No Drinky = More Runn-y

Well, huh.

Since I'm not currently drinking, and I've been working an epic amount, I feel like I've got nothing to say. I haven't been going out, or cooking much, or really doing too much of anything. I have been off the sauce for 3 days, and that feels like such an accomplishment. Yeesh.

I feel so much better though! I have so much energy in the morning, I feel great, and look at all those empty calories I'm not consuming! It's kinda funny, because I just got a case of Beertown Brown from the Ale House (one of the perks of working for a brewery!), Ingrid bought some wine, and she restocked our liquor cabinet. I haven't even been tempted though.
Oh, also, I've been running! (Well, twice this week.) Kinda hard to believe, but I'm really growing to like it. I haven't been too far yet--to the Broadway Bridge twice and over the Broadway Bridge once (last week), and I have a feeling I run funny-but oh well. I like it! I think I need to get new running shoes because my old ones are covered with pine needles and smell like wet feet from my backpacking trip.

I have the day off tomorrow (Wheee! Finally!) and I plan to do this:

1. Bake a peach cobbler/pie/something bready and sweet and delicious. Ingrid picked some ripe peaches from Sauvie Island the other day for me to bake with, and I finally have time tomorrow.

2. Bake a vegan savory birthday cake for my friend Craig Steele. His birthday was on Wednesday (Happy Birthday!) and since I didn't go out to the Bye and Bye with him, and since he doesn't like sweets (I know, weird, huh?), I'm gonna bake up something new. I think I'll do a cornmeal cake--something a tad spicy with olives and sun-dried tomatoes and...? to be honest, I'm not sure. We'll see how it turns out. Wish me luck!

3. Penny, this super sweet girl who works at the Ale House, brought some mini cupcake tins that she doesn't use anymore for me today. I want to do something fun with that. Ideas, anyone?

4. I am considering making some pizza tomorrow night for dinner. I bought some cashews a few weeks ago, and want to try making cashew cheese.

So, there's that. I also want to go for a run and a bike-ride tomorrow. Sounds like a pretty full day, and I'm really excited! I'll get to wear my apron for the majority of it, which always makes me happy.

Here's a few random pictures that I've taken in the last month or so:

Ingrid and I @ Bob's Island Party. Yes, it rained. No, we didn't care. Yes, because of all the wine we consumed.


I snack on these CLIF Nectar bars at work. They're totally raw, totally delicious. This one above is my favorite kind: cranberry, apricot and almond. These and Luna Bars are so good!



YUM! My brother Ahimsa and my sister-in-law Michelle and I ate this for lunch last week. I don't remember the name of the place, but it's down on 2nd, and Salmon I think? It's in the same building as Ghandi's Indian Food. Oh my gosh, this was delightful. Doesn't that picture make you hungry? We got those and 2 entrees. I'm totes going back.


This one here is after a hard day of moving. You can tell I was doing manual labor by the sweet Trail Blazer's headband I'm rocking. My bro and I came to Por Que No for his first time for lunch. We sat outside and had the chips and salsa and fruity lemonade I blogged about sometime previously. I, for what I think are obvious reasons, did not post this picture at the time.


I saved the best for last! These are my fellow bloggers Urban Pine and Fried Green Vegan! And, speaking of Fried Green Vegan, she's coming over tomorrow morning to help with all my baking! We're gonna have a blast, and we will definitely take pictures. She suggested mimosas; we'll see if I'm feeling like champagne cocktails in the A.M. (3 days is long enough, right?)

Oh! And, Cinema Paradiso = Pure Awesomeness. Well, perhaps not awesomeness, but beauty and music and thought and love and friendship and pleasing-ness. And I also checked out Tell No One at Fox Tower for a Self-date Matinee on Monday. French film based on an American novel. Watch it.

Okay, whew, guess I did have a lot to say. 'Night!

My half birthday (Or, "Yum")

Last Thursday--Again?

Yep.

I'm really sleepy right now, so what follows is the text of my night, preceded above by pictures. Not energy enough for moving and shaking, if you will.

I ate a flax seed plus waffle this morning for breakfast. Half of it had Adam's crunchy peanut butter, the other half had some strawberry jam my friend Colin made for me. Cut it in half and YUM! Waffle Sandwich!

Tonight after work, I received a giraffe finger puppet. After a small discussion of what to call him, his name came to me. I will call him Noam-Gnome the Giraffe. He's cute, and will be friends with my pet (toy) wombat. He is seen above helping me drink my glass of $4 champagne.

At the Vita, we shared some Buffalo Tofu Things, with house-made vegan ranch. YUM! Again. Spicy fried tofu? Is there anything better? After tonight, I think I may have reached the pinnacle in deliciousness of spicy tofu snacks.

Headed over to Tour De Crepes again (just like last month) and had a Sangria. Again, yum. Headed down the street. Lots of Awesome art. Some good vegan lemon blueberry poundcake. More Awesome art. More meandering.

Ended up at Bye and Bye. Craig Steele and Laura came to visit (Laura and I pictured above). Joette and Shelley and Ahi and Mik all hung out for awhile. Mik got the Bye and Bye special--I don't know what it was, but it was red and in a huge mason jar and had a lemon wedge garnish. Pretty delicious and drinkable. It is also pictured above for your viewing pleasure. Shelley and I split a meatless meatball sub with a side of collard greens. Yum! But, no picture. Too dark in bar, and too delicious not to get in our mouths right away.

Got sleepy, walked home. It took, no joke, about an hour and a half. But it was beautiful. Lovely night, not chilly, nice views.
Except--I did see a guy beating his girlfriend in front of their friends outside a house, and heard a guy sock another guy in the belly after that. I hope they were okay. My phone was dead, or I might have done something about it... as it was, I just kept walking. I hope that's okay.

Home now, Ingrid is listening to Scissor Sisters and break-dancing, I'm typing away madly, trying to work my way into sleep.

I had a wonderful half-birthday and am thankful that this year, my golden year, has been so wonderful and spiritually fulfilling. I've got to head into work tomorrow and Saturday, then I'm going on a half-birthday camping/hiking/backpacking trip with my brother, his dog Storm, Shelley, her dog Niya, and perhaps one or two other people on Sunday. Should be a blast. Goodnight, and sorry for the lack of continuity of pictures/text tonight.

Sleepy time.

Last Thursday

Today I've been feeling very cantankerous and grouchy, so will instead focus on yesterday.


Yesterday was the last Thursday of the month. Here in Portland, that means Alberta Street turns into a big hippy/art/drink/fire dancing/food/etc party. This happens every last Thursday during the good months, folks.

It's awesome.

I met my brother and sister-in-law for a bite to eat before we were to venture down. My friend Shelley joined us. We ate at the Vita Cafe on 30th and Alberta. This place is one of the oldest, that I know of, vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Portland. It's the first one I ever went to, at any rate.

As a snack, my brother and Michelle and I decided to share the Spicy Tempeh Sticks with a peanut dipping sauce:I think it's their "chicken-fried steak" tempeh, just cut up into strips, but it was pretty good. The peanut sauce was a little thick and not very peanut-y, and the whole thing could have used more of the hot sauce, but honestly, any time I get a plate of fried tempeh I will probably be pretty happy.

Shelley showed up and the two of us split a Supergrain Salad--black and white quinoa, currants, pumpkin seeds, some other stuff I don't remember, and a carrot ginger dressing. Nice and lite. Great meal to split after deep fried tempeh.

After dinner, we meandered over to Tour de Crepes a few blocks down. My friend Marcy and her husband John own this adorable little shop. You've got to go out back to this food cart thing, order, and then take a seat at their tables-half of which have old awesome doors as the table top.
We shared a vegan crepe (!) that had hazelnut liquor and dark chocolate. Mmmmm. Marcy, you're a genius.
Michelle, Shelley and I also had a champagne cocktail. I had a belini--peach puree, a slice of peach, and champagne. They both had the raspberry lime belini. I definitely recommend stopping by here (closed Mondays and Tuesdays I think.)


We wandered a bit after that, every single bar was at capacity, and it seemed the streets and sidewalks were as well. After Shelley and I stopped by a party for a minute to say hi to our friend Maryanne, (and have a pint of IPA), we headed down to the Bye and Bye on 10th and Alberta.
All vegan bar, all the time. This place is AWESOME--it's always so packed, and is frequented by meat-eaters and veggies alike. They have a killer meatball sub, and make some delicious braised greens and tofu.

I had a perfectly tart and sweet margarita, and was ready for bed.

Also, this really awesome thing happened to me yesterday: My review of Alu Wine Bar on Yelp was the Review of the Day! That made me pretty dang happy all day. Go check it out!