I know it sounds crazy... Nathan rocks Portland Pt. Two

Well I guess I'm going to do this without pictures for now. Nathan is still working on figuring out exactly how a computer works and he hasn't sent me the 9 billion pictures he took over the week he was here. Since it is Friday night and I'm not going anywhere, I need something to do before I most likely go to sleep at 9 out of sheer boredom.

ANYWAY.

Where did I leave off? Friday morning! Getting up early wasn't the easiest process since Nathan and I over did it a bit the night prior. We slowly get ready and jump in the 'Bu and head towards the coast! I took Nathan to Cannon Beach, this being my 3rd trip to that spot. It's not only the easiest to get to, but it's also really pretty and has that silly rock that you see at the end of Goonies. The drive out there is beautiful and it's just a short hour and a half drive.

The coast was cold, the tide was pretty high and a bunch of dead things were getting dragged up on the beach. Sounds great! Actually it was pretty cool because I had never seen a jellyfish before. I poked one with my shoe and it was, well, jelly-ish. We walked up and down the sands for a while and then decided we had had enough of standing in front of that rock and Nathan eventually stopped laughing at me running down the beach as if I was fit and talking to the seagulls. We jump back in the car and about 3 miles outside of town we are at a dead stop. Moments before out arrival, this crazy wreck happened. We were there before the authorities and everything. It was nuts! There was a car flipped over, a trailer in the ditch, all this craziness. Seeing as there were already about 10 people at the scene, Nathan and I respectfully kept our seats as to not get in the way. About an hour of hub bub and we were back on the road.

After getting duped by a fake Rogue Brewpub (the logo and name both scream Rogue, but we were promptly told there was no affiliation and what they serve [in addition to a few Rogue selections] is snarky waitressing and a crudy veggie burger) we arrive back at the apartment for some much needed rest. But not so fast! Nate Schmoe calls and says that Andrew Trashie is coming in town for the Sleater-Kinney second to last show and that he can get us on the list! (Andrew works for Sub Pop, blah blah). Of course we took them up on it! We met up at Nate's house with some time to kill and Nathan and I got trashed in a game of Snakes (it's a lawn game, apparently from Missouri, but I had never played it until I got up here... weird). We head out to the Crystal Ballroom, get out wristbands and head upstairs. The Crystal Ballroom is without a doubt the most beautiful venue I have ever been in. Just gorgeous all over. We walked in towards the end of the Thermals set (who were great) and Nathan and I go get out $6 beers. I was already 4 beers in before I got to the Crystal and well, drinking 20oz McMenamin's didn't help the situation. I got tanked to put it lightly. After text messaging anyone I thought would care that I was at one of the last Sleater-Kinney shows, S-K began their set.

I'll admit it, I like Sleater-Kinney but I'm not entirely familiar with their catalog. Beyond that, I thought they put on a really great energetic show. I had a great time. A great, beyond drunk time. Well, there's nothing like driving when you've tied a few too many on. I still can't recall just how I managed to get us home. The car was fine, we were fine, I would assume everything was fine.

Oh! Saturday was hang over day. It was rough getting around for sure. I stupidly arranged for the rental car to be returned by 10 am meaning we would have to wake up at 8:30 in order to get ready and drive out to the airport. After losing an arm and a leg on the rental car, we decided to take it easy and for once soak up some Portland since we had spent every other day out of town. We hopped the 9 bus downtown for some much needed coffee and some eats at Cha! Cha! Cha! (an excellent taqueria, that burrito ruled). We walked around downtown, bought some records (I found a used copy of Danielson - Ships, which is awesome) and then back to the apartment.

I know this is a windy post, but it's nearly over and the night is about to get a tad more interesting...

After resting up, we figured out where the actual Rogue Public House is in Portland and headed there for dinner (but mostly drinks). Sampling many of their fine beers was great. Honey Orange Wheat was so tasty and I even attempt a small glass of the Chipotle Ale, which I actually really liked! I'm not sure if I could do a whole pint though. After racking up a huge tab there, it was only natural to move somewhere else and keep drinking. We ended up at the Bitter End, which was okay, we played pool and the staff was pretty friendly. A band played and Nathan apparently liked them (it was a girl on piano, a drummer and a saxaphone playing really Tori Amos-y songs. Somehow Nathan saw Tom Waits qualities in them [was it the drunkness Nathan?]) he got a CD even though he didn't have cash on the demand that we eat at the restaurant where she works and pay for it then (we didn't end up going... whoops!). After a while there, a friend from Ai, Lauren called and said she was hanging out at an apartment nearby and we should come.

So we went. After buying a sixer, we head upstairs to a very weird time. 2 guys kept talking about how they were going to go do drugs and I kept shooting a cap gun at people. After about 30 minutes everyone left while Nathan and I were on the balcony at the end of the hallway. Unfortunately, I really had to pee and we were locked out of the apartment. So I pissed on the balcony and it trickled down the front and down the fire escape. Suddenly we hear "Oh my god it's raining! Wait, no, that's piss! GROSS!" it was my friend Lauren's voice, I had, uh, accidentally pissed on her and her friends. Even after that, we still went to another bar for a few more beers, we attempt to walk home, Nathan hits his knee on a fire hydrant and we finally just get a taxi.

Sunday morning, we were a new definition of hung over. Really bad. I had arranged for Nate and Kristen to meet us at Nicholas' (a supremely amazing Lebanese restaurant) for some eats. That restaurant might be my only reason for living. Falafel Delight, you truly are a delight. We got back home and I absolutely had to do some homework. Nathan was a sport and sat around watching TV while I read some horribly boring essays.

Billy Remote was in town! I drag Nathan back out to Ringler's in order to meet up with Billy and his girlfriend Nicole. I hadn't seen Billy in probably 6 years, I love that guy. This was a nice time. We ate pizza, drank a bunch of beers, played about 60 games of pool, drank more beer, ending the evening at Voodoo Doughnuts. Yes, the rumors are true, I did eat a Cock and Balls doughnut and yes, it was delicious (although I couldn't finish one of the balls, too much creme filling I guess). And that was that for Sunday night!

Ahh Monday. Nathan's departure. It was sad to see him go. We said our goodbyes as I went to class and Nathan sat at the airport for 3 hours or so. All in all, we had a pretty wild time and I think he really enjoyed it here. It was great seeing a good friend, albeit a tad bittersweet.

Ok this post is super long (and most likely poorly written), sorry!

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"Betcha Didn't Know I'm a Kenyon Princess" : The Nathan Visit Pt. One

Well, this will be a two parter because I have a smidge of homework to do to cap out my school week, but I wanted to update!

So Nathan came in town to visit. It was a visit I was looking to greatly because, well, I just wanted to have a familiar face in town and someone to cut up the town with. Nathan arrived Wednesday night after the busiest week of the whole term. 2 essays, 2 large projects, plus mid-term studying, plus mid-terms.

I ride the MAX out to the Airport to get Nathan, we ride it back, drop his stuff at my apartment and then, both us of extremely famished, headed off to Ringler's downtown. I figured Nathan would like the place because it's pretty laid back, quiet on weekdays and serves amazing food and McMenamin's beers. We drank it up, ate a ton of food and caught up on what's what in Columbia. We ended up getting a few to-go bottles and heading back to the apartment. We had a longer night than expected, since we had to be up early the next day, but it was fun regardless.

Up early and back out to the Airport to pick up our rental car. We ended up with a Chevy Malibu that had an enormous white stain in the back seat. Yeah. I took the wheel and drove us down to Eugene so Nathan could meet with a professor there about possible PhD studies and the like at the University of Portland. Of my interest was the Roy Lichtenstein exhibit at the Museum. We headed there first and it was just incredible. It wasn't his immediately recognizable, most famous works, but seeing anything made by a personal hero was still just jaw-dropping. We milled out snapping pics on our camera phones and then headed down to the gift shop where they had some cheap prints and other Lichtenstein kitsch. Of course I bought a print.

Nathan heads to his appointment, I sat in the Malibu and read the paper, drove around a bit, Nathan finished up and we headed to this super old cemetery on the University of Oregon campus. More silly pictures and then we headed back to Portland. The drive there and back was really beautiful. A lot of farm land but also some really nice greenery. All in all it wasn't a bad trip. I don't think we got the full gist of the town, we stayed pretty west and only drove through a small part of the downtown there.

I knew that I would have to enforce some of Portland's great Thai food on Nathan while he was here. Wasting no time, I rushed him over to Thai Noon after getting home from the Eugene trip. Like always, this is the most exquisite Thai food ever! Peppered Garlic tofu. We finished up our meals and seeing as we were in the Alberta neighborhood, we headed over to the Kennedy School, another fine McMenamin's establishment. This place is an old high school that's been converted to a bar, a movie theater and hotel rooms. We managed to get a table in the courtyard and since it was cold enough for one, they had a fire roaring in the firepit outside. It was quite surreal, but awesome.

Driving in a somewhat foreign town can be pretty daunting. I had managed my way onto and off the highways and I raised the stakes by making it to Alberta without any problems. But add a few beers and I began to worry about making it back okay and without handcuffs. So we ended up at yet another McMenamin's place (after attempting to go to other places, we resigned there, these things are everywhere) closer to my apartment.

I'll wrap up part one there. I have some homework to finish. But stay tuned! More thrills to come including, the coast!, drinking!, a car accident! (not involving me), more drinking!, drunk driving!, a cock and balls donut?, and just how did we manage to get into the sold out second to last Sleater Kinney show? Plus pics! (once Nathan sends them to me).

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You Don't Even Knooow-oh....

Last night, Jersey's best pop engine graced us with their presence here in Portland. The Ergs! Old friends and a dynamic band. I had a great time. After getting a teaser up in Seattle, I was really looking forward to a full set. After much annoyance, I managed to get them to play "If You Don't" and a cover of Black Flag's "Jealous Again". A lot of friends showed up, even briefly meeting Mr. Brandon Tussey. Weird! Regardless, much beer was imbibed, much rock was going on.
Also rocking my face was the great Hunchback! Whoa, so great. Kind of a Mummies feel, these guys and gal brought it. Super fun and energetic. To add to the awesome file was finally meeting Ken, owner/operator of the great Dirtnap Records. He was super nice. I need to stop by his record shop sometime and chat him up some more.
After the show we headed up to Voodoo Doughnut, the premier donut place on the face of the planet. I got the largest donut my eyes have ever witnessed; some sort of fritter with chocolate and peanut butter topping with chocolate chips! I'm trying to watch my weight and eating (and drinking) habits, but I couldn't resist. Shit was off the chain.

Things are coming together for Nathan's arrival. He'll be here Wednesday night and we have a car reserved for Thursday and Friday. Not just any car though, we'll be driving, ahem, a CHEVY COBALT. Line up ladies... that fucker seats four. Look for the 2 hottt dudes looking pimp in our COBY.
I'm not quite sure what exactly we'll be doing other than going to Eugene for an afternoon and maybe the coast (I'll also be using the Coby to pick up some groceries and maybe a coffee table). Of course there's the bars. I plan to take him to a McMenamin's joint or two and probably the Rogue Brew House (maybe the Widmer's Brewery tour?). But man cannot survive on bars alone. Zach's Hot Dogs are probably in order also (veggie la bamba, what what?). So it'll be a lot of eating and drinking, what a vacation for Nathan! You can't do that in Columbia.

Speaking of Columbia, I got the Flat Branch newsletter today and apparently the owners are opening a Mongolian Grill? At first, this was slightly exciting and very intriguing. A local microbrewery opening a local Mongolian grill? Turns out it's a chain called HuHot Mongolian Grill. A slight let down thinking it was going to be local all the way, but I guess it will do well? Apparently it's going to be out south of town, near Buttonwood. We shall see, maybe I'll go out there when I'm back in town. Speaking of back in town, December is definite, I'm buying plane tickets soon! Just two weeks, but I plan to be in Columbia as long as possible before I go back to school.

This is exciting. As much as I love it here, I do fight off some home sickness. Everyone always says "I bet you are glad to be out of Columbia, huh?" Well... yes and no. I love Columbia very much, but I felt I needed to get away for a while. Will I move back? Well, I don't know, it's definitely not out of the question. I'm beginning to feel more at home here everyday. Any time I correctly guess a bus stop time or when I actually give people driving directions or bus information, I feel more like a Portlander. However, I do, sometimes come to a realization that I LIVE HERE. It's very strange and sometimes is completely frightening. And it does get really lonely. I feel like no one really knows me here, which is more than a feeling, it's a fact. But that's okay... this is an experience. The whole scheme of this was I was sick of complacency and need to get out a rut I had dug for myself far too deeply in Columbia. A tired routine and soulless endeavor. I needed something new and fresh, but this comes with sacrifices. I miss my friends and I miss my family. I miss a lot of people and a lot of things.

Blah blah blah wah wah wah.

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