Sunday, June 30, 2013

Day 851

You could say Portland, Oregon is an interesting town. A town full of interesting people.

Portland Saturday Market - held on Sundays too - is a great place for people watching. And music listening. And food eating. We did all of the above.

Music listening and people watching.
I thought food eating was going to happen when I stood (sat on my scooter, that is) in the long line here:
And picked up an apple fritter for me:
But hubby had another idea for his doughnut. When I found him sitting in the shade and gave him a Mango Tango doughnut he had already started on his own unique lunch combination.
A dark beer, a plate of fries, and a mango-filled doughnut. 

Guess I'm married to one of the interesting Portland people.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Day 850

Every day just gets better for Scooter.

First she stopped at the Forest Service office and ran into Smokey the Bear.

She then found a suspension bridge behind the building. Too wide and secure to invoke much fear.

While on the suspension bridge she caught several butterflies frolicking.

Scooter then made a stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Where she shared some of the factory's tasty ice cream with Deb and Ed.

She then discovered a view of Rockaway Beach.

And ran across a Pirate Festival where Captain Jack Sparrow took her for a ride.

She watched Ed collect seashells at Cannon Beach.

Quite a spectacular day.


Friday, June 28, 2013

Day 849

My life is flippin' awesome. 

How can it not be when you start your morning off with a free breakfast on the outside patio overlooking the Columbia River?

How can it not when you see a sign for a lavender farm and decide to stop to take a look?

And find poppies in bloom, too?

How can it not be when you stop at a fruit stand that also sells bakes goods, like the marionberry hand pie? 

How can it not be when you get as close to Mt. Hood as you'll ever get?

How can it not be when you get to see Timberline Lodge, the hotel that was seen in The Shining?

How can it not be when, while at Timberline Lodge, search and rescue crews work on the ground and the air to find a hiker missing for the last few days on Mt. Hood?

How can it not be when you see a banner for a quilt show in a town's old high school and you get to see spectacular quilts?
Look at the tiny fishing lure someone made on their quilt.

How can it not be when, while at that quilt show, your ticket number was called to win a door prize - a DVD and a pattern of your choice? (Hubby pitched in for the rest of the goodies.)

It's amazing the gifts life has to give - in just one day - when you slow down, take a leisurely drive, and appreciate everything that comes your way. Oh yeah, and when you work on sucking the marrow.

Life is flippin' awesome.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Day 848

Did you know?

Did you know that when you stand under huge power poles like these
that they emit an electrical sound? Not a hum, not a buzz, but a noise that sounds like, well, electricity? A bit scary sounding. I only know this because the Suck the Marrow Tour Part Two took us down into the Columbia River Gorge to see the John Day Dam.
Did you know that when you are on a Suck the Marrow tour you try things you might not usually try? Like a sip of a local amber beer hubby had at dinner at our hotel. On the patio. Overlooking the Columbia River.
Did you know that logs are brought down the river on barges?
And did you know?
Thanks for the sticker, you know who. It's on my scooter.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Day 847

When you see a weather forecast like this on the news it means close up the house, crank up the air, and stay inside.

But for someone on a live deep and suck the marrow kick that won't do. Only a spur of the moment, last minute, spontaneous as spontaneous can get kind of decision will do. How last minute? It was decided this afternoon.

Stay tuned. Part two of the suck out all the marrow of life tour begins tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Day 846

There are a lot of benefits to having a place in Boise, like the 11 minutes door to door to hubby's class downtown. Another benefit as much for me as for my daughter is the babysitting aspect. Maybe someday in the future - the far future she tells me - there will be grand babies. In the meantime it's cat babysitting while kiddo and fiancé are up camping.

Her kitty and I got along just fine. She's such a cutie. (Albeit a bit chubby, just like the rest of us.)





Monday, June 24, 2013

Day 845

Check out what I picked from the Boise garden!

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Day 844

Darn. I thought I had a great picture today. One that showed how I've been dragging, how I'm slipping back into icky-ness. Although the picture doesn't show it as much as I expected, I guess it'll do.

Maybe I'm reading it wrong. Maybe the car is telling me I should keep my chin up - otherwise by butt will look too big. (And goodness knows it doesn't need to look any bigger than it already is.)

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Day 843

More liquids today, just not the kind coming from the sky.

A very relaxed cat.
Slobber.
Slobber bubble.

Eww.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Day 842

More raindrops on the sunroof.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Day 841

As I've said more than once, I love the sunroof in my car. Not just because of the sun but because of the rain.

Interesting. I'm starting to think raindrops are like snowflakes with no two being the same.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Day 840

What kind of storm had to be experienced before I was able to drive in the sunshine?

The black clouds in the rear view mirror tell the story.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Day 839

When you take a picture every day you have to pay attention. Pay attention to the things around you. Inside, outside, up in the sky, and down on the ground.

Thanks to looking at the ground, in the gravel, in the parking lot outside the city park, I found today's picture. I also found some little guy's (or girl's) teeny tiny lego pieces just as they left them.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Day 838

I've still been on this "suck out all the marrow of life" kick. While the combination of the rheumatoid arthritis and the lung thing did it to me, Alaska really did it to me. The freedom of the scooter, the ability to go wherever, do whatever. Makes me want to do even more. Go all out.

So perhaps that was what was in my head as we were driving down the freeway the other day when I blurted out to hubby. I think I should get a tattoo next, I say.

Neither one of us have ever had a tattoo, never even thought of getting one. But at that exact moment hubby thought it was a great idea and even knew what it should say:

Live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.

Yea. I think that's good. So when I shared with my daughter where I wanted it - somewhere where it could be seen, yet hidden - she nixed it. Too much, mom. It'll hurt there and that's not a good place for all those words. Where did I want it? Only where someone who is on the edge of busting through the marrow -someone who is teetering on the edge of wild - would think.

All over the fingers. Too bad permanent marker rubs off. Guess I gotta rethink this one.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Day 837

I relinquished control today.

I sent hubby into Dairy Queen with my cash to buy himself an ice cream cake for Father's Day. I would usually be the one to pick out the cake (or at least influence the choice) but I figured it was time for me to stop that. At least when it comes to the rare ice cream cake purchase.

I shouldn't have been too surprised when chocolate-loving hubby came out with a cake called Chocolate Extreme. It looks a little messy after we left it to soften a bit before cutting into it, but he sure didn't mind.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Day 836

That darn cat. Still picking at her fur just like she was months ago when we took her to the vet. Psychogenic alopecia was the diagnosis.

Guess she's proud of it. Why else would she want to show all of us how pink the skin is on her tummy when there's no fur to hide it?

Friday, June 14, 2013

Day 835

It's the same routine. Head to the infusion lab, feet up, IV in. Sit for a couple hours. Head home, feet up in my recliner. Sit and work on school stuff a bit. Take a nap. Get up feeling groggy and icky. Go back to bed. Wake up the next day not feeling much better. Tired, dizzy, and just overall not too super.

The only thing that might change is the working on school stuff. That would be because kitty thinks if my feet are up in the recliner it's her opportunity to sit in my lap. But if I have something in my lap, like say a laptop? Guess that laptop is just as warm as my lap top.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Day 834

How do you know the chicken fajita special you ordered at Alejandra's is bubbly hot? Look at the bubbles around the edge. Yummy.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Day 833

Poor kitty. She looks nice and comfortable and fat and puffy here.Well, she's not fat and puffy. It's clear that she is tiny and getting much, much older. How do I know this?

Because the first time - ever - I gave her a bath. (I know, I know, neglectful, huh?)

Poor kitty.