the bippy

biking to work (1st day)

costa rica

windy city to island living

lee and i just back back from an excellent vacation in chicago, and we're back in the airport getting ready to get on a flight to hawaii.  sucks to be us, but somehow we will find a way to struggle through.  as soon as everything settles down i will put up some photo albums of both trips.  here are a few things you should know about chicago:

• chicago is a crazy beautiful city (stay downtown, and don't rent a car)
• go to a cubs game (the fans are awesome, the dogs are warm, and the beer cold)
• skip the field museum (unless you have a desperate need to be around thousands of screaming children)
• don't skip the shedd aquarium (i really love sharks)
• have a deep dish pizza at giordano's (keep perspective, new york thin crust is still the best)
• go see the giant bean (do it!  because i said so)

chicago is an excellent city.  the city is filled to the brim with interesting architecture, great food, friendly people, and stiff drinks.  go forth and enjoy!

hawaii:  the real truth

don't be fooled by all the tropical paradise jingoistic verbiage that people and advertising will try to use to trick you into going to hawaii.  here are the hard truths about hawaii:

• you will be forced to eat excellent and exotic food (yellow fin and jalapeño in a soy and lime glaze)
• you will undoubtedly meet a lot of locals who feign friendliness (not everyone can be that friendly)
• sunsets walks on the beach (picturesque sure, but what then)
• weather (always the same; 80 buy day 70 at night)
• snorkeling with sea turtles (i didn't actually get to sea a turtle)
• local music (music that makes you feel good all over is just setting you up for the fall man)
• funky shirts and vowels (by the time you leave, you will have had enough)
• you eventually have to leave (sad but true)

the truth is hawaii is fantastic.  whether eating great food, walking along the amazing beaches (go to the north shore), or just hanging out listening to local music, you will have an amazing time.  that being said you will also eventually have to go home.

galleries are on their way shortly

sick in indy

been a while since i posted, but i'm stuck in indy with a cold, so i thought i'd write down some notes:

• if i'm going to be stuck in a hotel it doesn't hurt to have it be the first weekend of march madness
• my tourney bracket is in shambles
• i have never lost as many rounds in the first bracket
• hearing bob mould's 'see a little light' on a commercial makes me feel sad and a little empty
• having a cold while staying in a hotel suck rocks
• having a cold sucks period
• easter alone
• my life oddly resembles ground hog day
• summer needs to be here now
• this piece is totally uninspired
• in seattle now and i can hardly tell the difference

anyway, i'll leave it at that for now.  just wanted to get back in the habit.  hope everyone has a great easter.

something you should try

items you will need:

• mp3 player (pre-loaded with the decemberists: the crane wife
• a seat on a plane-preferably a window seat
• good ear phones, but not noise canceling (the jet engine is part of the experience)
• an understanding how something small and inconsequential can also be magical

i am a firm believer that everything has it's moment.  for instance, i'm not a big fan of milk, but i can drink a gallon of it when presented with a bowl of chili or a pb&j sandwich.  i am a big fan of the decemberists and i fly a lot, but it was merely coincidence that i stumbled upon the perfect way to listen to the crane wife #3 from the album of the same name (sans the #3 of course).  this will take a bit of timing and you'll need to be comfortable with breaking the whole *approved electronics need to be set off* rule.  fascists!!!

anyway, the trick is to cue up the song so as the wheels leave the ground you are hearing the chorus.
   
    and i will hang my head
    hang my head low

    and i will hang my head
    hang my head low

this may seem entirely to silly to do, but here is the point.  the reverence of the chorus, the power of leaving earth, and the promise or possibility of where you are going combine to make a truly magical moment.  or; i'm a crazy person and completely disregard all of this nonsense.

p.s.  i'm not crazy, at least not dangerously so, and you really should try this.

travel hangover

i've been debating whether or not to do a new posting for the last few day, and every time i start a new post i look back at the madrid post and decide i'm not ready to move on.  well today is the day, and i have to admit, it will make me a little sad to see the madrid list slip down the page until it becomes all but forgotten in the archives.  for two weeks now i feel as if i've been suffering from travel hangover.  that, and a stubborn little cold lee and i picked up on the plane ride home.  anyway, like i said before, today i move on.  in the coming days until new years, i am going to be doing my yearly favorites list.  i'm not sure what kind of shape that will take, so pleased stay tuned to find out.  hope you have a great holiday season, and please feel free to comment on the bippy using the little comment section at the bottom of every posting.

madrid

hola;  lee and i just got back from madrid, and wow!!!  to be be honest i was blown away, not only by the beauty of the city, but how vastly different the culture there is from my everyday life.  what follows here is a list of likes, dislikes, tips, and must dos(not in any particular order, except for #1): 

1. jamon jamon: madrid for me, will always be the city of ham.  we had ham with almost every meal.  in fact madrid has a ham museum, which should be visited before the museo del prado or the palace, even the parque del retiro.  don't worry if you're not fan of honeybaked ham or bacon, this is spanish ham and it will blow you away(your wallet too, so come prepared).
2. sharpen those elbows: walking in madrid is a contact sport, and trust me when i say you will do a lot of walking.  one of my favorite things about the city is that almost everything is walkable, which is good because, the drivers are scary.  madrid has a lot of people, and with the heavy majority walking everywhere they go, it can get a little crowded, so expect to get pushed around a little.  at first you might think this is rude.  i would encourage against that.  it's not rude, it's logistics.  fit millions of people in to a small place and they're bound to bump into each other.
3. bring a second pair of lungs and some fabreze: my only real complaint about madrid is the smoking.  everyone smokes, or at least it seems that way.  you can't get away from it, and trust me when i say, your lungs and clothes are gonna pay for it.  i'm not going to dwell to much on this.  as they say; it is what it is.
4. tapas, vino, paella, and cafe con leche: oh the food.  i could spend days describing the food in madrid, and not do it justice.  we ate at restaurants that we just happened to stumble upon, and always came away more than happy.  one such restaurant was bocaito, a little tapas bar that thrilled us with the excellence of their dishes.  from the freshly baked bread, to the picked olives, and jamon, you can't go wrong.  they even had their own branded vino tinto.  add to that, a little caffe con leche everyday before our siesta or after, and you have the ear marking of an incredible food city.
5. old world: the first house i lived in, in portland was built in 1906, which seemed fairly old to me.  it wasn't until i spent time walking around in madrid and toledo that i got an impression of what an older city is.  what it means to have a long and distinguished history.  this isn't to discount american history, i'm just saying that in the big picture america's history is relatively short.  we routinely walked by buildings that were around before there was an america.  i've never been a big history buff, but i could see how this kind of city could make you an enthusiast.
6. day tripping: while there we took a day trip to toledo(the original capital of spain).  toledo is a city that was built high on bluffs so it would be easy to defend.  what this means to you, is bring your walking shoes.  you can take a bus, but the best way to see the charm of the city is to walk through its streets.  my only regret is that we did not get to spend the night there.  i would have liked to see the city at sunset, after all the touristas had boarded the train back to madrid.  the train station in madrid might be a bit of work to navigate, but do it anyway.  you won't be disappointed.
7. you're really no one without a scarf: fashion is very important in madrid, so unless you live by european fashion mags, which i don't, all you need is this tip: bring a scarf(winter application of course).  most of the people we saw had scarfs on, and man was i jealous, and out of place.  again, you can go buy a $200 pair of jeans that fit poorly or you can get yourself a colorful $10 scarf.  your call.
8. is andretti a spanish name: don't rent a car.  1) everything is walkable, 2) madrid's mass transit kicks ass, 3) drivers in madrid are flat out scary.  you will be happy not being on the roads trust me.  if you are feeling froggy though, just take a few cab rides.  should cure that up right quick.
9. intimacy and socialism: seems like a weird mix, but stay with me.  because there is less room in madrid, you are forced to deal with people in a much more intimate way.  the whole personal space thing completely goes out the window.  this can be disconcerting but just go with it.  the socialism part comes in when your at a restaurant or cafe, not only  do you sit closely with your group, but the staff is all salaried, so they're not jockeying for a tip the whole time, and even better they aren't trying to flip the table.  so take your time, enjoy the company your with, maybe even have a conversation.  your in spain; do something different.
10. pre-visit site:  wish i had seen this site before the trip.

there will be more of this list to come, but for now i am tired so i am going to stop.  please follow the links and consider taking a trip to madrid.  you won't be disappointed.

travel plans

chattanooga, tennessee(nov 14-16): work related.  had a great time with the folks out in tennessee.  the river walk in chattanooga is especially nice.  ate at two excellent restaurants:  blue plate and hennen's.  both are worth checking out if you make it to chattanooga.

palm springs, california(nov 21-25): debauchery related.  palm springs was a turbulent experience this year.  for the most part we had a great time, but were extremely glad to get home.  our friends randy and dick, who live there, put on an incredible feast for us on thanksgiving.  thanks guys, thanksgiving was fantastic, and by far the highlight of our trip, if not the savior.

madrid, spain(dec 3-11): getting the hell out of the states related/tapas related too.  such an amazing trip that i am compliling a list of all the things i love most.

many other trips coming but this is the most current list.

weekend luxury

i know it's been awhile, and i apologize to all two of you who check this blog regularly.  forgive me, i've been very busy(lazy).  anyway, lee and i recently spent a weekend at the utterly amazing willows lodge in woodinville, wa.  it was horrible.  while there, i was forced to; snuggle in bed with my husband and watch movies by firelight, relax in a luxurious hot tub surrounded by a beautiful garden, eat at the most excellent and continuously surprising restaurant; the herb farm, and somehow trudge through a weekend completely devoid of work, phone calls, and email.  somehow, despite all this i found a  way to persevere.  speaking of the herb farm: wow!  what else can you say about a nine course five hour meal.  the restaurant works in themes, and our theme for the night was; a mycologists dream.  in simpler terms, mushrooms, and lots of them.  i could use every superlative in the book and it would not truly describe how inventive and unique the herb farm is.  if you have the patience, i can give it no higher recommendation, than to say, it is the pinnacle of dining experiences.  thats all for now, but i'll have a travel update soon.

stolen

baggage handlers are thieves.  sweeping generalizations aside, because i know they're not all thieves, some of them are,  as evidenced by the lack of any computer equipment in my bag when it arrived on the carousel at portland international.  shock doesn't even cover it.  try anger, confusion, sadness, more anger.  pretty much anger, and a lot of it.  i felt like it was spilling out of me in a vitriolic examination of continental airlines and there baggage policy, regurgitated to the ogre passing as a woman at the baggage counter. apparently they do not cover electronics, which to me, means they encourage there employees to steal said electronics.  she didn't see it that way.  ah; semantics. 

MORAL:

• never trust the airlines(esp. continental)
• never check electronics
• too much beef jerky is bad for the digestive track(it truly is)
• get tsa approved locks for all of your baggage
• carry a megaphone(perhaps they're not helping because they can't hear so good)
• drink more(you'll care less)