Guilt Trip
Late last Thursday afternoon, my computer failed to boot up.
I located a repair shop and dropped off my Mac Pro minutes before closing time.
Friday morning, my back-up G4 computer proved lifeless.
My business was dead, and projects were en route. My original plan was to go to a graduation ceremony Friday night and fly to Portland Saturday. The only way to reduce the stress was to cancel everything so that, if necessary, I would buy a new computer, load software and keep work rolling.
My daughter expected me to accompany her to her Portland half marathon, and I wanted to breathe in the air of that city’s famed Perfume House in the meaningful company of Matildaben and Warum. However, I contacted M and W, and told them I had to cancel. Motherly guilt, selfish pity, and much sobbing punctuated Friday.
Friday afternoon, the boys at Techwise assured me I could return from my trip to a functional Mac (bad DIMM board). I skipped the graduation ceremony in favor of packing. Daughter and I got up at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, and by the afternoon I was in the comforting arms of my BN friends.
Warum, Matildaben and their truly charming husbands walked us to an eatery with great food, but, more importantly, serving alcohol. With M’s guidance, I found the Dew Drop to be worthy of two rounds. Not unlike New Orlean’s Pimm’s Cup, it contains cucumber and gin. Daughter and I went crazy for the sweet potato fries with chipotle mayo.
There’s something you need to know about Portland: Tater tots are something of a rage. We’re talking the same tater tots served in school cafeterias since the 1960s. Strange, no? However, learning of tachos (tater tot nachos), our Wisconsin eyes nearly popped out of our cheese heads. (We’ll be making those at home soon.)
Thanks to my BN friends, I also got to experience Powell’s, our country’s largest independent bookstore.
The Perfume House
I thought, on the chance that owner Chris Tsefelas would be at his shop, I would do just what I ended up doing. Although he was engaged with shoppers, I interrupted, went down on one knee, took his hand, and kissed his ring. Anyone who has thoughtfully brought together such a splendor of goods has earned this sort of veneration. He shared his reverence for the Amouage and Caron lines, generously spritzed cotton balls, and let me hold a one-of-a-kind, diamond-dressed bottle. His pleasure in educating the willing was palpable.
My to-sniff list included a couple CdG incense scents, but I knew I’d be leaving with a bottle of Jaisalmer. (I’ll rave about it later in SotD and a BN review.) Goutal’s La Violette disappeared shortly after communicating that it was not to be my special violet scent. Crown Court Bouquet was lovely, but not extraordinary. I learned that Sabi has been discontinued. (Horror and hoard!)
There were two scents I had to sample in order to understand Kumquat and Larimar: Caron’s French Cancan and Tabac Blond. You know how the optometrist uses his machine to get your eyes to a general focus and then, using micro controls, dials in to your specific prescription? That’s how I perceived Kumquat’s Cancan -- I observed its general character, but I sensed its fine turning and imagined how that precision exactly met K’s desires. Tabac Blond (edp; they were out of parfum) offered a pleasure ride. I smelled the cotton ball. Was warned TB needs to evolve. It seemed skin worthy. It charmed. Now I understand.
Credit Monocle Laurel as the most uncommon and cerebral sniff of the day. (Quarry appreciates a good green.) A pre-reformulation (I think) Opium surprised me as one of the best things on my skin. Gees, did I smell by the time we left -- not just from every inch of arm space but from the cotton balls tucked into my cleavage, each of my four pants pockets and every recess of my purse.
Half Marathon & Gorge Tour
Sunday morning was daughter’s half marathon, and she was excited to see that 2012 Olympic runner Kara Goucher was among the 15,000(!) participants. In the afternoon, a work associate of my daughter’s gave us a ride along the Columbia River Gorge, stopping for Multnomah and lesser falls, the dam and salmon ladders, and up to Timberline Lodge.
Hiccups
Originally, M, W and I were going to shop The Perfume House on Monday, but TPH’s summer hours would go into effect this same week; meaning, they’d be closed on Monday. We had also just missed a visit by Andy Tauer at the TPH. I had hoped to stop at Nordstrom’s on Monday, but daughter’s want-to-do list took precedence. Of course, I didn’t hate stopping for a bacon-topped, maple-glazed bakery treat from Voodoo Doughnut.
The Warums’ friendly faces reflect Monday morning’s after-breakfast spirits.
Other Observations
• It’s true that Portland really is a model city, most notably with regard to mass transit.
• The Modera Hotel, where the Matildabens also stayed, was pleasant. We didn’t take advantage of the attached Nel Centro restaurant, but appreciated its courtyard gas firepits and vertical garden.
• The Kindle Fire proved invaluable. The app YouTubeFree allowed me to capture YouTube videos for later viewing. Blooper reels from sitcoms and Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” made our many transit hours lots of fun.
I’m anxious to see Matildaben’s photos. As she said, upon viewing the photo just taken of her, Warum, and me at the restaurant on Saturday, “We’re adorable!” And we really were!
Late last Thursday afternoon, my computer failed to boot up.
I located a repair shop and dropped off my Mac Pro minutes before closing time.Friday morning, my back-up G4 computer proved lifeless.
My business was dead, and projects were en route. My original plan was to go to a graduation ceremony Friday night and fly to Portland Saturday. The only way to reduce the stress was to cancel everything so that, if necessary, I would buy a new computer, load software and keep work rolling.My daughter expected me to accompany her to her Portland half marathon, and I wanted to breathe in the air of that city’s famed Perfume House in the meaningful company of Matildaben and Warum. However, I contacted M and W, and told them I had to cancel. Motherly guilt, selfish pity, and much sobbing punctuated Friday.
Friday afternoon, the boys at Techwise assured me I could return from my trip to a functional Mac (bad DIMM board). I skipped the graduation ceremony in favor of packing. Daughter and I got up at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, and by the afternoon I was in the comforting arms of my BN friends.
Warum, Matildaben and their truly charming husbands walked us to an eatery with great food, but, more importantly, serving alcohol. With M’s guidance, I found the Dew Drop to be worthy of two rounds. Not unlike New Orlean’s Pimm’s Cup, it contains cucumber and gin. Daughter and I went crazy for the sweet potato fries with chipotle mayo.
There’s something you need to know about Portland: Tater tots are something of a rage. We’re talking the same tater tots served in school cafeterias since the 1960s. Strange, no? However, learning of tachos (tater tot nachos), our Wisconsin eyes nearly popped out of our cheese heads. (We’ll be making those at home soon.)
Thanks to my BN friends, I also got to experience Powell’s, our country’s largest independent bookstore.
The Perfume House
I thought, on the chance that owner Chris Tsefelas would be at his shop, I would do just what I ended up doing. Although he was engaged with shoppers, I interrupted, went down on one knee, took his hand, and kissed his ring. Anyone who has thoughtfully brought together such a splendor of goods has earned this sort of veneration. He shared his reverence for the Amouage and Caron lines, generously spritzed cotton balls, and let me hold a one-of-a-kind, diamond-dressed bottle. His pleasure in educating the willing was palpable.
My to-sniff list included a couple CdG incense scents, but I knew I’d be leaving with a bottle of Jaisalmer. (I’ll rave about it later in SotD and a BN review.) Goutal’s La Violette disappeared shortly after communicating that it was not to be my special violet scent. Crown Court Bouquet was lovely, but not extraordinary. I learned that Sabi has been discontinued. (Horror and hoard!)
There were two scents I had to sample in order to understand Kumquat and Larimar: Caron’s French Cancan and Tabac Blond. You know how the optometrist uses his machine to get your eyes to a general focus and then, using micro controls, dials in to your specific prescription? That’s how I perceived Kumquat’s Cancan -- I observed its general character, but I sensed its fine turning and imagined how that precision exactly met K’s desires. Tabac Blond (edp; they were out of parfum) offered a pleasure ride. I smelled the cotton ball. Was warned TB needs to evolve. It seemed skin worthy. It charmed. Now I understand.
Credit Monocle Laurel as the most uncommon and cerebral sniff of the day. (Quarry appreciates a good green.) A pre-reformulation (I think) Opium surprised me as one of the best things on my skin. Gees, did I smell by the time we left -- not just from every inch of arm space but from the cotton balls tucked into my cleavage, each of my four pants pockets and every recess of my purse.
Half Marathon & Gorge Tour
Sunday morning was daughter’s half marathon, and she was excited to see that 2012 Olympic runner Kara Goucher was among the 15,000(!) participants. In the afternoon, a work associate of my daughter’s gave us a ride along the Columbia River Gorge, stopping for Multnomah and lesser falls, the dam and salmon ladders, and up to Timberline Lodge.
Hiccups
Originally, M, W and I were going to shop The Perfume House on Monday, but TPH’s summer hours would go into effect this same week; meaning, they’d be closed on Monday. We had also just missed a visit by Andy Tauer at the TPH. I had hoped to stop at Nordstrom’s on Monday, but daughter’s want-to-do list took precedence. Of course, I didn’t hate stopping for a bacon-topped, maple-glazed bakery treat from Voodoo Doughnut.
The Warums’ friendly faces reflect Monday morning’s after-breakfast spirits.
Other Observations
• It’s true that Portland really is a model city, most notably with regard to mass transit.
• The Modera Hotel, where the Matildabens also stayed, was pleasant. We didn’t take advantage of the attached Nel Centro restaurant, but appreciated its courtyard gas firepits and vertical garden.
• The Kindle Fire proved invaluable. The app YouTubeFree allowed me to capture YouTube videos for later viewing. Blooper reels from sitcoms and Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” made our many transit hours lots of fun.
I’m anxious to see Matildaben’s photos. As she said, upon viewing the photo just taken of her, Warum, and me at the restaurant on Saturday, “We’re adorable!” And we really were!
Here's a minute and a half video I composed for my daughter to commemorate our trip.
. Also, it gives me so much relief that you .now. understand me. 
Will you please allow me to send you a Tabac Blond sample?!
I hope she's got info/pix from the subsequent Seattle shopping.
