Suds in the Bucket

Are bucket lists supposed to be full or empty? 

Buckets used to be for chicken (good) or mopping (no thanks). Now it seems people have them for everything. There's the travel bucket, career bucket, a bucket for every season - summer buckets of sandcastles, picnics and BBQs anyone? - and according to entertainment lately, a sexy bucket. No, not a bucket with lace panties, like... never have I ever, but I want to. That kind of thing. 

I guess we want to see and do so many things one bucket isn't enough. And these buckets can never empty. Pinterest is all about the buckets. I mean boards. Are boards the new buckets? 

Or are buckets the new New Year's resolutions? I mean, they're like goals without deadlines, right? I'm in! Bucket lists are a daydreamers, well, dream!

1. Visit all the National Parks. 
2. Run a 5K. Not walk or walk/run. Just run. 
3. Sleep until I'm not tired. 
4. Eat a croissant in Paris
5. Draft a book in a week
6. Learn to take a cute selfie
7. See every country at Epcot
8. Write a New York Times bestseller
9. Have a book made into a movie
10. Swim with dolphins
11. Airboat through the Everglades
12. Helicopter over the Grand Canyon
13. See the Northern Lights
14. Live in another country
15. Have a conversation in another language
16. Get Plow back
17. Fly first class
18. Enjoy a cross country road trip
19. Write a novel in Anguilla
20. Visit every state park in Oregon
21. Watch a meteor shower
22. Win the lottery
23. Stomp grapes
24. Take a spontaneous trip
25. Watch lava flow
26. Visit all 50 states
27. Be debt free
28. Feel seen
29. Stay at a working ranch
30. Go to a rodeo
31. See an iceberg
32. Read every book on my Kindle
33. Read every book on my bookshelves
34. Make every recipe in a cookbook
35. Leave $100 tip
36. Identify the Big Dipper
37. Stay in a penthouse
38. Spend 48 hours in silence
39. Release a floating lantern
40. See the pyramids
41. Stonehenge
42. Drink from a pineapple
43. Paint balloon darts
44. Get my hygge on in Denmark
45. Stay in an overwater bungalow
46. Niagra Falls
47. Soak in the blue lagoon in Iceland
48. Bubble Run
49. Aerial yoga
50. Be an extra in a movie
51. See the tulips in Holland
52. Be part of a live studio audience
53. See Hamilton
54. Ride the Orient Express
55. Have a pint at a pub in Ireland
56. Afternoon tea at Empress Hotel
57. Take the Haiku stairs
58. Machu Picchu
59. Ride a cable car in San Francisco
60. Henna tattoo


While thinking through those I realized I've done some pretty cool things

Out of the bucket

1. Write a book
2. Publish a book
3. Be on the jumbotron in Times Square
4. See a Broadway play
5. USA Today Bestseller
6. Go to Europe
7. Zipline
8. Stand under a waterfall
9. Order room service
10. Snowshoeing
11. Smithsonian (most of them)
12. Spend the night in a treehouse
13. Take a ghost tour in New Orleans
14. Empire State Building
15. Space Needle
16. Drink from a coconut
17. Color Run
18. Get my fortune told
19. Find a 4-leaf clover

What's on your bucket list?

Garth Brooks Concert!

When I saw a post on Facebook for free Garth Brooks tickets to the sold-out show, I was looking for the punch line. These tickets were offered up by a friend I've known forever, with the caveat that the seats were terrible. But there were two things that made that not matter - FREE and Garth Brooks. Even better, by college bestie would be in town.

It was one of those rare events when everything seemed to go well. We found other friends on the train on the way to the concert. The tickets worked (you never know). And the tickets weren't just terrible, they were comically bad. three rows from the top, and behind the stage.

Everyone up there was there for a good time. We sang along to every song. Heck, we even managed to make it home in one piece. Not sure that would have happened if we'd gone in college!

Reader Author Get Together : Jungle Jim's

With a pocket of time before the festivities began at the Annual Reader Author Get Together in Cincinnati, and I was looking for soemthing to do to help experience the city. After all, I made Breeze do that in For Kicks with every city she visited.

So, I asked the locals for some suggestions, thinking I would do a walking tour or other experience. Instead, I got an offer to go to Jungle Jim's. I had no idea what that was so I googled...a grocery store? 

But, I was game. Everyone wanted to go...and now I can see why! The place is hilarious! You are greeted by giant fruit and zoo animals, then inside the door the corn starts singing to you.

If we weren't so stuffed from breakfast, or had a fridge in the room I would have gone crazy with the salads bar or sushi or the cheeses - they had a two story long provolone.

There were lots of hard to find items from other countries. The cheese section was divided by country, as were lots of the aisles. The hot sauce section was three aisles across and had a fire truck on top...plus there was an 'adults-only' hot sauce selection. I was told for some of them you have to sign a liability waiver. What!?

Some things were fun to look at, like all the exotic fruits and vegetables, or peaches that came in baskets.

Other things grossed me right out. They had a pig head just sitting next to pork chops. Three pig heads, actually. I was told there was a cow head as well, but I skedaddled on out of there!

I only had chocolate for my readers at the booksigning, so I picked up a dozen tiny bottles of cherry pucker. I wasn't sure if this was a schnapps crowd or not. Turns out...I could have bought a case or three!

The next time I go to the  Annual Reader Author Get Together,   I'll be sure to venture back to this grocery mecca for booksigning treats. Maybe I'll even use a bigger suitcase and sneak some treats home to the family!

Date Day :: The Shooting Range

I haven't held a gun since the day my grampa snatched a rifle out of my hands. I forgot I was holding it and turned around...and may have pointed it at someone. I forgot I had it, honest. But for the last twenty-five or so years, I haven't even thought about shooting one.

Hubba Bubba has been thinking about buying a gun. I blame American Guns and Sons of Guns. He loves those shows. However, I see no reason why he should buy one if he's never even shot a pistol before. Call me crazy.

So, when LivingSocial had an offer at Beavercreek Armory, the local shooting range, I snapped it up. I'll try anything once.

Guns make me nervous. Not other people with guns, but me with a gun. I'm distracted by just about anything, and just might turn around while holding a gun without thinking. Hey, it's happened before.

We were walked through the basics of gun safety - there was even a video where some idiot shot himself in the leg because he was a bonehead - and practiced on unloaded guns.

I wish I could say my anxiety had eased by the time we put on our saftey galsses and headphones, but these were still guns and live amuntion we were shooting. Heightened awareness is a good thing. We went back to our lanes and hung up our targets, sending them to the back wall. I have no idea what they had piled back there to absorb the fore of the bullets. It looked like ground up tires, but it is probably some hi-tech ballistics something.

Then it was time to load the gun. Oh my. Bullets, in my hand. I had this ridiculous fear one would explode as I loaded it into the magazine. But this was real life, not a cartoon, so all was well. The magazine slipped into the gun, I cocked it to load the first round into the chamber, and aimed.

And kind of stood there. Good thing, because Hubba Bubba let off his first shot and I jumped! Even with the headphones, it was loud. The plume of smoke faded and he let off the rest of his rounds. Not to be outdone, I readjusted my hands and aimed. My gun had an electronic site, for all the good it did me. I figured out how to see the red dot and pulled the trigger.

My arms lifted slightly, the casing jumping out of the gun and against the lane barrier, coming to land on the bench in front of me. I have no idea if that bullet hit the target, but I'd done it. I'd shot a gun.

The rest of my fifty rounds went much the same. A deep breath of gunsmoke laced air, steadying my hands, finding my target, and feeling the bang race from the tips of my fingers to my shoulders.

We left wanting to go back and try it again. Hubba to hone is skils, me because they have zombie targets and that just sounds like a great idea.

BrewCycle!

With my brother and his squeeze in town, we wanted to do something special. We want them to like P-town, and we wanted to have a good time! Really, none of us get out enough. We found BrewCycle on Facebook and thought it was the ultimate Portland way to experience the breweries. Bikes, brews and quirkiness are what we are known for.

The BrewCycle is a bicycle built for 15. Twelve people sit around a picnic table-like contraption and ten pedal, with room on the bench for three or so more. We had Randy sit inside on the cooler, you know, to keep it safe.

Once we had our seats, I worried it would be like spin class, but since so many of us were peddaling, it was easy. We went a few blocks to our first stop, Lucky Lab. They had a great cider and everyone got into the atmosphere. Or maybe we got a buzz on from the vodka soaked gummi bears (slimy!) or jello shots.

Getting on and off the BrewCycle was the hardest part for me. Once we were aboard we steered over to Caps & Corks. They have an amazing selection of hard-to-find beers including blueberry cider and cherry lambic. Yes, they have guy beer too.

The weather was gorgeous, so we soaked up the sunshine a bit before gliding over to Bridgeport. They use a cowbell to warn motorists that this rolling picnic table is on its way, and by this point Jeff had appointed himself the chief cowbell shaker. I should have taken a video. Bridgeport had Strawberry Tart, so I was happy. They don't always have it, and while I like Summer Squeeze, there is just something about Strawberry Tart. Yum.

After the BrewCycle brougth us back to the beginning, we went back to Lucky Lab for a snack. And more cider. It was good!

Cocktail Camp

Hubba Bubba and I escaped downtown for our monthly date day. Up this time? Cocktail Camp! It was fascinating, and not just because they had us sipping cocktails all day long!

We arrived for the morning social hour for some fun drinks to start the day. My favorite was a champagne cocktail with quince liqueur and vermouth. The man prefered one with white dog rye, coffee liqueur and cream.
The first presentation was The Art of Tasting. Such a great way to begin the day. Tasting spirits is similar to wine, and yet completely different. It is so much stronger, so you have to take a gentler approach to it. When tasting, wearing perfume can fatigue your olfactory senses, even music can alter your perception.

They gave us three points to keep in mind when tasting spirits ::

Appearance : A white background highlights color, showing the quality of the spirit and guides the taste. View the edge of the spirit for color, brightness. That shows what the spirit has gotten from the barrel.

Nosing : Be in the conversation with the spirit and go with first impression, not expectation. Different volatiles, high alatides can overwhelm your nose so start with small sniffs.

Tasting : Small sip under the tongue to activate salivary gland and aromatize. Move up to pool on the tongue, breathe in, wash over tongue. Notice where on the tongue the flavors hit.

When designing a cocktail, do this homework first. You can adjust what you mix with the spirit as either a point or a counterpoint to make your creating more bold or mellow.

Scotch (it's easier than you think) was the most fascinating part for us both. We tasted Scotch from all over Scotland as we learned about the history and geography that creates the differences and the similarities.
There is a correlation between craft beer and single malt scotch; basically you don't add hops and distill it. The original whiskey in the highland was single malt and distilled very slowly. The growing middle class in the cities needed something less rough. They put it in the oak casks of sherry or port to age to make it more palatable. 

A decent blend will have held grain whiskey and half single-malt. Peated malt is when the add water to sprout the barley and then dry it out over a peat fire which created the toasted, smoky flavor. The oak cask gives sixty percent of the flavor. American oak creates a spicy, butterscotch finish. Spanish oak is deeper, more almond, raisin or nutmeg.

The Perfect Host gave us the basics for deciding what to serve at a cocktail party. Have four basic drinks : Manhattan, Martini, a basic sour & Nagroni. (We had to Google Nagroni...it's an aperitif which we learned about in the final session)
Manhattan = Whiskey, vermouth, bitters
Martini = Gin, dry vermouth
Negroni = Gin, sweet vermouth, campari (We had to Google Campari too. We felt like such noobs!)
Sour =  2 spirit 3/4 citrus 3/4 sweet

Stir the first three shake the sour. If it all booze you stir. If you put juice in it you shake it. You want to have a shaken, a stirred, a tall drink with soda.
Themes - usually comes down to naming and it is half the fun.

Don't stand behind your bar the whole time. Make a punch  
Punch = One is sour, two of sweet, thee of strong, and four of weak (example : lemon juice, simple syrup,  rum and brandy,  soda and black tea)

Introduction to Aperitifs was completely new to us, and we felt marginally better when they explained most American's haven't embraced it. It's never been part of our culture the way it is in teh rest of the world.

Herbal infused brandy/ fortified wine (aka vermouth) began the apertivo hour. Many aperitifs have medicinal origins. Many contain quinine like cocchi. These bitters herbs create a biochemical reaction in the body increasing salivation and speeding digestion. They are lower octane cocktails (except the martini).

Adventure List - 2012

I love my adventures. I have such fun, and manage to drag my lovelies into the joy zone with me. With the health issues that hit the fan last month, I'm not sure how much I'll be up for, so I made a list of things I can do close to home. I'm excited already!

1. Spanish Coffee @ Huber's

2. OMSI After Dark

3. Slappycakes

4. Bob’s Red Mill Tour

5. Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden

6. Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

7. Rose Garden

8. Portland Saturday Market

9. Shakespeare in the Park

10. Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade

11. Oktoberfest @ Mt Angel

12. Tea @ The Heathman

13. Festival of Lights @ The Grotto

 

What fun do you have planned this year?

Las Vegas Weekend - Sunday

Though we were up until the wee hours giggling about how amazing the Katy Perry concert was, I popped out of bed bright and early. I escaped the room to spend some quality time with The Village People...the slot machine game. The cocktail waitress was a doll, bringing me both coffee and mimosas. I love Las Vegas!

Once I thought the other girls might have stirred (OK, so I was up $20 and didn't want to give it back to the machine) I checked upstairs. All it took to get them packed up and ready to go was the promise of brunch at Sugar Factory. The place is simply that good.

We spent the day exploring the free stuff Vegas has to offer - fountains, waterfalls, flamingos, lions, the live statues in the Venetian. We didn't manage to do anything on our agenda -- the roller coaster, gondolas, and CSI Experience. It was a bummer since I know the girls looked forward to it.

We did manage to laugh ourselves silly at Madame Tussaud's wax museum. We texted pix to one friend's husband and daughter...but they weren't fooled. Too bad, since I was all about getting my picture taken in bed with Hef!

Every time I go to Las Vegas, I come home with a list of things I want to do next time. I can't wait to go back!

Las Vegas Weekend - Saturday

Here's the part where I share what not to do on a girls weekend in Las Vegas when you have ADD.

Do NOT leave your phone in the car on the way to the airport. Then, your friendlies won't be too keen on letting you wander the city alone, since they don't have a way to reach you and they do not want to have to call your husband and explain that they lost his sugarmama. You have to do what they want to do, even if it is shopping and you don't like to shop in Las Vegas. (Oregon has no sales tax, so I don't like to shop anywhere else, no hard feelings Vegas, I'm just cheap like that)

Do NOT forget to put the battery in your camera before you leave the hotel room for the day. You'll have to lug around the heavy camera, and since it's your only form of distraction from shopping... your ADD will flare like it hasn't in decades.

Lesson learned. My frustrations aside, from the moment we woke up, Saturday was all about the Katy Perry concert that night. I may have influenced my lovelies to go to Sugar Factory for the best breakfast ever. And they might have explored the Forums Shoppes and Miracle Mile. I think we even managed to find a cute waiter at RiRa for dinner.

But it was all about Katy. We love Katy. Some of us went a little wild for Katy and bought new outfits. There were hot pink wigs. Feather earings. Lots of mascara. And a bedazzled bra.

And did we ever LOVE that concert! Such a fun combination of Candyland, Alice in Winderland and Wizard of Oz. The amazing staging and fabulous music came together to create a magical event. Such a great time.

After the concert I was too keyed up to go back to the room, but since we were in our own hotel, the girls trusted me enough to let me hit the slots. I got to spend quality time with my favorite game - Invaders from the Planet Moolah! I love slot machines. I always wind up breaking even, so for me they are like video games. Great for camling my frazzeled mind. The champagne helped too.

Las Vegas Weekend - Friday

After much planning, scheduling, and bargaining, my favorite group of desperate housewives managed to book a weekend in Vegas all to ourselves! No husbands, no kids... Heaven, is that you calling?

We packed a whole lot into our 3 days, which proved how much I love Las Vegas. There is never a dull moment in that city. Plus, since the town never shuts down, you can do as much as your lack of sleep allows!

The trip started out in style with a limo ride from the airport. Our driver even gave us a tour of the strip, and took our picture at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign.

After a fab lunch at RiRa Irish Pub, we headed to the Minus 5 Ice Bar. Talk about hilarious - I was expecting some kind of sexy igloo with a cozy lodge and floor length mink coats...but I got a walk in freezer with ice sculptures and coats and hats made out of muppet fur! The drinks were tasty and the bartenders were fun, but the chick with the camera was quite the sourpuss. I really wished they'd let me bring my camera in, the whole experience would have been much more fun had we managed to get more than one photo. The place is really only good for photo ops...and if you can't get that...

And then I got married. HA! The girls didn't want me to pack along my laptop, so I did some hands on research while I was there for the marriage proposal book. Checking out wedding chapels is a part of my job...not even going to pretend I didn't enjoy every minute.  

The first night we took a helicopter tour of the strip. I've never been in a helicopter and it was amazing...for me. It made one of my chickies claustraphobic, and another nearly lost her Irish pub lunch in her ice bar muppet fur hat!

Once our tummies settled, we needed dinner...at a Pampas Brazillian grill. We magically got a private dining room and the servers came in with swords of meat for us to try. Faboosh. Definitely a place I'd take my husband or brothers to.

After a round of shopping, it was time to get this set of Mommies out of their heels. We're used to sneakers...or in my case...socks!

The Las Vegas Plan

I'm thrilled to be spending this weekend on a girls-only getaway to Las Vegas! I love Las Vegas -- the vibrancy and expectancy of the place. And this time I get to see it through fresh eyes since two of the chicas have never been.

We have big plans...which makes me wonder how many we'll actually get to on our adventure We each chose one thing to do...and I've been wondering what this says about our character...

Moi:: Minus 5 Ice Bar -- because it looks cool on TV. And I get to wear a fur coat and a Russian hat.
Tease:: Helicopter tour -- because we've never been on a helicopter, and she's never been to Vegas so why not see it in all its glory! (did I mention she has horrid motion sickness?)
J:: New York New York roller coaster -- this is my friend who went ziplining with me...she likes this stuff. It's her birthday, or I might skip it.
YaYa:: CSI Crime Scene Experience -- I think she's always secretly wanted to be a Charlie's Angel
Lass :: Brazillian restaurant -- Bring that sword over here, I want some meat!

I swear, we are all perfectly respectable, happily married-with-children ladies... which means we're due for some fun. Which is probably why we're looking to work in Coyote Ugly (think they'll let us Zumba on the bar?)

DIY Portland Chocolate Tour

I'm a big fan of spending my afternoon noshing and laughing with Portland Walking Tours (hence why I've taken the same tour twice) and really wanted to spend some time with Chocolate Decadence...but we couldn't get the timing to work out right. So, we decided to make our own tour.

With a hotel right in the heart of Portland's chocolate district, we barely had to walk! We started a bit east of downtown with chain-store chocolate from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. When we were teens, Jeff & I loved treking down to Ashland for their truffles and carmel apples. Our tastes have grown up, because we didn't really like the truffles we tried. The chocolate was grainy and the fillings were kind of oily. They looked fantastic.

Once we got downtown, we went to Leonadis chocolates, a favorite of my friend Kris. Living in Europe ruined her for American chocolate, so when she needs a fix, this is where she goes. Now I know why.

This isn't a place to go when you're on a budget, but if you just want a truffle or two to calm your chocolate jones, go here. Like woah. The flavor combinations are amazing, and the chocolate is so fresh it tastes, well, better. Belgians know chocolate. 

We found Portland's own Moonstruck Chocolates next. I love Moonstruck so much, I wrote it into Compromising Positions (the chocolate they gift one another, and what he finally shares with her). They're very thoughtful in their chocolate, creating blends and flavor pairings that just make everything better. Plus, their caramels are divine.

Next, we tried Swiss chocolatier Teuscher. The store is very kitschy and smells...like Willy Wonka's chocolate river. They had some unique flavor combinations. Everything we tried as delicious and very creamy. 

My favorite stop of the trip had to be at Cacao for drinking chocolate. Walking Tours start at the Heathman, where the chocolate mecca is tucked into a corner, and begin with a shot of chocolate goodness. Jeff tried the cinnamon milk chocolate and it was just as delightful as my dark chocolate drink. You haven't experienced chocolate until you've sipped at Cacao.

Chocolate Decadence does more than just the chocolate shops -- there are rumors of cupcakes, cookies, gelato, and tips on how to pair chocolate with wine. But we did manage to find the best chocolate croissant outside of France at Pazzoria.

As much as I loved our DIY tour (and the cheap date price) I still want to do Chocolate Decadence. I love chocolate!

Ridin' The Riverboat

I'm not sure what I expected from a dinner cruise aboard the Columbia Gorge sternwheeler. I think of river boats and my mind either goes to the swanky casino boats on the Travel Channel, or Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

This was definitely a middle ground - a much used space with two dining levels and an observation top deck. Most of the passengers were outside of our demographic, but there was one family celebrating a 50th anniversary that had a few people I might find at a PTA meeting.

The dinner cruise was a great way to see the gorge and learn a little about the area. The Seattle harbor cruise we did during Spring Broke was much more informative, as was the drive through the gorge during our snowshoe adventure.

Dinner was okay, you can't really expect much from a galley kitchen. I did think the cheesecake shouldn't be frozen, but what can you do?

 

I had fun taking pictures and watching the sternwheel spin. Things didn't really line up for the sunset shot I'd hoped for, but that didn't stop me from taking pictures until the memory card filled up!