Apples to Apple

The Northwest is hands down the best place to live!  I know this because a) I have visited or lived in 3% +/- the rest of the world, b) according to the news we are just about the only place not to be having natural disasters, c) what terrorist would target Oregon?

After comparing my recent trips to Washington State, and shortly thereafter, New York, I have gained a new perspective and can no longer complain about this fabulous place some of us get to call home.  No longer do I feel limited, captive, or like I am missing something that I could be experiencing elsewhere in a "superior" part of this great nation.  Though we live in the corner of the country that most disregard (and I have to refer to as "North of California"), and we have rain 307 days of the year, and the fact that there is only one city with a J.Crew for every three hundred small towns, I keep one thing in mind that my parents always told me: "Count your blessings."


Top 10 Reasons I Am Thankful To Be from The Northwest:

#10--Clean air and mountains.  I can actually see the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Real, rocky, majestic mountains...not hills.

#9--Having my own car, and not relying on a public transit system/my own two feet.  A car allows one to arrive to important meetings, luncheons, and appointments looking refreshed, not haggard and sweaty with a broken stilletto after walking 27 blocks.  It also provides a mode of transportation for all of those groceries and things you need to function at home without the complicated logistics of a delivery service.  Who carries home a floor lamp on the subway? Embarassing.

#8--Fresh farmed produce and organic ingredients.  Available within 5 miles by bike or car, not shipped in from Northern Vermont.

#7--Open spaces.  Tall buildings are overwhelmingly claustrophobic.

#6--Wine and microbrews.  Both fine and creative.

#5--The ensemble of authentic people.  Our choice mix of the metropolitan business-types, the leftover hippies, environmentalists, conservative ranchers, and rednecks could not be more unique.

#4--Microsoft, Nike, and Starbucks.  The only three things that legitimately put us on the map.  Nordstrom is a close #4, but they have Bergdorf's and Barney's.

#3--Community and the sense of belonging to something that matters.

#2--The Oregon Ducks.

#1--Peace and quiet.  My sanctuary is home, and home will always be in the Northwest.


Why do you love the Northwest...or wherever home may be?:-)

Ready?!? Go!!!

BOOTCAMP...a word that was whispered by friends, mentioned on Facebook, and posted in advertisements.  When fate has a plan it becomes very obtrusive in one's life, so I gave in.  Hours before an appointment to sign a contract at a "typical" gym, there was Mikila's  Bootcamp, front and center at a trade show I happened to pull into.  Fate. Destiny.  Whatever you want to call it, it was where I was supposed to be. 


 After the holidays were over, I decided that I needed a little bit of a physical "polish".  The gym I had belonged to for years kept raising the prices, and was only effective for me if I had guidance from a personal trainer (my favorite had recently moved on).   In these economic times, it was not an efficient way to spend money or time.  So began the hunt for a new gym.  Gold's, Oz, Oakway, Courtsports....all were great gyms with a lot to offer, but lacked a key ingredient.  Motivation for me to go.  Treadmills, ellipticals, weights, and lack of guidance will always be a staple in any gym, and that is the problem.  I know what to expect when I arrive, and dread the reality. There is a sense of defeat before even giving myself the opportunity to achieve my goal. The simple problem of not knowing what to do, or where to start is a never-ending cycle.

Five days a week (six, if you like Saturday runs up the Southwest cliffs hills) I have a trainer who leads a tough, heart-pumping 50 minute class.  It's personal, it's unexpected, and as their slogan goes, "there are no excuses".  I prefer to get it over with in one of the morning classes offered. Yes, there are multiple times to choose from.  Morning bootcamp does not have to be at 6am...no, thank you.  8am?  10am?  That's do-able.

"GO!!" It begins...the class frantically starts pumping free weights, running through the obstacle course, flipping tractor tires, pounding metal mallets, and doing various exercises with their own body weight used against them.  The more incentive to lose that weight.  Match that with a realistic list of high protein, clean foods that come as part of the program, and watch the scale go down at the two week check-ins.  The tools are laid out on that cold gymnasium floor, and there is no guessing as to what you have to do to get in shape.  Success is already planned.  Pick a comfort-level, which may not be so "comfortable", and get moving...results will happen, and defeat will no longer be an ominous feeling.  That's enough incentive for me.

Chocolate and china patterns

As children we look forward to Easter to go on egg hunts and see what the "Bunny" put in our basket.  Usually it was full of dolls, hair bows, colorful plastic eggs filled with coins, and Hershey chocolate.  Now that I'm older, I still get a glimmer of hope that I will wake up to a large wicker basket full of pastel paper grass, though my expectations have elevated to it encasing jewels, Belgian truffles, and perhaps a shopping spree down avenue Montaigne (plane tickets included). Though I have my sights set high, reality must play a factor.

This year I am limiting it to chocolate and china...

Both are decadent, whimsical, colorful, preferably expensive, and have a tendency to break easily.  I love variety and choices...some people prefer milk and white, I prefer dark and bone (china, that is).  Greens, turquoise, reds, oranges, gold, pinks...it doesn't matter.  Just fill my shelves with porcelain confection and I'll be happy! How often do you detour yourself into shops to admire the patterns and artwork that add a touch of decor genius to any place in the home? Stop and smell the flowers, but while you're at it, look at the china too. 

What are you asking for in your basket this year?  

Road Trip

 It's time to pull out the car games, fill up the tank, and get on the road!  Wes and I (and of course, my three tag-a-longs) are driving 390 miles tomorrow to get from Eugene, OR to my hometown, Leavenworth, WA.  It should be a day filled with adventure as we drive by Multnomah Falls, through a gorge full of giant wind turbines, and eventually trek over snowy mountain passes...and that doesn't include the multitude of beautiful parks rest stops we will probably visit.  

In preparation for the trip, it is necessary to plan ahead and pack the car the night before to avoid leaving an hour and a half behind schedule.  I have spent the day cooking, cleaning, and packing...ever so carefully to not disturb or stress the chis.  They know something is up when I'm running around like a mad person, and rebel by getting sick. It's like clock work. Angus was sacrificed to long-term care at the vet on our way out of town one Saturday morning.  If I didn't know any better, I would think he had planned it.  No other boarding facility would give him 24 hour care, feed him the finest organic entrees, or carry him around tucked under an arm before being passed to the next.  Of course, he didn't have to foot the bill at the end of his "hotel" visit either.  We all could have stayed at the Waldorf for his 3-day stint.  Regardless, with the luggage, the strollers, the tote bags, and car seat, it makes me glad I'm only packing for the dogs.  I don't know where children would fit if I had them. 

Pet Adoption

This story was featured on Mental_Floss, and I couldn't resist sharing it.  I could only hope my trio would be as gentle as HuaHua!

"In China, a chihuahua named HuaHua has adopted a chick. For whatever reason, the dog began to take care of the bird almost immediately after it was brought home. When the chick strays too far from it’s cot, HuaHua scoops the bird up in her mouth and walks the chick back to safety. As you can see, the chick looks delighted with this arrangement."

Rain, rain...go away!

The daffodils are blooming, the sun is setting later, and the Easter decorations are filling the aisles at Target...Spring is in the air!  Or is it?  The 10-day forecast is calling for cold, stormy, windy weather.  I am ready for some sunshine!  I found these pictures of a day at the beach last summer with the chis.  It gives some hope and inspiration to see that Oregon can have beautiful weather:-)

Dutch loves burying his face, and rolling in the sand.

Lola searching for a "bridge" to cross the 1" of streaming water:-)

Still searching...

Going to the dogs

Since I don't have children to dress up, I invest in another kind of wardrobe...for the chihuahuas.  My excuse is that they get cold easily, so they must wear a sweater.  If it's raining, a trench.  If it's snowing...well, then we pull out the snow boots to keep their little toes paws warm.  To coordinate their attire, they need a piece de resistance...a collar. Think of it as the big bow that is twice the size of the child's head to which it's attached.  Is that considered to be rediculous?  No, because it pulls the ensemble together.  If it serves a purpose, it's justified. 

 I love seeking out doggie boutiques when visiting new towns.  The best ones I have found are in California.  As Strasburg Children is to the South, Fifi and Romeo Dog Boutique is to California.  Do you remember the wardrobe Reese Witherspoon wore in Legally Blonde, and matched accordingly to her chihuahua, Bruiser?  It was Fifi and Romeo that fashioned the unique clothing, and therefore rightfully draws in a celebrity crowd. Riff-raff are also allowed, but must be "buzzed" in to this chic store in Los Angeles. 

Coming in at 2nd Place is Diggidy Dog, a quaint boutique in Carmel-by-the-Sea.  Carmel is known for being dog friendly, catering to dogs in restaurants, offering their own menu, and leaving water bowls at every shop entrance down Ocean Avenue.  Their selection of clothing, collars, bedding, accessories, and treats (located in the "bakery" section of the store) is superior to any fine dog store I've been to, including, do I dare say, Harrod's in London (who I'll give the 3rd Place prize to).  I love that Diggidy Dog carries their own line of adorable outfits in addition the mainstream brands that are well-known in the doggy couture world.  However, if "Diggidy Dog" or "Little Lily" labels are not distinguished enough, they have another section for the truly posh pooch.  Chanel, D&G, and Dior fabrics have been handcrafted into haute couture coats to keep your fur baby warm.

Lola in F&R