Our early Christmas

Since I'll be spending Christmas with my family in the Caribbean (terrible, I know), Lindsay and I decided to celebrate Christmas a week early. In the morning, I brought back bagels from Kettleman's (yum). Then, we spent most of the morning watching the Bills implode against the Dolphins...again (sigh).

In the afternoon, we walked to the Lan Su Chinese Garden, located in the heart of Portland. The classical garden was built about ten years ago and spans one city block. It is really an oasis of tranquil beauty in the middle of city life. Similar to the Japanese Garden, the Chinese Garden has been praised as the most authentic outside of China.

Historically, Chinese gardens are meant to stimulate one's mind and spirit while wandering through a beautiful and peaceful natural landscape. Qi, or energy, which is created by the balancing harmony of yin and yang (stone and water, for example) is one of the most prevalent elements of a Chinese garden. (On a side note, qi is also an outstanding scrabble word!!) I feel like everywhere I looked, I could find opposites creating a tranquil balance. The garden had five main elements: rocks, water, plants, architecture, and poetic inscriptions.

As we wandered through the intricately beautiful garden, I felt like I was no longer in the middle of a city. Halfway through, we came across the teahouse where Lindsay enjoyed a white tea and I a peppermint tea.


Overall, the garden was quite lovely. I am sure the next time we go I’ll notice new details. I look forward to experiencing it in the spring or summer when the plants will be in full bloom.

That evening, we made a delicious dinner: tomato, motz, and basil for an appetizer, Fresh Sockeye salmon stuffed with crab, scallops, shrimp and some herbs, delicious rice pilaf, and sauteed asparagus for our main course, and to wrap it all up, I made my mom's Apple Crisp. I was too full from dinner, I couldn't even have any dessert! Trust me, I plan on having some (or a lot) later. For tradition's sake, I also had a Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale.

We had a wonderful early Christmas.

Finally... A Tree!

On Friday, Lindsay and I went back to Whole Foods to purchase a tree. Since we didn't want the stand to be a one-time use, we decided to buy an even smaller, cheaper "tree." (Not sure if you can even call it a "tree.") I really love the addition of the mini candy canes.

On Saturday, we had Lindsay's friend Amanda over to make gingerbread houses. (No, we didn't make gingerbread, but resorted to trusty graham crackers instead.) I made wassail (cider, rum, lots of cloves stuck into orange quarters and a few cinnamon sticks), which was delicious. So, we proceeded to drink wassail and watch the Sound of Music while constructing and decorating our houses. Oh, what fun!

Unfortunately, my ambition got the best of me. I attempted to build a two-story house, but halfway through construction realized we were out of graham crackers.

Christmastime Adventures

On Sunday morning, we awoke grudgingly to a number of wailing alarms.

Ugh. Perhaps it was because we had one too many homemade margaritas the previous evening. Now, you’ll soon recognize that this isn't exactly a "Christmastime adventure," but I think it'll provoke a few laughs. On Saturday night we decided to order the Debt on demand. We started watching it, but within ten seconds I realized my fatal mistake- I accidentally purchased the non-HD version. I know, I know. Gasp! (If I were an active tweeter, I’d follow this with the trending hashtag, #firstworldproblems.) Anyways, I was very vocal about my error, which annoyed Lindsay. Even though she didn’t say it, her response was basically, Whatever, drink your margarita.

After I groaned about it for a minute or so, she decided she’d chat with a Comcast representative to remedy the situation. My stubbornness prompted me to grab my laptop and fix the problem myself. Mitzi logged on. A somewhat incoherent conversation ensued, and we both realized he would not be able to assist us. After I thanked him for his “help,” he replied earnestly, “You are most welcome.” Then, this: “Have a Comcastic night!” What a gem! Even though Mitzi couldn’t remove the charge, that delightful phrase alone made the ten minutes of worthless conversation very much worth it.

OK OK, back to Sunday morning. We rolled out of bed and walked to Kettleman’s (their bagels are wonderful!) to meet Lindsay’s parents and brother for breakfast. Then, we hopped in their car and headed out to find the perfect Christmas tree. We drove through the ‘burbs and to the farm where hundreds of Noble trees of all shapes and sizes awaited us.

Upon pulling into the driveway, I was immediately transported back to childhood. Memories of us bundling up in boots, snow pants, hats, gloves, and ski jackets and braving the blustering snow, freezing cold and biting wind to find a tree. Of course, we had to walk up hill in both directions, and at about 4 ft. 5 in., I was almost buried by heavy falling snow a few times. (OK, I’m embellishing here.)

We wandered around for maybe 45 minutes looking for the “just right tree.” No, too tall. Too short. Too fat. Too bare. The trunk is too thick. Finally, we spotted it. The perfect tree. (Actually, I think our expectations were just significantly lowered due to the fact that no one wanted to be there all day.)

As Lindsay’s brother and Dad secured the tree to their car, I remembered the few close calls we had on the drives home. Panic in the back seat. “Dad, I think the tree is moving. Ut ohhhh. It’s slipping to the left. Don’t brake so hard! OH NO!” After a few years in a row of near-disasters, my Dad mastered the art of securing a Christmas tree to the top of our van. And all was well.

This week, I’ve been on an adventure to find a mini Christmas tree for our apartment, on which we can hang our one ornament. (Thanks, Anne!)

After living in New York City for three years, I figured it’d be pretty easy. After all, every 10 blocks in Manhattan is a makeshift Christmas tree farm—open 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, and equipped with everything and anything Christmas related you could ever need. Stands. Lights. Decorations. Everything!

Portland is not New York City.

Monday- I walked about a half a mile to a parking lot where pre-cut Christmas trees were sold. I found a fabulous little tree for 15 bucks. I inquired if they sold stands for the mini trees. No. Only for the big ones. Grr. I figured the grocery store nearby would sell stands. No luck.

Tuesday- Feeling optimistic, I ventured to Fred Meyer to buy a stand and lights. In their Christmas aisle, I found lights! But, they happened to be the ugliest, tackiest lights I’d ever seen. And, the energy efficient ones were all blue. I didn’t realize it’d be so difficult to find white lights. Also, no stands.

Wednesday- I headed over to Rite Aid in the Pearl. In Manhattan, Rite Aid sells everything, so I knew I’d be in luck. “Excuse me, ma’am, do you guys sell Christmas tree stands?” She looked at me as if I were a delusional lunatic. “No, nothing Christmas-related.” Where AM I?! Whole Foods was only a few blocks away, so I walked there with a renewed optimism. Not only did they not sell lights, but they only sold stands already attached to mini-trees. I asked an employee, “Can’t I just buy a stand separately?” He replied, “No, they come as a package.” Defeated, I walked home. (Chuckles.) If Rick Perry were here, he’d think Portland was waging a full-fledged war against Christmas.

Today, I’m taking the day off from the Christmas tree hunt. Hopefully, I’ll have more luck tomorrow.

December Drought...

Over the last week, Mother Nature has blessed the Pacific Northwest with unseasonably and uncharacteristically dry and sunny weather. Let's just say I'm not complaining! I was definitely getting used to feeling perpetually soggy, and I'm sure it won't be long before my rain coat and I are inseparable again.

We've taken advantage of this "drought" in a few ways.

1. The other night, while walking to meet a friend at happy hour, we spotted a middle aged couple gazing at the heavens with a large telescope. I asked if they were seeing anything good, and they insisted we take a look. We looked at the moon and its beautiful craters. I swear, if the moon had buildings, we would have seen them through this telescope.

2. After Lindsay's interview last Thursday (she now has a second PT job--this one at a private practice), we took advantage of the remaning 30 minutes on her zip car and drove to the Pittock Mansion. According to its web site, the mansion was home to Portland pioneers Henry and Georgiana Pittock from 1914 to 1919. During the late 1800s and the early 1900s, their lives and work paralleled the growth of Portland from a small Northwest town site to a thriving city with a quarter million population.

On this particular day, I saw mountains I hadn't seen since being in Portland. In total, I think we saw five in the Cascade Range: Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. Rainier. Nestled high in the west hills, the mansion is over 1,000 feet above the city's skyline and boasts a spectacular 180 degree view of Portland.

The marvelous Pittock Mansion, built in 1914

Spectacular view of the city and snow-topped Mt. Hood from west hills lookout.

3. Portland is home to a number of brew festivals throughout the year. (According to Lindsay, there is one basically every weekend in the summer.) On Friday night, we went to the Holiday Ale Festival in Pioneer Courthouse Square, where hundreds of other revelers indulged in tastings of 50 plus boldly potent winter ales. We met up with a friend of my longtime childhood friend, Julia. She and Andrew completed their Peace Corps training together. I figured any friend of Julia could be a friend of mine, and I wasn't proven wrong. We enjoyed the beer tasting, the smell of roasting nuts, and I was especially amused by the ugly holiday sweater photo shoot we did with Andrew's friends.

Not sure where they found those gems of sweaters, but we had a blast.

4. After the morning fog burned off yesterday, we ventured to the Portland Japanese Garden. We walked about a mile from our apartment south to Burnside Avenue, where we climbed a few hundred stone stairs in the woods. Soon, we were well above the city in Washington Park.

As we wandered along a winding road through the hills, we unexpectedly came across Oregon's Holocaust Memorial. Its lone visitors, we walked through it mostly in silence, contemplating and reading the history and quotes from survivors. The memorial contains scattered bronzes of shoes, glasses, a suitcase, a doll, a violin (which instantly reminded me of Juliek--from Eli Wiesel's memoir Night--whose playing of a Beethoven concerto fills the night with rare beauty, humanity and poignancy), and other items to represent everyday objects that were left behind. A cobblestone walkway with inlaid granite bars, simulating railroad tracks, leads to a wall that offered a brief history of the Holocaust and quotes from survivors. I recognized a number of the quotes from a documentary I used to show my students, and was reminded of the resilience and strength of the survivor who spoke to my students, Lily.

Bronze violin

Cobblestone path leading to wall

Although thinking about the Holocaust is haunting, the physical space was tranquil and moving. I am glad we came across it.

We continued our walk and soon passed the International Rose Test Garden, where over 7,000 rose plants of over 550 varieties bloom April through October. I am very much looking forward to visiting the garden in the spring and summer!

FINALLY, we arrived at our destination, the Portland Japanese Garden. Hailed as the most authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan, the garden is a 5.5 acre haven of peaceful beauty in the west hills.

The garden is composed of five distinct garden styles. According to its web site: "When we enter a Japanese garden, the desired effect is to realize a sense of peace, harmony, and tranquility and to experience the feeling of being a part of nature. In a deep sense, the Japanese garden is a living reflection of the long history and traditional culture of Japan. Influenced by Shinto, Buddhist, and Taoist philosophies, there is always 'something more' in these compositions of stone, water, and plants than meets the eye."

The garden's designers achieved their desired effect. The whole experience was incredibly peaceful and welcomed deep reflection.

Lindsay and Tea Garden's exit

Strolling Pond Garden

Bridge in Strolling Pond Garden

Strolling Pond Garden

Strolling Pond Garden

Natural Garden

Sand and Stone Garden

Another marvelous day

Ducks

On Saturday, Lindsay and I drove to Eugene to watch the highly anticipated college football game of the week--#4 Ducks vs. #18 USC--at Autzen Stadium. While driving down I-5 I counted no less than 25 cars sporting Ducks flags out of their windows, and it seemed that every other car on the highway had a Ducks decal in their back window.

We drove down in the afternoon and met up with her brother and his friends to tailgate. We were walking from campus to the field with hundreds of (drunk) students when Lindsay said how perfectly content she is no longer being a college student. I was thinking almost the exact same thing and replied, "I'd like to go back to college with 25 year-olds, not 18 year-olds." A few years ago, I would have loved to go back to the college lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, I love a good time, but it's amazing how quickly things change.

It was easy to distinguish between "adult" tailgates and "student" tailgates. Adults had tents, heat lamps, tables covered with table cloths, blankets, extensive spreads of food, a plethora of drink options. They looked warm and happy. Students were, for the most part, grossly underdressed (it was in the upper 30s by kick-off), huddling around cases of Bud Light at their feet. They looked cold and happy.

According to fans, it "never rains in Autzen stadium" (it always does!). We had a perfectly clear and crisp night.

The Ducks started the game horribly--a few turnovers, terrible pass defense--and were quickly down two touchdowns. I was beginning to think we were bad luck. While we were warming up over a beer in the Moshofsky Center (The Mo, as it's called by students), Oregon launched a third quarter comeback while trailing 24-7. They scored 28 points in the second half (to USC's 17), but came up short. Their kicker missed a 37-yard field goal as time expired, and USC snapped the Ducks' 21 game win streak at home.

Although they lost, it was still a blast. I hope we'll get back to Autzen Stadium next year, where, hopefully they'll win.

Scents

Common smells in my neighborhood:

1. Coffee

2. Beer brewing

3. Marijuana

4. Burning plastic (????)

Common smells in the Bronx:

1. Dog poop

2. Urine

3. Stale beer

4. Garbage

Columbia River Gorge

Portland is notorious for being a wet and cloudy city. In many ways, this is true. It is, however, by no means the wettest or cloudiest city in the country. (I'm trying to reassure myself here!)

Pacific Northwest summers are hailed for being dry, sunny, and absolutely gorgeous. According to Lindsay, weather here is at its prime from late June to the end of September. Then, it tends to get increasingly wet and cloudy.

We woke up yesterday morning to perfectly blue skies and upper 50s.

(While we're on the topic of weather... Last week, in a coffee shop, I overheard a guy griping to another patron about the "cold front." It was probably in the lower 40s--crisp, but sunny. Prime fall weather. I reminded him that at least he wasn't in New York City, where, a rare fall snow storm dumped a few inches of heavy snow and subsequently resulted in 8 million headaches.)

Lindsay's brother and some friends flew to San Fran for the weekend for the Ducks-Stanford game, so he left us with his trusty 1994 Honda Accord. So, we decided to take advantage of what could be one of our last glorious fall days. After my interview Thursday morning, we swung back to our apartment, enjoyed a bowl of Potato Leek soup I had made the night before (delicious!), and hopped on 84 heading east of Portland.

After driving on 84 for about 20 miles, we turned onto the Historic Columbia River Highway-- a scenic route that weaves through the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. Although the striking reds, oranges, and yellows of autumn I'm used to aren't quite as pronounced here, I was surprised by the palette of colors that painted the Gorge. In many ways, I felt home on the East coast. The views reminded me of the Hudson River Valley and the Palisades at autumn's peak.

We turned off to enjoy the view at Crown Point. Far below us, on the Columbia River, a few brave souls were kiteboarding in the biting wind. (The Gorge is praised as one of the best places to kiteboard because its unique geology creates a funneling effect, which can create winds in excess of 50 mph.)

Lindsay at Crown Point

Columbia River Gorge looking east

The Gorge Scenic Area is famous for its waterfalls-- 77 on the Oregon side alone-- and, most notably, Multnomah Falls, which is said to be the most visited natural attraction in Oregon. (I began having flashbacks of our family West coast trip when I was a freshman in high school. Most vivid was a family picture of the six of us standing on the bridge under the waterfall.)

A drive-by snap of Multnomah Falls

We continued for another two miles to Oneonta Gorge, a less touristy hiking spot. Since Lindsay is still recovering from ACL reconstruction and a meniscal repair, we decided it'd be best to do a short hike. We hiked up the gorge for about a half a mile, came to a small waterfall, crossed a bridge, then the hike turned back toward the scenic highway to a cliff that overlooks the Columbia River Gorge (and a beautiful view).

Oneonta Gorge

The temperature dropped significantly near the waterfall! Brrrr.

Across the Gorge

After our hike, we drove past Horsetail Falls, which we could have reached at the end of the Oneonta Gorge hike (but would have been a few miles further).

After swinging by Horsetail Falls, we drove to Hood River for dinner and a beer at Double Mountain Brewery. After dinner, we filled up our growler with their India Red Ale ("IRA" as it is known around Hood River)-- a delicious brew with a ruby red color and rich body with the hop flavors of an IPA-- and went home.

New City, New Runs

One of my favorite ways to explore Portland so far has been by running.

Back in New York, I saw countless areas of the city I'd never seen by running. Virtually, the entire perimeter of Manhattan. (In fact, the first time I saw the Statue of Liberty in person, I was on mile 12 of a 20 miler. I'll just say, I didn't stop to enjoy the view.) Fort Tyron Park and the gorgeous views of the Hudson from the Cloisters on a crisp fall day. Fort Washington Park and the George Washington Bridge. Beautiful neighborhoods of Riverdale in the Bronx. Almost every park in Harlem. All of Central Park (too many times!). I loved seeing new areas of the city, especially in the fall, and I have two years of marathon training to thank for that.

Now that we've been in the city of Portland for two weeks, I've done my fair share of exploring on foot. My first two runs were on trails in Forest Park, which is just a mile from our apartment.

I love weaving through the streets of Northwest. Some of the houses are just beautiful. In some ways, parts of Northwest remind me of neighborhoods on the West side of Buffalo. Beautiful turn-of-the-century Victorian homes. Restored Craftsmen. Tree lined streets. But, in addition to the residential nature of the neighborhood, there are pockets of restaurants, bars, coffee houses sprinkled throughout.

I'm excited to learn more about Portland's origins, because it is evident there is a lot history.

City Park Run

After two runs on dirt trails through the woods, I decided I'd explore more of the city. I began by exploring more of Northwest, then cut over to the Pearl, which is one of Portland's more affluent neighborhoods. As I ran past Bridgeport Brewery, the smell evoked memories of my childhood when my dad brewed beer in our kitchen.

The Pearl is north of downtown, and it's got much more of a "city" feel than my neighborhood. In the late 1990's and early 2000's, the area used to be occupied by warehouses, rail yards, and industry. Then, it went through some serious urban renewal, and now consists mainly of high-rise luxury condo buildings and warehouse to loft conversions. The industrial feel was definitely preserved, which I love. There are strips of restaurants, bars, boutiques, breweries, art galleries.

I ran north along the streetcar line on NW 10th ave and through Jamison Square. The park's central feature is a fountain which simulates a shallow tidal pool. Water falls from stone joints into low pools as the fountain recirculates treated water with energy efficient pumps and motors.

Jamison Square in the summer

Next, I continued running north to Tanner Springs Park, which feels to me to be the complete opposite of Jamison Park. Rather than a spot for recreation, Tanner Springs Park seems to be a place for contemplation.

The Pearl District was at one time a wetland and lake fed from streams that flowed off of the nearby hills. As the water flowed through the wooded hillsides it was cleansed naturally before reaching the Willamette River. The springs of Tanner Creek flowed into Couch Lake.

But, as the population grew in the late 1800's, the creek was rerouted through a system of underground pipes to the Willamette. The wetland and lake were filled to make space for warehouses and rail yards (which were later replaced by condos, lofts, shops and restaurants).

Tanner Springs Park attempts to recapture the area's past--the wetland and creek, as well as its industrial feel. It evokes the feel of a wetland. Streams flow through the grasses from the highest point of the park into a small pond (with fish!!). All of the rainwater that falls in the park is collected and treated within the park without using chemicals. It's touted as a modern experiment in sustainable park design and management.

The park is planted with native grasses and trees and there are walkways made from basalt Belgian Blocks that once cobbled the city's streets. One of the coolest aspects is an art wall made of 99 railroad rails that rise at least 12-15 feet out of the water.

Tanner Springs Park from above

After stopping to soak up the park's uniqueness and history, I headed home.

Waterfront Run

On another run, I ran through the Pearl and Chinatown to the Willamette, where I hopped on the Waterfront Bike Trail. As I ran south along the river, I was reminded of Pittsburgh (all those bridges!!). I ran under five bridges (and a sixth on my way back), and almost the whole way had a nice view of Mt. Hood in the pink distance.

The Hawthorne Bridge and kayakers

Marquam Bridge and Mt. Hood in the distance

View of the Waterfront and Marquam Bridge

I decided I'd continue to run to the South Waterfront, where Lindsay works at OHSU. There, you can hop on the tram and head up the hill to OHSU's main campus. On this particular day, however, I didn't have 8 bucks to shell out for the ride, so I opted to head home with the wind to my back.

South Waterfront Tram with the magnificent Mt. Hood in the distance

After a nice 7 mile run--through city, parks, and along the river--I was home.