Scot insisted I download The Salmon Dance from the Chemical Brothers. Um... just how much of what drug was ingested prior to this creation!?

But I have to admit this one hits the spot.



Please ignore the blabber at the end from the God Squad. I ended up there from some crazy "Financial Ministry" site. Crazy crackers.

Our buddy Oreo experienced a big life change when Petwerks moved. Luckily, our friends Pat and Jon had told us long ago that they had fallen in love with Oreo, and should he ever need a home, their door was open.

And take him in they did, indeed. He's spent some time in the studio and has now moved to The House on Purple Hill where he enjoys a warm and happy home with two other tigers, too!

Thank you, Milo, Fripples, Jon and Pat for giving our boy such a wonderful new home!

I'm restless today. Not in a funk per se, but just... off in ten directions.

I want the lighting in my living room improved. I want to get caught up at work. I want to get things straight in the office. I want to MAKE something.

So far we're making headway on all points. My first try at homeade applesauce is on the stove, and homemade mac and cheese, with a lovingly prepared rue, is in the oven. Scot's in the living room putting together some new lamps, and we've spent time at both place of employment today.

Recently we joined two friends who booked themselves a cabin at Breitenbush to celebrate their anniversary. We cozied up next to them in cabin B6; to fit in we decided to celebrate 18.5 years together. (OMG, can that really be?)

I'd not spent a lot of time there before, but had dropped by once or twice; a number of events had interested, but all had big price tags. I'm too cheap for self improvement, I guess.

I understand the big picture, having had experience with a similar project out east (not nearly as successful, however). It's wonderful, the intentional community, the creation of a special place to show by example how to live (off the grid, etc.), the preservation of a unique natural feature--the hot springs.

But $160 a night (for two people) for a very basic (slightly run down) cabin and three meals? A bit pricey. Once there, the staff at registration are welcoming, but the general feel of the place is not. There's a big hippie pecking order, and more "I'm greener than thou" attitude than you can shake a stick at. I understand that many people go there to have a moment of retreat for themselves, but when you walk along a path, make eye contact with someone... when they smile and say hello, would it harm the earth to reply in kind? Something is wrong when my husband is the most outgoing person present.

In the lobby of the lodge, Scot overheard a group of professional backpackers, all women, one upping each other over where the better ashrams were (Mexico is apparently out, Thailand trumps). The funny thing is, you could replace the content of the conversation with Volvo versus BMW and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Condescension was in ample supply.

But all that mattered little when we peeled off the clothes (yes, all of them) and beneath the stars slipped into one of the pools in the meadow on top of a hill overlooking a glacial river. The night was crystal clear, the sky inky black and smattered with stars on the cusp of the new moon. The water was hot and refreshing, and we lolled around in two of the pools for quite some time. The man made rock lined pools were ticked back into the woods at the top of a hill that sloped down to rushing water. Heavenly. We had them all to ourselves at night! We also hit the tubs, but they weren't as much fun; they were more sulfur ridden, and the presentation is more contrived, less natural. Arriving at night we made our way around by the green glow of the landscape lights, all powered by the electricity generated at the river.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

A sense of normal humanity has returned to me after a weekend of work and relaxation. I spent some time at my day job on Saturday and in three hours reached a reasonable position of "caught up." I imagine I'll do that once more, perhaps this coming weekend, and be "on top." Not too shabby. The week of the move, I juggled a lot, and took/made a lot of calls, ran out for signings and other meetings, so it's no surprise I fell behind. I'm thankful for having the flexibility and support in order to do that.

Saturday I went to a greatly anticipated gathering in Portland. My experience was rather odd. If you're aware of my account over at Tribe you can check that out.

Sunday we had the quintessential Oregon fall experience: we set out mid-morning with Ivan and Rhonda driving through thick fog in the hills. We hit a few wineries for a tasting, once again in search of something to pair with Thanksgiving dinner. A bit after noon, the thick fog suddenly disappeared, revealing the most beautiful, perfect fall day. Clear blue skies, the remains of vibrant fall colors laid against the lush green countryside that reemerges after the summer drought abates.

We lunched in McMinnville; the service and food quality at Golden Valley was abysmal; the service was slow, the burgers were so well done they were dry and crunchy, and... I won't bore you with the dropped pint glasses and having a chair fall onto me.

Ice cream down the street at Serendipity, however, made it all better. My new favorite: Birthday Cake ice cream within a sugar cone. *drool*

Back home where Glenda, the cat who has adopted us, loved all over all of us. Luckily, I've gotten a response to my Craigslist ad that I feel really good about; we'll meet this weekend.

Working at Petwerks today, with a lot to do but a reasonable pace, too. Things are coming together and falling into line.