Elegantly Random

Lucky duck.

Forgive me, for this is probably going to ignite a bit of a rage in some folks, but I want to share with you a little pet peeve of mine. I can't stand it when people say "I'm so blessed" or "We are so blessed" or "What a blessing." It's a peeve that I get to put up with all year round, but during the holiday season these phrases are dropped as often as snow on Vermont.

Wow...that was such a weak simile.

Anyway. You're probably staring at your monitor in horror right now, wondering how anyone can be such a Grinchly curmudgeon as to actively hate phrases that use the word "blessed." But I promise you, this is not entirely due to the fact that I'm not religious. Although I don't attend church or participate in organized religion, I certainly respect the choice of others to do so. And I'm not slamming God in any way. If there is a God, I'm sure God is fabulous and drives a wicked sports car. With the top down.

Here's my beef. The word "blessed" implies that you have been sanctified or consecrated, that you are worthy of adoration or worship, or that you are blissfully content. Those meanings are usually not what people have in mind when they say they are "blessed." They're usually referring to another definition, which is "divinely or supremely favored; fortunate." 

In other words, you are saying that you are fortunate, which is not a bad thing. It's good for people to recognize and appreciate that they have it pretty good, and be thankful and humble. But the word "blessed" means that God has made you fortunate. And if you believe in God, an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God, do you think that God hand-picks some people to be fortunate and others to be screwed? 

Put a different way: when you recount a story about how your boss gave you a $5k bonus and finish it off by saying "I'm so blessed," are you saying that your friends who didn't get a bonus aren't in God's cool-kid clique? That God thought you worthy to receive cash and not them? I don't buy it. Sorry.

So that would be gripe #1 - people basically saying that God picked them to have it good, and if you believe that God has granted you good and happiness, you must also allow as to how the opposite of that is that God intentionally denies others happiness and good.

The other issue I have with the word is that it removes all personal responsibility and accountability from a situation. When people say, "I've got such a good kid, I'm so blessed," it drives me up a wall. You're not blessed! God didn't pause, look around and go, "You! You get to have an awesome kid!" YOU raised that kid and he turned out awesome. You did that. You get a gold star. As far as I'm concerned, you're not blessed. You're fortunate, yes, that your instincts and labor resulted favorably, but you're ultimately reaping the benefits of your own hard work. Pat yourself on the back, because you deserve it. 

Fortunate means having good fortune; receiving good from uncertain or unexpected sources; bringing or indicating good fortune; resulting favorably; auspicious. Fortune means by some miracle, you lucked out and things went well for you. You picked the right guy to marry. You picked the right job. You turned left instead of right. Whatever. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I believe some people just get lucky - often, in the case of my husband, who is an alien. But, essentially, you make a decision and then you wait and see how it turns out. And that's life. 

I don't believe there is a God who picks certain people for good fortune and others for bad. I think humans are creatures with free will, which some would say is a gift from God. And with that will, we make choices every day that affect our lives. When bad things happen to us, we aren't damned by God. When good things happen, we aren't blessed. We're just people stumbling around trying to do the right thing every day. But take a little credit, folks, for your own hard work and good decisions. Sometimes you're not blessed - you're getting what you deserve because you worked for it (the athlete who wins the race after years of training and hard work). And other times, you're just damn lucky and should thank your stars that things turned out as they did because they could just as easily have gone the other way. Either way, you had a hand in it, didn't you?

This year, I am pausing often to appreciate my many successes and fortunes, while also reflecting on my shortcomings and missed opportunities. I'm weighing the good with the bad, but for the most part, I have to say, I feel incredibly LUCKY and thankful to have a husband and family (and dog) who love me, a job to go to every day, and enough money to buy food and vodka. Because who am I kidding? I'm not special. I'm just a chick who lucked out. I am thankful for these things every day, and my heart is full of hope for those who are in need this holiday season. May their fortunes improve in 2010.

The best kind of gift...

Yesterday my office had a little Christmas shin-dig - we all brought food for a pot-luck lunch and then we went to the small town next door and volunteered for a few hours at a Christmas gift donation site. It was a really fun day; we helped move more than a hundred bikes that had been donated that morning, and also helped sort and arrange packages for pick-up. It was pretty awesome to see all the boatloads of gifts various families had donated. Think of all those children who will get gifts after all on Christmas morning. It really reminded me what the season is all about.

However (there's always a "but" with me, isn't there?) the whole experience got me thinking - why is THIS what the season is all about? Forgive me, but isn't the season about celebrating the birth of Jesus? Or the miracle of Hanukkah? Or the winter solstice? Why is the season about gifting? And suddenly I stood there looking around and thinking, wow. This is depressing. Not that there are so many people in need, but that it's EXPECTED that everyone wake up to a slew of gifts on Christmas morning.

I hope I'm explaining this well, but basically, I just find it sad that Christmas has become about giving and receiving gifts. I know I've talked about it before, and I have some friends who have entirely abandoned gift-giving. In some ways, I'm really starting to see the beauty in that. In general, I think we Americans are way too entitled - we feel that we are owed a lot of stuff. You combine that with the greedy commercialism of the season and it's just a recipe for gross overspending.

The trouble for me has always been that I truly love giving gifts to others. I've tried to combat the commercialism of Christmas by focusing on finding gifts all year, rather than in a crunch at Christmas, and by avoiding commercial traps like Black Friday. Sure you can get a deal, but are you really getting something that will mean anything? Will Mom remember those gloves in 15 years? No. It's just a thing that means nothing at all and was given because a gift was expected. I at least try to pick things up that I know will resonate or mean a lot, and get them when I find them, not between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

But like some of my friends before me, I'm starting to wonder what the point of it all is. What if instead of giving gifts, we just spent time with our families? Or took a trip together - all that money spent gifting could be put to use on a cruise ticket or something we'd all remember. Or we donated our money to a charitable cause? But again - I love gifting. And every year, my family says, "Look at all this junk - who needs it? Let's downsize next year..." and it never happens. We just love giving presents too much.

I know I won't solve this problem this year, but the more I think about it, the less I feel like I need and the more I'm thinking of downsizing. Case in point - the best gift I've gotten so far this year was from my coworker. She gave us each a card and it said, "A gift has been given in your honor - four Safe Motherhood kits to mothers." The money goes to mothers in Rwanda, Tanzania and DR Congo to buy clean equipment needed for one birth. That gift makes me weak in the knees. That's what we should be teaching our kids above any Littlest Pet Shop or Star Wars action kit.

I've been struggling to find a happy medium here. Buying gifts when you see something that really suits someone, and not because you're obligated. Doing more handmade gifting. Doing more acts of generosity like sponsoring a family or a kid for Christmas. But I don't know. Something about it still just doesn't feel quite right. And I'm not saying I don't want my kids to someday wake up to gifts on birthdays or holidays, because I do think that's nice. But there's got to be a way to do better. Because I want my gifts to mean something. I want Christmas or whatever holiday I celebrate to be about love and family, not presents. And ideally, I wouldn't be broke or stressed. And maybe parents with low incomes wouldn't feel guilty and depressed because they can't buy each kid 12 new toys.

Two big thumbs up.

Last week, I had the pleasure of accompanying the husband on a business trip to Seattle. Fresh off my November excursion to Portland, I was really excited to see the BIG city of the Northwest...and I was not disappointed. Remember that checklist I made of what, to me, makes up a real city? Seattle did NOT disappoint.

1. A thriving urban center...Duh.

That was easy!

2. Public transportation - yes. The people of Portland would have you believe that Seattle suffers in this area, because they don't have extensive light rail. I disagree. We only used our rental car for one morning, because of the extremely early hour we had to rise. The entire trip, however, we got around on foot and by bus. We did take a cab home one night, but it was only a few dollars for the ride. I found the city to be easy to navigate, easy to walk in the city center, and easy to bus around. Not to mention, your pre-paid Orca card works on the light rail, buses, ferries - everything but the monorail, which is charged separately. Who doesn't love a city with public transportation that includes ferries?

3. A rich and proud history - indeed. The city was full of the same faded side-of-building painted signage we saw all over Portland, as well as some other eye candy:

4. Street vendors - in abundance. Probably the most prolific gathering occurs at Pike's Place Market, where vendors sell everything you can think of - fish, fruit, vegetables, hand-made goods, various ethnic foods, you name it.

   

5. Street musicians/homeless people - Seattle had plenty of street performers, and some of them were among the best I've ever heard/seen. I did NOT notice very many homeless people, especially compared to Portland where everywhere you looked it was like a damn block party of homeless people. 

This guy brought a little friend!

6. Open air markets - Seattle has the best market I've ever seen, which is indoor/outdoor. Pike's Place Market is truly awesome!

7. Thriving arts and cultural scene - Like Portland, Seattle is home to an awesome music and arts scene. We saw the Dandy Warhols in concert on Friday night at a small venue in Capitol Hill, and we saw marquees for lots of other shows and events that looked awesome. And everywhere you look are cute community gardens and awesome parks and recreational events going on, not to mention the wealth of amazing restaurants and other eateries.

   Community garden in South Lake Union

Park in South Lake Union

Outstanding restaurants and coffee shops  

8. Landmarks and identity-building scenery and attractions - in abundance. Mt. Rainier is one of the tallest mountains in the United States at more than 14,000 feet and from 70 miles away it looms over the city. We didn't get great pictures of it because of the clouds, but you can also take in the Cascade and Olympic ranges, the Puget Sound, and so much more. The city is full of interesting and unique architecture and is neatly tucked amongst all these incredible mountains. It's definitely one-of-a-kind.

 The Space Needle

Olympic Mountains beyond the Puget Sound

World-famous attractions like Pike's Place Market (home of the fish guys)

9. A diverse population - much more so than Portland, I have to say.

10. Strong commerce and revenue-building businesses - Yes. There are a few companies you might ahve heard of based in Seattle. Boeing. Amazon. Starbucks. Nordstrom. Nearby you'll also find Microsoft, Boeing, Costco and Nintendo. So yeah.

I'd love to go on and on, but I don't have the energy. The jet lag is one thing, but the holidays are literally sucking the life out of me this year. Suffice to say, Seattle was incredible. I didn't get to do as much touristy stuff as I would have liked - but I'm sure I'll visit again. The Pacific Northwest is amazing, and everyone should go and visit. I feel so fortunate to have been able to travel as much as I did this year and to visit two new states. Now get off your couches and get on Orbitz! Travel is the bees' knees!

This is my stubborn face.

Over Thanksgiving break, my husband and I were doing some holiday chatting and planning - what we need to buy and bake and whatnot in the ever-dwindling time before Christmas and Hanukkah. In my case, I was stressing over my handmade holidays - I'll get to that later. So we're chatting and my husband looks at me sorta sheepishly and he says, "I've got a confession to make. I feel guilty saying it, but I'm going to go ahead and do it."

And of course I, being a world-class worrier, start wondering what horrible thing he's going to tell me. Well, never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined what he was about to confess.

"I sorta want a Kindle," he says to me. And I died a little bit inside.

In case you live in a cave, a Kindle is an electronic device that allows you to download and read books and other publications. You can store up to 1500 books on the thing, and you can easily save your place and return to it. You can also make notes and do other nifty things with it. It can read to you. And it's wireless. It's a magical alien reading device for the 21st century! 

Kindle on Amazon 

Here's the thing - I like electronic gizmos as much as the next person - probably more. I'm a technologically savvy sort of girl. I've got an iPod, a Blackberry, a laptop computer filled with high-tech software. I'm maybe not as savvy as some of my uber-geeky tech friends, but I'm well above average. And I love to read. So you would think I'd be down with the Kindle. It's pretty small, but the monitor is big enough that you can read fairly comfortably. It's portable, so you can take it with you even easier than you can books or magazines. It's cheaper to download books, magazines and newspapers than it is to buy or subscribe, so you quickly make back the money you spent on the device. You can take it to the gym and on airplanes and subways and things. It's green and saves the world a little bit...kind of sort of, but at least the trees are happy. Kind of sort of, but it FEELS greener.

But as much as you might expect me to love it, you'd be wrong. I don't love the Kindle. I'm trying to get excited about it, but I can't. Because I love books. I have loved books - passionately, madly - since I was a tiny, tiny child. I have carried one with me every single day, everywhere I went since I learned to read at age four, maybe sooner. I adore the feel of books in my hands. I like the physical, tangible act of turning the pages. I love the smell of a musty old book - yes, I just said that. I do. I sniff my books. It's true. I sniff the library books too, and I love the comforting old-musty-book scent (and sometimes you get a whiff of the last reader's cologne! Or a crumble of their breakfast! Exciting!). I read books in the gym, standing in line at the store, in bed, in restaurants, EVERYWHERE I can. I consider it the great tragedy of my life that reading in the car makes me sick. I'm a bookworm in every sense of the word.

And I'm afraid - no, I'm not afraid, I'm fairly certain - that the Kindle is a sign of the ever-advancing death of the print industry. Sure, there are some things that will always need to be printed - but magazines and newspapers are already going out of business left and right, as are bookstores. If you can't find a way to get your shit online, it's not gonna sell. Everything is online and most everything is electronic. I don't want to be a stick-in-the-mud fuddy-duddy, but I still want to hold on to my books. Real paper and leather and cardboard in my hands. My logical side can absolutely see how a Kindle or other reading device would be super handy. If nothing else, it would save me SPACE - books are such a pain in the ass to store and to cart around. But I'm not ready. I don't want another electronic gizmo.

Because here's the thing. People say they'll get a Kindle and also still read books. But over time, they won't. Eventually, they'll give up the books, because the Kindle is easier. And humans are laaazy mofos. It's already happened to me with my Blackberry. I can barely function without it. I cannot imagine not having a smartphone anymore. Not an option. It's happening to me with journals. I've had a journal since I was 7. I barely write in one anymore, though, because I write everything on this blog or elsewhere using a computer. Or on my aforementioned Blackberry. The same thing, I feel, will happen with books, and then they'll just be these weird, old-fashioned things that weirdos like me collect. They'll have some in museums and kids will go, "Mom, what is THAT?" "It's a book, sweetie. See, you turn the pages like this..." "I have to TURN the PAGES? MYSELF?!" 

So I told my husband he'd have to wait - for one, because I already bought all his Christmakkah gifts. But also because I'm just not ready. I need a year to mourn over the death of my beloved friend, the printed book.

 

 Y'all probably think I'm being melodramatic but I swear to shit I just shed a tear.

What are your thoughts on the Kindle? Is there any 21st-century bandwagon you're just unable to jump on?

My "big give" - to ME!

It's Bing Season once again - and I realize, being December, also time for a new masthead, which is hopefully coming tonight. Patience, Daniel-san. So this year I did a lot of thinking (as I have the past few years) about Christmas and what it means to me. I had big plans to write about it, but the trouble is I'm still not sure what I've decided so that'll have to wait. Suffice to say, I'm not celebrating Christmas as a religious holiday anymore, and I have a Jewish husband, so we're in the process of "figuring that out." But I love Christmas! The lights! The food! The cheer! The family time! Giving gifts! These things are non-negotiable, and I can't entirely sit them out.

So in order to sort of move in a new direction while still honoring past traditions, I'm working on a Mostly Handmade Christmas, which I'll be sharing with you soon. For the past few months, I've spent basically all my extra time making things for people. Which is awesome - it gives me joy and hopefully the recipients will feel the same. But you know what? I'm getting tired! I am ready to knit and craft for MYSELF! ME! And you know, I got so wrapped up (ha!) in gift-giving, I didn't even make a Christmas list this year. Which is fine. The biggest reason is that I don't really NEED anything. And I want Christmas to be more heartfelt, about really giving with meaning. But the other day I was cranky and feeling like WHAT ABOUT MEEE? I was totally Sally Brown in the Charlie Brown Christmas special - "All I want is what I have coming to me! All I want is my fair share!"

SO, even though I completely abhor what Christmas has become, a bastardized holiday solely focused on commercialism, I made a Christmas list. This list is absolutely, 100% over the top and not to be taken seriously. Of COURSE I can't have all this stuff - but it was sort of like Oprah's Big Give...to myself...in my fantasy. And without further ado, I give you Sarie's List of Ridiculously Lofty and Expensive Coveted Items She Would Never Actually Ask Someone To Buy For Her.

1. Efflorescent Dress and Rain Pools Cardi from Anthropologie:

The combined price of these items is something like $400. I never buy myself expensive clothes. I don't even dare set foot in Anthropologie...I'm too frugal. I just knit things for myself and hope for the best.

2. A sweater's worth of Madeline Tosh Eyre yarn in Fig from Eat Sleep Knit:

I'd love to have you guess what this would cost, but in the interest of time, I'll just tell you. Between $180-200. 

3. Kenmore Drop-In Bobbin sewing machine:

 

This beauty is available at Sears for $199. I'm not a big sewer but I'd like to do more if I had the tools (and the time).

4. A shopping spree at Ikea:

Poang Chair

Manstad sofabed

Malm bed frame

I'm in the mood to redecorate, and I'm re-in love with Ikea for their smart designs and inexpensive storage options. Sure, the furniture maybe doesn't last a lifetime, but neither does my taste!

5. Sony Vaio CW series laptop:

 Early Vaios were buggy, but the new models are really sleek and get great reviews. Totally affordable (under $1000 in most cases) and with TONS of hard drive and memory. I used to daydream about a Mac notebook in 2010 but this is a more realistic option.

6. World map mural from Urban Outfitters:

A lot of the home items at UO are too college-dormy for my taste, but I love the idea of a wall-sized map. It appeals to both my wanderlust and love of history.

7. Pretty new jewelry:

Leda Necklace at We Dream in Color

Inflection Necklace at Small Bird Jewelry 

These are actually not all that pricy, but I almost never buy myself jewelry, so it feels indulgent.

8. A new baby:

What can I say? Human babies are a much bigger commitment!

9. Greece:

No, no, I don't want to own it - I just want to visit. I've been saying this for years, but I keep getting SIDETRACKED by OTHER things. Like England. And Poland. Whine. (Yes, you can roll your eyes).

10. Front-row tickets to a Beck concert:

 

I mean...right?

So that's my wish list - and it was pretty fun to pipe dream there for a minute. Tell me - what are some of the things on your list (real or imagined)? Because Baby Jesus likes materialism! 

Driving me to distraction.

Happy December! I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving - I know I did, full of sloth and eating and sloth. It was lovely.

Around the Carolinas, we're celebrating the first of the month with a new law about texting and driving. According to the Governors Safety Highway Association, 19 states, the District of Columbia and Guam now ban text messaging for all drivers.

The North Carolina Driving Laws website provides more specific details about what is and isn't kosher. The breakdown:

• Adults are allowed to talk on the phone while driving, regardless of whether or not we're using a hands-free device.
• Adults, as of TODAY, are prohibited from text messaging while driving unless they feel like choking up a $100 fine plus court fees.
• Teenagers are not allowed to talk on the phone while driving OR text message while driving.

Now that we've gotten all that lined out - a few thoughts. First of all, I want to make it perfectly clear that I don't think it's a good idea to text message while driving. Obviously, in order to write a text, you have to look DOWN at your cell phone, therefore taking your eyes off the road and your hands off the steering wheel. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize how dangerous and STUPID that is. However, when a person is stopped at a traffic light waiting to move, I think she should be allowed to text.

And I guess what really irritates me about the new law is, it's going to be pretty tough to enforce so it seems sorta obvious that it's just another way to slap more fines on people in the event they get pulled over or have an accident. Because if it is legal to make calls on your cell phone, which most definitely requires a user to PUSH THE BUTTONS on her cell phone, then how can a police officer who is passing by look at a driver, see her pushing buttons and know she's texting? She could be placing a call, which is still legal. See my point? It's STUPID.

And finally, if we're all in agreement that taking your eyes off the road and hands off the wheel is dangerous in the case of texting, why can we not just simplify the law as follows: If you are doing something in the car that requires you to take your eyes off the road/hands off the wheel, you're endangering yourself and others. Period. Why is it illegal for me to write a text while I'm driving, but it's PERFECTLY FINE for the lady in the car next to me to put on eyeliner and mascara while her car is in motion? Surely that is equally dangerous.

I have a 45+ minute commute. I see a lot of crazy, crazy crap going on in cars every morning and night - people texting and putting on makeup, people eating big greasy burgers with their eyes glued shut, people fumbling with cigarettes and lighters, people turned around in the seat to scold a child while their car is in motion, people READING BOOKS while driving...so I ask you - who cares? Who cares if I text, if all that mania is still legal? So while I'm paying my $100 texting fine, that lady over there who ran into me while she was painting her nails is off the hook? Lame.

I'm still gonna text when I'm stopped at lights. So there.

So you think you're a city?

This past weekend, I braved a severe cold and a 2,000 mile journey and flew to Portland, Oregon to meet up with Jay on the tail end of his business trip and do a little sightseeing and exploring in a new state - my 36th state, thankyouverymuch. This leaves only Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Nevada, Idaho, Washington, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa! 14 to go! And I'll get to knock out Washington next month. Woo!

So but anyway - Portland is a GREAT town! I really enjoyed myself, despite the drippy nose and sinus headache and lingering cough. I rallied. We had a wonderful time exploring the neighborhoods, kitchy and quaint, the Saturday morning market, the surprisingly progressive public transportation options and the assortment of excellent eateries. We definitely took in a VooDoo Doughnut and rode the Portland Aerial Tram up the hillside, though Mount Hood didn't see fit to come out for us. We traipsed through lovely, light drizzle and played at Finnegan's Toys. It was a great weekend in a great town with oodles of character.

Which leads me to make inevitable comparisons between Portland and my current residence of Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte is a wonderful town to live in and especially to raise a family. It's absolutely beautiful - one of the prettiest cities I've ever seen in my life, if not the most beautiful all-around - and it's clean and it's relatively safe for a city of its size. It's a little lacking in the public schools but that's not a factor for me since I don't have children. It's got great accessibility to the mountains as well as the coast, and it's in the middle of one of the prettiest states in the country. Not to mention the weather is fantastic - what's not to love?

I'll tell you. The biggest drawback to Charlotte is that it has no history - no historic landmarks or features to speak of - and a great deal of implants, which results in a sort of a culture-less town. This is a beautiful, pleasant city with absolutely no draw for tourism. There's really nothing here to make a person want to visit, unless you're a die-hard Nascar or Carolina Panthers fan, or you're in banking. The city doesn't have any real unique flavor or attractions to draw you in - and that's always been a setback for me.

Portland, like Charlotte, enjoys proximity to mountains - huge ones too - and the coast, albeit a colder and rainier coast. Well, rainier is a bit misleading, as I mentioned in an earlier post. But unlike Charlotte, Portland has character in abundance. It's a very progressive and liberal town, and it's full of what I like to call weirdos. Lovable sort of weirdos, but weirdos nonetheless. Really, the entire time I was in Portland, I found myself noticing so many things that are just MISSING from Charlotte and most of the south, things I've been missing since I left the Northeast. It's interesting that I had to travel all the way to the left side of the country to find a "real city" again, but it's true. I did. Portland is a small big city that packs a big punch. Comparisons to Charlotte are sort of easy, because they're geographically somewhat similar, and Portland is only slightly larger with 2.1 million in its metro area as opposed to Charlotte's 1.7 million.

So what makes a city a "real city?" Let me spell it out for you.

1. A thriving urban center

In order to be a real city, you have to have both commerce and urban living in your "downtown" metropolis. People must live, work and shop in the city center. Charlotte doesn't have this - people work in the city center, but they live in the outskirts and various neighborhoods and suburbs. There is also next to no retail "uptown" (Charlotte's downtown is called uptown) and half the restaurants are closed during the day. So no one goes uptown unless they're working or attending a specific event (usually at night). Portland thrives day and night, 24/7 because its residents live and work and play and shop and eat in the city.

2. Public transportation

Charlotte's working on it - we added one light rail line a couple of years ago and it's been really successful. There's a mediocre bus system here that can only improve. But Portland boasts the Portland Streetcar, which runs all through the city and is free in downtown, as well as MAX light rail and a great bus system. Win.

 

3. A rich and proud history

A city should really have lots of billboards all around, but even better is when it's got VINTAGE signage and billboards. It's kitchy, it's retro, and it shows a historical side that's nice to see - especially when you're coming from a place where everything has been built in the last 30 years. Additionally, it's great when vintage buildings are also allowed to be incorporated into the new architecture of a town. Really adds that illustrious CHARACTER we're all seeking in our cities.

 

 

4. Street vendors

It's a staple of a "real city" to walk around and see street food - not restaurants, but STREET VENDORS SELLING YOU DELICIOUS AND HOPEFULLY ETHNICALLY DIVERSE TREATS. Yum!

 

5. Street musicians/homeless people

Portland may be a little TOO heavy on the latter, but it was sure nice to see the former, especially when we see just about NEITHER in Charlotte. Not that I'm saying we ever want anyone to have to live on the street, but it feels too cleaned up when you're in a city where everything's buttoned up, prim and proper and straight out of a J Crew ad (I'm looking at you, soccer moms). In Portland, there's grit. And there are a lot of homeless people, but by god, they seem pretty happy to me. Lots of them even have dogs. (Side note: I love it when Charlotteans refer to "the ghetto" - friends, you've never seen a ghetto).

 

6. Open air markets

This is basically self-explanatory, but I think all real cities should have some form of a regular marketplace, preferably outdoors. Charleston, SC is famous for its Marketplace, it's bustling every single day. In Charlotte, there has to be a reason to have a Market or a Festival. Like, it's Ethnic Day! So everyone come out and enjoy some Ethnic Foods! How about we make this a more regular thing? Oh right - because no one lives, works AND plays in the urban center! That's right. Portland has the biggest regular outdoor market in the country - every weekend for like 10 months out of the year.

 

 

7. Thriving arts and cultural scene

Charlotte really tries here, but we come up a little short. We do get big concert tours and we are privy to a few small indie bands and venues, but it's really relegated to a pretty small niche in town. I love how people here go on and on about NoDa - this sorta progressive, trendy neighborhood where there's an arts scene and some boho eateries and galleries and music venues. NoDa is like four or five blocks. ALL of Portland is like NoDa. Rain or shine, everywhere you look are signs posted for various shows in venues all over town. There's art all around you, street performers - while we were there we saw everything from dudes on stilts working some dancers like marionettes below them to the violinist I pictured above. Rain or shine, man. Art thrives. I will say that Charlotte and Portland both do make the effort as far as the bigger arts venues - museums, galleries, opera and orchestra, ballet, theatre - both have many offerings, but I'd say Portland definitely wins as far as fostering and nurturing independent and small-scale artists.

 

8. Landmarks and identity-building scenery and attractions

Portland is sandwiched between Mount St. Helens and Mt. Hood along the Columbia and Willamette rivers. Win. This brings tourism and other bonuses. Also, Portland has some really well-known attractions for visitors to the city center - Powell's Books, VooDoo Doughnuts and more are staples of the Portland experience.

 

9. A diverse population

Portland and Charlotte both could stand a little bit of improvement in this area, really, but I do think it's a key element to a really city-like city - how diverse is it? Is it home to all sorts of people from all walks of life and all parts of the world? How much of that mix of culture is evident in the society of the city?

10. Strong commerce and revenue-building business

Charlotte's known for its banking. Portland is the home of Nike and Columbia outdoor gear (or so I'm told). There's gotta be something that pays the bills, in the end.

Don't mistake me and read this and think, MAN this chick HATES Charlotte. I don't hate Charlotte. I like it quite a lot. As I said, it's totally gorgeous - beautiful landscaping everywhere you look. It's comfy and most of all, the people are FREAKISHLY friendly. Which can be obnoxious sometimes, but you do miss it when you leave. And all the glorious sunshine, though I often miss the snow, really does help to liven your spirits, whether you notice it or not. It's a great life I have here. It was just interesting to see something completely, 100% different, and I think when people down south ask themselves if they want Charlotte to grow up to be like Atlanta, they might actually be better off to look more toward cities like Portland that are similar in size and geography (hey - we're not far from the coast OR the big mountains of the east).

Is Charlotte a real city? Not yet. But it could be...oh, it certainly could be! Is YOUR city a real city? Interesting food for thought!

Next up - Seattle! For SURE a real city and one I cannot wait to explore!

Internet friends are people, too!

Last weekend I did the most awesome thing. I got together with a bunch of my KNITTING friends from the INTERNET in Charlottesville, Virginia. For a weekend of YARN. And KNITTING. Hurray for nerdiness!

It was a get-together of about fifteen women whom I've been chatting with for the last couple of years on Ravelry, which is basically Facebook for yarnies. We're all members of a group called Yarn Snobs - loving the finest, snobbiest yarns and fibers. We all shacked up in hotel rooms and spent the weekend stitching and bitching and going on wine tours. It was magnificent. My friend Erin, owner of EatSleepKnit, drove up to my house from Atlanta, and we picked up another friend, Ceylan, who had flown in from Texas, and then the three of us gabbed all the way to C-ville. It was outstanding.

Probably the highlight of the weekend was the giant yarn-swap we had. Every woman brought many skeins of unwanted yarn to sell or trade, and we had an enormous bartering/trading/swapping/purchasing fair in the hotel suite. It was incredible. I was so overstimulated, trying to sort through all the gorgeous fiber and yarn and envision projects and work out trades. I almost died of multiple yarn-gasm shock.

All in all, the weekend was awesome. I got to make friends "in real life" with women I've been spending a lot of time - "virtual time" - with over the years, and not surprisingly, they were awesome. I think we all found it a bit surreal to be together in person, but after a few minutes it wasn't weird at all, we just picked up where we'd left off on the internet and away we went, chatting until all hours of the night all weekend long. It was just so exciting to get to be around people who GET my hobby - and the coolest part was, it turned out we GOT each other on a lot of other levels too. Probably not a big surprise!

When I explained where I was going to some of my friends and coworkers, they seemed pretty perplexed about the idea of me going off to hang out with people I met ON THE INTERNET. And I find myself wondering - is this really still such a weird thing? In an age where people often meet people online? Nowadays, a lot of people find friends, dates, jobs and more online. So why is it still considered weird? And some of the other girls also mentioned similar responses from their friends and coworkers.

And so I'd love to know - do you think it's weird to meet people online? I have had this go really, really well (hi, Kari!) and also really, really badly, but for the most part, I have made some amazing friends over the internet. I also got to know my husband online - even though we knew each other through a mutual friend, most of our communication was online. I just don't really think meeting online is much weirder than meeting in a bar - it's no more random, anyway.

And plus - the YARN! SO much YARN when you meet your internet friends! At least, in my world there is. There's already talk of a west coast Ravelry Yarn Snobs meetup in 2010 - Napa? Yes please!

Charlottesville Yarn Snobs Meet-up

WARSZAWA!

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to POLAND! Warsaw (pronounce it right), to be exact.

Why, you might wonder? My husband works for a big company based in Sweden. They do business all over the world, and every year they have a world communications meeting in a major city, alternating continents to make it fair and fun for their employees who are traveling from around the globe. Spouses are allowed and encouraged to come along. Last year the meeting was in New York. This year - in March - it'll be in Warsaw.

At first, we heard the meeting might take place in Helsinki, Stockholm, London or Prague. Awesome - I would have absolutely loved traveling to any of those places. My husband's already been to Helsinki and Stockholm, so I know how great they are. I got to travel to London last year, so that's an obvious win. And Prague? Well, that's just cool.

So when I heard earlier this week that it was maybe going to be in Warsaw, I admit I was a bit stumped. I thought the same thing you're probably thinking right now. Poland?! Warsaw?! REALLY?! If you're anything like me, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Warsaw is this:

Or maybe this:

 

Or perhaps even this:

 

I'm pretty well-studied on World War II. I even took a course specifically about the Holocaust in college. When I think of Poland, I think of ghettos, uprisings, concentration camps, bombings and thousands upon thousands of people starved, enslaved, beaten and killed. Warsaw doesn't exactly evoke thoughts of holiday at first - in fact, the entire city was destroyed near the end of the war.

But you know what? I love to travel. And I love history. And I'd basically decided that I was going with Jay no matter where the meeting ended up taking place. So when I heard Warsaw, I pushed aside the obvious thoughts of war and devastation and I got online to do some research. Fortunately, I have a very dear friend (hi, Kari!) who spend a good chunk of time living in Poland a few years ago, and I knew I could count on her as a great resource. And you know what? It only took about 30 minutes for me to get TOTALLY excited about the prospect of exploring "Warszawa," Poland. 

 

 

 

Isn't it neat-looking?

What's likely to happen is that I'll be in Warsaw with Jay while he has meetings, but before, after or both we'll be checking out some other spots - Krakow is high on my list. I KNOW - you think it's depressing. But it's not! Check it.

 

 

See? Krakow is totally adorable! Squee!

Or how about Torun - a medieval village that's, according to Kari, the "gingerbread capitol of Europe." MAJOR DRAW.

So here's what I have to say to the naysayers: I think if a person has the opportunity to travel, she should do it. I want to see the world - as much of it as possible. There's almost nowhere I would refuse to go - basically only the most dangerous spots on the globe, places where I'm likely to die from an exploding car bomb or the like. And what's awesome is this. If you asked me, "What are the top 10 places you want to visit," Poland wouldn't have been on the list. It wouldn't have been on the top 20. But that's really only because I don't know much about it post-WW2 - which means I really don't know it at all.

But a couple of days' research has convinced me there's a LOT of neat stuff in Poland and seeing it can only make me a smarter, more interesting person. And I don't think a person should ever pass up a chance to become more interesting.

So - I'm going to Poland. In March. And possibly to a couple of other places along the way. Unless Jay's company changes course and we end up going to Helsinki after all. Either way, I'm pumped.

She's only happy when it rains...

For the next couple of weeks the husband is spending a bunch of time doing some serious business travel. It's no fun being alone so much, but the good news? Next week I'll be jetting west to meet Jay in Portland, OR. I'm really, REALLY excited to check it out. For a long time now, I've felt sort of an uncanny draw to the Pacific Northwest, and I just can't say how pumped I am to finally check it out. And as if that weren't exciting enough - in December, I'll be joining him on a trip to Seattle! Swoon!

In my excitement, I've been doing a lot of reading up about Portland & Seattle and also chatting with people who have been there. I'm really excited to do some sight-seeing and just take in the glorious Northwest. It's gonna rule. Every time I've told someone I'm visiting these cities, the response is, "Oh my gosh, you are going to love both places! They're absolutely awesome!" However, many of these exclamations are followed by, "Oh, but it's so gloomy and rainy there."

Yes, it's a well-known fact that it rains a lot in Seattle and Portland...or is it? I was pretty surprised at what I found when I started researching the area. For instance - did you know that it actually rains less in Seattle than it does right here in Charlotte? Of the three cities, Charlotte boasts the highest annual precipitation at 43.52" per year; Seattle comes in second at 37.07"; Portland is last in line at 36.30" annually. Yeah, I know - I was really surprised too - because that's a pretty sizable difference between Charlotte and Seattle/Portland.

So it turns out that Seattle and Portland actually see far less precipitation than other areas in Washington and Oregon. A little time with maps and weather reports informed me that both cities seem to have far milder climates than points east. The biggest contributor to the rain myth seems to be cloud cover - Seattle experiences cloud cover more than 220 days of the year. People see cloudy and they think dark and stormy. Apparently, it's less about downpours and more often about misty dampness.

Further research informs me that both cities enjoy fairly mild temperatures with warm, dry summers and colder, wetter winters. Only on occasion do temperatures spike over 85 degrees in these cities, although heat waves do happen (this summer, for instance). Likewise, there's not a lot of snowfall, though that happens from time to time too.

As a person who likes snowfall and, believe it or not, honest-to-goodness LOVES rainy days, I fully anticipate 100% love of the Pacific Northwest and its climate. Because all that damp, cloudy weather yields oodles of luscious green foliage for me to drool over. And off in the not-so-distant-distance loom giant mountains, craggy and snow-capped. Count me IN! I know you think I'm nuts, but I seriously love dark, stormy and/or snowy days best of all! Besides, dark days make the sunny days seem sunnier.

I love exploring new places, and I just feel so lucky that I get to knock out 2 of the cities I'm most antsy to see within the next month! So if any of you have suggestions for things to do, food to eat and places to check out, please let me know! I'm up for your suggestions!

But first, a girls' weekend in Charlottesville, VA starts Friday - yet another new place to see!

Seriously, with all the amazing places in the world, who can stay home?