was the first to arrive on Thursday late afternoon. Before we did the Josh-centric weekend, we took a few hours to have mother-daughter bonding time. Although my mom's flight was a few hours delayed, we managed to get our mani/pedi time. While we were indulging a bit, Josh's parents arrived. While my mom and I were bonding, Josh spent some parent-bonding time as well. Thursday dinner I took my mom on a Heather favorites spree - Yi Shen for dinner and TCBY for dessert. Then we did mini / pseudo shopping at the Dollar Tree. Thursday was just the beginning of the fun though.
Friday I had to work in the morning until 10:30am. That's no biggie though (plus I still have to bring in the big bucks - I refrained for saying SBux). We all gathered at our little place and headed out to a lunch in the wine country. I had made some lovely reservations at King Estate Winery. I had been there previously and it was quite enjoyable. This time wasn't quite the same. We look back and laugh, but our food took forever and it wasn't that tasty. However, we did get a free bottle of wine - not too shabby (and make some of us happier). The view was also nice.
After a ehh-lunch experience, we headed to Prince Puckler's to get ice cream (this place was revealed to Don Thursday night apparently and it was love at first bite). We breaked afterwards for some R&R (I have been getting up early a bunch lately and needing nap time). During nap time, my dad arrived too.
Friday dinner things continued and we headed to Humble Beagle. We all enjoyed our first celebratory meal (meaning everyone had now arrived). And this was also the first meal that both sets of parents were together and it went splendidly. Afterwards it was gift time. Josh got to open cards and gifts. I have to say my gift a hit. I just asked Josh as I was typing what his response was and he replied, "overjoyed!" The gift was a Fossil leather laptop briefcase. I also got it a set of ampersand bookends - very artsy and Josh loves ampersands. In addition, the parents got some generous gift certificates and the like. I think Josh felt very happy - see picture.
Saturday was the big day. We started with a hearty breakfast together at Midtown. Josh had to be at the ceremony location, The Hult Center, by 11:30am. We had a bit of time, so we did some roaming at the 5th Street Market. The ceremony began at 1pm. Nada took the lead and I was her trusty right-hand man on getting prime seating in the orchestra area. As the graduates progress to their designated seating, they walked right past our row. Josh almost tripped as we yelled his name while passing us. Then he got mixed in the sea of jester-like hats below. I spend a large portion of the beginning seeking him out. I found in about the fourth from the right and 2-3 row up - Brown last name you know. A then B (yes, I can spell).
Yada yada yada at the ceremony. Some speaking and reasons why to love law and "go get the world" type stuff, then cheers and progression out. It was blur of photos and smiles, then we were off to the reception. We met some more law friends and ate the small cheese and fruits. Once the formalities were over, we headed to dinner at Red Agave.
It turned out that Josh's two law friends, Katherine and Anne, also reserved tables at Red Agave. We basically took over the restaurant. We all sung Happy Graduation to each of them (think the Birthday song but insert Graduation instead). Dinner was delicious and the drinks tasty - all very much enjoyed.
Saturday concludes the graduation celebration. Don and Nada headed back to Portland airport Sunday morning to head home. However, before driving up they stopped for a fabulous breakast at a place with superb servings: Valley River Starbucks. I'll write a post next on the photos and visits. My parents also joined the fun.
My parents weren't headed out until Monday morning, so Sunday was a low-key but fun day exploring Eugene. I had to work again that morning, but I was able to finish by noon. We ate some lunch, did a tiny hike with views and trees (classic Oregon), and then ended it all with a lovely dinner at Marche.
Oh, I surprised Josh with a graduation banner, balloons, and outside sign with "congrats grad" written everywhere. Cute, right?
Now that graduation is over, it's on the the next phase: the bar. Dun dun dun. Josh has a few days of freedom, but then it's back to the grind. Finishing the bar will require more celebrations, stay tuned.
For you to live some of the celebrations, I have some videos and pictures to share...
You may recall that I review stuff every now and again. It started with my first review, The Critic. I realized in this original post I said I'd spring "Heather, the critic" on you occasionally. I've been neglecting my critic obligations, so I thought I'd give you some reviews on recent things in my life. These are quite random, but that's just how I roll (get used to it - wink wink).
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - I finished this book shortly after my visit to Chicago (boy, you sure get lots of reading time when you fly!). I had a good feeling about this book from the start considering it was historical in nature and had a fictional twist - love that historical fiction. Plus it was about the Salem Witch Trials which I've always found intriguing. The first two chapters made me re-think whether I'd really like the book, but I charged on. As happens with some books, you just need to get past the first chapter or so to get into the follow. By the end, I couldn't put it down. I thought it was an interesting perspective and a clever way to reveal the tale. I would recommend this book for those who like the historical fiction slash supernatural stuff (note: supernatural not quite the right word, but it's the best I can come up with for it - read it, you'll see). Since we're talking books, these are two sites I've checked out recently: Good Reads and the Book Seer.
Simplenote - This is an app for the iPhone and/or iPad. It's probably my favorite app. Josh, my tech dude, found it for me and downloaded it. However, if I inspire you to download it for yourself, then I wanted to also let you know that it's free! Best part, right?!? Anyway, it's sooo cool and incredibly useful. Seriously. It totally fits my note taking needs / obsession. I can access a note from any of my electronic gadgets -- iMac, iPhone, or iPad. If you update a note in one, you update them all. It's simple too (hence the name) - creating a note is quick and managing an exciting one is a synch. The power of the list unleashed!
Swifer Duster - Yes, I'm talking about a cleaning product. A girl at work mentioned it to me when I was complaining about house cleaning. I saw it on sale at Target, so I grabbed one. Now, let me tell you, I dislike cleaning. Like most folks, you probably assumed I like to clean considering how I like cleanliness; however, I don't actually like doing the physical cleaning part. Not to mention, I now clean at work. This intensifies the home cleaning dislike. The Swifer Duster changed that experience for me (just a bit mind you). I enjoyed seeing the dust magically disappear - visible results (okay, that's probably more visible because dusting was highly necessary). The Duster, though, it really did it's duty - dust clung to it and didn't create a tornado of dust bunnies. With one sweep, the dust was gone. Loved it. Yea for stuff to make cleaning easier!
Whole-Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies- These were "healthy" cookies in disguise. My co-workers didn't even realize they were whole wheat. I even put in a tad bit of wheatgerm. All totally unnoticed until I brought it up (not sure why I even brought it up). Anyway, these were delicate and scrumptious; a definite crowd-pleaser. I think they made a nice sweet tooth treat after dinner, too. Caveat: This never out-beats froyo.
Open-Face Turkey Burgers with Gruyère, Mushrooms, and Arugula Salad - I made this tasty dinner a few weeks ago and it turned out great. I used par-baked potato bread (obviously I baked the rest at home and got it nice and crispy). Since it was raining, I ended up cooked the burgers on the stove top inside. This method didn't prevent them from jaw-dropping awesomeness. They were fast and easy to make - a 30 minute meal (take that Rachel). I found the recipe on Epicurious as I was exploring the app on my iPad and planning the week's meals out. To end, I'd like to make a quick call tech out: Epicurious is another fav app.
Florence + The Machine- I'm not talking construction in Italy, rather a music group. Their songs are very mellow and nice for chilling out - i.e. while you are napping or cruising the Internet. I guess this would go under the Indie genre. Josh actually got the Lung album on iTunes and I used iTunes home-sharing feature to download it for myself. If you need something pleasant, I highly recommend this one.
Alright, I covered a plethora of topics there - cleaning, cooking, and more. I have another blog topic in mind, but I need to find the time to write. I'm busy these days since [A] I'm getting more hours at work, and [B] Josh's graduation is this weekend and the parents are both going to be in town soon (now you understand the Swifer topic).
I'll end with a picture since it's my "blog thing" and I enjoy photos (plus I hear adding visuals to your blogs make it more interesting for the audience - and I'll do anything for my fan club).
P.S. I like to think this is Josh laughing at my clever, and witty post above. Rather, he's just laughing at a cupcake (he's gone a bit crazy with finals).
This is a quick post to wish my mom a Happy Mother's Day! I'm finding that I'm turning out more like my mom everyday. I'm happy though, because if it means having the same laugh (with a thhhuu sound sometimes), then I've got myself a pretty good deal. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to spend today with my mom, but I know she enjoyed some delicious turkey. Which, by the way, makes me jealous since the love of turkey is another thing we share in common).
And for those that like photos, here's a few Mother - Daughter shots:
Josh has been a bit stressed during this final (pun intended) stretch of law school. Graduation is just around the corner, but he has three finals and papers to write before the celebrations came begin. Being the nice person I am, I decided to give him some wish flowers (aka dandelions) while he was studying to brighten his day. I added a few extra flowers thinking his wishes were more likely to come true with a few more. He posed a bit for my camera, but ended up looking like he was going to eat the flowers. I think he's going a bit loca en la cabeza. Here's the shots:
You may have heard that Starbucks just released a new frappuccino recipe. In fact, Happy Hour started yesterday on 5/7 and goes until 5/16 everyday from 3-5pm. During this special time, not only do we play special music, but all frappuccino's are half off. Crazy good deal. This means I'm a frapp-making-maniac. To celebrate this frappuccino craze, I've been partaking in them myself. I must admit, the new recipe is quite delicious (scrumdiliumptious even - see my post). It's all fresh dairy, and made to order. My past few frapps have been caramel goodness. I get the Coffee Frappucinno light with Sugar Free Caramel. This is with non-fat milk and a syrup that is Stevia-based. How to “call it” (order it)? Tall, Sugar-free Caramel, Coffee Frappuccino Light. Please!
A day off (yes, a weekend day...holy cow). Good weather. Adventurous Spirt. This calls for a hike outdoors!
There are three places that I've heard people mention that are nice for hiking: Skinner Butte, Spencer Butte, and Mount Pisgah. I opted for Skinner Butte since it was a shorter hike, free parking, and good views of the city. I put on my sunglasses, grabbed my camera, and jammed.
My handy navigation system, brought me to the park. A good start. Then I had to ponder: should I bring my jacket? I made the right decision there - turned out warm and sunny. At first I wasn't sure where to go since there was a bottom park. Where was the trail head? I decided to just walk and if I saw a break in the woods, uphill area (aka the butte) then I'd break for it. Finally, I found an entrance. Up I went!
The hike - okay, I'll be honest, it's not a hike, more like a power walk - was quite nice. I stopped and smelled the flowers (not literally). Along the way, I snapped a few photos, pretended I was Bella in Twilight (dork), and then just enjoyed the birds tweeting and the fresh air.
I encountered some strange people too (remember this is Eugene). Some guys were carrying bags and a net, catcher pole. I asked what they were doing - why not? And they were apparently looking for bugs as a school assignment. I also got a guy to take some pictures of me at the top where there was a view of the U of O Stadium. We chatted about digital photography a bit. I really can't contribute much to this topic yet, but I was able to say stuff like, "why, yes this is the age of digital for sure." Did I mention yet that I'm a dork?
I hung around the butte top a bit, then headed downhill. It only takes about 10-15 minutes to get to the top (or bottom). I realized once I was on the top, that you can drive. Lame. Anyway, at the bottom is the Willamette River. Also, I saw some random people biking, soaking up the sun, play with kids, or throwing frizbees.
On the way home, I detoured to the Saturday Market. The Saturday Market is a huge outdoor market during the summer. There is food, art, crafts, jewelry, music, and all sorts of interesting hippie stuff. I returned home somehow smelling of incense (Josh noticed too).
That's it. I came back, posted photos, and wrote this entry. A nice little outing. Note: Josh is going crazy studying for finals. Perhaps I'll write a post about him and his studying this week.
I originally was going to call this Star-IKEA to indicate how a recent task I did for work reminded me of putting together IKEA items; however, Josh said that made him think it was a Star Trek reference not Starbucks. I even giggled as I was typing thinking how clever the title was, but sadly I opted to change it to Starbucks gone IKEA. Still clever, right?
Actually, I probably think too much about titles and spend lots of time thinking and not enough time writing - or getting to the point of the blog post for that matter. So let's get to the point!
Yesterday I was assigned to do my first promotion setup. If you've visited a Starbucks recently and enjoyed a frappuccino, then you would have experienced our lasted and greatest. No visit recently? Or didn't get a frapp? Well, we came out with a new frapp recipe - one that uses all fresh ingredients and customizable. You can make it decaf, any milk (or soy), sweeter, etc. Oh wait, you're not a customer...anyway, when we launch these promotions, we put up new banners, retail, stickers on windows, and more. The setup comes as a kit in boxes - just like IKEA! And you know what else is like IKEA, the instructions. It show a picture of the pieces in step one and then they are in the final product in step two. You're left looking at a box full of little things that make you think, "hmm, I wonder how this is going to work?!?" Then the instruction book is like a novel. However, I'll admit, it was a nice change up from the everyday routine.
Here are some pictures of my fabulous setup and my latest artwork;
Here are some other signs I've done recently. Can you guess what we're promoting?? That's right VIA is still going strong! Would you like to take some VIA home with you or for the road? Oh geez, I keep reverting back to my sales talk. I'll just run with it...if you want some delicious VIA, stop by our store today!
Well, I do love apples. They are quite delicious. In fact, I have one practically everyday. Whether it's in my salad, alongside peanut butter, as a crisp, or on it's own. Yum, crisp apples. HOWEVER, this blog post is not about apple as the fruit. This is about apple the Apple (aka Mac). Hmm, Mac Mania would have also made a good title to this blog.
Like most people you probably looked at the picture first before reading my lovely post, so you must have already guessed it: I got a new computer! My lovely Mac Book was dying a slow and painful death. I had moved practically all my documents onto a remote drive since it was incredible low on space. I had to check it every day to make sure it didn't drop below 1GB. Lower than 1GB and the crash possibility is almost a given. Too much precious stuff to let that happen. The kicker was when I returned from Chicago and was not able to download my photos. I had to download them to Josh's computer and them post them to Flickr from there. I couldn't stand it any longer. I needed my pictures. I needed my space. I needed a new computer.
I'd been contemplating options for about a month now. Yes, a month. I'm a horrible decision maker especially with bigger expenses. I took the dive Thursday and we headed to the U of O campus bookstore that has an Apple-like store (no Apple store within 2 hour drive of Eugene mind you). Considering my want to pick up photography and my love for lounging on the couch with a computer, I opted for a combo: iMac and iPad. The iMac is much more power and get-your-money-worth type of computer. The iPad makes my lounging possible. In fact, it might make me more technically mobile - just look what the iPhone did to me.
I'm super excited (no buyers remorse). I'm lovin' both my new iMac and iPad. The screens are fabulous. We'll, I could go on, but I fear I shall bore you to death. You get the idea I think. Anyways, here's the new and improved Heather desk area:
Sheesh, stop jumping to conclusions. I didn't go to the Family Fun Center or play miniature golf. Actually, it was fun times with family. And not just my immediate family, but all the relatives. This past weekend I was able to fly out to Chicago (elongate the "a" in Chicago as you say it). Not only was it to visit family, but to celebrate some momentous events. Momentous you say? Yes. Grandma Ruth turned 89 years old and Cousin Erin is having her first baby. Let me tell you about the weekend in bullet points - it's the easiest way and not to mention my favorite.
Traveling: My flight to Chicago started at the wee hours of the morning on Friday. Eh-hem, yes I know I get up early for work and should be used to it. Let me tell you something...you don't get used to it. period. But it was worth it. The itinerary was having me start in Eugene with stops in Denver at then Madison. Denver was being Denver (crazy weather, etc) and my originally on-time flight was late due to our pilot having to slow the speed approaching Denver and then circling until we got clearance. I get off the plane and run to my connecting flight, but it was closed. Luckily I got transferred to a flight straight from Denver to Chicago. Sadly that got delayed with mechanical issues (mention of starting with just one engine as we taxi to the take-off queue - hmm), then it snowed and possible de-ice, and last we had to wait for our turn. Although all this happened, I (A) still got to Chicago by 3:30 when I was original scheduled for 2:30pm - not bad, and (B) I got some awesome views from the plane at Eugene take-off. Please Note: I tried talking to the Eugene representatives about getting on a different flight because of my tight layovers...they said I'd be just fine...yea right! The return flight was only through Denver and both were early arrivals. Not to mention great views again.
Erin's Baby Shower: The first day was preparing for the shower. We picked up some delicious cupcakes from Sensational Bites (we also snuck in some apple-ras crumble to snack on that night - yum!). And I did some wrapping extravaganza. Saturday we had a luncheon-style baby shower. It went really well. We had some great salads and cupcakes of course. There were also some fabulous games: (1) Name that Baby - everyone brought their own baby picture, we posted them on the wall with numbers, and people had to guess who was who. (2) Sock Laundry Timing - Erin got a buck of baby socks, mixed up, and had to match & fold them while being timed. Beforehand, everyone guessed how long it would take her. (3) Future Baby Story - a sheet with places to guess the baby's life. For instance, favorite subject or activities as a teenager. On the game topic, I did get in 2nd on the Baby Sock game - just 7 seconds off. Then just chit-chating and whatnot. On an ending note, Erin is a beautiful mother-to-be! Oh, and it's a boy!
Grandma's Party: Immediately after the baby shower was Grandma's birthday party. It was a party day! We headed to Hackneys (more to come of food) where we had a private room for all the relatives to gather. Practically all the family showed up - the Peru Aunts, Bossharts, Lesses, and O'Neills. We enjoyed some catch-up time with all. The cousins formed a table, and we got to have cuz time. I met Scott's girlfriend, Katie, who was super nice. Man, us cousins are growing up. Grandma got some cake and presents. Just a good ole birthday celebration.
Billy Elliot: Sunday was a day out to downtown Chicago. We headed over to the Theatre District to see Billy Elliot, the Musical. It was playing at the Oriental Theatre which was very cool inside - ornate and classical (ok, I don't know art decor terms, sue me; I think you get it though). The play was great. I enjoyed the ballet and tap dancing. It was a nice balance of singing, dancing, and story-line. All Elton John music too. In a nutshell, very fun and very worth it. I've had the movie from Netflix to watch beforehand since it'd been a while since I saw it. I didn't get to it before, so now I plan to watch it in the next few days. [Side Note: Across the street we made a quick pit-shop in the old Marshall Fields, now Macys - you'll see pictures on Flickr. I also found an interesting article on Frango Mints.]
Merkner-Time: More family fun! Monday mom, dad, grandma, and I headed out to McHenry-Wauconda area to visit my Uncle Chuck and Aunt Sue. I also got to meet their little doggies, PJ and Lulu - very cute. Even more exciting was Uncle Chucks Extensive Train system. It was a whole room dedicated to trains. Literally a whole room. The entire space was filled staring with a table and four different train systems. A little town, noises, controls. Crazy. Then we enjoyed lunch together at a near-by waterfront restaurant, Lindy's Landing.
Baby Time: My Uncle Terry and Kellie have the two most adorable kids. Riley (20 months) and Emily (8 months). I got some quality time with Riley on Monday afternoon. In my life I haven't had many babies around, so it was a special time to get to know my newest cousins. It was so fun to bond with Riley (and she apparently looks like me when I was a baby). We played at the playground - when down a slide, roamed around, we played with all sorts of toys at home, read some books, and I watched her eat some dinner and take a bath. So Cute. I didn't see too much of Emily because the poor thing was not feeling well and Kellie took her to the doctor to get checked out - she's okay though.
Food: According to my parents, there are some must-go restaurants to "hit-up" when we're in town. I don't know if this requirement comes from some childhood memories, that "these are the best" places to go according to many, or just plain habit. Whatever it may be, we must go every visit. Plus, each restaurant has a very specific item that you should order (emphasis should, I rebel and usually get something different based on my eating habits). Like most trips, we managed to squeeze them all in. Here's the list: (1) Gale Street Inn for ribs, (2) Hackney's for ribs, (3) Portillo's for Italian Beef, and (4) Lou Malnati's for deep dish pizza.
Humor: My uncles have quite a sense of humor. I carried some of this humor back with me. I told the muffin joke and ocean joke to co-workers. They laughed and then said I was goofy. I also showed them the new fist bump, or alternatives to the bump me. Bump it and blow-up and the park-the-bumb.
P.S. Photos on Flickr for viewing. Or check out the video of grandma.
P.P.S. My forefinger feels better from the time off. It gets tired at work holding the milk pitcher and punching at the register. Poor finger.
Freedom is a day with no obligations. This is something to cherish. No work. No appointments. No need to do anything specific. A day like this is rare, and today I got to enjoy such a day. (Well, honestly I could find something to do, but I decided to put those aside. Also, then my whole post concept of freedom wouldn't be possible)
What does Heather do with a free day? To start, it's entirely necessary to stay in PJs as long as possible. Sure, at some point I start to feel the guilt seep in, but one must try. I managed to stay in my PJs until 12pm; that's freakin' awesome. I love PJs. They are just so comfy and nice. I can be pretty productive in them too mind you. I know others might not have this ability (or should I say skill), so I'm glad I am able to be one of the few that that pull this off. I don't mean going outdoors. Stacey and Clinton would kill me (note: that's a reference to TLC's What Not To Wear, a guilty pleasure of mine...guess it's not so secret anymore). However, I am productive online or doing random stuff. For example, I did some emailing, scheduling (for other days, not today!), and whatnot. Productive in PJs.
As I said, by noon I was out of the PJs. Actually, the changing out of PJs is in part thanks to it being a nice, sunny day. And it was the sunshine that drew me outdoors. I'm not a lay-in-the-sun gal. Plus it's was still a tad bit chilly, so I decided on a stroll. I've been meaning to walk the other direction on the path at Alton Baker Park (recall the Alton Baker Park post earlier in the year). This is exactly what I did. I brought along my camera to practice. For instance, I have some shots playing with angles and some of ducks butts. Yes butts. Curious? Check it out on Flickr.
With some fresh air, I moved on to indoor type stuff. I headed to Trader Joes, Target, and Market of Choice. I was gathering groceries, obviously, for a picnic planning for tomorrow as well as to make my favorite Cornmeal Cherry Scones (recipe from Berkeley's Cheeseboard cookbook - thanks Melissa & Jeff).
Along the way I made a pit stop at TCBY for Waffle Cone Wednesday - good deal. I ate that in the sun as well. Got to get that Vitamin D; soak it in. I also stopped to say hi to a friend, Kim, at Full City Coffee shop downtown. I bought a delicious pumpkin cookie for tonight.
On my way home, the clouds started to return. Now, it's raining. There goes the burgers on the outdoor grill. Indoor skillet here I come. At least, I got to enjoy the sun. Really, if you see the sun here in at this time of year, you've got the seize the moment. The weather in one day here can change very quickly. In fact, I may get to the grill yet. Let's hope the sun is around for our picnic tomorrow.
That's my free day. Tomorrow its back to the grind.
Josh just finished an audio book called The Survivor's Club by Ben Sherwood. Along the way, I've been told about all types of survivor tips and stories. For instance, he mentioned that the people we consider lucky aren't necessary lucky but have these innate qualities that lead to survival and success. Qualities like remaining calm, relaxed, and optimistic in situations. This is all second-hand, mind you, I just listened to Josh tell me about this stuff.; I didn't actually read the book. However, it actually sounds quite intriguing. I don't think I'll end up reading this book with my imagination though.
Although I don't plan on reading this book, my interest was sparked. I wanted to know if I was a survivor. Would I do the right thing when the time called? Would I survive in the face of danger? How would I do this? Well, there just happens to be a cool survivor profiler type survey that corresponds with the book.
A survey you say? I'm in! I've always been a secret (okay, not secret) fan of surveys and the sorts. My family probably recalls me filling out the feedback forms at restaurants when we went out. Or those dang emails around high school and college days where you'd get an email with questions about yourself and then send it to people and then they'd have to fill it out. Yea, I liked secretly liked those too. That said, it wasn't too surprising that Josh was able to convince me to take this survey.
I'm in luck as the Survivor Profiler confidently declares me as a Survivor! Not only that, but I've got a well-defined survivor personality and tools that help me overcome any crisis. Woohoo! Yippee!
Here's what it says about my Survivor type...
Survivor Type:Connector
My Top 3 Survivor Tools:Love, Empathy, and Purpose
The Blurb:Your Survivor IQ tells you precisely which kind you are. After analyzing your answers, it’s clear that you’re a Connector. You overcome incredible adversity by harnessing and mobilizing the power of your relationships and bonds with other people. You are deeply devoted to your family and friends. Your love for your parents, spouse, partner, children and friends motivate you to tackle enormous obstacles. You know that your family and friends depend on you and need you. You hold these relationships sacred, and you will go to any lengths to protect and preserve them. You draw strength from these primary relationships and you often rely on support groups or social networks to help you through difficult times. You’re able to lean on others for aide and you know how to reach beyond your regular circle of friends to find the help you need. You’re a good networker who makes the most of your connections. You often feel great empathy for others who are struggling. You take care of other people before you look after yourself. You’re good at reading strangers and situations. You know how to get along with others. You play well on teams and work effectively with others to get things done. You survive because of your powerful bonds. You would endure anything – and go to any lengths – for the people you love. Above all, you’re a Connector.
Bottom Tools:Adaptability, Intelligence, and Flow
Wowwza. I'm a Connector. Makes sense really. Josh took the test too. He's got different survival skills, so perhaps if we're together our chances of survival are even greater with our shared strengths.
Blog Purpose: To get your mouth watering [Note: Scrumdiliumptious Definition]. Here we go...
Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares - I made these delicious, oaty, lemony things last night. I was very impressed. In fact, I liked them enough to bring to work. And let me tell you, I don't bring in everything (as in the faulty stuff) to work. Seriously people, I have a reputation to uphold; can't give the wrong impression. The recipe comes from a blog I follow, The Pioneer Women (btw, she's become quite big in the entertainment world - might have a movie made). I saw it and thought they'd be fun, spring type snack. They did not disappoint and easy to make!
The Divine Cupcake - Actually, we just returned from this scrumptious experience about an hour ago. A spur of the moment outing on a nice day to get something sweet. Plus we've been meaning to give this place a try for a while now. It's all the rage in Eugene because it has gluten-free and whatever type products. Don't miss interpret me here; I don't mind gluten free so long as it tastes good. I got a carrot cake cupcake while Josh got the red velvet cupcake. Then we got a mini lavender cupcake to share. They were quite good; not Sibby's in San Mateo, but quite good. Pictures Below!
Humble Beagle - Josh and I had dessert at this restaurant last night. We tried the Spiced Chocolate Pudding. It caught our attention on a previous visit, but we just never go to it...until last night. Now, it sounds very Eugene-like (aka hippy, vegan stuff), but it was pretty good. It was quite rich actually. I recall using words like complex and intense. It was a silken tofu pudding. The waiter mentioned that it was a take-off from a New York Times recipe. For me, a few bites was enough as it was very chocolatey, spicy, and rich - all deliciousness though.
Somewhat Recent Baking - I made a few goodies somewhat recently that we've enjoyed. This includes an Apple Rhubarb Crisp, Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins, and Lemon Ricotta Cookies. However, there was one flop with Snickerdoodles. These were just over baked unfortunately. I'd like to blame our decrepit oven that doesn't close all the way and warms the house up nicely when on (I say this in the early spring when it's cold still). Really, I think it's because I left the dough out on the counter too long while I got absorbed in something else and the butter got too soft and then they spread out too much in the oven...
As the year winds down and the twinkle lights come out of hiding, we find ourselves looking back at another swirl of seasons, school days, and the sweet moments that stitched 2025 together. Somehow the boys grew taller, Asha grew grayer, and we grew, eh, a little more tired, but grateful all the same.
I love Christmas movies. I watch the same ones every year, you know, the classics like A Muppets Christmas Carol and Elf. I kid. I also enjoy It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. What's your favorite Christmas movie?
This letter could be like watching a movie: the story of our 2023. Grab a hot cocoa and a blanket, and I'll tell you this year's story.
It's December, and the holiday season is upon us. We are running (yes, with two boys, we are literally running) to all the Christmas events. It's also a time to step back and reflect on the year. It's been a wonderful year of splashing, adventuring, and enjoying our home in the Pacific Northwest.
The Christmas songs are playing, the movies are being watched, we are snuggled with books before bedtime…Christmas has arrived here at the Brown family home. While this year (and even more so, last year) has been a bit masked of normalcy (see what I did there), we still have had a most wonderful year. A year full of growth, love, learning, goofy dancing, and ninja moves.
We are still loving our home in Tacoma with our two boys and crazy dog. We've lived in Tacoma for five years now, and there is no doubt it's home sweet home to us now. We have built some strong friendships that we know will last a lifetime. We are truly happy here!
