I Blame the Raccoons

So much for post-a-day. Oh well. But here's the latest (oh, yes, this is exciting). My lawn chair is missing. For a barbeque I had a while a go, I bought a cheap resin patio table and four matching chairs. Note that there are only three chairs in the photo. I just noticed that yesterday. At most, it's been missing a week. Why would anyone steal a cheap lawn chair? Seriously?

Chief Inspector Daye's theories on what happened:

• Someone stole it, either because they wanted it, or for a joke.
• They're pretty flimsy, so possibly someone, such as the gardeners, was rough with it, it broke, and they threw it out to hide what happened. (Unlikely.)
• It blew away. (Unlikely.)
• Food was spilled on it at some point, which attracted raccoons who wanted the food, so they tried to dip it in the pond to wash it--raccoons like to wash their food--but it just fell in. (I'll poke around in the pond later to see if this happened.)

That's the big excitement over here. Yes, I know you wish your lives had this much intrigue.

Pilsner-Post A Day #7

Also last weekend, I took care of my friend Alex's puppy Pilsner. The first couple of days were a little rough, as he's not well trained as far as potty-time goes, and he had a nasty cough. I was a little stressed out. But once I figured out his routine, and got his cough under control, he was a sweet little guy.

He loved laying on my lap watching movies, napping in the sun, playing with rotten potatoes, and falling asleep in my bed. On Sunday, Derek and I took him to The Lucky Lab Brewpub, where he had a great time getting everyone's attention and stealing bites of Derek's Garlic Gorgonzola pizza slice. I love this photo. I seriously had perfect timing.

Frederick--Post #6

When I woke up Sunday morning, my 6-year-old goldfish, Frederick was dead. He had been perfectly fine the previous day, so I have to assume it was just old age. I'm sad about it, but he had a long, full life.

He has lived in four different places in three different quadrants of town, outlived two other fish, encountered five cats, and liked listening to Falco. My boyfriend would do impressions of Frederick speaking with a German accent, because obviously, Frederick was German (or possibly Austrian like Falco). I don't have any particularly good photos of him because it's kind of difficult to take pictures of a goldfish, but he was always so cute swimming around.

I buried him the backyard here at the McConachie's house in SW Portland, next to some flowers and vegetables I planted. His little funeral was attended by Derek and me.

Goodbye Frederick.

Weekend (Post-Every-Other-Day-Apparently #5)

I actually have quite a bit to write about, as well as illustrative photos, but I need to go to bed, so it's going to have to wait until tomorrow.

Sorry.

Post-A-Day #4

This should be post #5, but I wasn't able to write anything yesterday. This has been a draining week. Pilsner (and his cough) arrived yesterday, and he peed on the rug at the office. My super-great job has not been super-great this week, when one person decides to be extremely rude to everyone else, screw up jobs, and micromanage to the nth degree. I now understand what one of my co-workers warned me about long ago. All of this has been compounded by lack of sleep, which causes me to get melt-downy about dog cough and job and not be able to rise above the nonsense as well as I could with a full eight hours.

But things are turning around (knock on wood). Tonight, I talked to poor sick Derek (he probably has kennel cough too) about my week and felt a little better, and then watched a British crime drama, which always makes me relaxed, all the while non-coughing Pilsner was asleep on my lap. And tomorrow, Pilsner's going to the vet, so hopefully they will cure his cough once and for all. I really, really, really hope that next week will be better and less stressful.

I already have a couple of things to look forward to: Preservation Jazz Band (from New Orleans) is playing at the Blues Festival Friday, and Saturday is the Timbers game.

Goodnight.

Uh, I Think I'm Tired (Post-A-Day #3)

Just now, as I was coming home, I got my mail out of the mailbox, closed the mailbox, and then without thinking, aimed my car remote at it and pressed "Lock." I think this indicates that I REALLY need to get more sleep.

Warm Weather (Post-A-Day #2)

Today was the second 80 degree day this year (I'm pretty sure). Yay! But I had too much work to do, so was stuck inside all day at work except for a 10 minute walk. I was planning to go to the gym after work, but decided against it, because I didn't want to be indoors anymore. So what did I do instead? I went home and sat inside. Doh! Silly Laura.

Where Should I Go on Vacation?

If Derek and I are going on vacation, we have to go this month, due to scheduling conflicts with Derek's coworkers during the rest of the summer.
So here are our possibilities, in order of my preference:
1. Guadalajara/Guanajuato, Mexico

















2. Florida















3. Philly



















Any thoughts?

E-Readers and Their Ilk: Call Me Old-Fashioned (Or Vain)

Everything is electronic these days: music, streaming video, and increasingly, books. I jumped on the bandwagon with enthusiasm for streaming and electronic video, as well as for music, albeit music has brought about some mixed feelings. One form of e-media I have not yet partaken of: e-readers.

I love the idea of streamlining, eliminating clutter, and living lightweight and seemingly care-free. Electronic media most definitely aids this. But my reality is quite the opposite: I have stuff, and lots of it. Some I need, some I don't, but there it is. I cram it in closets and squeeze it onto shelves. Books are a large part of this equation.

So why haven't I converted my Billy bookcases and cardboard boxes of books into one lithe little Kindle? I love the look, feel, and variety of books. Blame my publishing background, but I think it goes back much further than that. The outward design of each book foretells the mood of what's inside. Sure, the e-readers have images of all that stuff, but it's just not the the same. You can't display it in your home. I think of my books as a gallery of sorts: a text and pictorial display of all that interests me. It's out there in full view to everyone who enters my home. Such would not be the case if my library were neatly contained in a Kindle. That's also why I have some mixed feelings about e-music. People can take a look at my CD rack and see, "Oh, she likes indie, classical, jazz, hip hop, but NO COUNTRY." It tells people something about me. But maybe a CD selection isn't quite as revealing as a book collection, and that's why I was less resistant to e-music. A CD is a CD, whereas a book is determined not just by its content, but also its edition--hardback, softcover, antique, or contemporary. Maybe I don't want to just read George Eliot, I want to read George Eliot from an edition actually printed and bound in the 19th century. Choice of edition, as well as choice of content says something about the reader.

So, in spite of environmentally-friendly and clutter-eliminating reasons, I cling to old fashioned, crack-open-the-pages books. Why?

Because I'm vain.

Losing Weight is Hard

Stating the obvious, I know.
Now I'm going to state the brutally honest, in hope that it will embarrass me so much that something will have to change: I need to lose 30 pounds. I weigh more than my 5'10" male friend (I'm 5'3"). True, he's naturally very skinny, but still.
When I lived in NW Portland, I walked everywhere, and my weight was stable and reasonable. Now, I live too far to walk places, and must resort to going to the gym to get exercise. I've been going consistently once a week, but clearly, that doesn't cut it. I have a trainer (ending soon due to budgetary constraints), and I'm definitely stronger because of it, but as far as slimming down and cardiovascular health, I need to exercise more often. Now it's imperative that I make myself exercise regularly, because I won't have the weekly appointments with her anymore. I need to make an appointment with myself.

I have the pulse of a hamster. That's got to change.
My stomach looks like a kitten is living in it. That's got to change.

Bottom line: I'm wasting my remaining, fleeting youth.
I know how to eat well to feel well: lots of whole grains, fiber, fruits and vegetables, but I'm inconsistent about it. I hate wasting things, so I'm reluctant to throw out the junky stuff in my kitchen, even though they're bad for me.
So I'm aiming to go to the gym three times a week like I used to; that should improve things.
I realize that this is a boring post, but I wrote it for my benefit, not anyone else's.
OK, my moment of completely embarrassing disclosure: I weigh 157 pounds.
There, I said it.
I should weigh around 125.
Hopefully, I will be able to report back in a few weeks with a slight reduction. Progress. My hamster-like pulse calming down.
I'll let you know. For me, not for you.

Been a Long Time...

Haven't posted anything since this summer, because I got burnt out trying to make my vacation posts too detailed. But I've returned! Since my last post, I've been on two super great vacations. First, to Amsterdam, Bosnia, Croatia, and Montenegro, and recently, to New Orleans. Quite the contrast.
Anyway, I've picked out a few of the best photos from each excursion.

First, Mostar: the Old Town is beautiful and the bridge has been rebuilt since the war in the 90s. Venture into the modern portion of town, and you'll find shelled out buildings on nearly every block. In spite of that, it's a pretty, green city.

















Below this, a photo of Dubrovnik. I loved Dubrovnik. Touristy? Yes, but wonderful and relaxing all the same. Full of history and the good life. You'd never even guess that a war raged here 15 years ago.
















Now I'm on to New Orleans, where Derek and I spent a week this December. I believe it is now my second-favorite U.S. city (after Boston). It doesn't have to be the ra-ra frat boy party town. Your experience there is whatever you choose to make it. People there are friendly, relaxed, and funny, and the city is an interesting mix of gritty and grand. I want to go back.

I just realized that the last two vacations we've taken involved places recovering from disaster: Croatia and Bosnia suffered through war in the 90s, and New Orleans was partially destroyed from Hurricane Katrina. Each locale differs in attitude in the wake of these disasters, but at their individual cores, they all want the same thing: to rebuild and thrive.