PDX

I'm really enjoying working in an office setting.

Hi.

I bet you're wondering what's goin' on. That's why you're here.

So I should, like, tell you and stuff.

Gotta be honest with you, sweet people, I'm feeling a little less wordy this morning, as looming over my laptop screen is a mess of an office nook that MUST. BE. ORGANIZED.

OR.
I.
WILL.
GO.
INNNN-SANE.

So, today I'm into the whole brevity thing. Dude. But, I owe you a weekly recap, so here goes:

Imagine a musical montage that goes a little something like this...

L to the U to the C to the KY peanut butter JELLY time Oh Me So Lucky, Me Me So Lucky! HEY hey hey, goo-ood Byeee Bye Miss American Pie in Yo' Face Baby ME ME Lucky ME! Here I go, Here I go, Here I go again (DavidLeeRothScream) WAAAAAAAO!!! I ate some bugs, I ate some grass, I used my hand TO Legit, to Legit to Walk This WAY! Out, Way-ay Out the window and what did I see? There was this guy and a keyboard, And he went WEEEEE!

When you step into freshly fallen snow. That soft crunch--that is my favorite. Everything about snow, from the brisk air that accompanies it to its ability to completely transform a landscape, is awesome. Snow inspires me to play, to laugh, to dig, to make memories. I'm willing to say that snow is essential to the holidays. Without it, they're just not as merry as they could be. As a little person growing up in the mountains of New Mexico, I came to expect blustery sub-zero conditions just after Halloween.

I am still in a food coma after an amazing Thanksgiving at the Friedle's house. Since none of us had family in town, Jed and I, Jacqui and John, Brittany and Jacob went to Christina and Ben's house to celebrate the occasion together. Add in the bonus of a birthday celebration (Happy Birthday, Darra!) with cake furnished by Darek and it was a Thanksgiving unlike any other I've had. When Christina and I sat down with our plates, we shared a thought on what we're thankful for this year. It got me thinking: How lucky am I that there are SO many things for me to choose from!

Yesterday I walked 5 miles. I didn't do it for the exercise; rather, I chose to travel to a coffee shop in Southeast Portland on foot because I wanted the time to think and be by myself. Life is so full of information, of stimuli, of reasons to talk or be talked to. A walk is an opportunity to control, or just to make sense of, all of that. I've heard a few people say that they do their best thinking while driving, and I too have had my share of epiphanies behind the wheel. Just ask my mom. She usually fields my phone call after a realization smacks me in the head.

Ignite Portland 4. Ignite. #IP4... Whatever you call it, you cannot deny the massive impact it has on you. We attended, we laughed, we cheered, we admired the shiny new graphics (that my husband's company, Outlier Solutions Inc produced), and we had some great conversations. I cannot say enough about how privileged I feel to know so many fantastic people.

So I happened to be down on the EastSide of town (that's a song lyric, I just know it) yesterday afternoon, and I made a thrilling discovery. Yet another coffee roastery in Portland! I know, right?! Now, I say that all toungue-in-cheek and so now you're probably going, "Yeah, we know there's a lot of coffee in Portland, shut up about it" and that's kind of mean of you so Hey--Shhhh! Okay so here's what I was getting to: This is truly fantastic coffee. For reals.

The chairs and tables come off the sidewalks. We move into the bars, coffee houses, restaurants, and theaters. Every day we fight the urge to use the central heater for the first time this season. Not 'til December. It's only 55 degrees in the house; we can live with it if we wear thick socks.

America!, we did it. We. Voted. In. Record. Numbers. Look!!! Now, that alone is a HUGE reason to be happy. America! came together! to participate in an election of epic! proportions. Sure, half of the voting public is feeling pretty sore today. Some of them are pretty positive that the world is going to end. Hey, I can't blame you guys. I was fully prepared to abandon America! if Obama didn't get elected. I know that's not exactly comparable to fearing for Earth's salvation...