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?:-)

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.