So I arrived at the airport after a 4+ hour jaunt on the HUT shuttle. I arrived at PDX at around 2:15am to a very surreal scene.....sort of a mix of post concert/festival and a bomb shelter. There were people sleeping all over the place, people walking around that looked like they were on a bad acid trip, and people that were stuffing their faces with all kinds of goodies that they brought from home. I checked in quickly and caught a 2 hour nap on the ground. I haven't had this much fun since I had a 3 hour layover at the Greyhound station in downtown Chicago. At this point, I am still scheduled to leave at 9:25am.....
I'll keep you all posted!

PDX Adventure

The HUT shuttle just left Salem and we're headed to Woodburn. The driver is hearing from co-workers that the Interstate is chaos. I'd say that is pretty accurate so far.... Ice, Snow, and Police are everywhere. There are also hundreds of trucks lined up along both sides of I-5. This is crazy! I'll keep you all posted.

On My Way

I've left Corvallis and am headed to the airport on the HUT shuttle. It will most likely be a long trip. I am scheduled to leave PDX at 9:35am on Monday. I am expecting to be delayed. Wish me luck!!!

The Waiting Game

I might be stuck. It could really suck. I'll keep everyone posted. Ice is bad!

I Think I'll Call You Mr. Sander's...Thank You Very Much

The gang got together on Saturday to wish a fond farewell to Annie and Rob. Annie and Rob are moving to St Paul, Minnesota on December 3rd (p.s. That's my birthday). The gang will be missing these two but wishing them well as they set off on a new chapter in their lives.

It was a potluck and once again, the friends bonded together in harmonious culinary delights. First off, there was bacon-wrapped dates that were stuffed with goat cheese. Liz and Jay brought the thunder with cornbread smothered in local honey...can I get a Mmmm please?!!! Next onto the plate, Kelly's now world famous mac'n cheese!!! Seriously, we've gotten several calls from the European Union about the mac'n cheese! They're thinking about rescuing Iceland's economy with this mac'n cheese. In addition to these delights, there was a killer black bean salad and chips with yummy salsa.

I brought fried chicken as a dish....roughly 35 pieces. I love to fry chicken!!! And at the risk of getting a big head(it might be too late)....I made the best chicken ever! It was all of the things that fried chicken should be; crisp on the outside, well seasoned, and moist on the inside. Damn...just writing this makes me want to go blow up some more chicken. The meal was topped off by one of the most delicious trifle that I've ever come across....thanks Leslie!

Rob and Annie will be missed....but they left on an amazing note and should have warm memories from their time in Corvallis.

Obama's Night

Last night was historical and a lot of fun. Kelly and I hosted an election party and had all of our friends over to watch the results. Obama even stopped by for a quick celebratory drink! I think it's safe to say that people in Corvallis are excited about the next four years....at least in terms of who'll be leading us through some very tough times.

Cutting Board

So I wanted to post a quick photo of the most recent cutting board to get completed. For those that aren't aware, I've been spending some time in the wood shop and have started selling cutting boards made from local (within 60 miles of Portland), eco-friendly (windfall, reclaimed) woods. I'm very proud of the results so far and I'm currently taking in lots of orders. Life is good!

Weekend Bliss

This weekend was absolutely fabulous!!!

The background:
My wife Kelly is a very busy woman. She works around the clock and lately, has needed to travel for work often. While it is always very exciting to hear of her adventures and inspiring to see someone so motivated to be the best "international water guru".....it's tough at times when we don't get to see each other. Between work, hobbies, traveling, working out, blogging, seeing friends....you get the point.... Kelly and I are often strapped to just spend some good ol' hubby and wifey QT.

This past weekend was a whole other story...
Kelly and I got to go deep into the Oregon woods this weekend and just kicked it! Well, more like "picked it" if I was being completely honest.....as we were after the wonderful golden chanterelle. We scored! We got about 8-10 lbs and more importantly had time to just decompress together and relax in the woods. IT WAS MAGICAL!

Upon returning from the woods, we did what any sensible couple would do...we headed to the kitchen. Kelly and I are both drawn to the kitchen. I've been cooking since I was in high school. I'm not saying that I'm the greatest cook ever...but I feel like I have a natural ability that allows me to do good things. Kelly also has developed a strong love for cooking. We often approach cooking from different angles and it is always fun to see what happens. It's a great way to spend time together despite our very cramped kitchen space. Anyway, we needed to make a dish for a potluck that we were headed to that evening. We elected to tag team around an old southern favorite with a Pacific Northwest twist...biscuits and chanterelle gravy. Our friends are very lucky people. We had a great time preparing the dish and hanging out at the potluck. It was great to see everyone (we rarely can get everyone together under one roof these days).

Sunday was restful. Kelly and I spent the morning in the backyard preparing the garden for the upcoming wet season.

Overall, this weekend was one of the best I've had in a long time. Life is good!

New Laptop....check

I'm so stoked!!! I've just placed an order for a brand new Sony Vaio laptop!!! This machine is a dream and I got a GREAT deal!!! I'd highly recommend checking out newegg.com if you are in the market for anything electronic...great website that offers great deals.

Phish Road Trip...2009

I just found out that I actually "won" the Phish ticket lottery for the upcoming shows in Hampton, VA...and I'm in a bit of shock. Looks like Kelly and I are headed to Hampton in March to see if the boys still have the "cow funk" in 'em!

Masquerading Mayhem

My good friend Travis has been plotting a masquerade ball for the last few months. Saturday night, his dream became a reality... and it lived up to the hype!!! I reccommend making the next one!!!

Reaping the Harvest

- Saturday 10/3/08 -

-8AM -

A fresh cup of coffee and my raingear welcomed in my Saturday as I headed out to my favorite two chanterelle locations. Morning drives tend to be my favorite in terms of beauty....and this one didn't dissapoint. The air was crisp and damp and as I got deeper into the backcountry the smell of people's fireplaces permeated the air. LIFE WAS GOOD! I did pretty well for my first run of the season. I came home with roughly 20-25lbs of goodies.

- 2PM -

I spent the second half of my Saturday helping friends press apples......lots of apples. Fresh apple juice is unbeatable! Luke, when's the cider party???

Let the Games Begin!!!

For those that aren't familiar with all of the amazing activities that are rooted here in the Pacific Northwest, I feel obligated to give you a run down on one of my very favorite activities.....MUSHROOM HUNTING!!!


With the rainy season just getting under way, some of the world's finest mushrooms are quick to follow. Having grown up on Long Island and in North Carolina, I had never known the great pleasure that is mushroom hunting. After living here in Oregon for the last 3 years....I can officially say, "I'm hooked!" I've found very few ways to spend my time that can satisfy me like hunting mushrooms. There is truly something special about romping about in the beautiful Oregon woods in the rain and coming home with edible mushrooms. It's a balance of knowledge, patience, perseverance, and "inner-Hobbit". One of the best things about mushroom hunting is that it's free and doesn't require any special (read expensive) gear. All you need is a desire to get as wet and messy as possible and a good knife. GET OUT THERE AND GIVE IT A TRY!!!

Obviously you're not a golfer.

I've decided that today is the day.

I've been thinking about putting together a blog for quite some time, but was intimidated by the process of getting things set up. My friends and family can confirm that I tend to shy away from new technologies in the communication arena (I was one of the last people on the planet to get a cell phone). I've elected to get over my technology fears and take the plunge into the world of blogging.

I think that I'm drawn to the concept of a blog because I've always had mucho respect for people that can do two things well:

1) Keep a daily journal throughout their life
2) Keep in touch with the people that they care about

I'll be the first to admit that I have not historically been great at either of these two things. I see this blog as a starting point to getting back on track in these departments. I hope you all will check back here when you can find time to see what life here in Oregon has been serving up for me. I plan on posting rants, observations, pictures, and many other things here on a weekly basis.