For the first time since I was about 13, I am the proud owner of a new bike. I purchased this beauty at Target today:
My New Bike
It’s a 26″ Schwinn Gateway. I got it for $180, but most of that was birthday money. Marisa has wanted me to get one for a year or so, since she got a bike for her birthday. We will go for our first ride this afternoon.
I’m a little nervous about riding in traffic, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m not always a fan of Portland’s cyclists, since most of them seem to have the attitude that “sharing the road” is something only cars have to do. But who knows? Maybe riding around will give me a new perspective.
My parents moved to Kennewick, Washington about a year ago, which is part of the Tri-Cities area, just north of Pendleton, Oregon. Although the town itself is kind of an armpit, my parents kept extolling its virtues, especially the budding wine industry. I had been to their house (which is quite nice) a couple of times, but Marisa hadn’t, so we went out last weekend to pay a visit.
Barrel Tasting at Kestrel Vintners
It turned out that we arrived on the opening weekend for the spring, so the wineries banded together to put on an event. Accordingly, the crowds were pretty thick. We got to Prosser, a nearby town and the center of the local wine industry, around noon, stopping first at a string of tasting rooms on the outskirts of town. We began at Kestrel, which was one of our favorites. We purchased bracelets for $35 that allowed us to taste at about 20 different wineries around town. Most of the wine at all the places was pretty good, although I will readily admit that I am no wine expert.
After trying wine at 3 tasting rooms at our first stop, we headed into Prosser to hit up the Prosser Winemakers Loft, a collection of tasting rooms from 7 wineries, spread out over a couple of acres with interconnecting paths. This was where the bulk of the tourists were centered, naturally, and there was a buzz to the place. Our first stop when we got there was not a tasting room, but the deep-fried asparagus vendor. It was definitely worth the stop, as it was delicious and we needed something in our stomachs.
The theme of this event was barrel tasting, so most of the wineries offered a sip of their wines from the barrel, followed by the same wine from the bottle, to illustrate how the wine develops. As a relative beginner, I found this really helpful and interesting, and it also made the day about more than just drinking a bunch of wine.
We ended up getting to about 6 of the 7 wineries before leaving. We didn’t plan our eating schedule very well, and the food choices there weren’t much deeper than fried asparagus, so we left a bit earlier than I had hoped.
What I Learned
Tasting Syrah at Airfield Estates
I generally stick to whites, because they’re served cold, and for some reason, I have an aversion to beverages served at room temperature. That said, I did enjoy several of the syrahs I tried, particularly the ones at Kestrel and at Airfield Estates. I reaffirmed my distaste for Gewurtztraminers (although, oddly enough, that was the only kind we bought a bottle of) and Rieslings.
I also discovered that my apprehension about not being classy enough to go wine tasting was wholly unwarranted. I was really surprised at how casual the whole thing was. Relatively, I’d say our group was in the top 90th percentile. There were people with wine glasses tied around their necks, because they were too lazy to carry them around. Marisa spotted a couple of women with wine koozies, which are basically like beer koozies: a layer of foam rubber around the chalice of the wine glass. There were also a lot of matching t-shirts and drunk 20-something girls screaming about how drunk they were.
The Way Home
We left the next day around 1pm, which left us plenty of time to make some stops on the way home. Marisa wanted to get an upclose look at all the new wind turbines in the gorge, and we got some good pictures. Also, we stopped off at the Stonehenge replica at Maryhill, on the Washington side of the Columbia River.
Wind Turbines on the Washington Side of the Columbia
The View From Stonehenge
"Stonehenge, where the demons dwell. Stonehenge, where the banshees live, and they do live well."
For many, Easter is a time to reflect on their religion, or spend time with family. For me, Easter is an opportunity to prove my dominance over the buffet at the Benson Hotel in Downtown Portland. This year was no exception.
Before you start thinking I’m a glutton, I should explain: I’m not simply a volume eater; I don’t count up how many plateloads I down. My focus is more sophisticated, my goal nobler. Simply put, I try to eat as many different kinds of meat as I can. I found an old blog entry from 2008, in which I ate 10 varieties. That’s certainly a feat to be proud of, but nothing compared to this time around.
This year’s tally: 17 meats. I know, it’s impressive.
The Rules:
The first rule is pretty simple: at least one bite of a meat makes it official. The second rule is a subject of debate between my friends and family. What constitutes a meat? Can one animal produce two different kinds of meat? In the end, we decided that eggs are not a meat (although I believe they should be), and that one animal can give us several kinds of distinct meat products. After all, can you say that bacon is the same as a pork chop? However, in the case of salmon, we concluded that there isn’t enough of a difference between smoked, baked, and poached, so I only got one check mark there. Alright, enough with the explanations, let’s see the list!
The List:
Bacon – standard
Sausage – breakfast
Ham – standard
Pork – 2 kinds: chop and roulade (but it only counts once)
Lamb – chop
Duck – breast
Clams – steamed
Chorizo – served with clams
Oysters – smoked and on the half shell (but again, it only counts once)
Salmon – see “The Rules” section
Whitefish – smoked
Scallops – smoked
Tuna – sushi
Eel – sushi
Shrimp – cocktail-style
Crab – legs
Beef – roast
Lessons Learned:
When it was all said and done, I was quite full. Although I’m quite pleased with my meat consumption, there were consequences. Nothing unpleasant, I assure you, but consequences nonetheless. I stumbled into a bit of a meat stupor toward the end of the meal, but then again, so did everyone else. No, the main problem was that my single-minded pursuit of meat meant that I left some really delicious food on the buffet table. Blintzes, eggs benedict, cheese, cheesy potatoes, omelettes, and other taste treats went barely touched (by me, at least).
Questions still abound. Can I top 17 meats next year? Is it worth trying? I guess we’ll have to wait until next Easter to find out.
Marisa’s boss took spring break off, so we took the opportunity to get out of town for a couple of days at Cannon Beach.
We stayed at the Sand Trap Inn, which is just south of the downtown strip. The weather was sunny and beautiful each day we were there, although it was a bit windy (but then again, it IS the Oregon coast). We had good meals and beer at Bill’s Brewery and The Warren House. The beer at both places was Bill’s, and it was quite good. At Bill’s, we had a great shrimp and cheese sandwich and fish and chips, and at the Warren House, we had their awesome babyback ribs.
Marisa was dying to get a kite and take advantage of the windy weather, so we got a little $15 shark kite at the kite shop in downtown, and headed out to the beach. After crashing and burning for a bit, we readjusted the kite string and finally got our little guy airborne.
The next day, it was on to Manzanita, which I never realized was such a great little town. I’ve always driven past the turnoff to the downtown area, but it turns out it’s really kind of cool. It reminds me a little of Carmel, California, on a smaller and less expensive scale. The tide was out and we walked at least 200 yards from the sea grass out to the edge of the ocean.
Then on to Tillamook, for the cheese factory tour. It’s always the same, but still oddly enjoyable. It’s crazy to see the machines at work, and I always learn something new about cheese. We always stop in the shop and get a bag of cheese curds, which if you haven’t tried them, are fantastic. They’re basically small hunks of cheddar cheese that haven’t quite finished aging yet. They’re salty and delicious, and they squeak when you eat them.
Take a look at some of the photos from the trip:
Marisa shows off her shark kite.
Struggling to get it into the air...
The kite refuses to cooperate.
After a few adjustments to the string, success!
Look at that shark fly!
Marisa really enjoyed getting that kite in the air.
I liked it, too.
Manzanita with the tide out.
What coast trip would be complete without a trip to the Tillamook Cheese Factory?
Behold the glory that is my new site design! I had been contemplating redesigning my site for some time, as I felt that my old design was way behind where I was from a skills standpoint. Take a look below, to refresh your memory:
Not nearly as cool as this site.
I built this site through WordPress’s open source content management system. To non-techies, it’s a bit different than the regular WordPress blogging platform you’re used to. I’m really thrilled with how I was able to manipulate the template to make exactly what I had in my head before I even started.
New Features on NickVoll.com:
Better blogging capabilities – users can now log in and comment
Streaming Twitter feed
Improved interaction for readers (click on the pictures in the header!)
Share function on blog posts, for easy linking on Facebook, etc.
I went over to help my friend Chuck clean out his girlfriend’s deceased grandmother’s house recently (which sounds more complicated than it was), and I stumbled across a piece of my childhood: “Rip City Rhapsody” on cassette. To refresh your memory, this song was put out by Z100 during the Blazers’ run at the NBA Title in 1990. Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey, and Danny Young help sing the chorus, and the rappers are the guys from the U-Krew. For Blazers fans, this is one of the touchstones of the early 90′s Western Conference Championship teams. For everyone else, it’s a ridiculously cheesy hip-hop song. I can’t believe this song came out 20 years ago. I’m so old. Below I’ve posted the original song, the instrumental, and a ringtone. I know the ringtone works for me because I have a memory card in my phone, but I’m not sure it will work for everyone. I can send you copies of any of these if you email me. Just click on the contact link in the menu. Also below: the video and lyrics, which were written by none other than Tony Martinez, the traffic guy from KPTV-12, who used to be a morning DJ for Z100.
Rip City Rhapsody
Rip City Rhapsody Instrumental
Rip City Rhapsody Ringtone
Rip City Rhapsody Lyrics
RIP CITY RHAPSODY, PORTLAND, OREGON USA,
RIP CITY RHAPSODY, WE’RE THE BLAZERS AND WE LOVE TO PLAY.
SLAM A JAM OR JUMP SHOT, BLAZERS BURNIN’ RED HOT,
RIP CITY REPEAT, WINNIN’ TO A NEW BEAT,
BIG AND PROUD IN THE NBA,
SACKIN’ HOT STATS EVERY TIME WE PLAY.
TEAMWORK, BOUNCE PASS, POISE, PRIDE, FIRST CLASS,
HOT SEATS COURTSIDE, BLAZER BUS FREE RIDE,
HALFTIME HOMETEAM GAME ENHANCERS,
TALKIN’ ‘BOUT PORTLAND’S BLAZER DANCERS.
FASTBREAK FLYIN’, KEEP ON TRYIN’, NOW WE’RE SMOKIN’,
NOW WE’RE SKYIN’, WE AIN’T MESSIN’, WE AIN’T LYIN’,
PORTLAND’S WINNIN’ SO STOP YOUR CRYIN’.
(CHORUS)
BIG PRESS FULL COURT, FOUL SHOT FALLS SHORT,
TIP IN, IT’S GOOD, LEATHER BALL, HARD WOOD
STEAL IT, SCORE IT, LICKETY BRINDLE,
THAT’S WHAT WE CALL SWISH AND SWINDLE.
DRIVE, STOP, PUMP, SHOOT, LISTEN TO THE HORN TOON,
BACKBOARD SNAP BACK, BE BLAZERMANIAC,
REF IS RUNNIN’, BLOWING HIS WHISTLE,
YA BETTER HANG ON, ‘CAUSE WE’RE FLYIN’ LIKE A MISSLE.
PORTLAND’S JAMMIN’, DRIVIN’, SLAMMIN’,
OTHER TEAMS ARE FAKIN’, OTHER TEAMS ARE SCAMMIN’,
LAY UP’S NICE, BUT WHY NOT CRAM ‘EM,
BLAZERS DON’T JUST WIN, THEY SLAM ‘EM.
(CHORUS)
LOOSE BALL, MAD DASH, INTO THE FANS CRASH,
JUMPBALL HALF COURT, ROUNDBALL’S A HOT SPORT,
DEEP FROM THE BASELINE, BALL IN FLIGHT,
CHALK IT UP TWO, RED, BLACK AND WHITE.
LISTEN TO THE FLOOR SQUEAK, PORTLAND ON A HOT STREAK,
POWER PLAY, HOOK SHOT, PARTY IN THE PARKING LOT,
RIMS ARE BREAKIN’, BACKBOARDS FALLIN’,
CAUSE WE’RE BLAZER BASKETBALLIN’.
PORTLAND’S CRUISIN’, BUSTIN’, BRUISIN’,
NO MORE SLEEPIN’, NO MORE SNOOZIN’,
I DON’T CARE WHAT ‘D’ YOU’RE USIN’,
PORTLAND’S GONNA LEAVE YOU LOSIN’.
(CHORUS)
LACIN’ UP A HIGH TOP, GONNA MAKE A BIG STOP,
PICK ‘EM OFF, PUT IT IN, THEN YOU STEAL IT BACK AGAIN,
EVERYBODY STOMPIN’, FEET AND HANDS,
AND YA GOTTA GIVE IT UP FOR THE PORTLAND FANS,
MOVIN’ ON A DRIBBLE DRIVE, SLAPPIN’ UP A HIGH FIVE,
AT THE BUZZER IN FOR THREE, WE WANT A VICTORY,
LIGHT THE BLAZE AND LET THE SCORE GET HIGHER,
BUT YA BETTER CALL THE COPS ‘CAUSE THE HOOP’S ON FIRE.
HUSTLE, SWAT IT, NOW WE GOT IT,
BLAZER FEVER, HOPE YOU CAUGHT IT,
TRUE BELIEVERS EVERY MINUTE,
YA KNOW WE WANT IT, COME ON WIN IT!
Marisa wanted to try snowshoeing for the longest time, and finally, last weekend, I gave in. I must say that I was resistant to go, but my fears were wholly unwarranted. I guess I was hesitant to try it because it had the potential to be very difficult, with a questionable reward. It turns out that snowshoeing is actually quite fun, and absolutely worth the sweat.
We headed out around 10am on Saturday, stopping in Sandy on the way to rent snowshoes. They ran $12 a pair at a small shop along Highway 26 in the middle of town. They also came with a free dose of really good advice about where to go without having to chain up, which was invaluable. We also lucked into a spotlessly beautiful day in which to head out. After stopping off for a donut and our Snow Park pass at the donut shop, we headed for White River, a park on Highway 35, near Mt. Hood Meadows.
We pulled into the first parking lot labled “White River,” and were surprised by how small and packed with cars it was. After we loaded up and strapped in, we ran into another couple who was confused about where the trail might be. We had no idea, so they asked someone else. We, being rugged individualists, forged on through the woods, headed toward the mountaintop. We soon discovered the main parking lot, approximately 1/4 of a mile farther along, with plenty of spots. On the other end of the lot was the river, and the valley surrounding it.
At first we were a bit dismayed by the large turnout; dozens of rowdy kids were running around with sleds. A quick turn off the main path and into the wooded area revived our spirits, however. The forest was quiet with snow, beautiful, and sparsely populated. We walked reasonably far toward the peak of the mountain, with a long break in the middle to lay in the snow and admire the scenery. We took as different a path as possible back to our car, taking time to befoul large swaths of untouched snow along the way (with our footprints).
All told, we spent about three hours walking around and taking photos. A stop at the Dairy Queen in Rhododendron on the way home was a great capper to the day. We will do it again, and you should too!
This mix was made to ring in 2010, but works perfectly as a workout or party mix. It’s digitally mixed, which means no breaks in between, and no breaks on the dance floor!
track list
1. Muse – Uprising
2. Metric – Help I’m Alive
3. MGMT – Kids (Soulwax Remix)
4. Of Montreal – Gallery Piece
5. Le Tigre – Deceptakon (DFA Remix)
6. MIA – 10
7. Daft Punk – Harder Better Faster Stronger
8. Gorillaz – Dare (DFA Remix)
9. Hot Chip – (Just Like We) Break Down (DFA Remix)
10. The Killers – Human
11. Dizzee Rascal – Stand Up Tall
12. Basement Jaxx – Hot ‘n’ Cold
13. Soul Coughing – Super Bon Bon (Propellorheads Remix)
14. White Zombie & Young MC – Blur the Fastest Rhyme
I am attempting to solve a mystery, with few clues to to go by. Let me set the scene of the crime: Tuesday night at the Mall 205 24-Hour Fitness, from 6:30-9:30pm. I arrived at the gym to play basketball, since my regular Tuesday night game was cancelled. Marisa was having a group of her girlfriends over to make Christmas wreaths, so I kind of needed to get out of the house. Anyway…
I get to the gym and put my jacket, hat, and gym bag in a locker inside the men’s locker room. Inside my gym bag: wallet, keys, cell phone. My lock doesn’t use numbers; it is a word lock, with a secret password. It’s easier to remember than a random number. With these kind of locks, you must have the password in place in order to close it up, so you must be very conscientious about lining the letters up in order to lock it. I say this because I am quite confident I correctly sealed the locker. I then went to the basketball court for the next three hours, attempting to keep up with the teenagers.
When I returned to the locker room, I started to have a mini-freakout, because my lock was gone. I frantically opened the locker, only to discover all of my belongings exactly where I placed them (or at least they seemed to be). There was no sign of my lock whatsoever. I sorted through my wallet to make sure all of my credit cards were in place, and they were. Next, I went to the front desk and explained what happened. I don’t know if they exactly believed me, although they were polite. No one had turned in a lock, either.
Now I need to figure out what happened. How was my lock removed from the locker? Did someone watch me set the code? Does someone have a secret method of opening locks? Did I make a mistake and leave it unlocked? Why didn’t they take my stuff? There was cash and credit cards in my wallet, and they could have stolen my phone, or even my car. I wish that there was security camera footage of the locker room, and that I had access to it. If you have any ideas, email them to me: nick@nickvoll.com.
After a month of growing and scratching, Novembeard is finally complete. I am somewhat pleased with the results, although I’m not sure if I will keep the beard after today. Surprisingly, Marisa is somewhat okay with the facial hair, as long as I shave the mustache. So now it’s really up to me. I’m sure that I will at least trim the weirdo long hairs that have cropped up, but I don’t know what to do with the rest of it. Suggestions?
November 30 – The beard is complete. Now what to do with it?
November 20 – The neck swirl is really becoming noticable
