translation // red elk – I saw Princess Mononoke // lions – I saw two stuffed lions at the toy store // horses – I’m going to ride them all summer long….

or so I hope!

I am applying to North Fork Ranch for a summer spent wrangling in the Colorado mountains. I AM SO EXCITED. They only take 20 applicants, so it’s a slim chance that I’ll get in, but, if the horse gods want me to have a happy summer, they will bless me with this glorious opportunity to live as a cowgirl instead of sitting in front of a wretched computer all summer :D Just this one summer is all I ask, pretty please? I even drew a picture so that I might stand out better…see, I like horses a lot, I can draw them really well, please please, please let me be a wrangler!!!

Anyway, as for week 4 of Portland, work is swell. I’m finished with the animation I was working on. Nothing exciting happened during the week except meeting for my writing group at Pied Cow. I got some good feedback on my work, made a new girl friend, and can’t wait to go again tomorrow night!

Friday was…well I’m having trouble remembering, so I guess it wasn’t eventful. I think I went in New Seasons Market – an expensive Whole Foodsy type place – where for fun, I pretended to grocery shop without actually buying anything. Aren’t I just full of good, entertaining ideas? It was neat seeing the variety of food though and I’m sure I’ll make it back to buy sauce for making Indian food…mmy.

Saturday was my big day. I planned to head up to this supposedly fantastic breakfast place. I had to take 3 buses and after an hour, I arrived on Alberta St. This is pretty far north of where I live and really it’s only a ten minute drive, but the buses here are just extremely and inconveniently indirect. Sigh. Anyway, the place was crowded and I ordered the Havarti and pear egg pie served with a crumpet, fruit, and cream fraiche. I was disappointed.  I’ve never had a crumpet, so I don’t know how they should taste, but no matter how much honey and jam I slathered on, it just didn’t satisfy. The pie/torte thingy tasted good, but ended up just being a chunk of pear with some kind of gooey dough on top…eh…I should have tried the scotch egg (a hard boiled egg wrapped in bratwurst, lightly breaded and fried golden brown), but o well. Maybe next time!

With plate unclean, I left my sad breakfast and headed to Random Order Coffee house. The iced vanilla latte immediately cheered me up as did finding a nice seat near an outlet. I plugged in and set to work on my application for the ranch and then worked on some stuff for Kiki Magazine. Around 2 I decided I should have pie for lunch because the cafe is known for it’s famous pies. This time I was not disappointed in the least. Dark chocolate pecan pie with a flaky buttered-up crust that crunched and melted in your mouth simultaneously. The combination of deep flavor, rough velvet cream, and rich loveliness made me infinitely happy and able to continuing working for another 3 hours!

Around 5:30, I took the bus home and began to feel incredibly sick. Most likely because I had barely eaten anything but a piece of pie and fruit all day. This resulted in a quick kids size meal at Qdoba as I changed buses downtown. It was cheap and it delivered a taste of home to my dear old taste buds – hallelujah!

Around 8 I met up with my co-worker and went to see Princess Mononoke at the Laurelhurst theater for 3 bucks. The animation was awesome and the character rode a red elk – I want to ride one! After that we headed to happy hour at Pambiche, a small Mexican place nearby. I swear Portland has an endless supply of cute little places with yummy food galore. It blows my mind. Anyway, we split some fried plantains and a dessert. Oh the dessert…here is how it appeared on the menu ::  Alemán ~ Coconut chocolate cake laced with saoco syrup and sandwiched with a caramel peanut filling. Glazed with Oaxacan chocolate ganache and topped off with typical Cuban peanut candy. Served with crema chantilly ~ bah, let’s just say it lived up to its description and I didn’t feel the least bit guilty having two desserts in one day – well technically it was midnight by then so…yea, and I had someone to share it with.

Sunday morning I met a friend to go to Broder. A Scandinavian place with GOOD breakfast food. I ordered Aebleskiver, or Danish pancakes, or cute, mini sized balls of sweet, soft dough that I picked up with my fingers and dipped in lemon, igonberry jam, or maple syrup. Those little buddies filled my tummy withuttery, battered joy and the company was nice too! :)

After that I caught the bus, and then another bus, and rode for an hour to Clackamas Mall where I intended to avoid work. If I went home, that meant I had to work on stuff. But if I aimlessly walked around the mall that meant I was doing something even though in reality it was doing nothing except walking off the calories from the wee lil’ breakfast pancakes. I did exchange my bluetooth, yet again, and hopefully for the last time. This one I tried on in the store and shook my head to make sure it was snug and secure. I also walked across the street to Target to buy my one bottle of make-up (which I am running out of) but the fact that it cost 9 dollars made me leave quickly. NINE dollars for foundation? What the hell Covergirl. Anyway I passed a cute Hello Kitty dressed as lion, that made me smile. I resisted bringing her home – some of that Sanrio stuff is just too over priced. boo.

Toys R Us was next. For fun. I come up with such good ideas don’t I? Browsing grocery stores and toy aisles for pure enjoyment. Haha, I really did enjoy myself though. Just meandering through some junk and treasures. I saw Jurassic Park dinosaurs which made me want to go home and dig mine up and be a child again playing on the wall of my driveway with plastic Velociraptors. Anyway, I’ve been wanting a stuffed animal and, and, and…so I bought one because he was begging me to take him home and he was soft and big and fluffy and huggable and I need hugs out here all alone in Portland.

I carried my lion back to the mall with the intent of riding the bus home and facing freelance work, but, fortunately, I met a new friend and we went to Ram Restaurant & Brewery for dinner. Yes, much better decision. Sundays are meant for relaxation and time away from the computer. Cranberry vodka please (only because it was happy hour!) and a burger with blue cheese, Gorgonzola, Frank’s hot sauce, lettuce and fried onion straws – oh thank you. It felt good to have a real meal and conversation. I felt bad for my burger bun though, he ended up torn and strewn across my plate, undigested so that I could eat the good part of the sandwich.

I had a lot of fun and since we both didn’t feel like ending the night, we went to Pix Patisserie to split a small, though somewhat pricey dessert. The place was really neat and you could tell all of the desserts were legit creations from the heart of France…or something like that. The one we ordered was called Shazam – defined on the menu as – rich and creamy caramel mousse, salted almonds, dense chocolate almond cake, and more caramel…Shazam! And it was Shazamalizzle with opposing light and bittersweet flavor. It was surprisingly satisfying while being the perfect size to share.

Also, at the patisserie, there was girl working there with a lot of tattoos, which I always admire. Lo and behold, she turns around and there staring me in the face is The Last Unicorn. Yes, best movie of my childhood – she’s so pretty! I think maybe this movie is the reason I get obsessed when drawing hair. I like to make it curly and flowy and long – blame the last unicorn – it’s all her fault for having crazy animated flyaways!

All in all, I think I had enough chocolate this weekend to last me a lifetime, or at least the rest of the week. I think I should probably post a picture of myself – I’m really quite a normal size still, I swear on it. Though I do want to start exercising, not to loose weight, but to prepare for this summer because I WILL be working rough hours on the ranch – positive thinking.

If I think it, it will be. That is all.  :D