Ahhh....cabin fever.
Gotta love it.
We've been living in the Pacific Northwest for over 3 years now and have never seen this much snow in the city. The mountains, yes. But here in Portland? Nope. I thought I left this weather when we moved out of Philly....
It's weird. At first, I loved seeing it come down. I gave Pauly his Hannukah gift, a nice retro record player/radio/stereo system, cracked open some vino, played some old vinyls, and went for a walk in the snow.
I don't mind that I can't drive in this, but it sucks that the bus isn't even running. So I can't even go to the gym, which is only a 5 minute drive away. And no, HELL NO, I'm not walking up a steep insane snowy bank to get there. (I value my health and all, but not to that extreme).
Two days off from the gym is not a big deal. I can wait.
But now I'm kind of craving warm.....
What I wouldn't give to go here RIGHT NOW:
http://www.hotelriadcelia.com/
And pretend to live abroad, drink tea at high noon, cocktails before dinner, and indulge in a nice horseback ride into the sunset?
Hmmmm....we can all have our fantasies right?
Ick. I'm counting down the days (literally) until we head to Montego Bay, Jamaica for BJ's wedding......
I need a vaca like no other!!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Mel praxis test
HUGE CONGRATS goes out to my wifey, Mel for passing her praxis test!!! This test has been a major obstacle in our lives, but its now behind us. Next up in our lives is her student teaching after the new year, and also my moms in law moving in with us for a few months until she gets situated here in Oregon.
GO PHILLIES!!!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
the past 3 months...
these past 3 months have been a blur. school/work, school/work, school/work is all i've been doing. we had some visitors at the end of the summer: Mel's brother Matt and his girlfriend, OJ, and then our homey Rich and his girlfriend, Liz. we had a lot of fun, did some cave-dwelling with rich and liz underneath mount st. helens where the lava flowed, it was really cool. mel rocked some frisbee golf on mt hood with matt and OJ, i missed out on that one since i had work...
school's cool, doing this big Innovation Challenge next wk, competing against around 100 teams of MBA students from top schools all around the world.. 1 year down, 1 to go. hopefully going to japan, korea, and thailand for school to study asian business in may 2009.
work is cool, still killing it at sales and managing 4+ ppl in portland.
mel is good. she's cooking like a top chef these days. we traded cooking duties when i went back to school and she's really outdoing herself.
im off to chicago in an hour or so for a work conference, just for a day.
mochi is cool. he has 2 personalities. 1/2 the day he is cute little mochi (aka mocheezle or mochironi), but then the other 1/2 of the day he is ScratchBite (aka SB, or scratchbizzle the demon). it's crazy how quickly he can change personalities. he terrorizes kippy, and everything else in the house. he loves receipts and napkins. and pouncing on kippy when she least expects it. and your toes.
listening to M.I.A. and My Morning Jacket lately.
excited fall is here. get your honeycrisp apples when you see them and stock up.
school's cool, doing this big Innovation Challenge next wk, competing against around 100 teams of MBA students from top schools all around the world.. 1 year down, 1 to go. hopefully going to japan, korea, and thailand for school to study asian business in may 2009.
work is cool, still killing it at sales and managing 4+ ppl in portland.
mel is good. she's cooking like a top chef these days. we traded cooking duties when i went back to school and she's really outdoing herself.
im off to chicago in an hour or so for a work conference, just for a day.
mochi is cool. he has 2 personalities. 1/2 the day he is cute little mochi (aka mocheezle or mochironi), but then the other 1/2 of the day he is ScratchBite (aka SB, or scratchbizzle the demon). it's crazy how quickly he can change personalities. he terrorizes kippy, and everything else in the house. he loves receipts and napkins. and pouncing on kippy when she least expects it. and your toes.
listening to M.I.A. and My Morning Jacket lately.
excited fall is here. get your honeycrisp apples when you see them and stock up.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy B-Day Mom, Happy Father's Day Dad. And Meet our new kitten, Mochi.
Happy B-Day Mom!
Happy Father's Day, Dad!
Meet our new kitten, Mochi:
Happy Father's Day, Dad!
Meet our new kitten, Mochi:
Saturday, June 07, 2008
nike5k
ran the 5k today...finished in 29 mins..probably could've done a lot better, but it was so crowded at the start it slowed us down majorly at the beginning and again at the end... elyse and ken from work and my homey henry from school ran with me....got to hit the nike employee store afterwards - major props and thanks to krishnan for the hook up on the Oregon track club jacket, new Zooms, etc...
results and pic:
results and pic:
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Alaska Pics
here's some pics from our alaska trip: glaciers, wildlife, city of anchorage, city of talkeetna, dog sledding, etc.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Alaska, Day 1
Hello all!
Since many of you don’t read our blog, or my personal blogs on myspace, I thought I’d send everyone an update of our present whereabouts in Alaska….
We’re in love with this place.
Although P and I did not “plan” ahead of things to do (which really isn’t our style anyways), we came up here on a last minute desire (Thank you again, Thomas. We absolutely LOVE and miss you) and decided to just wing the trip in all.
But seriously, we LOVE this place. And I know my exposure so far is JUST the tip of the iceberg (no pun intended, hahah).
It’s everything we imagined it to be and more.
We arrived to Anchorage late Thursday night and drove our rental to this ‘lil Bed and Breakfast only 10 mins from Ted Stevens International Airport. We crashed and woke up this morning to this HUGE homemade breakfast and then hopped into our rental en route to our fist Alaskan adventure, Portage Glacier.
The drive was scenic and downright breathtaking. Surrounded by the Chugach Mountains, we drove along the Turnagain Arm and stopped along the way to view Dall sheep trekking in the rocky mountain side. I had brief “moments” where I SERIOUSLY felt as if I were in a clip from the hit T.V series, “Planet Earth”!
For REALS.
It was CRAZY.
After about an hour or so (like 50 miles), we finally reached the small town of Alyeska. It’s sleepy ski village with lots of cute and friendly dogs and their nice owners.
While here, we stopped at a candle factory/mini bookstore/coffee clutch, bought a few souvenirs, and headed to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. At this place, P FINALLY got to see his beloved “Musk Ox” and some reindeer, and I got close to a brown bear cub (Behind a wire fence of course).
It was pretty neat.
Lastly, we reached Portage Glacier after another 15 minute drive and got lost in the scene.
It was OBSCENE. SO AMAZING.
I cried because of the beauty.
The backdrop was so white that it was blinding. It almost reminded us of the snowy/icy backdrop from “Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back”. As we stood there, motionless, we could imagine these huge robots emerge like in the movie…..unreal!
We loved it. Spent a while browsing, snapped insane pics, ate some reindeer sausage, and headed back to Anchorage for a brief nap.
Tonight, it’s all about the Alaskan king crab, baby….
We have reservations for a spot downtown that was recommended by our neighbors/homies back in Portland, Trevor and Megan. The place is called The Glacier Brewhouse and we’re told that the beer is off the rocker and brewed to perfection….my mouth is salivating.
Tomorrow, we head north towards Fairbanks to Trevor’s hometown, Talkeetna, to meet his family, go dog sledding, and maybe pick up some fresh wild salmon which we will transport back to Portland. (Thanks Trevor for the hook-up!! We’ll take pics of the fam and send our love). We really appreciate the tips!
I’ll do my best to keep everyone updated.
If not, it’s cool….we’ll send everyone some pics soon!
Lots of love,
Paul and Mel
P.S. - Forgot to mention that while driving back to our place, we discovered this older couple walking their dog AND their pet reindeer (named Star).
P.S.S. - We decided that we are never leaving.
Just kidding. Or not.
Since many of you don’t read our blog, or my personal blogs on myspace, I thought I’d send everyone an update of our present whereabouts in Alaska….
We’re in love with this place.
Although P and I did not “plan” ahead of things to do (which really isn’t our style anyways), we came up here on a last minute desire (Thank you again, Thomas. We absolutely LOVE and miss you) and decided to just wing the trip in all.
But seriously, we LOVE this place. And I know my exposure so far is JUST the tip of the iceberg (no pun intended, hahah).
It’s everything we imagined it to be and more.
We arrived to Anchorage late Thursday night and drove our rental to this ‘lil Bed and Breakfast only 10 mins from Ted Stevens International Airport. We crashed and woke up this morning to this HUGE homemade breakfast and then hopped into our rental en route to our fist Alaskan adventure, Portage Glacier.
The drive was scenic and downright breathtaking. Surrounded by the Chugach Mountains, we drove along the Turnagain Arm and stopped along the way to view Dall sheep trekking in the rocky mountain side. I had brief “moments” where I SERIOUSLY felt as if I were in a clip from the hit T.V series, “Planet Earth”!
For REALS.
It was CRAZY.
After about an hour or so (like 50 miles), we finally reached the small town of Alyeska. It’s sleepy ski village with lots of cute and friendly dogs and their nice owners.
While here, we stopped at a candle factory/mini bookstore/coffee clutch, bought a few souvenirs, and headed to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. At this place, P FINALLY got to see his beloved “Musk Ox” and some reindeer, and I got close to a brown bear cub (Behind a wire fence of course).
It was pretty neat.
Lastly, we reached Portage Glacier after another 15 minute drive and got lost in the scene.
It was OBSCENE. SO AMAZING.
I cried because of the beauty.
The backdrop was so white that it was blinding. It almost reminded us of the snowy/icy backdrop from “Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back”. As we stood there, motionless, we could imagine these huge robots emerge like in the movie…..unreal!
We loved it. Spent a while browsing, snapped insane pics, ate some reindeer sausage, and headed back to Anchorage for a brief nap.
Tonight, it’s all about the Alaskan king crab, baby….
We have reservations for a spot downtown that was recommended by our neighbors/homies back in Portland, Trevor and Megan. The place is called The Glacier Brewhouse and we’re told that the beer is off the rocker and brewed to perfection….my mouth is salivating.
Tomorrow, we head north towards Fairbanks to Trevor’s hometown, Talkeetna, to meet his family, go dog sledding, and maybe pick up some fresh wild salmon which we will transport back to Portland. (Thanks Trevor for the hook-up!! We’ll take pics of the fam and send our love). We really appreciate the tips!
I’ll do my best to keep everyone updated.
If not, it’s cool….we’ll send everyone some pics soon!
Lots of love,
Paul and Mel
P.S. - Forgot to mention that while driving back to our place, we discovered this older couple walking their dog AND their pet reindeer (named Star).
P.S.S. - We decided that we are never leaving.
Just kidding. Or not.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Alaska & Nike 5k
2 real quick things:
1) Mel and I are going to Alaska tomorrow night for a few days. Yeah, just like that. We're headed to Anchorage. We're going to eat Alaskan king crab legs in Alaska. We're going to drink Alaskan Amber. We're gonna ride on a dog sled and pet Alaskan husky and Malmute puppies. We're going to see moose and caribou and wolves and bears. We're going to eat Alaskan salmon and halibut. We're going to see glaciers. And the aurora borealis. should be a blast. come look for us in Anchorage if we don't return once going 'into the wild..."
2) i signed up for the Nike 5k for kids. sat, june 7th...i've got a couple friends running it with me. 3.1 miles...
be good.
pauly.
1) Mel and I are going to Alaska tomorrow night for a few days. Yeah, just like that. We're headed to Anchorage. We're going to eat Alaskan king crab legs in Alaska. We're going to drink Alaskan Amber. We're gonna ride on a dog sled and pet Alaskan husky and Malmute puppies. We're going to see moose and caribou and wolves and bears. We're going to eat Alaskan salmon and halibut. We're going to see glaciers. And the aurora borealis. should be a blast. come look for us in Anchorage if we don't return once going 'into the wild..."
2) i signed up for the Nike 5k for kids. sat, june 7th...i've got a couple friends running it with me. 3.1 miles...
be good.
pauly.
Friday, March 21, 2008
update
Waiting at the mexican joint to pick up some tostadas for dinner. Ran 2 miles today. Prior, I was only able to run 1.5. When I started, about a month ago, I could only do 3 laps, or .75 of a mile. Feeling good...its my stress reliever. Last yr it was biking, but now I value my time on the bus and train, as that is where I bang out much of my school reading...
School is tough. Lots of reading case studies and discussing complicated business strategies and possible ramifications.
Obama was in portland today. Tickets sold out quickly. Mel tried to get them. I hope he wins.
Lots of chai tea lately. And more and more vegetarian meals. Clear mind and body. Helps me focus. Acupuncture again tomorrow.
Alaska trip soon. Can't wait. Mels mom visiting for a week in 1.5 wks.
Stay well.
pauly
Monday, March 03, 2008
acupuncture
acupuncturist is our neighbor- http://drcatherinegurski.com/ I think is
her site... Check these pics!
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Winter Favorites by Melenie
Yep. Rainy season is in FULL EFFECT. It's driving me nutso...stir crazy...Bleh. However, I have come to fully accept the very fact that I live in the Pacific Northwest and it rains here. Alot. Period. Especially in the winter. With that said, although I get nutty from the drub, I do know that this rain is responsible for creating the ginormous trees and ferns I've come to love since I relocated. And I love the green come spring!
So I've compiled a list of favorite things that I turn to when I feel drab from the long rainy season here in Portland. (For those of you that live here or in neighboring Seattle, you can relate so enjoy). For those of you that live afar, send me sun if you have it.
1. I love wine.
I joined a wine club over the summer (Maresh Red Barn). This wine ROCKS. Really. It does. I love the fact that this dude who works there always wears the same blue overalls (his name is Sam) and he remembers my name. Plus their vieww of the Dundee hills is SICK. (Think Sonoma/Napa County meets a wave of green and a few alpacas). Love this place.
Also love the Portland winery Hip Chicks Do Wine. (Google their website). Their located 15 mins from my house and they have yummy wines. The winery is also solely run and operated by two VERY COOL women that are driven and super smart. They inspire me. If you go late in the day, the nice lady working the retail store/tasting room will give you a short tour of the processing room. Very cool. Something very chill to do in the rain. And the wine is considerably less expensive than those in the Willamette Valley. (their harvests come from there though) :)
Finally, the BEST wine for the price that I've indulged in recently is Charles Shaw's (formally known as "2 buck chuck" for you west coasters) Nouveau Valdiguie. The bottle is a mere $2.99 and tastes so close to a Beaujolais from the rack of a pricier wine specialty store. It's yummy. I like it. A case only costs $35 bucks. When I first moved here from philly I went Charles Shaw crazy...It was February and my first "Rainy season"...
One of my resolutions was to indulge in good wines in 2008. Cheers to that! Holler.
2. Title Wave Bookstore rocks my world.
If you live in Portland you know about this place. If not, then you must discover. I go here atleast once a week. (Sorry Powells, I love you too...BUT...) This bookstore is owned by the Multnomah County Library and holds books that are overstocked or outdated from each branch (which are quite a few). I swear my book collection has TRIPLED in the past year due to this place. All books are priced at like $1 to $3 from ANY realm and they have magazines for 25-50 cents. I just bought seven praxis/math guides, two zines, a political journal, and book for 8 beans. They often have sales where they offer you a bin to fill with as much stuff as you can for 10 bucks.
Go there.
3. Ristretto Coffee Shop makes an OBSCENE latte.
Seriously. It's my new favorite latte spot. I have a list of fav latte joints. But since my move to the Concordia 'hood, it's been a while since I've been to a few of them. Costello's Travel cafe rocks. Tiny's Rocks. Gold Rush rocks. and Stumptown will always have my heart. (Although it competes with Aj Java and Portland Roasting Co.)
4. Dragonfly Chai is BLAZING.
Buy a bottle for 5 bucks. Cop a box of soy milk, measure half/half, warm it up over the stove, mix in the mug. Indulge. I have one every night after dinner...it's from a local company here in Ports. If you want a bottle, holler. If I love you I'll send one. :) They have many flavors. (Black Tea, Roobis Red, and Green). The Roobis is my fav.
5. Stews and Soups are a big part of my winter life.
(ok. it's been a minute since i've blogged. So forgive the length.)
I LOVE cooking. Really. I do. And in the winter time I love making my homemade Juk and wonton soups (yes, from scratch my friends). We often go out for udon/ramen or pho, but it's fun to make it at home too. P and I have also broken out our Fondue kit that we got as a wedding gift and never used. I must say that this thing ROCKS. We recently made a "hot pot" and did it up sukiyaki style at home. It was life altering. We also used it during NYE for cheese and chocolate...yums. **Note: everything in moderation people!
6. Buy the pork carnitas from Trader Joe's. Like now.
So yummy. Rip the pack open, dump it in a cast iron pot, add a cup of beer (light or dark), a can of corn, and your favorite salsa. (I typically chop up LOADS of garlic and onion too). Let it simmer. Add cilantro. Enjoy. When I'm too lazy to cook an entire meal this pack saves me. I never added tequila to it, but I bet it would be a nice substitute for beer...
7. Rogue Beers RULE against most others.
www.rogue.com Visit this site. The Chocolate Stout is by far my favorite.
ok...enough for now. I'll add more later.
Nonetheless...Happy New Year everyone. Sorry I haven't called. Been busy hibernating.
Cheers.
Currently reading : The United States of Wal-Mart
By John DickerRelease date: By 16 June, 2005
So I've compiled a list of favorite things that I turn to when I feel drab from the long rainy season here in Portland. (For those of you that live here or in neighboring Seattle, you can relate so enjoy). For those of you that live afar, send me sun if you have it.
1. I love wine.
I joined a wine club over the summer (Maresh Red Barn). This wine ROCKS. Really. It does. I love the fact that this dude who works there always wears the same blue overalls (his name is Sam) and he remembers my name. Plus their vieww of the Dundee hills is SICK. (Think Sonoma/Napa County meets a wave of green and a few alpacas). Love this place.
Also love the Portland winery Hip Chicks Do Wine. (Google their website). Their located 15 mins from my house and they have yummy wines. The winery is also solely run and operated by two VERY COOL women that are driven and super smart. They inspire me. If you go late in the day, the nice lady working the retail store/tasting room will give you a short tour of the processing room. Very cool. Something very chill to do in the rain. And the wine is considerably less expensive than those in the Willamette Valley. (their harvests come from there though) :)
Finally, the BEST wine for the price that I've indulged in recently is Charles Shaw's (formally known as "2 buck chuck" for you west coasters) Nouveau Valdiguie. The bottle is a mere $2.99 and tastes so close to a Beaujolais from the rack of a pricier wine specialty store. It's yummy. I like it. A case only costs $35 bucks. When I first moved here from philly I went Charles Shaw crazy...It was February and my first "Rainy season"...
One of my resolutions was to indulge in good wines in 2008. Cheers to that! Holler.
2. Title Wave Bookstore rocks my world.
If you live in Portland you know about this place. If not, then you must discover. I go here atleast once a week. (Sorry Powells, I love you too...BUT...) This bookstore is owned by the Multnomah County Library and holds books that are overstocked or outdated from each branch (which are quite a few). I swear my book collection has TRIPLED in the past year due to this place. All books are priced at like $1 to $3 from ANY realm and they have magazines for 25-50 cents. I just bought seven praxis/math guides, two zines, a political journal, and book for 8 beans. They often have sales where they offer you a bin to fill with as much stuff as you can for 10 bucks.
Go there.
3. Ristretto Coffee Shop makes an OBSCENE latte.
Seriously. It's my new favorite latte spot. I have a list of fav latte joints. But since my move to the Concordia 'hood, it's been a while since I've been to a few of them. Costello's Travel cafe rocks. Tiny's Rocks. Gold Rush rocks. and Stumptown will always have my heart. (Although it competes with Aj Java and Portland Roasting Co.)
4. Dragonfly Chai is BLAZING.
Buy a bottle for 5 bucks. Cop a box of soy milk, measure half/half, warm it up over the stove, mix in the mug. Indulge. I have one every night after dinner...it's from a local company here in Ports. If you want a bottle, holler. If I love you I'll send one. :) They have many flavors. (Black Tea, Roobis Red, and Green). The Roobis is my fav.
5. Stews and Soups are a big part of my winter life.
(ok. it's been a minute since i've blogged. So forgive the length.)
I LOVE cooking. Really. I do. And in the winter time I love making my homemade Juk and wonton soups (yes, from scratch my friends). We often go out for udon/ramen or pho, but it's fun to make it at home too. P and I have also broken out our Fondue kit that we got as a wedding gift and never used. I must say that this thing ROCKS. We recently made a "hot pot" and did it up sukiyaki style at home. It was life altering. We also used it during NYE for cheese and chocolate...yums. **Note: everything in moderation people!
6. Buy the pork carnitas from Trader Joe's. Like now.
So yummy. Rip the pack open, dump it in a cast iron pot, add a cup of beer (light or dark), a can of corn, and your favorite salsa. (I typically chop up LOADS of garlic and onion too). Let it simmer. Add cilantro. Enjoy. When I'm too lazy to cook an entire meal this pack saves me. I never added tequila to it, but I bet it would be a nice substitute for beer...
7. Rogue Beers RULE against most others.
www.rogue.com Visit this site. The Chocolate Stout is by far my favorite.
ok...enough for now. I'll add more later.
Nonetheless...Happy New Year everyone. Sorry I haven't called. Been busy hibernating.
Cheers.
Currently reading : The United States of Wal-Mart
By John DickerRelease date: By 16 June, 2005
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