Monday, August 15, 2011

Brunch in Bridgetown: Screen Door

This will be a series. Not exactly weekly, but sporadically (See, sporadic means once in a while. Try using it in a sentence today.) That was another Clueless reference. Please rent that movie if you still don’t get it. Anywho, I freak-yeah LOVE brunch. My favorite Portland places create a long list. I have tried a lot of places and have some favorites.

This week’s addition is about Screen Door, mostly because I went there yesterday. But it is one of my favy b-fast spots. Screen Door is a well known eatery and no matter what, you are looking at a 45min- hour long wait. Like most places in Portland, they offer cups of that legal addictive stimulant that we all love, coffee. They serve Stumptown Coffee. Bomb.co.uk. More importantly, they have a killer bloody mary. And if you don't like vodka with your breakfast, you can always order a virgin mary! Screen Door also has food... weird. My favorite being their hipster style grits. I mean this in the most loving way possible of course. It is southern cooking with creole undertones and Portland flare. Their chicken and waffles are amazeballs. Cajun seasoned chicken and a sweet potato waffle to accompany. Savory breakfast with sweet maple syrup on the side… if you are one of those. (You know, those freaks who like kettle corn/ mixing salty and sweet).

mmmmm bloody mary
My personal fave is the delectable dish called garden grits. My favorite food is cheese (insert gasp here)… everyone already knows this fun fact. Grits are freaking cheese for breakfast! AND they have the texture of polenta. I mean, you can get plain grits too. But why would anyone do that when they could get cheese grits!? More often than not, grits are super greasy. Not at screen door! (only moderately greasy) They make theirs with provolone, spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes… soooo melt in your mouth delish. If you don’t believe me go try it. If you are more of a carnivore type, they also have farm grits. They come complete with ham and poached eggs. If you decide to go, tell our friends Patrick and Sam hi! Yes, over the past couple years my people have made friends with the bar tenders (Libby gave one of them her card once. It was hilar… don’t tell Chris)

Partially eaten garden grits.

Chels and her fried oyster benedict/ BM in hand.. of course.
Now, I encourage you all to start brunching. It is really fun to explore our fine city while simultaneously indulging in this gluttonous weekend ritual.  

PS. I know my grammar isn't great. Try not to judge too harshly.


Friday, August 12, 2011

Tears are the sign of a cinematic great.

Last night I saw The Help with my sister and her co-worker my new BFF Anne (with an E, like Anne of Green Gables).  I was beyond excited to see this movie. I loved the book, and by book I mean audio book. Side note: I commute to work and love listening to audio books. It makes car time much more enjoyable. That, and radio DJs are the absolute worst. Listening to my iPod is okay I guess. But when it is early I would much rather zone to a story and sip my coffee. It is either that or lame attempts to be alert enough to sing along to something. IMO singing and car dancing should be saved for the drive home.  Also, I need to listen to books because I went to Portland Public schools and never learned to read. (This is clearly a yoke. I can read… sort of)

Back to The Help. I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Yes film. I cried twice! Well, I cry often… so that isn’t saying much and probably shouldn’t be what defines it as a film/ cinematic great. I must admit that I cried when I watched Cheaper by the Dozen (that is the lamest movie I can think of that I cried at).

The Help was incredibly well made. The time period, the clothes, the food. I was very pleased. I went in with extremely high expectations and was not disappointed. There were a few things that bugged me though. Why do screen writers change things that don’t need to be changed? Like names etc. It adds nothing to the story! Idiots. Also, they took out a lot of the fear that was communicated in the written story. The screen writers decided to gloss over a lot of the racial tension that was highlighted so well in the novel. It isn’t a secret that things were volatile in Mississippi in the 1960s. At least they left the historical events in there. But that was really it. I guess I understand the need for mass appeal in order to make good money/ be a box office hit.  


Anyway, go see it. It was awesome! One of the best moments was after the credits rolled. I turned around and looked at the audience. It was a theatre full of women and as I glanced around EVERYONE was wiping tears off of their faces (myself included). It was hilar! I would say, all those tears means it's a film worth seeing.

PS. Emma Stone is my new Rachel McAdams. Still love Rach, but need to make some room for Emma.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Perla, mi amiga y mi hermana.

Another life changing experience for the books.

I love the company I work for. I was blessed with an amazing job. I do admin and it obviously gets tedious but recently I had the opportunity to go to Nicaragua with one of the mission teams. This trip was extra special because not only did I need it in my personal life, but I also needed it in my job. I am now better at my job because I went. I know about being on location and I was refreshed in knowing that the tedious tasks I do in the office actually have a purpose.

The organization I work for sends short-term mission teams to developing countries and have local partnerships all over the world.  I work in the teams department and specifically work with group leaders, team facilitators and our field staff. I assist all of our Team coordinators and help get teams out the door and to location.

I had the opportunity to go to Managua and Leon Nicaragua. I went with one of our repeat teams that annually go on a specialty trip. They go north to an area called Leon, a poor more rural area where they serve at a local church and in the community. We camped for 5 days in the hottest region of Nicaragua during rainy season. It was um… challenging, but also an amazing experience that definitely took me out of my comfort zone. 

That is the thing about comfort zones though. Doesn't God want us outside our comfort zones all the time? If we are truly serving the Lord shouldn't we always be required to be a little uncomfortable? If there is no feeling of uncertainty how are we really trusting God with our lives?

Anyway, back to Leon.
Note: Rain in Nicaragua is not as friendly as it is here in Oregon.  Yes, it is hot as it rains in Nicaragua, but the rain also comes down in sheets.  These aren't just big drops. If it started raining while we were trying to have a discussion we would have to give up. Seriously buckets of rain ricocheting off of the tin roofs.

Some awesome camping stories came out of this trip.  I am not the strongest of campers… to say the least.  I am used to fluffy camping in the NW where there are bathrooms and showers, and if not showers at least a lake or river to feel clean (and NW camping is sometimes a struggle for me).  I was pushed and God used it to help me bond with other team members who were in the same boat.  I don’t like being smelly… but at least we all smelled. I was forced to become familiar with, what we like to call, “baby-wipe bathing.” Basically we all smelled like B.O., baby butts, sunscreen and bug spray.

Our camp
One of our work sites
The kitchen where our AMAZING food was cooked. How they made those delicious meals over a fire is beyond me.


The team was fantastic! They have been coming to this community for a number of years and members of the community couldn’t wait to greet their old friends. We did a medical clinic, VBS, and one of our team members, Patricia, taught a quilting class to the women of the church. The women were captivated by Patricia. I will just let the pictures speak for themselves.
Cuddles with the kiddos.
FEI Staff hanging out in the medical clinic.
The kids just wanted to hang out. No effort needed. But a game or two always helps.
Patricia with her dear friend in Leon.
Patricia and her quilting class.
This woman and her husband have been married for over 60 years.


Leaving Leon with tearful goodbyes.
As amazing as my time in Leon was, my time in Managua was even more impactful.

In Managua we serve in the city dump. There is an entire community within the city dump, La Chureca. We have a home for girls in Managua called Villa Esperanza. This home is a safe haven for girls that God has rescued from the Dump through FEI. In La Chureca teenage girls are at risk. They are threatened by the garbage truck drivers, abuse, drug use etc. Many parents encourage their daughters as young as 12 and 13 to sell their bodies to the drivers for money or for the first pick of garbage.

Recently we had a photographer (Marianne Bach) take photos of La Chureca. Here are a few.

A home in the dump.
Heading to work to collect trash.
The girls that we house in the Villa Esperanza (village of hope) are the most amazing girls I have ever met. They have so much spirit and joy, yet they come from dyer circumstances. (Shameless plug: Click to sponsor a child!)
Lindsay, our child sponsorship director, with all of the girls living at the Villa.

The most meaningful relationship I built was with Perla. Perla is the oldest girl living at the Villa. Knowing her story, spending time with her, and developing a true friendship with her changed me. I have gone on mission trips before. Never on those trips did I connect with another individual near my age as an equal and sister. We talked (with difficulty due to the language barrier) like I would talk with any of my friends, or how I talk to my cheerleaders. It wasn’t a kid at VBS or a woman my senior. It was a teenager who could be my younger sister.
A portrait of Perla. (Taken by Marianne)

On the last night in Managua we had dinner with the girls. At the end of dinner Gloria, the Villa director, welcomed us to go pray for the girls and shared that the girls may pray for us as well. Immediately, Perla stood up and walked over to me. She came over and began praying for me in Spanish. I immediately burst into tears. It was so incredibly powerful. I then tearfully prayed for her. (I mean ugly cry) We sat there crying, hugging and holding hands until the girls were excused to go back to their houses.
Right after all of the praying and crying. I love her!

My trip to Nicaragua was wonderful and there are a lot of things I am leaving out. Actually, I pretty much left out all of the funny things because the serious ones just seemed more important. I have no idea what my future holds. It is easy for me to want to be in control and need to know what is next. But that’s not my job it’s His.

Does the clay say to a potter, "What are you making?" Isaiah 45:9

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The outside world just doesn’t get the joke. Fishism.

Well actually, I’m the one who didn’t get the joke. Just a few years late (13ish), but I am currently watching Ally McBeal on Netflix. It is available under the watch instantly option. It seriously rocks. What’s not to love!? I am only on season 3 so don’t ruin it! I am now just getting many pop culture references from the past. For example, that dancing baby! Everyone remembers the dancing baby. A few of my people are watching as well. My gurl Marina mentioned that the dancing baby even showed up at the Emmys one year! We had no idea it was from Ally McBeal. Also, Billy just bleached his hair, as did my entire 7th grade class. It just all makes sense to me all of a sudden. Why was that ever a good idea? Yes, I would like to dip my head (which contains my brain) into a bucket of chemicals! Perfectly reasonable. Not to mention it turned their hair yellow instead of blonde. Now, go be a normal person and have the chemicals painted on like the rest of us!

Anyway, my favorite character is Elaine. She is just wacky! So you don’t want wrinkles right? Wear a face bra. Duh.


We were just too young when Ally McBeal aired. But seriously, watch it. You won’t be disappointed.

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

The higher the hair, the closer to God.

The idea of the beauty shop has been in American culture forever. (So for me that means the past 24 years). A place where women flock to get their hair cut, colored and “set.” Whatever that means. Nowadays people go get a blowout or a weave. The beauty parlor has been the hub of gossip, drama and practically a therapist’s office for generations. I think of pink curlers, tile floors and plastic salon chairs. I can practically smell the perm solution! The beauty shop has a stronghold in our culture. Why else would E! consider Queen Latifah’s C-list movie Beauty Shop a “Movie we Love.” For reals!? From 08-09 every time I changed the channel to E! They were freaking playing Beauty Shop. It turned into a household joke in college. It is just not good enough to be on TV that much.

The idea of a beauty shop, or what we now call a salon, is a haven away from our busy lives. You get to read a magazine, sip a glass of red wine or Diet Coke, relax and leave looking like a whole new person! In movies they reference things they heard at the salon. Not only did Elle Woods get her best encouragement from her manicurist, she taught her salon friends the bend and snap! That is everyone’s favorite part of the film. I say film rather than movie for the obvious cinematic greatness that is Legally Blonde.


The men’s barber shop fulfills the same purpose. It is a safe place to spill the beans. Although, if pop culture has taught me anything, it’s that you probably shouldn’t reveal your deepest darkest secrets at the salon. You never know who is under the drying hood three stations away. I assume this is a much bigger deal in a small town where there is only one place to get your hair done. For me this isn’t an issue and I let it fly when I hit the salon. If you want to know my business just follow me to the salon. I don’t hold back. Especially if there is some wine in me.


My hair dresser is Da’ Bomb! She is not just a stylist she is a friend. For this posts sake let’s call her Micah (names have been changed to protect the innocent… or have they?) Micah has seen me through breakups, makeups, breakups again, more makeups… (I could do that for a while) graduations, my sisters wedding, my time thus far in phase four, some bad dates etc. You get the idea. We get to see her through things too! Old boyfriends, sibling marriages, becoming an aunt for the second time AND she is about to get married in less than a month! So exciting! The best part is that we share a faith. My time in the chair at Micah’s station turns into a time of fellowship. I can talk to her about my relationship with God and she can advise me from a place that I agree with and that I know comes from the heart. She also does my mom, my sister, my roommate, and another one of my gurl’s hair. Just think of the information she holds in that perfectly quaffed head of hers. We better stay on her good side! Micah aka the miracle worker. (AKA should be pronounced with a Minnesota accent ala Drop Dead Gorgeous)

Cross-eyed alien




I happened to get my hair did yesterday. I decided to go blonder. Why not!? I heard somewhere that blondes have more fun. Maybe it's a myth. I will report my findings.  

Monday, August 08, 2011

Go team! Fight fight! Gee, I hope I look alright.

I am a cheerleading coach and this week we start up again. I am sort of ready for this season and sort of not. It is just a big time commitment and I was enjoying my summer. The hardest thing I have been working on this summer (besides actual work) is my tan.

My friends would say that I am obnoxiously upbeat sometimes. Fortunately, they have gotten really good at ignoring it like my family does. I LOVE cheerleading. I love the energy, I love to tumble and I love to dance. Mostly I love my kids and the coaching staff. (Wow, so much love... I may vomit) Anywho, we have so much fun together! The girls respect us and work hard. The coaches have a great dynamic. We are friends, we aren’t afraid to say what we think, we have a lot of fun together and most importantly… we love to win! Wilson has been placing top 3 in state for the past 8 years. We are slightly struggling in our program, but apparently it is a school wide issue. People just can’t afford to get their kids involved in sports. They can’t fork over the “pay to play.” (a sports fee to the school). And with cheer we pay for competitions, gear, travel etc. These families present us with a hefty amount of their hard earned cash! I mean, we do go to Disneyland for nationals after all… isn’t it worth it? Maybe/ maybe not. What is more important… saving for college or high school cheerleading?... I say it’s a toss up.

I attribute this problem to the damned economy. What the heck!? Why hasn’t this been figured out yet? I’m no politician, but we have been talking about/ dealing with this crappy economy for a number of years now. These politicians really should have taken problem solving at George Smith Elementary. Those word problems were tricky! It definitely would have prepped them for this one.

Example:            
If the stock market crashes on a regular basis, if Barack has negative 14 trillion dollars and his land is in debt, if Boehner has a spray tan and an idea and if TSA likes to feel people up. How long does it take Barack and Boehner to wash the car?

It obviously takes more than 3 years. My poor Daddy works in finance. I swear his blood pressure has gone up more in the past 3 years than in his entire life (Don't worry folks, he is healthy). It’s like he was elected president! I mean that he has had a hard few years in the same amount of time as a president would… not that he has actually been elected president. I know I look a lot like Obama, but he isn’t my dad. Sorry to confuse.

How lucky was I that the economy took its stellar dive the year I graduated from college? So lucky! It only took me 9 months to find a job. I was so bored, I probably should have just had a baby. BUT, at least the job I have now is the perfect job hand picked for me by God. I am deadly serious about that one. I work for the best non-profit. I am passionate about what I do and look forward to work. This is rare and I feel blessed! Okay, enough mushy stuff. 

This post started about cheerleading and turned into a post about God. Sounds about right to me!

5th place at the 2011 USA nationals

Rah Rah Goooooo Team! (Insert high-kick here)

Friday, August 05, 2011

Well, there goes your social life.

If you didn’t get that Clueless reference I am sad. Remember when socializing was more personal? I do. Life before we had texting and gchat. Life before we had Facebook and Twitter. We had to call each other!

OMGEEEE Remember 3-way calling?! Ah, the days of having a friend call a boy you liked (with you on the line of course) and asking if he “like likes” you. Or watching TRL while you try to figure out how to click back over to complete the call. All whilst wondering why Carson Daly only paints 2 of his nails. Now we have social networking. The most impersonal way of being “friends” and staying in touch. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. Minimal effort and you get credit for it! You “like” a photo or status update and you’re set for another 6 months. You wish someone happy birthday and you are off the hook. Talk about a way to keep up on your correspondence! I do miss the Facebook of yesteryear. Remember when it was just college students and we didn’t have to worry about keeping it kosher for our business relationships or potential employers?

Facebook has changed though. I don’t want to be the person who posts a status about their dinner, or about how wonderful their life is. Those people are freaking liars. I know what they are thinking: "I will post about the sunshine and my delicious summer salad even though I have cramps and a huge pimple. People will think my life is perfect!" Well guess what, life isn’t perfect. Let’s admit that we all wait for the ideal profile picture before switching it up. Yes, by chance I look really good here. This is clearly how I look all the time. I never look bad! I don’t think we are tricking anybody. They can click through and see that unflattering photo that hasn’t been untagged. The jig is up.
My main uses for Facebook are these:
  1. Post pictures of and for my friends. Also for my mom, she likes to see what we are doing.
  2. To creep. Yes, I said it. Who doesn’t love to see that so and so broke up with so and so? I sure do. It’s awesome!
  3. To creep some more. I love looking at other peoples pictures. My mind starts saying things like, “cute shirt,” “that looks like fun,” “I want to go camping” OR “dang. She is pregnant?!” OR “gurlfren gained weight.” Yes, facebook is the place of judgment. It is absolutely horrible, yet true. You can’t deny it. It especially comes in handy when your friend’s exes (or your own) have new girlfriends. We can say things like this: “you are WAY cuter than her.” Etc.
Twitter:
I love twitter, mostly because it is less saturated with randoms. And because I can get news, gossip, current events and status updates from people I actually want to know about/ celebs.

One thing I am both thankful for and struggle with is the limit on characters. Twitter only gives you 140 characters. It is hard to be clever in 140 characters or less. At least I think so! I try to at least make my tweets worth reading. My favorite tweeter: Damian Fahey. Ask Nicole from My Little Blue Bag. She will tell you all about his hilarity. He has such a dry sense of humor I llol every time! Well, almost every time.

Due to this socially saturated technological world and the invention of smart phones. My people are constantly consumed by their mobile devices. Phones sit at the table during happy hours, dinners and random TV watching hangouts. Hey, I’m guilty too. It is just pretty ridiculous if you take a minute to think about it.



Now spend the weekend remembering the simpler times and make a 3-way call with some of your people. You won't regret it!