school works

 This poem is one I had a lot of fun writing. I'm working on a short story based in the 1920s, so I tried to incorporate some slang words from that time to help me out with that project.  

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The Cookie Duster

As a mustache of epic proportions myself,

let me assure you-- It's the berries, the bee's knees,

this stalwart business that is bewhiskerment.

Here I am, a vision of rugged beauty.

With the complexities of follicular disintegration

I have pushed out, struggling shaft by shaft

until the day--The Day,

I became that which is now displayed before you.

You plow forward long enough, hard enough,

you can be apart of something so copacetic

it's unbelievable.

The expansion of the maturity progress of Man;

Evidence of the existence of pure masculinity.

I accentuate this proud mouth,

worn not as an ornate accessory;

instead as a statement of being.

And please, don't feel rude for staring.

the pleasure my onlookers receive

is surely part of my glory.

Looking for a one way ticket

to the good ol bronx cheer?

Just you try calling me a bluenose.

My role as a sexual characteristic

of the secondary degree

certainly does not mean I can't take first.

And I don't stop at first.

No dame dare says the bank's closed,

not when in the presence of my gallant brute;

of my bushy tufts, my overwhelming brawn.

The might of this magnificent mustache

will hit on the sixes each and every time.

I am irresistible; a stache of epic proportions.

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My next photography assignment is of three final images and a contact sheet of 250 shots revolving around the concept of "hair" which I drew out of a hat.  I'm brainstorming like crazy and have come up with a few things I'm excited to try out. I think it will be a lot of fun. If anyone has any genius ideas, feel free to pass them on.

gimme those pumpkin cookies already

What an interesting fall this has been. The seasons seem to be all sorts of confused this year. It is only just starting to have an ever so slight feeling of autumn, despite leaves having been littered through out the city for weeks now. The prolonged sun has been welcomed, but I'm ready to break out my scarves and mittens. Reading a good book under the weight of a quilt-by-mom with a mug of hot tea on a rainy day is quite possibly one of my favorite things. So come on, rain. Help a girl out with the rest of the equation already!

This term has been incredibly challenging and a whole lot of fun. I'm taking a very light load, only two classes, but have never put so much work into my assignments. I'm in an advanced workshop poetry class, which is very outside of my comfort zone as far as writing goes. I've taken a film class from the same professor and really enjoy his approach to teaching. I was quite apprehensive about the class, as I haven't written a "poem" since I was 15 or so. So far it's been lovely. The best part; I've been surprisingly happy with my pieces I've turned in. Receiving feedback from my peers, especially those really in the know of poetry, has been a great experience. Perhaps I'll post some of them later on. I'm looking forward to getting involved with other workshops different writing groups hold around town.

I'm also taking a digital photography class. Although I've been shooting in digital for a few years now, I still feel much more comfortable working with film as far as printing and editing goes. It's been fun to learn a bit of photoshop and become reacquainted with the basics and fundamentals of photography. Last week my assignment was on recreating daguerreotypes. Having a classically handsome gent like Ben, who also has a fantasticly charming 3-piece suit, I had him sit for me. This is the (almost) end result.  

 

And just for giggles: 

I've also been playing a lot with long exposures. As much fun as photoshop can be for manipulation, there's something really exciting about making a crazy image with only a camera and careful lighting. My favorites of this series are at school, but I still find this one to be eerily fun. 

 

Halloween is quickly approaching, and I'm frantically trying to narrow down all of my costume ideas. So far I think The Log Lady from Twin Peaks is winning. Think I can pull it off?

W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N baby DC!

Last month I joined Ben on a family trip to Washington DC. 

The Glenn Beck Rally was in bold and at the tippy top of the itinerary, which I won't lie, I was a bit apprehensive about. Although I did start a ridiculous "Things I Learned From People in Glenn Beck Shirts" list which was, in full disclosure, slightly snarky and facetious in nature, but I was otherwise well-behaved. I am also pleased to announce that besides one slipped comment about Palin's tendency to use words of the not real variety, I blended in with the conservative crew pretty well, or at least appeared to be more like an aching thumb than a sore thumb. 

Instead of attending the rally, I took the opportunity to visit two of my oldest friends, Heather and Eagan, who have been living in the DC area for the last few years now. 

They took me to breakfast at The Founding Farmers, which was magnificent. It's always great to be able to catch up with these two. They are witty and charming and I am honored to call them my friends. They recently celebrated their ten year anniversary, which is impressive to say the least. There's is a relationship all couples should strive for. We later met up with Ben and because we're gluttonous fools, went up for a dog at the famous Ben's Chili Bowl. It wasn't just a stop for their famous half-smokes, but also to visit a historic landmark. During the riots of 1968 after Dr. MLK Jr's assassination, Ben's was a place of refuge for activists, local citizens, policeman, firefighters and others trying to return peace to the neighborhood. It was one of the few places left standing in decent shape after all the chaos and violence from the riots. I was glad to have a reminder of what Martin Luther King Jr should be remembered for among all of the uproar with Beck choosing the same date as King's I Have a Dream speech. The tasty chili dog and milkshake weren't too bad either.

Ben's brother just returned from serving a mission in Germany. It was lovely to meet him and even more enjoyable to be able to watch the four Craghead brothers interact. I'm pretty sure they communicate on a different wave length. I'm happy he was able to spend some quality time with his family and I the chance to get to know them all a little better. Entering a family vacation with a family that is not yours can make for an unsettling adventure, but luckily the Craghead Crew were welcoming and kind, not treating me as an outsider in the least. Another thing the Cragheads are really good at is making adorable little rug rats. It was fun to play with Ben's niece and nephews, although it did make me miss Liam, Elsie and Molly in a dreadful way.

We were sight seeing machines!

Tatum, Me (apparently as Boy George), & Pacen

View from the top of the Washington Monument

Ben, Reuben, Whitman 

Cather & Tatum

Ben, Will & Reuben 

The 5 kids in tow were champs!

the heat... it does things to my brain (& hair).

Jarom, Evan & Ben

Learning about wheat at Mt Vernon

a group of regular ol dandies.

Ben & Mom Carol

Junk mail in Colonial Williamsburg?! fail!

traffic cone & coke at mt vernon?! double fail! 

Other findings:

Will & Reuben flew out of Baltimore, so we took a day trip back to Ben's seasonal stomping ground from last year. After a groundhog day's experience of being denied a crab cake with Faidley's being closed, we stopped for lunch at the sensory overload diner, Paper Moon. I love this place. I wrote plenty about it in January, but it made for a nice consolation prize to missing out on the pure joy that is a faidley crab cake. 

paper moon decor

It was a quick trip, but a memorable one. I'm already looking forward to my next DC visit to see Brady & Dani... which will hopefully be sooner than later.

i am lucy moran

Voodoo donuts is a Portland donut shop known for it's wild and crazy donuts. Maple Bacon Bar: Check. Chocolate with Cocoa Puffs: Check. Crushed Butterfinger: Check. Strawberry Marshmallow: Check. If you can imagine it, or even if you didn't think you could, they've probably put it in or on a donut. They even had a cough syrup filled donut years ago before the FDA put a stop to that one. With two locations, one conveniently across the street from my work, the other on the east side of the river which can somehow be made "on the way home" no matter where I'm coming from, both open 24 hours, it's my go-to place for fried cakes. I had a hankerin for a donut Wednesday night, so if course Ben & I stopped by. Just as we had narrowed our choices down, which is always a challenge, the lady working mentioned that because it had been slower she had a variety of $5 boxes. As our specialty donuts would have been $2.50 a pop, and I'm a sucker for frugality AND mass amounts of food, we took it. 

(don't be fooled: this box is THREE donuts deep)

Ben & I have been watching David Lynch's 1990 television series, Twin Peaks the past few weeks, so naturally I took advantage of our obscene amount of donuts to be like Lucy Moran and set up a donut feast that would have made Agent Cooper and Sheriff Truman proud.

They were delicious. 

What do you do with leftover donuts? 

Fry up some bacon and eat em for breakfast.

And even more leftover donuts?....  i might just have to make my first bread pudding. With donuts, of course. Stay tuned for the artery clogging, heart stopping goodness.

**UPDATE**

operation voodoo puddin: success!
recipe to follow

livin the dream thirty floors up

It's hard to believe that four years ago tomorrow I will have been at the Grill for 4 years. Such anniversaries aren't typically cataloged in this brain of mine, but starting work in the tallest building in Portland on 9/11 had a way of sticking out.  It's been an eventful 4 years to say the least and my relationship with the joint has been one of the love and hate variety. Working with the general public, especially in the food industry, can be daunting and tiresome, but all in all I feel really lucky to be employed by such a prestigious restaurant. This is my 9th year (10 if you count an old folks home) working in the food industry. I've spent plenty of time moping about it and even gave a desk job a go last December. Despite the hardships that come along with serving tables, you really can't beat the pay, and I couldn't ask for a more perfect schedule to coincide with my work as a massage therapist and school. It's certainly helpful that I've adored every coworker I've had there. The fast pace can be exciting and even though I've bordered on being burnt out in the industry, I'll admit there are still plenty of nights I have fun doing my job.

I read a quote from an actor not too long ago about a project he was given grief for working on, his response was "It's not what I do, but I take pride in doing it." This had quite the impact on me. I've "been over" waiting tables for quite sometime, but needed a kick in the pants to help me see how lucky I really am.  

Portland City Grill is an upscale, Asian influenced seafood and steak house. With a gorgeous view from the 30th floor of the US Bank Tower, (known as "Big Pink" due to it being a large, not to mention slightly hideous, pink building) it's a destination location for locals and tourists alike.  Although we get our fair share of the famous folk, which can be exciting, I get the most enjoyment out of knowing I can help create memorable experiences, such as the couple last week who were celebrating their 25 wedding anniversary and the wife beating cancer after a 5 year battle. I'm not doing the work of a saint or changing the world, but I can suggest the best of the best desserts, find a perfect wine pairing for your meal, and crumb your table like a ninja!

Considering some of the other restaurants I've worked in (microwaved pasta and bread sticks, anyone? *gag*) I have just about made it to the promised land of the culinary world. It's refreshing to work with actual chefs (whose creations I happily get to sample and expertise I constantly call for in my own culinary adventures) and the sushi menu alone is enough to keep me motivated to stay on the payroll (read: employee discount!). I don't know if I can say in all honesty that I'm ready to commit to another 4 years, but I can say I'm proud to be among the staff and even though waiting tables isn't who I am, I am pleased to say I take pride in my work.

my awesome uniform
(minus my white jacket equipped with shoulder pads... because no one needs to see me, or anyone else for that matter, in shoulder pads.)

yum

views from the office: (stolen from online)

it's been a project makin, food eatin, good times having summer

I can't believe summer is on it's way out. We had such a very late start weather-wise this year it really seems as if it just arrived.  Yesterday morning was a dark and slightly dreary day, but instead of being depressing it was like being embrace by a big comfy gray wool blanket. Cloudy days are so comforting and familiar to me. As sad as it will be to see the summer come to a close, I am eagerly awaiting fall. The day I get to take all of my scarves, sweaters and mittens out of their summer hibernation is always a favorite. 

I've been trying to make the most out of what is left of the summer by working as much as I can and playing even more all before school starts up next month. I had high hopes for my productivity this summer, and as I assess my time spent, I feel pretty good with what I've been able to accomplish. The biggest let down of the summer, not to be a negative nancy, was finding out the Portland pie-off will not take place this year. My pie baking has not been in vain, for I feel like I have a legitimate skill with my pie baking and have had enjoyed stuffing both mine and other's bellies with pie. It turns out the heat of the summer months does not provide the best environment for pie baking. Caitlyn, my comrade, & I are trying to come up with a pie extravaganza we can have in it's place. Until then, I will keep "baking a ribbon winning pie" on my to-do list.

The lack of the pie-off has provided me with more time to work on other projects. Most of my projects have been recycle oriented. Not due so much to my desire to "be green"  as much as it has been to use things I already have (read: save money). Skirts have emerged from old shirts that would have otherwise wound up at goodwill, experimenting with image transfers on old pieces of wood and plastic, puppets out of old hangers and fabric scraps, and even a robot costume out of cardboard and left over curtain fabric. It's so much more exciting to have to think outside the box and forces even more creativity when you only use materials at hand. 

 

 My first image transfer using caulking. It's a tricky process, but the more I experiment with caulking the more I like it as an image transfer medium. I'm going to try and do some double images over this one and add some translucent print around the sides. I'm excited to get a completed project that I'm happy with. Learning a new process for transfers has been a lot of fun.  

 

Two of my modified light plates.

This is a project Ben and I worked on together. We bought this hideous canvas at the goodwill bins for $6, a huge brag bag of half empty bottles of bright paints for $5 and went to town. 

 

For the newspaper collage background I made a flour paste for the first coat and mixed it with paint for the second coat to give it color but keep it translucent.  The moon and mouth were painted by Ben (he let my not so steady hand help a little) and are from my favorite album cover art of all time, David Bowie's Images. It was great fun to collaborate on a project together and having a huge piece of art to hang for less than lunch would have cost us both is pretty exciting. 

This little guy has a special place in my heart. 

 

He's my first paper mache sculpture and has been a work in progress for quite sometime. Getting the textured detail has been difficult, especially for his little tail feathers. I need to find a way to help anchor heavy pieces on to his body, as besides the fluff I've stuffed him with, he's very thin and hollow. He has taken such a long time to complete because each little addition has to dry completely before I can continue to work around it. I had plans to make him a part of a bigger sculpture piece; a branch with several owls on it, but who knows what will happen or when I'll finish him. I sure like him though. 

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Last week was one of  the events I will always remember summer of 2010 for. While waiting to meet up with Ben for lunch at one of our favorite food carts (the meeting at the cart is pointless to the story, except to mention how amazing it is. it's the Flavor Spot- they have waffles filled with deliciousness.... maple, turkey, havari, oh my! and a must try for anyone who comes to Portland.) I was leafing through one of the weekly papers when I spotted an ad for... brace yourselves... a robot beauty pageant. If ever there was a beauty pageant tailored for me, it was this one. Forget swimsuits and high heels; competing with others in robot costumes? Yes please! First prize is awarded $500? Even better. With two days to prepare, I was pretty certain I could pull something fantastic out. I'm lucky enough to have a guy like Ben who is adventurous and creative  (and patient.... oh how I'm certain I tested his patience on this project. Despite my scatterbrained approach, he kept making silly ideas possible! ) and immediately jumped on board. In a whirlwind of cardboard, duct tape and spray paint, we came up with Rock-bot. 

Even though hanging out with other people in robot costumes is already pretty awesome, taking third was incredibly exciting. In fact, I don't know if I've ever been so proud of taking part in something.  With the only materials paid for being one can of spray paint and a roll of duct tape, it was a pretty cheap costume. Upon arriving at the contest, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to place. There was a guy with a jet pack for crying out loud. A JET.PACK. That my friends, is what one calls awesome. Most of these people had spent months on their costumes, I had spent less than 48 hours.  You can imagine my surprise when Rock-bot was called for third place. (I literally skipped across stage.)

To give one an idea of what I was up against, here are the first and second place winners:

Pretty intense, and pretty stinkin rad. I was completely honored to be in the top three with these guys, not to mention the only girl to place! It was an extra thrill to beat out the scantily clad, dare I say slightly classless, lady bots. I take a certain amount of pride to be in the running with the big boys without having to show off any lady parts (okay, with exception of my record robo-boobies).

I now have tasted the sweet sweet flavor robot victory (with the $150 prize to boot), and I have every intention of being the Robot of the Year in 2011... and this time I'll get started months in advance. This was just another reminder of why I absolutely adore Portland. There always seems to be some sort of crazy event or another taking place encouraging people to let their freak flags fly. Strangers gathering in outrageous costumes is not only uncommon but highly encouraged. It's never felt so good to have a freak flag to fly.

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The best part of summer (well, of any season, really) is of course, the food. I have certainly had my fair share of such. As I don't do well in the heat, and cooking indoors isn't so helpful with keeping the house cool, grilling has been a particular favorite. The tastiest accident so far was the grilled cherries Ben conjured up. Coat them in a little olive oil, honey and cinnamon, kabob those suckers pits and all and ta-da!  The tastiest little juicy buggars you'll ever put in your mouth.

I sadly lost a whole camera card full of (mostly food) photos when I accidentally deleted them during an upload. I realize I take entirely too many photos of food though, so it was probably for the best. The one I wish I still had to drool over was of my favorite dessert I made this summer. It was a blueberry pie with ginger, black pepper and orange zest ice cream. It may have been my best pie yet, and the ice cream was unbelievable. It will definitely be a reoccurring sidekick of many pies to come. I changed it up a bit, but used this recipe as a spring board if you'd like to give it a try, which I highly recommend. Nothing beats homemade ice cream.... 

except maybe Ben & Jerry's Boston Cream Pie

If you have not tried this, go, nay-- run, to your local grocer and devour some today. The only regret you will feel is not having tried it sooner. Heavenly. 

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Another of my favorite memories from this summer was nothing out of the ordinary or crazy exciting. Ben and I went to one of my favorite places, an Oyster Bar in the NE part of town. We hung out for hours enjoying the sun and munching on fried pickles, oysters and po-boy catfish sandwiches to die for. 

A

I don't necessarily believe in luck, but I'm a pretty lucky gal to have such an amazing partner in crime whose companionship I can enjoy endlessly. Eating and good conversation just go better together. Being able to spend hours over bowls of popcorn and never cease to be entertained by one another is quite a feat.  It's fun to watch as Ben's inner foodie emerges more and more... cooking together has become one of our favorite past times, second only to perhaps eating. We both get a rise out of making something divinely good out of dirt cheap groceries or fixing up something boring like beef stroganoff into something amazing like a creamed gorgonzola beef pasta that belongs in the pages of Gourmet Magazine.  It doesn't get much better than sharing good food with someone you love. It makes me think of the quote "it's better to eat soup with someone you love than steak with someone you hate".  That I occasionally get to also eat steak with someone I love just makes me feel plain spoiled. 

But I like it.