Soloist

Do you ever just go out to dinner by yourself? It's weird—even a little scary, but I recommend it. I ducked into this little French joint on Hawthorne and drank one glass of wine, ate one green salad followed by one savory crepe—all while turning the final pages of a book I've been reading. Eating's a good way to connect us with other peeps, but it's also nice when done alone, pondering and enjoying all the tangs, whiffs, and deep richnesses.

Graveyard at the Wonder Ballroom

I got all high stakes last week and gambled a couple important aprés work hours—which I usually spend doing crucial stuff like sweat-pantin' out on the couch watching back-to-back Nashville episodes (what, a girl can't like country!?)—and went to see Graveyard play at the Wonder Ballroom. There was waiting in lines and pushing through crowds and much getting breathed on, but I was rewarded with some transcendent rock stuff. No earplugs. No nothing. I just let it wash over me in its natural, blistering state.

Now, I was disappointed that they didn't play the below jam—but you can't always get what you want. But it's a good one let er rip!

Why I Love Oregon—The Short List

February 14—it's an important holiday! No ... I'm not talking about THAT holiday. I'm talking 'bout Oregon's birthday! On this day in 1859 our fair state became a, well, a state. Although I don't have much to say about the historical significance of this, I do know how I feel about Oregon after these past nine (crikey!) years living here. I love you, Oregon.

1. Because of the green. Never a dead season here. Always something growing, something sprouting, something shooting up all hopeful toward the sun.

2. Because of the food. I have the stomach of a fucking hippy and Oregon allows me to oblige that.

3. Because of the homeys. Many, many good peoples here to be inspired by and to love and to laugh at and to throw chills with.

4. Because of my house. It's mine. I mean on paper, it's Wells Fargo's. But it's mine. A safe place.

5. Because of the skateboarding. For better or worse, it's shaped my way of life since I moved here. Create. Do things your own way. Want and need only the simple things. It's all related somehow.

Favorites, Feb. 12

Plain Whole Milk Yogurt, European Style: I could and often do just spoon it straight out of the container. It's creamy and so rich that you don't need no honey or agave syrup or stevia extract or whatever the kids are using to make things sweet these days. It fills your belly with life-affirming joy.

Podcasts: As it turns out, I need to be read a story at bed time just like a little baby. It's because I have so many worries, hopes, and fears rippling through my brain on a moment to moment basis that falling asleep is actually pretty difficult. Watching TV just keeps the li'l brain machine spinning, as does reading, although not quite as much. But with podcasts, especially Stuff You Should Know, Fresh Air, and Science Friday, I can just lie there and let the tales take me off into sleepsville. And sometimes I learn something.

Sleep Walk With Me: Have you seen this? "A burgeoning stand-up comedian struggles with the stress of a stalled career, a stale relationship, and the wild spurts of severe sleepwalking he is desperate to ignore," says IMDB. True story. Funny, but dark, with all sorts of true-to-life awkwardness. Good stuff!

This Song: It soars and stuff.

Alone In The Wilderness

"It is good to be solitary, for solitude is difficult; that something is difficult must be one more reason for us to do it."—Ranier Maria Rilke

Days off go by too quickly if you let them. Sleep in, fritter around in sweat-pants-ville, and by the time you're done walking the dog it's time for happy hour, now isn't it? But this week I didn't want to do that. I wanted to do something different.

I suspect that some of you who drive up to Mt. Hood frequently won't think it's any big deal, but for me, this trip was a mission. An hour and a half by car to the Trillium Lake Loop. A mission! Anyway, it's hard to know how long a "loop" is going to take—especially when everyone else you meet out there is cross-country skiing. No swishing regally through the forest for me, and no coasting all shaky-legged down the hills …  just a steady plodding through the snow on my two feet. It took a while—several hours. And it was very quiet, especially at the mid point where the trees cleared out and you could sit right there on the rim of the lake—just a big, frozen meadow, really—contemplating the mountain.

I brought a lunch of bread and cheese and crunched on it while Lefty did donuts of wild joy around me. He's an animal, after all—at his happiest in the wilderness with the feel of his paws ripping the snow. Indeed, he was so happy that he made me happy—and that, right there, is why you wanna have pets in your life.