A good friend is in town, just for 24 hours, to interview for a post-doc or internship or something very important at the big research and teaching hospital in town. She's finishing up her PhD in psychology. She works hard. She also has interviews in New Haven and Palo Alto. Prestigious interviews. Obviously.

I spent many teenage afternoons lounging on my twin bed, listening to Tori Amos, and imagining my someday successful life. Editor-in-Chief of Ms. Magazine. Or Bust. Or Bitch. I would do something important, fast-paced, metropolitan.

I lived in Brooklyn for exactly six weeks after college. I ventured into Manhattan twice, and I cried both times. The cement parks and rats in the subway broke my heart. I wonder what my life would be like if I stayed in New York. I wonder what my career would be like if I stayed in New York.

I walk faster than most people in Portland. I keep to a schedule. But the trees here are lush and inhabit every alley, nook, and median strip. I am putting down roots here. I have a house, a job with enviable benefits, a compost bin, and a sewing machine. I aspire to make my own stock.

Maybe success is a fully-stocked pantry.

How to get through winter

I'm asking.

Not telling.

I had a dream xmas night that I woke up to spring on December 26th. Fat little buds on trees. Daffodils, tulips, crocuses. Unfortunately, I woke up to December, followed inevitably by January, February, March. I won't wear sandals until July.

Xmas should be at the end of winter, not the beginning. Once the holidays are over, the lights come down and there's nothing to anticipate. No more mittens to knit or gingerbreads to bake. Instead you're supposed to pine for sun and pledge to set your alarm an hour early to go running in the dark. Whatever.

What is left to celebrate in January?

Xmas under cover.

I've lived in the Pacific Northwest all my life, and I've never seen this much snow. I missed work for a week and a half.



Instead, I sewed a skirt, knit a scarf, watched all three Lord of the Rings movies, made bread pudding, went for countless walks in my red rain boots, and finally made it up to Seattle to celebrate xmas with my parents and spend a night in the city. My gentleman friend booked a room at the Fairmont Olympic, which has a really extravagant lobby with martinis, free fancy olives, and mixed nuts with pistachios instead of peanuts.



We ate a knockout crab benedict at Steelhead Diner. It's a fake diner at Pike Place Market that looks like a total bummer but surprised us with amazing food. We went to the aquarium, where we actually saw otters having sex. Then we dressed up fancy (in my new skirt made from curtains!) and went for poutine and pork cheeks at Quinn's. It's been a really good winter break.

28 things.

I turned 28 last week. You would think I turned 40 the way I panicked about it. I'm trying to remind myself that I'm actually still a young thing and I can't resist lists. 28 things to do when I'm 28, a list in progress.

1. build raised beds.
2. plant a vegetable garden.
3. build or buy a chicken coop.
4. raise chickens.
5. go camping.
6. go for a real hike.
7. go to the coast.
8. make the house nice.
9. go berry picking.
10. take the gosh darn GREs.
11. go to the grotto.
12. plan a vacation.
13. figure out how to save money for retirement and start doing it. seriously this time.
14. take pictures.
15. sew.
16. read books.
17. go to a state or county fair.
18. throw a party.
19. celebrate the seasons.
20. buy new music.
21. cook and bake.
22. make broth. chicken and veggie.
23. make ricotta.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.