A headwind on the way to your destination means a tailwind on your back home, which can be an encouraging thought until you realize that the same principle favors turning around before you even get there.

Nic made cherry pie, cherry vodka, and brandied cherries out of these, off our tree.

Lobelia.

Lantana.

A year from today I'm getting married to my best friend, who also happens to be a brilliant hottie who makes a killer apple pie.

Happy negative first anniversary baby. :)


photo by drjeff

Yikes, I think Michael Jackson put LJ into a coma.

From a co-worker:


The "blue" and "green" spirals are the same color.

Here's proof.

What should my platform be?

Tim: I like the term "entertaining an idea." Makes me think of inviting it into the parlor and serving it some refreshments. Maybe doing some tricks.

Nic: Like "Hey, Socialism - balloon animals!"

I haven't mentioned this here yet, but Nicole and I set a date: 6/26/2010. So, wOOt!

This puts us in the interesting circumstance of having our negative first anniversary in a few weeks. We're trying to figure out how to celebrate the day.

Weekend before last, Nic and I spent Saturday visiting the Erath and Sokol Blosser wineries with friends, and Sunday visiting the Willamette Valley Vineyard in Salem and celebrating my mother's and youngest sister's birthdays.


( Clicky! )

Today's ride: 31.75 miles, 122 minutes.


The mountain was out. Crazy allergy attack midway through, eyes completely bloodshot and face all red when I got home. Hardly anyone out on the trail.

Today's ride: 28.45 miles, 109 minutes.

... in 7 easy steps:

• Go to my new favorite steak restaurant in town, Laurelhurst Market. Take three friends.


• Order a whiskey cocktail with amaretto and lavender ("The Setter").
  
  
  • Other options include: The Smith, a complex cocktail that tastes a bit like a creamsicle; the Dizzy Sour, a rye whiskey drink; a gin and tonic with house-made tonic (upgrade your gin if you go with this option).


• Split the Scotch egg and steak bites appetizers, and mop up the pepper sauce from the steak bites with a yeast roll.
  
  
  • NOTE: To save about 200 calories, simply lick the plate instead.


• Eat half of a porterhouse. You will not need to work off any calories chewing it, because it will dissolve in your mouth. Sample your dining companions' prime rib, hanger steak, or what-have-they.


• Order and share several side dishes, such as the grilled asparagus with the creamiest Bearnaise sauce you've ever tasted, the bacon sauteed collard greens, the surprisingly light steamed buttered turnips, or the hand-cut french fries.


• If one of your party suggests splitting a bottle of Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir, gracefully assent.


• Order a different dessert for each member of your party and share them all. If you are fortunate, the selections may include strawberry shortcake, chocolate mousse cake, lavender creme brulee, or rhubarb tart. Several may be accompanied by handmade ice creams.


• EXTRA BONUS: your friends reach for the bill.

Later: how to work off 2200 calories (hint: 2-hour bike ride).

That moment you move at exactly the same speed and direction as the wind --
When your vector aligns with its --
The sudden disappearance of sound is alarming
(The sound of wind is created by a body’s resistance to the movement of air;
Wind itself is silent).

You might notice right away,
Might depend on how you think about things you know, or expect to be there,
Even if what you expect is simply the steady susurrus of the air answering your efforts against it.

You might know why right away;
Why of a sudden you hear everything else,
Alive and crisp and announcing itself like it's the first time it ever has:
The grass bending, your breath, a bird.

You might not. You might simply feel strangely ...
In sync,
In touch,
Centered, and clear,
With the world, for some reason, revolving around you.

But that moment, regardless of your awareness or thought,
Something inside, the instinct that tells different from known,
Panics for just a split-second and makes a decision,
Between
-- how fast can I get myself out of this moment?
And
-- how long can I keep myself in it?

A nearly-90 sunny day today and I played hooky to enjoy it with Nic. We made plans to grill up some chicken for dinner.

We were duped. On cue at 5, dropped about 20 degrees got windy. Had some errands to complete but remained optimistic.

Whatever. My favorite thing about Spring outdoor cooking in Oregon? The hiss of the raindrops as they hit the grill cover.

Granted it was after a couple glasses of wine, but while discussing the merits of creme brulee and in particular the caramelized topping, Nic explained:

"I like it because it's like putting broken glass in your mouth, but it melts."

They're repairing the Weather Machine sculpture in the Square a block away from my office. This thing, when it works, heralds noon every day with a fanfare of trumpets and the raising of one of a few different little sculptures depending on what the forecast will be. It's been kaput for a while.

Over the years I've developed a Pavlovian response to the trumpet fanfare because it reminds me that it's lunchtime.

It's gone off about 6 times this morning, while they're working on it.

I am now desperately famished.

Heh. I was banned from dp_snark for calling one of the mods out on breaking the rule against ad hominem attacks. Looks like my comment has been deleted from his post.

What's especially ironic is that I've called out other folks in there for doing the same thing. In several cases, targeting him.

===

ETA (about 12 hours later): no longer banned, and the linked post is gone.

This ad is listed in the "preferred vendors" section of an information packet Nic got from one of the reception venues we're considering. I checked out the guy's site, and there are some pretty cool pics, but what a bizarre choice for an ad for wedding photography.