Portland, OR

Ok, so when I moved in to my house, I noticed these white tuber-like things growing just below the surface of some areas of my back yard, areas under some trees. I thought, huh?, at the time, and really thought nothing else of it.

Until this summer, that is, when I was cleaning out an area of rocks that line my driveway. I found quite a few of these little whitish orbs under the earth. They were growing in colonies, it seemed, and erupting through the surface of the soil.

Here is a picture of a group growing in the back yard, by the mountain ash and birch tree. I guess the truffles really like birch trees, as well as maple, elm and doug firs.

Well, who knew, but we have truffles that grow in Oregon.

So I cut one open, and woo-ee, did it stink. Not quite like the truffles of the French variety of which I am accustomed, but I guess that the truffle may take a couple of days out of the ground before they are ready to consume. It takes that long for the flavor and aroma to develop properly. My truffles were still young at the time as well, so the stink may mellow with maturity. I guess that the color also changes with age, moving from fleshy white to orange-y brown. Some people do indeed cook with the Oregon white and black truffles, and you can find some more information about Oregon truffles at the Trufflezone by clicking here.

Some say the Oregon truffles are fine truffles, much like the famed Italian and French truffles without the famed price tag. Oregon truffles can be found at farmers’ markets around town when the truffles are in season, but it is more fun to find them yourself. However, like all fungi, be careful what you eat. Although there are no known poisonous truffles, you never really know when you are stumbling upon a relatively unknown species, so never eat something unless you know what it is. You can find help in identifying truffles from professional fungi-hunters, known as mycologists.

I have not tried the truffles I found. One, when I first started looking into the Oregon truffles it didn’t seem as though the particular variety I found was the edible variety. I am however more and more curious about trying my “yard truffles.” I am awaiting the new season, which starts around November.

Oregon truffles, Oregon, trees, fungi, fungus, white truffle, black truffle, birch, elm, maple, douglas firs, mycologists

I was trying to find out what percentage of Oregon farmland is organic, and I stumbled across the recent report from the Oregon Department of Agriculture. It’s law in Oregon to report commercial use of pesticides, and Oregon is trying a new system for reporting. More than 5,000 reporters submitted counts of almost 300,000 pesticide use.

Hmm, I wonder what the most popular pesticide is? Metam-sodium takes number one with 42 percent of all pounds used. The next two came in with nine percent and seven percent, glyphosate and copper naphthenate respectively.

Applying Metam-sodium.

Metam-sodium is a soil fumigant, which means that the chemical creates a gas that kills pests living in the soil. That’s right, a gas, like a bug bomb. The last time I checked gas doesn’t usually stay in one spot, so that leads to a fumigant being dangerous to those applying the pesticide or anyone working in that field, as well as anyone living nearby.

Checking on the toxicity of Metam-sodium, the Pesticide Action Network lists Metam-sodium as highly toxic. In fact, the PAN uses a skull to categorize Metam-sodium. The Environmental Protection Agency lists Metam-Sodium as a B2, probable cancer agent. Oh, and Metam-sodium is volatile enough to completely dissipate into the air and soil, which means no residue on your food, but that stuff is going somewhere. Metam-sodium has been in use since 1975, so I assume it is safe, right?

The weeds are fighting back!

Glyphosate is RoundUp, from our good friends at Monsanto. The patent has expired, so the glyphosate is the generic name for it. It is mostly used in forestry management. The problem is that glyphosate is non-selective (same with metam-sodium), which means that it is not selective about what it is killing. And we are using this stuff in the forest?!

This is what copper naphthenate looks like. Good thing we don't eat it, just breathe it.

Copper Naphthenate has been used since the late 1800’s as a wood preservative, in that it kills off fungi and bacteria that can destroy lumber. So again, it’s got to be safe, right? If you check out Scorecard for copper naphthenate, it is listed that four or eight basic tests have not been conducted on the chemical in order to determine safety. Also, there are gaps in coverage and data in studies on copper naphthenate. It’s moderately toxicity to humans, and very toxic to aquatic creatures, and it does contribute to indoor air pollution, as wood treated with it can release it into your home.

Just wanted to brighten everyone’s day!

Oregon, farms, organic, pesticide use, metam-sodium, glyphosate, copper naphthenate, toxicity, EPA, PAN, Scorecard, indoor air pollution, cancer agent, RoundUp, Monsanto, fumigant

I heart Mexican food. But when it comes right down to it, most Mexican restaurants disappoint me. I believe the problem lies in the years I lived in Chicago, where good, real Mexican food was fairly plentiful. So far, my forays into the Mexican restaurant scene in Portland have been a mixed bag.

I did try San Felipe Taqueria today in Sellwood (6221 SE Milwaukie), and I am happy to say the food was quite good. I am a big fan of places that have a salsa bar with the pickled jalapenos and carrots. But more than that, I tried the fish tacos, and I liked them. I haven’t had a decent fish taco since living in Southern California, so it was such a delight to have some good fish tacos today. I would have preferred the fish to not be deep-fried, but with everything else on the tortilla, the fry-ness worked. The menu said something about the recipe being Marta’s(?) recipe from I forget. San Felipe, maybe, I guess I should have taken notes.

The small storefront reveals a much larger place inside. I had noticed the San Felipe Taqueria when I first moved here. I liked the sign. It’s a really happy fish flipping a pepper in its open mouth. Inside I noticed the same image but with an upturned Corona instead of the pepper. Cute. Unfortunately, presently the SFT is awaiting its liquor license, but once in hand, the place serves beer and margheritas.

I tried the tamale verde, and usually I don’t understand the attraction to tamales, this one was really good. There is also a “red” tamale, but didn’t try it. Maybe next time.

It’s one of those order at the counter, find a table and they bring you the food kind of place. Bus your own tables, too.

Cheap prices. Lots of old spanish-language film posters, and chipper music. I will definitely return.

Portland, Chicago, Mexican, Mexican restaurants, Sellwood, San Felipe Taqueria

Oh, heavens to Murgatroyd, I have found some ants in my metaphorical pants. I refuse to use poisons around my place, as I have cats and another person to worry about. Also, I tend a small vegetable garden so the idea of spraying something out of New Jersey around my peaceful and organic Oregon garden and yard fills me with abject fear.

So, I have done a little digging and this is what I found.

Did you know that Queen Elizabeth I used borax to bleach her skin to she could be/stay so virgin-ly white? I learned that on Jeopardy years ago.

There is a good reason that no plants are growing here.

But also and more to the point today, borax can be used as an ant killer, or deterrent. However, please note that too much borax can be just as dangerous as any other pesticide, so use wisely.

Borax is the salt of boric acid, and boric acid is known as a great way to kill things like roaches. Borax and boric acid does kill plants, so this borax trick shouldn’t be used directly in the garden.

If you mix equal parts borax powder (20 Mule Team brand borax is 99.5% straight borax and thus a good choice) with sugar, you can make a clever little drink for ants that will kill them and drive them from your house. This is the basis of the Terro ant bait/killer that is available commercially.

You can also sprinkle a little borax around the door frame to be even more uninviting to ants, but obviously, if you have kids or pets, this may not be a good idea.

There are other variations on this Sugar and Borax recipe. I found some of these tweaks on the Garden Web forum here.

Obviously, if you take care, you can avoid having to go so far as to kill ants. Keeping your kitchen clean is the best way to avoid an ant problem. Also, when you do clean around your house, use white vinegar and borax. Both options are great little cleaning agents, so this is an easy way to “go green,” per se, but also, ants don’t like the acid in vinegar and the borax will kill them. So, you see how this works. Use cleaning products that ants hate and the ants won’t hang out at your house.

Ants in the actual garden? Remember borax is technically an herbicide (that’s what makes it such a kickass cleaner, kind of like bleach — also technically an herbicide). You can try my coffee ground trick. Or go with diatomaceous earth (which is just crushed up seashells) which will kill the ants by dehydrating them from the inside. Gruesome, I know. Don’t they say that most serial killers start out by killing insects or small animals?

Ants are also adverse to other smelly things like cloves, cayenne, mint, lemon or orange oil, so you can always experiment and discover your own recipe for keeping those ants at bay.

Or plant herbs like mint or tansy to further make your garden and home uninviting.

Whatever you do, don’t buy and use products like Raid or any other pesticide that clearly states that whatever is inside the bottle is extremely dangerous to your health, your child’s health, your pet’s health, your soil’s health, the water’s health, the air’s health…

Ants, Oregon, house, borax, boric acid, organic, natural, deterrent, pesticide, herbicide, sugar, diatomaceous earth, mint, cayenne, tansy, 20 Mule Team, Terro, Raid, health

Portland is slug city, I swear. Not only am I surprised by the sheer number of the slimy, gooey spotted creatures, I am constantly shocked by the size.

Here’s one I found last week. The little pea seedling in the picture is about a week old and maybe three inches high.

Slugs are not necessarily bad, but they can be damaging to your garden plants. If you have a natural setting in your yard, or if you don’t care if the slugs consume your tender green leafy vegetables, then just ignore the slugs.

Personally, I am not suffering from a huge amount of slug damage, but I do notice some ragged leaves, even on such wildflowers as Foxglove. Usually, I notice the damage as “spots” or holes in the leaves. And I also see the trail of the slugs: Translucent, web-like trails across the fence, the soil, the leaves, and even through the grass. The damn things were eating away a small group of Foxglove that I had to finally move to another spot in the garden in order to combat the slugs.

I do not believe in using poisons to get rid of pests, so I just wanted to throw that out there, for the three people reading this.

I had pretty good results from coffee grounds. I read that slugs do not jive to caffeine, so if you lay out a three-inch wide layer of coffee grounds around plants you want to protect, the coffee strip is a deterrent for those hungry slugs. This helped really well in my strawberry patch, because I put a caffeine strip around the entire patch.

You can also make slug traps. Take a small tub-like container (I used a yogurt cup, and it was a bit small for the size of my slugs), and cut some rectangular holes horizontally along the top, maybe an inch from the top. Bury the body of the container up to an inch from the holes in the dirt. Pour some beer in the container, because who doesn’t like beer? No, seriously, slugs really like beer and the smell attracts them to the death in the beery depths of your homemade slug trap.

slugs, garden, pests, Portland, foxglove, vegetables, coffee grounds, slug trap, beer

Yesterday, I wrote about spiders and the tremendous number of spiders here in Portland. After I finished that post, I ran across more information about spiders in the area, and now, I am more freaked out than ever.

**Warning: Do not read further if you get freaked out pretty easily. However, do read further if you want to learn more about a dangerous little critter that you may run across living here in Portland, Oregon.

A young female hobo spider.

The Hobo Spider is scientifically known as Tegenaria agrestis. It does have family members that look similar, and luckily one of those cousins is the Giant House Spider, which is credited with keeping Hobo spiders at bay. The Hobo got it’s name from how it spread across the US and Canada. The spider arrived from Europe in the 1930’s and made their way across the continent by hitching rides on steamer trunks and shipping crates via the railroad networks, like a “hobo.”

A distribution map of venomous spiders in the US.

In this map, the entire US is outlined with yellow and purple, which means that Yellow Sac and Black Widow spiders, respectively, are found across the country. The green area is home to the Brown Recluse. The blue area signifies the home range of other Recluses, and the red area is home to the Hobo.

The Centers for Disease Control and JAMA list the Hobo as poisonous, and though it is widely accepted that the Hobo is dangerous, there is some debate as to just how dangerous the Hobo’s bite can be. In the 80’s, a researcher found that the bite/venom produced necrotic lesions in rabbits, which backed up the ideas that similar lesions in humans could be caused by that pesky hobo. Necrotic means “dead flesh” so if this sounds similar to the much-feared Brown Recluse spider, the two spiders are pretty similar.

I did mention that there is some debate over how dangerous the Hobo bite can be. Researchers here at Lewis and Clark (as well as from University of Michigan, my alma mater) found that one) they could not replicate the same results (those necrotic lesions), and two) Hobo spiders will also inflict “dry bites” with no venom — kind of just a way to scare people and animals off without wasting precious poison. Also, over the years, no incident of necrotic lesions has been conclusively attributed to a Hobo.

The Hobo is not known to be overly aggressive toward humans, so that is a relief, sort of.

Like I mentioned earlier, the harmless but still scary looking Giant House Spider is known to prey on Hobo spiders. How ironic that a scarier and bigger spider can protect us from a smaller but more dangerous spider. Giant House spiders also came from Europe, and they are gaining ground here in the US. As there has never been a case of human fatality attributed to the Hobo spider in Europe, many scientists feel that the Giant House has always kept them in check across the pond.

Identifying the Hobo can be tricky as it looks like a lot of other spiders. First, it is a “funnel-web” spider, so if you find a bunch of funnel webs that look like silken sheets laid out horizontally in the lower bushes around your house, you could have hobo spiders, but you can also have any number of other spiders, so don’t use the web as an indicator. Here is a great article on identifying the Hobo.

Portland, Oregon, spiders, Hobo, Brown Recluse, Giant House, Black Widow, Yellow Sac, necrotic lesions, dead flesh, funnel web, Centers for Disease Control, JAMA, Lewis and Clark College, University of Michigan, venomous spiders, poisonous spiders, US

This is one of those little things that maybe would have been nice to know before moving to Portland.

There are a LOT of spiders here.

I cannot get close enough to get a good picture of the myriad spiders in my yard/house, but I found this picture as a representation of the spider that lives out my my pumpkin patch.

Hi, scary.

Now, I have come to terms with my own mild arachnophobia, so the spider population here does not bother me so much, per se. I still don’t especially like spiders, but I appreciate the little guys and girls. I mean, come on, Charlotte’s Web taught us that spiders are beneficial and great at PR work, so what’s not to love?

This spider thing was a bit off-putting when I first settled here. And it wasn’t even so much seeing the spiders everywhere, it was the constant walking through spider webs. Seriously, it drives me crazy. I hate the icky way it feels, but then you have the issue of whether or not that spider, whose home you just destroyed, is now on your person and looking for vengeance.

For those of you reading this that are starting to get the willies, it does get easier as you and your new spider friends find each other’s comfort zones. You see, I cannot kill a spider. Okay, that is a lie, I killed a small, pure white spider that came in on some hydrangeas, but only because I had never seen a pure white spider and frankly, it scared the shit out of me. I panicked. And my mom wasn’t here to save me. True story: I spent my childhood (and into my 20’s, I won’t kid myself) waking my mother up in the middle of the night to rescue me from spiders in the downstairs bathroom of our walk-out ranch style house. That’s the real downfall of the walk-out ranch. Bugs find it that much easier to enter the lower portion of the house as they have doors and windows through which to enter rather than finding some crack to sneak in through.

Portland, Oregon, spiders, arachnophobia, Charlotte’s Web

Something about Portland is starting to bothering me. There seems to be a secret pact among employers here to give preference to Portlanders and Oregonians when hiring.

Prove me wrong, children, prove me wrong.

A little bit about me. I have lived in a lot of places and never have I had as much trouble finding viable employment, but since I have been in Portland, I have been struggling to find a decent job. I applied at a photography studio as a production coordinator (my last full-time job before I moved), and after two interviews, I didn’t even get a call back thanking me for coming in, twice. That is a little impolite, regardless of whether or not I was the best person for the job. Come on, at least call the job seeker back to let them know. I waited two weeks before giving up on that one.

I interviewed for a bartending job recently and the owner of the bar/restaurant told me that my “weakness” was that I had never bartended in Portland before. Considering the service I seem to get at most bars (Jeffrey at Kay’s is the exception), how is not having Portland experience a “weakness?” If I were running a bar here, I would welcome new Portlanders, but then, after two bartending gigs in this town, I can officially say that Portland has killed my fondness for tending bar. Making drinks used to be fun until I started doing it in PDX.

Let that be a warning to all of you service industry pros: Portland is a different beast entirely. I have started referring to it as “amateur night.” If my employer isn’t expecting me to wear a halter top and more make up, they seem to be more concerned about saying they are a manager rather than managing.

But I digress…again.

As a new Portland resident, I do just want to address the nepotism and Oregon-native-preferential hiring practices. You know, I didn’t move out here just to take a job away from an Oregon-native. My boyfriend got a job, and I followed him because I like him. Does that make me any less qualified for a position?

A Portlander told my boyfriend that it takes a good two years to get established here. I have been here for nine months and four jobs later, I am still searching for a job that doesn’t objectify my femaleness or dick me around otherwise. I am frustrated, to say the least. But hey, I am hoping to start grad school soon, so wish me luck in getting accepted at Lewis and Clark. Maybe my University of Michigan education will finally pay off. (Side note: A bachelors degree is not enough, and not looked at any more favorably than a high school diploma. A shame.)

So, to all of you thinking about moving to Portland, Oregon, or those of you struggling like me to find your niche, it may take a while. Be prepared for that.

Portland, Oregon, hiring, jobs, seekers, nepotism, bartending, production coordinator, Lewis and Clark

Let me start by saying that I am not a huge fan of big crowds. I get a little anxious being surrounded by large chaotic swarms of people, and add alcohol and yeah, not a fan. So it was a surprise to me yesterday when I agreed to go down to the waterfront to the Brewfest.

Generic picture of the Brewfest Crowd

It was the 21st annual Oregon’s Brewers Festival, or so the poster said. I think originally there were lots and lots of breweries (maybe around seventy or so) that set up kegs in long semi-trailer refrigeration units, but by the time Sunday rolled around, well, it was the left-overs. The leftovers seemed to be the more local brews, by the way, so I am wondering if the locals knew better about how much beer to show up with, or they were closer to some stockpiles to re-supply themselves with.

Of course, Deschutes was there, and they are big time, as they had their own specially designed trailer from which they were serving.

And yes, there were more than just Oregon microbrews. Lots of California and Washington beer, but also I saw some Michigan beers, namely Bell’s and Michigan Brewing Company. It was a nice sight for a Michigan girl.

All in all, I am not sure if I would go back, and if I do return next year, I will be sure to go before Sunday at 4:30 pm. Like I said, a lot of beer was tapped out, but also the organization was a bit odd for me. Brewfest is asking a lot of drunks by asking them to line up for the appropriate beer, and the beers are lined up at tables pretty closely, so I can see how easy if would have been to think that you are standing in one line, only to find that the line sort of morphed into a grouping of people that got some beer and basically turned away from the table, but didn’t leave. The line is then a mad dash for getting around the drunks that have set up camp in the front of the line, rather than take your beer and get the heck out of the way. Whew, ok, that was my big rant.

Also, the “servers” are obviously volunteers that weren’t quite sure what they were pouring. When I got up to the table for my four ounce taster pour (for a $1 token), it seemed that the volunteer next to my line was pouring the same beer (Grand Teton’s Bitch Creek ESB) I was getting even though the sign in front of him said Woody’s IPA. No matter, I’m sure, as everyone seemed pretty drunk to me. So drunk that every few minutes a collective, “Whoooooooooeeeeeeeeewwwwwww” would erupt from the crowd. At first, I thought it was almost cute, but after ten minutes, I felt like I was at a frat party. Especially once the quartet of drunk girls started following me around…

So all in all, I would prefer the Brewfest to be more of a beer tasting event than a huge beer tent/party, but who am I to start saying what I would have done if I planned out the Brewfest? It wasn’t quite as rowdy as most beer tents I have been to, because Portlanders are a fairly polite bunch.

Also, I got my “mug” for free as the fest ran out of the 2008 mugs, so I got a left-over holiday mug.

Oregon Brewfest, Deschutes, Portland, Waterfront, California, Washington, Michigan, Bell’s, Michigan Brewing Company, Grand Teton

Ok, so it may not be as glamorous as the so-called jet set, but then again, would you really want to hang around those people?

I finally got a bike, and riding around Portland is a totally “cool” experience. Other than those people, mostly older men, that insist on wearing those dreadful biking shorts, the people I see out in the bike lanes are, well, cool. I saw quite a few really hot guys, so a tip to all you single ladies, get yourself a bike.

I unfortunately went for the retro 3-speed bike, which is all well and good in certain situations, mainly those that do not involve elevation changes. Guess what, Portland is pretty hilly. Not San Francisco hilly, but hilly all the same, especially for someone like me who has let my bike riding thighs fall out of shape. I need to get a true commuter bike, with a lot of gears, but then again, first I will have to get some strength in my legs to really get around town.

All in all, fellow bicyclists are very friendly in this town, much like the drivers. Yes, it is true that Portland must have some of the nicest drivers in the US. I mean, I stand next to a road, not even remotely by a crosswalk or anything, and more often than not, someone stops for me. That is so nice. In fact, the Ross Island Bridge on-ramp could never happen in most towns. It is not often that motorists will stop without being told to in order to allow those at a cross-street to enter heavy traffic.

But I digress…the Portland bicyclist is polite and courteous. Biking in Portland is equally pleasurable. The city is immensely bike-able (other than for wusses like me). Bike lanes are a-plenty, and the city is going even further in making Portland super-bike-friendly with bike boxes at intersections.

I went to the city’s transportation website and requested a bunch of maps, information on biking, and even bumper stickers for both my bike and my car that state how much I “share the road.” If you too would like to see the online maps or request paper versions, check out this website link. There are maps for the whole city as well as the quadrants. The maps even feature walking tours. How cute is that…

In what I think is probably the best evidence that there is indeed a liberal bias to the media, Portland has not been named one of the best cities to live in in the United States for 2008.

It must be a conspiracy. Liberal “journalists” are keeping mum and effectively de-listing Portland as one of the best cities in America in which to live. Why, you may ask? To keep the cheeseballs that would move to town based on statistical analysis out of one of the coolest cities in what is a fairly un-cool nation when it comes to progressive ideas and a quality of life that doesn’t revolve around stripmalls and chain restaurants (not that Portland doesn’t also have these stalwarts of American architecture, but here they are the exception rather than the rule).

Okay, okay, there is not a conspiracy involved in Portland failing to make the grade in such influential mags like Forbes and Kiplingers, but then again, who reads Forbes? If MSNBC didn’t turn such lame lists into lamer stories, who would have stumbled across these top ten lists? That guy stuck in the dentist’s office, that’s who.

You and I both know that Portland is one of the most livable cities out there, but do we want everyone else to know it? As a recent transplant, I can see the angst that an influx of newly relocated job candidates can cause, but in defense of those of us who have recently arrived, we come to Portland seeking a way of life and like-minded souls that appeal to who we are as people. We see kindred spirits in Portland and we see a place to make a home with other cool people that like to recycle and buy organic, ride bikes and buses, stop for pedestrians even outside of crosswalks, say hi to their neighbors, and vote with their hopes rather than their fears.

Aw, look at me, being a cheerleader for Stumptown. I was voted “most spirited” on my high school tennis team, so there.

Seriously though, do you know which city made number one on Kiplinger’s top ten? Houston, Texas. Yeah, I know, wtf. Houston? Hot summers, nothing but sprawl and pollution that you can share with about a kajillion other people, and just knowing that George W. Bush lives in that state makes me cringe. I remember a “zip code” article that National Geographic did years a couple of years ago on a suburb of Houston and seriously, the article made me a little sick. Talk about over-consumption.

The rest of the top ten include Raleigh, North Carolina (NC is pretty); Omaha (why, for the love of…); Boise, Idaho (you have got to be kidding); Colorado Springs and Austin (those I can agree with for the most part), Fayetteville, Arkansas (ho-hum, still in Arkansas), Sacramento (at least it’s close to SF and Tahoe), Des Moines (read: Omaha), and Provo, Utah (it is a pretty part of the country, but all those mormons…hard to buy alcohol).

Portland, best cities, 2008, MSNBC, Kiplingers, Forbes, liberal bias, media, Houston, Texas, George W. Bush, Raleigh, Omaha, Boise, Colorado Springs, Austin, Fayetteville, Sacramento, Des Moines, Provo

I finally made it up to Heron Lakes this last Sunday. It was a beautiful (rare) sunny day for Portland, so I knew it would be busy and slow-going, but I did not expect top be next to a racetrack all day.

It started out right away. Second hole, and it sounded like an entire ninth grade class of newly pubescent boys were running go-carts on the other side of a stand of trees. I asked one of the twosome I was paired up with (a couple of noisy pseudo-fratboys that ended up irritating me by the end of the nine holes I was forced to play with them) what was causing all the racket. This guy informed me that Heron Lakes is right next door to the Portland International Raceway.

One, what is so international about it? I have never understood why a racetrack would name itself “International.” Being this far north in the United States, and having Canadians so close, I know that international may be technically right, but come on…

Two, I have never quite understood why people find cars going around in a circle so damn entertaining. I grew up with all kinds of toys — dirtbikes, snowmobiles, motorboats, etc — so I understand speed and motorsports, but how is a circular course interesting? You know exactly what’s going to happen, and the only possibility of something out of the ordinary happening is of course when an accident occurs. And if that is what you are looking forward to, then really that is a bit morbid. And don’t get me wrong, I am a hockey fan, so I enjoy random violence, but a car accident is a bit more than a sucker punch during a hotly contested game.

But again, I digress.

Heron Lakes is really quite pretty, and I think for the most part quite peaceful. My advice is to check out the PIR schedule for races, as golfing with a constant high-pitched engine whine in the background can be a bit off-putting. Thankfully, it ended around six pm. So really, I only had to play eleven holes with that noise, but it was bad enough that I would take care to avoid it in the future.

I played the Great Blue course as opposed to the Greenback course. The Great Blue is the harder of the two, and it really requires good placement and excellent putting. The greens were hard and fast, and quite undulated. After I made the turn and began playing with two older (and much cooler) guys, and they were good, but even they were struggling in the putting department. So I didn’t feel so badly about three-putting so much.

The course was in pretty good shape, but I did notice that no one, and I mean NO ONE, replaces divots on this course. At one point, maybe around hole 14 or 15, the fairway looked like a divot graveyard. I really don’t understand how hard it is to replace divots, and it helps the course stay in good shape, but like most inconsiderate Americans, some golfers don’t think too much about those around them or after them.

There were some really lovely views of Mt. Hood by the way, especially on Hole 13. Also, I got a great deal. $26 for 18 on a Sunday at 2:48. My boyfriend found that online, but even the girl checking him in at the pro shop thought that was a great deal.

And yes, I saw two herons.

Heron Lakes, Great Blue, Greenback, golf course, Portland, Portland International Speedway, PIS, Mt Hood

First, my apologies for the dearth of posts in the last three weeks. I have taken a new job, and it has been a wild and bumpy ride in that this new job is a restaurant, and the last four weeks have been training, and now that the training process is complete I feel that I finally have time to resume my normal (*relative term) life.

One quick observation: The restaurant industry in any city is a small, incestuous community. Be it a major city like Chicago, or a smaller city like Portland, everyone knows everyone, and has possibly slept with that same population. However, if you want to learn a city, get a job in a restaurant. Waiters know all the best spots.

That said, I have been introduced to a great bar, with a great outdoor patio. And who doesn’t love a great outdoor patio on which to drink, right?

Rontom’s on East Burnside at 6th Avenue. There is no sign, so you kind of have to know what you are looking for, a grey building with tallish windows along burnside, maybe two blocks before Le Pigeon. Or you can look for the crowd of ESH (East Side Hipsters — a crossbreed of 80’s throwbacks, if young, and Marxists in thrift store clothes, if a little older) clustered outside.

Now that I am working nights again, it seems that is a precursor to going out after said shift. Rontom’s has been my favourite watering hole thus far. And yes, the patio is the main reason for this newly found libation station.

Come on, you put a ping pong table outside, and how can I resist?

Grandma wasn’t there, but could have been. It’s a big place.

The drinks were strong and appropriately priced. As a bartender myself, I hate paying more than six bucks for a Stoli and tonic. I know how much Stoli costs a bar, so anything more than that and it is literal robbery. Rontom’s charged me $5.50 for a tall, and I can live with that. Not that I am cheap, quite the contrary, but I do not like overpaying for alcohol just to sit somewhere posh, especially when I am so much more comfortable at a pic-a-nic table outside.

Also, the female bartender was cute, and put my tall in a pint glass. A girl after my own heart…

Portland, Chicago, Stoli, Rontoms, Rontom’s, outdoor, patio, drinking

Since I have moved to Portland, I have been struggling to find good delivery options for my lazy nights. Living in a college town and then a large city like Chicago, I have to admit that I have become rather spoiled. I know delivery exists in this town, but my luck so far has been spotty at best.

Which brings me to today’s topic. It’s more of a rave today, and Rudy’s Gourmet Pizza is my new favorite pizza place. I “dined in” the first time I went there, and if you go you have to look at the wall on your left as you go back toward the washrooms. It is an AWESOME pencil sketch of Michael Jackson. And there is a Ms. Pac-Man arcade game, the one you sit down at across from your opponent. The joysticks are a little slow to respond, but hey, it’s the novelty. I made it through four levels before I started getting annoyed. These new fangled video games we got now-a-days (I HEART MY XBOX 360!!) have absolutely ruined me for the slow, antiquated machines of my childhood, and yet still, I continue to plunk my quarters in them.

Rudy’s is at SE 47th and Powell, on the south side of the street. It has a small parking lot as well.

Dining in was nothing special atmosphere-wise, kinda like that pizza place all the stoners worked at in high school, but the service was quite good. Granted, we were the only two people there when we arrived, but as there are maybe twenty-five seats in the place, I don’t see service being a problem even when they are busy. The server was the cutest young girl, who had to get “Grandma” to serve the beer my boyfriend ordered. The beer selection is small, but well-chosen for the most part.

Side Note: How great is it living in Portland if you like good beer? Even small places strive to have only good beer to sell.

Last night, I tried Rudy’s for delivery, and what a pleasant experience. Not only was the guy who answered the phone polite and nice, helpful even, the pizza beat his thirty-five minute quote but a good fifteen minutes. That’s right, I got my pizza in twenty minutes. That is unheard of.

I am not entirely sure what the delivery zone is, but I am so happy that I live in it.

Here’s some specifics. The crust is thin and crispy, quite tasty, and the toppings are generous. The toppings are the usual quasi-gourmet style, with things like chicken and salami, polish hot dogs and meatballs, to veggies like artichoke hearts and portabello. My only beefs with the ‘za is that there are not cheese choices for the create-your-own’s. And the sauce is a bit on the sweeter side. That is not a problem, per se, I am just stating my opinion. There are also other menu items, of course, but I have yet to order anything besides pizza and Dr. Pepper. But the cute little girl that waited on me did offer Elephant Ears. Another time, perhaps.

Rudy’s Gourmet Pizza is located at 4716 SE Powell and the phone number is 503-771-8008. Oh, yeah, did I mention that the delivery was free of charge? Tip well! It’s worth it.

Rudy’s Gourmet Pizza, Portland, pizza, delivery, dining, Michael Jackson, Ms. Pac-Man, Chicago, Powell

If you did not know, Portland, Oregon is or should be a destination for all “cork dorks” out there.

Oregon is an ideal spot for growing wine grapes, in particular spectacular pinot noir, which is considered the hardest grape to grow and grow well. Don’t get me wrong, other grapes are grown here, including chardonnay, pinot gris, and very good rieslings, but in the world of wine, pinot noir is the crown prince. Cabernet sauvignon may be considered the king, but only in that Henry VIII sort of way. Big, fat, better marketing.

Some people out there may think that Oregon is a little too far north to grow wine, but oh, how wrong you would be. In fact, the northern part of Oregon sits on the famed 45th parallel. That’s latitude, people. Did you know that the Bourdeaux region in France is also along the 45th parallel?

And yes, the 45th parallel is the half-way point between the Equator and the North Pole. Also, the South Pole if you are at 45 degrees South, but if you were at 45 degrees South, you could only be in Argentina, Chile, or New Zealand, and each of those countries also produce fairly tasty grape juice in their own right.

Oregon pinot noir is something special though. There is such a great micro-climate for growing this particular grape, with the Pacific Ocean providing both warmth and rain, but the Coast Range of mountains protecting the vineyards from too much rain. Also, having a nice big river like the Willamette doesn’t hurt either.

So even though I hear many people lament that Oregon never gets hot, you can thank that temperate weather for producing awesome grapes which in turn produce awesome wine.

Portland lies about an hour away from the heart of the wine country out in Yamhill County. There are other areas to the south as well. In addition, you also have the Columbia River Valley wine country within a couple of hours with Walla Walla at the farthest reach.

So, if you are a wine geek, you really should think about an Oregon vacation with Portland as your base. Or if you live here, and have never been out to the seemingly gazillion wineries in the area, I cannot urge you enough to plan a day or a weekend and head out to Yamhill.

Portland, Oregon, Wine, pinot noir, vineyards, wineries, Columbia River Valley, Walla Walla, Yamhill County, Willamette River, Bourdeaux, 45th parallel, south pole, north pole, equator