Little earthquake

I woke up about 5:30 this morning to noise and shaking and figured it was an earthquake. I live in Oregon, you're thinking, so big fat deal. The funny thing is I was asleep at my mom's house in South Boston, Ind., when this happened.

When I got up this morning, I asked Mom, "Was there an earthquake last night?" and she thought I was crazy. Turns out it was a 5.2-magnitude centered in Illinois and felt in this area. There seemed to be little effect in this area other than people feeling it; one building in Louisville lost some bricks.

Apparently this quake was in the Wabash fault, which I've heard may or may not be part of the New Madrid fault. We found out about the New Madrid (pronounced MADrid, like the town in New Mexico) some years ago, when Mom and I were still living together and felt a tiny quake then. Supposedly the New Madrid has the potential to be a pretty serious fault line, and one year they predicted "the big one," on my birthday, but it never happened.

So I guess whatever excuses Mom may use for not moving West, fear of earthquakes can't be one of them.

Update: Mom, John and I just felt an aftershock. TV confirmed it was 4.5. Crazy!

Carb overload

I tried posting this entry soon after it happened a couple of weeks ago but was having some Blogger photo issues (excuses, excuses!) and just now got back around to it.

With Stacy & family in Seattle, we now get the chance for jaunts back and forth, so Stacy, Andy, Ada & Harriet popped down for a visit during spring break.

We grabbed dinner at Montage, always a favorite but one we hadn't visited since moving back. The macs (pesto mac, spicy mac, "old" mac, to name a few) never disappoint. Plus, when it comes to leftovers, your food leaves with you in a cleverly wrapped tin foil creation (a duck, a rose, a spaceship, a hammer -- really whatever the server's heart desires and hands can fashion). Unfortunately, once you get it home and open it for reheating, you find that inside the foil, your food has been molded into a congealed blob inside plastic wrap and you wish maybe you'd skipped the leftovers.

For dessert, and a major sugar rush, we stopped at Voodoo Doughnut, where Harriet, left in the photo at right, had an M&M and Ada had a Neapolitan. I had a Crunch Berry, and Michael tried the Portland maple cream, which was considerably smaller than the giant doughnut over his head.

By the way, these photos are from Stacy's iPhone. Pretty good quality, huh? Our camera phone takes pretty crappy pix, but we rarely ever use it for that purpose anyway.

The Kids are alright

Canadian comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall are coming to town, and we are so there! I have been waiting YEARS to see them in person.

Mom got to see them in Louisville a few years back and got photos with them and autographs for me (yes, the celeb thing runs in our genes). I hope to be as lucky.

Michael knows the drill: Show's over, we head to the alley. Unfortunately, the Schnitz, where they are playing, is a bit uncharted territory. I had a helluva time tracking down Lyle Lovett there afterward, and he's usually really easy to meet. And, no, I'm not a stalker, just a fan.

Devout Chihuahua

NAHA, Japan (AP) -- At a Zen Buddhist temple in southern Japan, even the dog prays.

Mimicking his master, priest Joei Yoshikuni, a Chihuahua named Conan joins in the daily prayers at Naha's Shuri Kannondo temple, sitting up on his hind legs and putting his front paws together before the altar.

It took him only a few days to learn the motions, and now he is the talk of the town. "Word has spread, and we are getting a lot more tourists," Yoshikuni said.

Yoshikuni said Conan generally goes through his prayer routine at the temple in the capital of Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture (state) without prompting before his morning and evening meals.

"I think he saw me doing it all the time and got the idea to do it too," Yoshikuni said.

The priest is now trying to teach him how to meditate.

Well, sort of.

"Basically, I am just trying to get him to sit still while I meditate," he explained. "It's not like we can make him cross his legs."

Oregon ducks

This pair of ducks likely waddled over from the park and duck pond a couple of blocks away. One found a puddle for splashing in the grass strip right in front of our house. They just hung out for a while, Michael gave them some bread, then they were on their merry way.

New toy #2

Now that we have a yard to mow (our landlord sits back and rakes in our dough while we do all the work), we decided to get a mower of our own. The landlord does provide a gas one that's stored in the garage, but with small yards in the back and the front, we thought an old-fashioned human-powered mower would be the responsible way to go.

Michael did a little research and decided the Scotts Classic was best for us. We mow the grass about once a week, leaving the short trimmings on the grass. No muss, no fuss. All in all, about a 10-minute job or less per yard.

Oh, and I tried out the mower myself. That may not sound like such a big deal, but I had never mowed grass in my life before. My grandpa always hired my male cousins to mow our lawn, and every place I've lived since, it was handled by someone else. I have to say, even with the push mower, it's a little unwieldy and will take some practice to get turning the corners right.

QT with a cutie

Now that we live in Oregon, we get fairly regular face time with our niece, Rebecca. Here she shows off her huge dimples, personality and "wrarms" (the upper version of "cankles").

'Shrooms

Growing in our front yard. Yep, we're in Oregon!

(Taken with the new camera. Woo-hoo!)

New toy #1

Finally got the digital SLR I've been wanting. Now I won't have to mess with the crappy Canon point & shoot anymore. Nothing but problems with that camera, which went back to the shop for repairs four times in about as many years.

Got a great deal on the Nikon and a bunch of related extras here in the land of no sales tax. Now I need to get shooting!

Song stuck in my head

We all get songs stuck in our head, and it happens to me on a regular basis. But normally it's there for a reason. All day today, and I don't know what put it there, I've been singing "Big Bottom" by Spinal Tap.

The part that's been running through my head:
Big bottom / big bottom
Talk about bum cakes / My girl's got 'em

Good things ...

come in pink boxes and on Frontier jets.

Our friend Monica, a master ceramicist and all-around creative type (not to mention one of Angus' favorite people in the world), flew in from Denver last weekend to check out the Oregon College of Art and Craft. The bonus was that we got lots of QT with her.

The weekend was mostly about eating and driving around checking out neighborhoods and cute shops. We also caught the Blazers-Celtics game, with a surprise appearance by Maceo Parker, who was in town for a concert. He played the Black National Anthem before the game (as part of Black History Month) and performed during halftime. A good time, but despite a strong start, the Blazers lost. Aside from "real" food, we had lots of sweets, chief among them a selection from the ever-enticing Voodoo Doughnut, famous for Nyquil and Pepto-Bismol doughnuts, though those flavors are currently on hold (I can't imagine someone could eat many of those without getting kind of sick, despite both substances' curative properties).

Among our choices were Froot Loops, Cocoa Puffs and Butterfinger doughnuts. Voodoo is also cool in that you can get married in the shop, complete with a doughnut reception.

Before taking Monica to the airport, we stopped by the Stash Tea Store, where it's easy to drop a load of cash. Yes, Stash Tea is available everywhere, but this is the only place I know of where you can find all their flavors, and then some, in one place.

Shaker box

Got an unexpected box of Shaker goodies from Mom the other day. She went down to visit Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg, Ky., recently with a couple of friends. Included in the package were handmade soap and soap dish, peppermint foot powder, moth repellant, pot scrubber, whisk broom, bookmark and jar scrapers.

The best part was a counted cross stitch needlepoint kit of the Mary Payne sampler. The original sampler, which hung in our house while I was growing up, was donated to Shakertown by my grandmother and her two surviving brothers in the 1970s. They were the grandchildren of Mary Payne, who was born in 1860 and lived with the Shakers into her teen years before settling in Washington County, Ind.

Had Mary Payne stayed with the Shakers, there would be no Grandma, Mom, me or a slew of other relatives since the Shakers believed in celibacy (the men and women, even married couples, lived and worked in separate quarters) and eventually died off.

The kit has been around for years; I've just never made it a priority to get one. And in case you're wondering, I am not learning yet another craft. I'll leave the counted cross stitch to the pros; just have to find someone who can stitch it for me.

Seems like spring

We've had our fair share of pleasant weather lately, with temps in the 50s and sunshine. The dogs have enjoyed getting out frolicking in the sun, which there hadn't been a lot of since we got to town.

The forecast calls for more sun and highs well into the 50s for my weekend (Sunday & Monday). Woo-hoo!



Welcome wagon

Our 5-year-old neighbor Ryleigh came over with her mom last night to bring us a homemade Valentine. Unfortunately, I was at work and missed all the cuteness. We had met our neighbors a few days ago, and we suspect her ulterior motive in bringing the Valentine was to get some more QT with the Chihuahuas.

Template

Depending on which browswer you use, my blog may look better or worse. That's always been the case, but with the new template, I notice there is more funky spacing when I view the blog on Internet Explorer. Our home browser is Mozilla Firefox, which gives the view as I see it.

Happy anniversary!

Today's the first Feb. 14 we've lived in Oregon since we got married in 2004, so to mark the occasion, we walked over to our little wedding chapel, Oaks Pioneer Church, for a photo op.

Luckily, a couple marking their fifth anniversary were also there and snapped a picture for us.

I'm working tonight, so we'll celebrate with dinner Monday.

Oh, and, incidentally, it's also Oregon's birthday (statehood Feb. 14, 1859), as Michael is fond of noting.

New look

I decided to update my blog template after noticing the "older posts" link at the bottom of some friends' blogs. It seems easier than having to go into the archive every time to read a past entry. I poked around Blogger to find out how to get the link, and it was simply a matter of switching to an updated layout. Not sure if I'll stick with this template or use another one, but that's the reason for the change.

Our castle & our keep

Here's our house, in the middle of our street. Not so much a castle as a cute little bungalow that we intend to inhabit until our lease is up in a year, then we will assess.

One of our favorite features is the working fireplace, which we've put to good use on several occasions so far. Oh, and I've always been a fan of the front door with the little cutout windows and always wanted to have one.

The walls are still mostly bare; we have much less wall space here than in Denver so haven't figured all that out yet, but it will definitely add a lot to the place one we get to hanging.

Our landlord told us we have a certain kind of plaster that doesn't like holes in the wall too much, and he suggested we use only the nails already in place or use straight pins to hang stuff. As if! In Denver we were able to use picture molding for much of the art; unfortunately, the molding here is only decorative and won't accommodate hooks.

Oregon Chihuahuas

Laugh if you must, but at least now they don't stop to shake off the rain every 5 feet along the way.

Seattle sunset

Here I was thinking I didn't have anything for the blog, and I completely forgot to post photos from my trip to Seattle last weekend to visit Stacy & Co.!

We got to the Olympic Sculpture Park just as the sun was setting on the waterfront (and the giant Alexander Calder piece, top), and it reminded me of one of the reasons I missed the Northwest so much. Yes, there are great sunsets in Albuquerque and Denver, but you just can't beat sunsets on big bodies of water.

At top right, Stacy, Ada (left), Harriet and I huddle for warmth as Andy snaps a pic.

It has been more than 10 years since Stacy and I have lived so close to each other. It's not quite as good as when we lived two streets from each other in Louisville, but a three-hour drive away is much better than we've had it in years. Now if I can just get Mom & John to move West ...

Oh, and on a separate note, go see "Juno"! A smart, sweet movie and a great soundtrack. I love the Mo Tucker-esque tunes by Kimya Dawson.

Hope springs eternal

Thought this was a good read in the NYT:

A President Like My Father

By CAROLINE KENNEDY
Op-Ed Contributor
Published Jan. 27, 2008

Over the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.

My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals.

Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama. It isn’t that the other candidates are not experienced or knowledgeable. But this year, that may not be enough. We need a change in the leadership of this country — just as we did in 1960.

Most of us would prefer to base our voting decision on policy differences. However, the candidates’ goals are similar. They have all laid out detailed plans on everything from strengthening our middle class to investing in early childhood education. So qualities of leadership, character and judgment play a larger role than usual.

Senator Obama has demonstrated these qualities throughout his more than two decades of public service, not just in the United States Senate but in Illinois, where he helped turn around struggling communities, taught constitutional law and was an elected state official for eight years. And Senator Obama is showing the same qualities today. He has built a movement that is changing the face of politics in this country, and he has demonstrated a special gift for inspiring young people — known for a willingness to volunteer, but an aversion to politics — to become engaged in the political process.

I have spent the past five years working in the New York City public schools and have three teenage children of my own. There is a generation coming of age that is hopeful, hard-working, innovative and imaginative. But too many of them are also hopeless, defeated and disengaged. As parents, we have a responsibility to help our children to believe in themselves and in their power to shape their future. Senator Obama is inspiring my children, my parents’ grandchildren, with that sense of possibility.

Senator Obama is running a dignified and honest campaign. He has spoken eloquently about the role of faith in his life, and opened a window into his character in two compelling books. And when it comes to judgment, Barack Obama made the right call on the most important issue of our time by opposing the war in Iraq from the beginning.

I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved.

I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.

R.I.P.

"Like Sam the Butcher bringing Alice the meat;
like Fred Flintstone driving around with bald feet"
LOS ANGELES -- Allan Melvin, a character actor with countless credits best known for playing Sam the Butcher on "The Brady Bunch," has died. He was 84.

Melvin died of cancer Thursday at his home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles, said his wife of 64 years, Amalia Melvin.

The jowly, jovial Melvin spent decades playing a series of sidekicks, second bananas and lovable lugs, including Archie Bunker's friend Barney Hefner on "All in the Family," and Sgt. Bilko's right-hand man Cpl. Henshaw on the "Phil Silvers Show."

But his place in pop culture will be fixed as butcher and bowler Sam Franklin, the love interest of Brady family maid Alice Nelson, played by Ann B. Davis. Melvin played the role from 1970 to 1973.

He saw steady employment as a voice actor from the early 1960s to the early 1990s, most famously providing the voice of "Magilla Gorilla" for the Hanna Barbera cartoon of the same name.

His other credits include several guest appearances on "The Andy Griffith Show," "Gomer Pyle: USMC," and "The Dick Van Dyke Show."