Anniversary Adventuring Part I

Time sure flies!  I can't believe it's been THREE years since we got married.  :)  Our anniversary was end of May but it's been a little busy.  :]

We did some local adventuring since I had a work trip to DC two days after our anniversary, and Memorial Day weekend travel/lodging is so expensive!


Anniversary Adventuring Part I: Pacifica

Pacifica is suuuper close to us but I've (and definitely never Tim) really explored it much.  Not that there is a whole lot to explore... but we got coffee, a hike with a view, and BBQ - what more can you ask for?  :)

First stop - P-Town Coffee!  Recommended by Joe from our small group who lives in Pacifica.  :)  We got a bagel (with way too much cream cheese, but who complains about too much cream cheese) and a coffee for me.  And who doesn't like a train caboose that serves coffee??

 

Pacifica also boasts having a Taco Bell with the best view!  It was indeed a pretty snazzy Taco Bell and I finally got to try a Doritos taco!  We were planning on having better food for lunch, so I only got one.  The nacho cheese didn't taste too unique with the taco.  I will have to try the Cooler Ranch one next time!

 

We hiked Mori Point!  Who knew there was a trail there!  There was a "short route" (if you park by the Moose Lodge), but we took the long route which involved hiking up a very, very steep hill thing.  -_-"

Gorilla BBQ!  Also recommended by Joe --- it was a long line and no seats, so we took it home!  Which was just as well since it started to drizzle/rain.  It was pretty tasty!  The BBQ sauce was a bit too tangy for us, but Tim added some honey and it was magically delicious.

Tim's card for me  :)

This is a terrible picture of the leather Bible he got me!  Since the traditional gift for one's third anniversary is leather.  <3

 

I got him a role playing mat for his table top games (it's got a grid on it and you can draw on it) and a keyboard volume control pedal!  The role playing mat is supposed to be the "leather-like" present.  haha.

 

My cousin sent us a happy anniversary card!  Isn't that cute??  :D  And she even sent a random piece of leather (upper right pic).  HAHAHA.  :)

 

Stay tuned for anniversary adventuring part II!  Or dinner.  On our anniversary.  :)

 

 

A Week in Portland!

I'm so behind on blogging I don't know where to start!  So I'll just jump in the middle, and figure it out from there.  A couple weeks ago I had a week-long conference in Portland, OR and I finished the weekend off with a trip to Bend to see Tim's family (without him!)

Along the river walkway

 

The famous maple bacon donut from Voodoo Doughnut!

 

 

I also got an "Arnold Palmer" doughnut (with the blue Fruit Loop).  :D

 

The famous Powell's City of Books.  It was really big... and there was a map for the whole store!  The column featured above has Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson's signatures!!!  (Fantasy authors: Jordan wrote Tim's favorite series, "Wheel of Time" and Sanderson finished the series for Jordan who passed away.  I also quite enjoy Sanderson's own books.)

 

My brother-in-law lives in Portland and took me on a quick tour of Forest Park!  It's like two steps in and it feels like you've left the city and entered a forest.  I was also told it's the biggest city park ever.  :)

 

My brother-in-law Mike and his girlfriend!  We had dinner at Salvador Molly's.  We alllll got the Jamaica Road Roti which had jerk chicken and roasted sweet potato, with a whole wheat wrap (which tasted just like a tortilla) with potato chickpea curry, with a side of grilled mango chutney.  It was tasty but the roti was reeeeeally spicy.  And we like spicy.  The mango chutney helped alleviate it a bit, but it was still a hot hot meal!

 

Afterwards, we went to Salt & Straw!  They had the most unique flavors!  I got (top right) the Dandelion Sorbet with Spring Flowers!  And there were flowers in it!  Other flavors included olive oil, strawberry with balsamic, honey lemon with ricotta, cinnamon snickerdoodle, AND MORE.  They also let you try as MANY samples as you want.  Which also means the line can be a bit slow.  :)

I frequently the food trucks a lot during lunch at the conference.  This was day two.  Yep... that's a roast beef sandwich stuffed with fries.  The concept was good/interesting/tasty but the fries were too salty so I pulled off most of them before I ate the sandwich.

 

Met up with our friend Nate!  He lives close to Portland now but he wasn't around for most of the week.  I happened to catch him and his mum on the one day they were in town before he got shipped off for work (he travels a lot for work).  Enjoying some tasty Lebanese food at Nicholas Restaurant.

 

Hung out at The Departure with some people from my work's network.  Suuuper swanky and we just missed happy hour so it wassssn't that great of deal.  Let's just say tiny Asian tapas!  But I think if you catch happy hour, you get the same food for like half the price.

Took my co-network folks to Salt & Straw, and this time I got the Almond Brittle.

 

Food truck day... three?  haha.  I forget but this was tasty.  And it was at the point in the week when I wanted more green stuff and less fried.  Except for those delicious pita fries... they were just too delicious.

 

Friday afternoon, my conference was done and I met up with brother-in-law and his girlfriend to head to Bend, OR!  :)

It was a beautiful drive and you get a great view of Mt. Hood!

Meeting our newest nephew!  :)

Breakfast at Jackson's Corner with Tim's family!

 

Our first nephew  :)

 

Most gorgeous sunset in the park behind my in-law's house

 

A nice leisurely hike on the Deschutes River Trail.  It was nice and kinda reminded me of Ithaca!

Mother's day brunch at the Black Bear Diner

Happy four months old!!  And homemade strawberry ice cream he can't eat.  :oP

 

The ride back to Portland (this time not in the dark)

 

 (All photos taken with iPhone)

 

It was my first time in Portland and I had a great time!  Definitely more things I want to do and see if I had more time there.  But it was a good taste.  I got to check off Voodoo Doughnuts and Powell Books off my list.  Didn't get around to Stumptown coffee though!  I also accidently did some nice tax-free shopping!  ;)  It was also nice to see Bend not in the winter since I've only been there three times, I think and every time has been during Christmas/Winter!

 

Have you been to Portland or Bend?  What are your favorite things to do or eat there?  It's not too early to start my next list of things to do/see, right?  :)

                                         

Tommy & Fall

Meet Tommy our toddler pumpkin!

We Tim carved him on Halloween and then we had to dispose of him cause he already had mold on his butt.  :(

But isn't he cute?  He's got only one toof!

Here's some fall foliage... which we will be saying goodbye to soon cause it's been gettin' cold here!

Harvard Yard

Dusk

My camera doesn't do it justice.  It was firey red!

Morning sunshine!

                              

swirly snail: update!

So I believe my swirly snail... whom I've named Andi... is a grove snail!  Also known as a brown lipped snail or a Cepaea nemoralis!  :D

Kinda looks like this yah? (But mine is way prettier.  :oP)

(Source)

There aren't too many good pictures of grove snails out there so I'm very happy about my captures, and the swirly pattern is extra gorgeously solid on the one I found.

I also started researching about snails and slugs.  There are SO many cool ones!  :oP  (Who knew I'd like snails and slugs.  They're so slimy and gross.  I was telling Tim that I probably like snails mostly cause they have a shell so you don't have to touch the goopy wiggly part of them.)


Of course there is also the vast world of sea slugs!  Check out this dragon slug!!  SUPER cool huh?

(Source)

 

Totally looks like something from Pokemon or Power Rangers or something.  :oP  It's called a nudibranch, which includes all kinds of other "soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollucks."

I'm so excited about the Living Social coupon thingie we got for the aquarium!!!  :D  Jelly fish are so fun to look at!!!
                       

swirly snail

What a beauty!  And I almost stepped on it.

 A couple weeks ago, I saw this little snail crawling abouts on my way to work

Doesn't it have the prettest shell you've ever sawed?

A slug with a pretty ornament  :oP

Feeeeeelers!  Or rather, those are its eyes.  :]

There were snails in my backyard when I was little and they were pretty ugly.  Boring, brown shells that crunched easily.  (I don't think I killed any on purpose!  They were usually empty when I found out they crunched easily!)  Who knew they came with such beautiful shells!  Kinda wish I kept it for a pet!  Cause who knows what happened to it after I walked on.  Maybe a dog licked it. 

I just googled about snails and there are SO MANY COOL ONES!  Who knew.  I love New England!  :oP  Now I'm on a mission to identify my snail!  Will report back if successful.

                        

day of labor

Labor Day was a day of fun!  :]  We went on an adventure with our friend from church, Karen.  Our plan was to go to Walden Pond in Concord, MA, once home to Henry David Thoreau.

However, the parking lot to Walden Pond was FULL, so we rolled down the street and checked out the deCordove Sculpture Park & Museum!  (Except the museum part was closed.)

We admired the scuptures and added our own spin to things...

There was no plaque for this sculpture so I named it "The Poops"

Ancient rain doorway

LOL this is one of my favorites - depth perception!

Walden Pond!  We were swimming in it so there aren't too many pictures once we got there.  We grabbed some sandwiches from a cute shop in "downtown" Concord (or rather, it was a "main street") and then brought them to the pond.

Wild life! :] See the froggy?

Mini replica of Thoreau's house

It actually took awhile to conjole me to get into the water.  The water of a pond in nature!!  I finally gave in and got in.  :]  However, my dislike of playing in nature was reaffirmed when I woke up the next morning, accutely aware of the 10 bug bites I'd acquired.  Tim, who usually doesn't get too many bites because his hairy arms and legs alert him to bugsy intentions, got 10 bites too!  After a few days, we were also able to determine a few different species of bugs gnawed at us since they all looked sort of different.  >_<  Now almost a week later, I am still slathering on the hydrocortisone.

Note to self: get some bug spray.

What did you do for Labor Day?  Do you like nature?