I have a travel journal I take with me on trips and I usually do a pretty good job of writing in it every day, but this trip I have written nothing. Which is a shame, because I don’t know how I’m going to remember everything. Our trip really has centered around food. We had breakfast on our first full day here at Byways, a great little diner in the Pearl district. I’ve never seen so many blueberries inside a pancake in all my life. After that, Chris and I just wandered around downtown. We went into Powell’s Bookstore and spent nearly two hours just roaming amongst all the books. It was the most awesome bookstore that even sold Obama swag (I love this town!). I found an Anthropologie store. I had only ever seen this place online and to actually go in a store and touch all the beautiful clothes, brought tears to my eyes. As God is my witness, I will have clothes from Anthropologie one day!

Day two of vacation I went to a vinyasa class at Yoga Bhoga. It was a really great class. The studio was small and intimate. The class was exactly what I needed, challenging enough to make me sweat a little, but slow enough to have time to just be in the poses. But I will say that four minutes holding warrior I makes for some pretty sore arms the next day. After yoga, we picked up Amy and Brian from the airport and headed back downtown to peruse more shops, mostly vintage clothing shops. They have the best used clothing stores here. I haven’t bought anything yet, but I have my eyes peeled for something really great. That night, we ate dinner at a place recommended by one of our friends called Paradox. Nothing, I repeat nothing, on the menu contained any meat products… at all. I think we spent fifteen minutes trying to choose something to eat because we have never been anywhere where we had so much to choose from vegetarian wise. The food was outstanding!

Yesterday was road tripping day. We drove out to Newport to visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium and eat a picnic lunch near the beach. We spent forever walking along the beach picking up shells, rocks, and bits of wood. I found a starfish, but he was still kind of moving around, so I scooted him closer to the water and left him behind. It didn’t take me long to fill my hands with sea swag, really wishing I had taken a bucket. I got to a point were I would point at things sticking out of the sand and make Chris pick it up and carry it. I could have spent all day there. We then headed down the coastal highway towards the Sea Lion caves and we actually saw sea lions swimming around in the water. The drive down that highway is breathtakingly beautiful. We couldn’t get over it! The Pacific Ocean was right there! After the sea lion caves we headed east to Eugene so we could eat dinner at the Pizza Research Institute for the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life. I’m not making that up. Chris and I ordered the Chef’s special (changes daily). The pizza had squash, broccoli, corn (on the cob), apricots, curried cauliflower, spinach, black olives, mushrooms, onions… I think that’s it. I know you’re thinking “apricots on a pizza, yuck”, but oh no… very yum. After stuffing our faces on impossible pizza combination, we headed back to our hotel room in Portland concluding the longest day and sleeping like babies.

What’s in store for today I wonder?

I had a whole entry in my head from teacher training weekend, but I just ran out of time. Maybe later I’ll post something on the 8 Limbs of Yoga, but now…. now…. I’m on vacation! Right this minute, I am typing this in our hotel room in Portland, OR (I’ve been up since 5:00 am their time). And I’m already just a little bit in love.

Our flight left OKC at 6:30 yesterday morning. We thought it was a non-stop flight, at least that’s what our tickets said. But really they meant non-changing-planes flight. We stopped in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Boise Idaho before our final stop in Portland. That’s a long trip consisting on a Luna bar and peanuts. By the time we made it to Portland we were so hungry we could eat at Arby’s. When this happens, Chris and I usually do something stupid like eat at some place familiar. We lucked out this time and went to a Burgerville right across from our hotel.

Burgerville is Oregon’s fast food burger joint. they use all sustainable stuff and local farmers. I got the veggie burger which turned out to be one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had. And you had a choice between regular fries or…. are you ready for this? … sweet potato fries. Who does that?!?! No fast food place were I live does this.

After Burgerville, we hunted down a Trader Joe’s to buy some provisions. Then we perused the REI store and found the yoga studio I researches online. That’s it. We were pooped. I think I went to bed at 7:00 PM local time and Chris followed soon after. Not sure what we plan to do yet today, but I don’t care. I’m on vacation!

So, I had a minor melt down over the weekend that involved my very own personal flaming tantrum of death. I don’t think that even I had realized how much I had been holding in until it all came out in a screaming blubbering snot flying fit. Oh yeah… I was screaming. I don’t scream and really for the most part, I don’t cry. Combining the two was a very rare event. Could have sold tickets; it was that shocking.

What was this tantrum about you ask? The fit was about how much I hated living in Mrs. Swan’s home. Which now that I look back at the tantrum, it seems a tad bit silly. But only a tad bit. Chris didn’t realize I was so miserable and probably would never have known if I hadn’t had the mother-of-all melt downs. After he got me calmed down and the snot mopped up, he told me that when we returned from Oregon, we would sit down put together a real budget. We will start “operation prepare to move”.

And you know what? I’ve never felt better. Things have been great even with Mrs. Swan (who wasn’t present for the show, but I’m starting wonder if she heard the tail end of it). The next morning she asked me to go washer and dryer shopping with her. She bought a new washer and dryer! A really good set and hopefully they’ll be delivered today. She actually ate dinner with us last night instead of turning her nose up at what ever I had made. She talks to me a little bit more, like actual conversation talking. And… and… I bought a new pair of jeans that fit and they’re a size 10! I’ve never been a size 10. The tag in my HS senior prom dress says 12. I have to admit that putting those jeans on and buttoning them with out sucking in, brought tears to my eyes.

So… things could be worse right? I have roof over my head and Chris and Hooper. And I told Chris this. I’m happy and in a good place right now, but that doesn’t mean I want to stay. It means I’ve found a way to live with where we are now. Later is a whole other story.

I completely understand that there are squirrels in the backyard and that these squirrels are of the asshole variety that perch just out of reach on the fence while shaking their tails at you. They need to be barked at. I get that. I also realize that you take your job as backyard security dog very seriously. I know you feel that the fence perimeter must be patrolled many times a day. I mean, you never know right? Something may be trying to get in. A small hole may appear for you to squeeze through. You just don’t know.

Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate all the work you do. I really do. I love that you bark at the strangers that walk by the house. And even though it’s a little cliche, I even love that you bark at the mailman. I just have one request. Do you think you could manage to take a few days off for rain days? Do you really need to do all that stuff while it’s pouring buckets outside? Last I checked you have a really nice dog house with a view of the entire backyard. I am not completely fooled you know. I know that in between all the barking, there’s plenty of lounging. You should think of rainy days as vacation days. Just think, a whole day of laying around in a warm dry house. Paradise.

I would also appreciate it on those rainy days that you insist on staying out in the weather, that you would refrain from using the couch for your personal towel. I just don’t think it’s necessary to fling past me snubbing the clean towel I’m holding for the couch. Yes… I know the couch is ugly, but trust me. Rubbing your wet dog funk all over it does not improve it.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Love ,
Your Human

My brain is so full, I think it’s going to explode. September is turning out to be a crazy month. I have two baby showers to attend this week as well as one to plan. Yoga teacher training is coming up in a couple of weeks with yet another presentation due (haven’t even started). September is our vacation month and we are headed to Oregon in two and a half weeks. I’m excited and nervous about Oregon, but mostly just glad to be going on vacation.

Plus, Chris and I have been brain storming on a project all weekend. It’s something we’re not ready to talk about yet because it’s still in the development stages. We are really going to get busy on the project when we get back from vacation, but all the ideas and excitement over the project have my head all a jumble. I really can’t wait to get started and moving ahead on it.

We’ve also been a little more social then usual. Saturday night we went to our friend Zelda’s house for food and booze. Zelda is an old pal from our under-grad days and even though we live in the same city, we only see each other about once every five years or so (or when Jupiter aligns with Mars). But we are doing much better. We’ve managed to see her at least three times this year alone with plans for more fantastic get togethers. Saturday evening reminded me of the Friday’s at Stonewall’s days. We all sat around drinking and talking about everything from politics to being vegetarian. I sat there listening to stories that made me laugh so I hard, cider and salsa almost came out my nose. We didn’t even get home until almost three in the morning. That’s pretty late for me (we all know my bed time is 9:30, though lately closer to 10:00…yeah, I’m old).

I haven’t really talked much about what happened after the cleansing diet I did in July or what I learned about myself and food from the diet. I guess since the detox I’ve become sort of a closet vegetarian. I only eat meat if I know where it comes from, meaning organic and humane meat. But usually its just easier to tell people that I’m a vegetarian.

When I told mom that I only eat meat if I know where it comes from, she replied “Well…I bought the chicken from Pilgrim’s Pride”. And when Mrs. Swan made fried rice the other day, Chris said “Oh…it has chicken in it. Cindy doesn’t eat chicken”. His mom then said “Oh. I thought you said she didn’t eat meat”. Apparently chicken is a vegetable. I ate the fried rice. I don’t want to be rude or snobby about it. But I don’t feel good physically when I eat meat. I feel bloated and sluggish and just plain ugh.

So…this is one of the things I learned from the diet. Meat makes me sluggish. The second thing I learned was that gluten is the cause of my flaky lips. The entire time I was on the diet, no matter how hard I tried, I could not peel my lips off. Oh.. and I tried. Now, I can tell when I’ve had more gluten then usual. Those are the days I easily peel off my lip before applying a thick coating of lip balm. Even though I know gluten is bad for me, I haven’t given it up. Gluten is every where! I just pay more attention to it these days and try to introduce more gluten free option into the meal plans. I also can’t give up seafood. It brings me pleasure to eat a slab of raw tuna on bed of sushi rice. It’s not something I get very often, so I’m not depriving myself.

The new changes have been good. I’ve lost a little weight. I feel better physically. I’m learning to be a more creative cook and getting close to being able to write my own “OKC Vegetarian Restaurant Guide”. This weekend, I might even try making my own paneer…from scratch!