f.y.i.

Horse Feathers
and
Thao Nguyen w/ the Get Down Stay Down
@ Holocene tonight was

Amazing.

Downtown Portland

Appropriate Portland Literature (if you are twenty-something and want to fit in)

Being here for about a month now, I have found a few very important publications that keep me updated on Portland culture. This is very important if you are a twenty-something looking to make friends; or, if you just want to immerse yourself in the culture. Seriously, the only way you can get away with not reading these publications is if you ride your bike to the Farmer's Market and have stickers on your Chrome Messenger Bag (actually, they're pretty bags and I want one) that make drivers feel really bad about what they are doing to the environment. Alas, I do not have a bike out here, do not have the body of a biker, and so am sorely judged every time I want to go somewhere that takes more than an hour to walk to... Luckily for me, I don't eat meat, so I'm alright as long as I park far away and pretend I walked. If you do eat meat and don't want to be crucified, don't mention that you do, instead maybe ask where you can find a good vegetarian restaurant. This is only necessary for survival in South East, if you are Downtown simply mention that you eat organic chicken from the Saturday Farmer's Market. You'll be okay. When ordering coffee from Stumptown, make sure it is a simple order. Anything with too many ingredients is a clear indication that you do not fit in. Triple Shot is also an important factor, as it allows the over-educated hipster barista to know that you are a real coffee drinker. And for heaven's sake, never, ever, ever mention you are from California. It's not just L.A. judgment here, folks... That is, only if you want to fully experience Portland. Otherwise, feel free to be an outsider, you are merely a tourist.

The Portland Mercury
Willamette Weekly
www.StuffWhitePeopleLike.com
BikePortland.org
Mix Magazine

Cheers,
s

PS This city is fun and I love it regardless of how judgmental it can be! That's part of it's charm, anyway. After all, look at how judgmental I'm being -- I'm already fitting in...

Happy Bastille Day!

Strawberries

The strawberries here are incredible. They are red all the way through!

A Life of Lakes and Food

I love lakes. There is something sacred about a lake. Packed a picnic for Blue Lake tonight with my pops. Watched some fireworks.

Blue Lake is my new lake. (I own all the lakes). It is down the road, near the Columbia River. Who needs a big fancy river when you have the love and intimacy of a lake? Rivers may be sexy, but lakes are sensual. I love lakes.

Here is a Farmer's-Market-Fresh salad (w/flax seed oil!) I made! I added a thick Balsamic Vinaigrette afterwards. Fresh just tastes so much better...

the beauty of doing nothing

I am friends with the fishermen.

Each day I walk thru a small forest, passing a meadow, & over a few bridges to get to this lake. There are three, but one is mine. I have no clue what lake this is. It's tiny, as far as lakes are concerned. Should I even call it a lake? I do anyway. And the only people I talk to are the fishermen. Well, the fishermen and small children who give me tiny white flowers.

Visually, I am learning to fish. Soon, I am thinking I will take it up. Today I saw these men unload a ton of trout into my lake. Surprisingly, my fishermen friends suddenly start catching all this fish, right, acting as though they are such artistic, talented fishermen! They couldn't catch a thing for the four hours prior! But I am excited with them. They are artistic and talented. If I caught any fish I'm not sure I'd eat them, but I would cook them for my dad.

Live trout smells pretty bad.

Here, boys search for tiny frogs and salamanders in the sun, and then show them to me and laugh at me when I jump!

... I could live this life.

A One-Way Ticket to Portland!

June 14.

philadelphia. nyc. woodstock. march 2008

iowa. november 2007.

lover.