What is wrong with this photo?

At first I didnt notice what was wrong with this photo... I was scanning the girls to see what one of them was doing that would cause this photo to be on failblog.org. Then it just popped out at me and I couldnt stop laughing!
Thought I would share :)

Authentic French Cooking Never Tasted So Good - Chez Machin

Every Thursday Ivonne and I set out to uncover hidden gems in the Portland restaurant scene and today we came across a keeper:

Chez Machin
3553 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503.736.9381
(opens at 11am)

This cozy little restaurant doesn't look all that inviting from the outside, but don't let the Hawthorne chic fool you. Shabby French decor coupled with a very inviting smell of freshly cooking food from the open kitchen and comfortable seating made lunch this Thursday very enjoyable.
The menu boasted authentic French cooking as well as the use of cage free, vegetarian fed hens and hormone free meats. The dessert scone which we tried had what had to of been homemade apricot jam because there was no way that it could have come from a commercial jar. It was just that good. They also had homemade custard and nutella but there were so many different things to choose from that there was no way to try everything on the first go.
The crepeI ordered was The Villageoise which was filled with mozzarella, feta, spinach, scallions, avocado and pesto creme fraiche topped off with a fried egg. It was made out of buckwheat flour and was very moist and tasty. I finished the entire thing...

For dessert we decided to splurge and opted to split a crepe filled with apricot jam, toasted almonds and dark chocolate fudge. It was made out of traditional white flour and the jam was full of very large pieces of apricot. While the jam was very sweet the chocolate was a little bitter which, when put together, created a perfect balance of flavors. There were so many tasty sounding crepes on the dessert menu that believe me when I say that it was pretty much a close your eyes and point sort of decision on which one we got. We were not disappointed in the least.

The only semi negative occurrence was the fact that she ordered a salad which was never delivered, but the server more than made up for his error and all in all the service was pretty good.
This will definitely be a place that I will be trying again :)

I'm sure you would fall for it too..

I cannot read the news for the next few days. The "history" is overwhelming me.

I really cannot wait for the inauguration to be over. For a group of people who do not like being singled out due to their race (because really, who does?) why is it that they are making such a big deal about it now?
I am tired of hearing how "history is being made" (are we going to have to hear about how each and every one of Obama's choices during his administration are subsequently historical being that a black man has never made the decision to take us into war before, or to take us out of one, or to unlock the door to his office, etc)
About the "coincidences that the inauguration is right after MLK's birthday" (it still would have been on the same day had McCain or Clinton of won the election)
Or about all the insinuations about the fact that Obama is becoming president at the 200 year marker for Lincoln.
Why is it ok for them to single themselves out, to pull themselves away from the rest of America now? Just because it is something positive, now the want to be distinguished for being black? Do they not see that the contradictions are only furthering the stereotype that they so badly want(ed) to be abolished?
One way or the other, but you cannot have it both ways!

Does this not seem to be hypocritical to anyone else?

Prohibited Items at the 2009 Inauguration

The thought actually crossed my mind to see if my attending Obama's inauguration would be a possibility. Yes, I despise crowds and hate it when people are in my space. Yes, I know the temperatures are projected to be below freezing, but if flights were open I would seriously consider making the flight over.
I check flights for Tuesday, the day of the event. Wide Open. Its as if I would be flying into a remote destination in Montana. Ok hmm. My interest is piqued.
So I go to google to see what time the event actually happens (this was the link I found)
Since the 20th amendment states that the term of the presidency expires at noon on the twentieth, that is when the swearing in will be happening.
This was when I noticed the list of prohibited items which was listed directly below this information...

Prohibited Items

Prohibited items include, but are not limited to:

• Firearms and ammunition (either real or simulated)
• Explosives of any kind (including fireworks)
• Knives, blades, or sharp objects (of any length)
• Mace and/or pepper spray
• Sticks or poles
• Pocket or hand tools, such as “Leatherman”
• Packages
• Backpacks
• Large bags
• Duffel bags
• Suitcases
• Thermoses
• Coolers
• Strollers
• Umbrellas
• Laser pointers
• Signs
• Posters
• Animals (other than service animals)
• Alcoholic beverages
• Other items that may pose a threat to the security of the event as determined by and at the discretion of the security screeners

I had no idea that it would be easier to get on the plane to get to the event (with all the excessive screening issues faced there), than to be one of the millions of people situated in a crowd, probably so far away you couldnt even see what is going on. I can understand a majority of the items, but no bags? No backpacks? It says to expect to be standing/waiting for at least 3 hours and you are not allowed to bring anything with you? Its supposed to be almost freezing but you are not allowed to bring a thermose with something to keep you warm from the inside? No strollers for children? Umbrellas? Pray it doesnt rain. Or do the no-rain dance before heading over.

What's next? In four years is clothing going to be banned? Who knows what a person could be holding in their jacket, or in the back of those fitted jeans. And in the million man crowd, I think that my space issues may pose to be a true problem if everyone is forced to stand around in their skivvies. Or better yet, nothing.

No. I won't. But anyone who knows me knows that.

I will not be friends with Liars. Someone who doesn't have enough respect to tell me what is really going on does not deserve my time.
I'm sorry Mr Wolf, but you forgot to zip up your sheep costume this time.
Now get out of here before you find one of the traps I laid for you the hard way.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is not Curious at all. Believe me.

In fact it is one of the most unexciting, least interesting, and all around boring movies that I have seen in a long time. I would say even worse than alot of the television that I have been being forced to watch lately. Titles such as "Caught on Tape Three Hundred and Seventy-Two", "American Idol season we-are-still-making-these-shows?" and "Survivor: United States" are likely to be more interesting than aforementioned movie.

It was hard to get into this movie from the beginning, and I must admit, I really was not paying attention for the first ten minutes or so. Cut to a scene of a woman who just gave birth to a unseen baby, with doctors giving her but minutes to live and my attention was slightly piqued. For a few minutes anyways. The new father promises his dying wife that their child will always have a place.... until he actually sees the baby that is. His new child's face was so grotesque that he runs out of the house, contemplates throwing the baby in the river and decides instead to leave it on the doorstep of a strangers home, wrapped in a blanket, with $17 stuffed inside. So much for promises, eh?
The movie is set in Louisiana. It is told in narrative fashion, by means of a younger woman reading a journal to a dying old woman in a hospital bed. A hurricane looms in the distance, but they do not want to flee, they decide that they would rather read a mans journal while sirens ring right outside the window. The film goes from the young woman's voice, to Benjamin Button's voice; from one world to the next, and the viewer gets the feeling like the story being read is one from a distant past. This man is different, he is aging backwards, a young man trapped in an old man's body; lost in a world where no one understands. Cut back to the hospital bed, the old woman is uncomfortable, give her some more meds and get back to the story.
This goes on for a staggering Three Hours. Three hours! Why does no one advertise this? Its almost as bad as advertising a musical film as a non musical film and wondering why the audience decides to walk out mid film. Had I not have been in the presence of very good company I would have voiced my desire to walk out of the theater myself last night. But I was enjoying said company so I endured the pain of what was supposedly an acclaimed film in order to stay where I was for just a little longer...

In short: Don't waste your time on this movie unless you bring something to do, like say a book or a magazine or a pillow...

A thought.

Don't confuse speed with right or wrong.
Patience will win out in the end.

One more go around. At least as an undergrad.

Today marked the first day of my final semester as an undergraduate student. I can tell you that I am more than happy to be just about to put this chapter of my life behind me! After being in school for as long as I have (not to say that this marks the end of my schooling "career" but the end of a long journey) it will be exciting for me to finally finish a portion of what I started.
This semester I am taking four classes.

East Asian History
The Renaissance
Biology
Behavior Modification

We will see how they go, my goal this semester is to get everything done prior to schedule to alleviate the stress and overwhelming feelings one can find themselves having when taking a full course load.

Yay!

Hiking in the Rain, Sleet and Snow - And no, we weren't delivering any mail.

Early in the week I made plans with a friend to go snowshoeing up on Larch Mountain in Washington. When we made the plans there was still snow on the ground down in the valley and much much more up in the mountains. By Thursday however, the city snow was a thing of the past and rain was the reality. Lots of rain. And not the warm rain of the tropics which is fun to run around in. This rain was cold and relentless. But we are from Washington... are we going to let a little rain scare us away from the trail? Of course not! (I will admit, I did pack an umbrella which came in handy as a brush shield just as much as a rain guard)
When we got up the mountain there ended up being too much snow to get up to the upper trail with enough time to actually snowshoe, so we opted for the lower, less snow packed trail. Since it was no longer raining (at that moment) we decided to not put on our waterproof snow pants and just started out in jeans.
About 5 minutes into the hike it started raining again and, for some reason, we never donned on the pants (which were nice and cozy dry in our backpacks)... but by the end we were both drenched to the bone, the only dry areas being the upper core (so at least I never got cold per se) which for all intents and purposes is the best area to keep dry.
I always end up doing something embarrassing on hikes and with as much water as there was, I could foresee myself falling into one of the creeks. I just knew it was going to happen! I could practically feel the mud and water on my legs where I knew I was going to fall.... and I don't know if because I believed it so much that I fulfilled my own prophecy but fall into the creek I did! Luckily it was only one leg, and I wasn't completely submerged in the water. But still.
Some other mishaps I had included, but are not limited to:
I got my foot stuck in the snow and had to literally dig it out to keep my boot from coming off two feet down in the snow (which would have guaranteed they would have been wet from the get-go)
The mud was very slick. Slick! So that is what I am going to attribute all the times I slipped.. Oh yes. The only reason!

Photo Evidence of our Journey:

Just because I am semi-smiling, and just because it doesn't LOOK like I could possibly be stuck that doesnt mean that I am not! And no, I don't need any help but thanks for the very quick consideration (ok ok, so he did attempt to help me after I started digging lol). Don't worry, he made up for his slow action here by quickly building a bridge across a fast running creek that went across our path later on. Sure, he may say that he was trying to divert the water from the trail, but I know the truth LOL.

We were hiking near Cold Creek (such an imaginative name, right?) but this "creek" is not even the actual creek! This is how much excess water and flooding there is in the area right now. If you look closely that waterfall actually is a horseshoe shape.. Unfortunately I wasn't high enough up to be able to capture the full beauty of it.

Doesn't this bridge look inviting? Doesn't it look ever-so safe and secure? Maybe this was the reason why they attempted to reroute the trail? But do you really think that a few trees blocking the path is going to keep us curious hikers away?
Not only did it not, but after crossing it once (and almost slipping on that very slimy and thus slippery wood) we had to go back for pictures! Yes, we make our own luck!

See that waterfall behind me? That was actually the trail! Luckily for me my boots withstood the creek-walking challenge and stayed dry! Unfortunately, they did not withstand the snow-up-to-my-knees challenge and got wet inside that way :(

(I'll be posting the rest of the pictures on facebook if anyone is interested)

Great Trip, Great Company, Great Experience.
If you get a chance, jump on an opportunity to go hiking in the rain. It just adds to the experience and not in a bad way if you are prepared for it :)

Some interesting facts from 1908

Things were very different close to 100 years ago; thinking ahead another hundred years, who knows where we will be. Here are some interesting examples of where we have came....

Starting with a 1907 Ford Model R:


The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14% of homes had a bathtub.
Only 8% of homes had a telephone.

There were 8,000 cars and 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower
The average wage in 1908 was 22 cents per hour
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year
A competetant accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95% of all births took place at home.
90% of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION – instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '

Sugar cost 4 cents a pound
Eggs were 14 cents a dozen
Coffee was 15 cents a pound

Most women only washed their hair once a month and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason

Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was 30

Crossword puzzles, canned beer and ice tea had not been invented yet
There was no Mothers or Fathers Day
Two out of every ten adults could not read or write
6% of all Americans had graduated from high school

Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said “heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health”

18% of households had at least one full time servant or domestic help
There were about 230 reported murders in the entire USA


Gives you a little bit to think about, eh?

It strikes again. Insomnia that is.

Like a race car, my mind hugs the curves and glides thru the straight stretches never loosing speed. To close my eyes now admits to defeat; it kills the hope that was clinging to the shreads of what was.
To end the race; to end the day; to end the flow of light. Ends.

Testing A Quiz - Geography

This is a very easy quiz I created for a competition website that I like to go to from time to time... this post is just a test to see if the embedding works. So.. feel free to take the super easy test if you'd like! :)

I have decided - Maui, HI. March 1 - 6, 2009

I have heard that this island is nicer than Kauai, and, aside from the vast quantities of free roaming chickens/roosters, I absolutely fell in love with that island. The hiking was exciting, the beaches were more than wonderful, the food was worth coming back for, but I want something new this time. Depending on flights, it is between Maui and Kona but I would prefer Maui. The big island really isn't calling to me, but I *guess* if I *had* to... hehe
Flights are wide open as of now, so I am going to keep my fingers crossed! Let the planning begin! :)

I have nothing to say

But still, I feel like speaking.
Altho my head hurts, I am attempting to sort through my thoughts, to try and make sense of the madness.
Are there certain rules that are truly unbreakable?
What if the "rule" is really only a social norm?
Who decides if these norms are acceptable or not? And why do people care?
Its like my coworker that didn't realize that he was hungry until he was told that it was 11am, his normal lunchtime. Once the time of day was recognized his stomach magically started growling. Hunger? Or Habit? And if you can train your body to believe certain things are the way things are supposed to be, how difficult would it be to then to retrain the psyche?

Mmm.. A Cupcake Tree to Die For.

Really I just wanted to share this picture of a cupcake tree that was featured at my favorite baby Luna's first birthday party. This is one of those rare occasions where the pastry actually tastes just as good as it looks...
Oh my god..

Ever have a cupcake where the frosting tastes like tiramisu? The one on the middle right tasted just like it.. Unfortunately for me I could only eat half of it!
I will have to find out where Ivonne got these :)