Take It In--Imbibe

Last week, I went to dinner at Imbibe, on Hawthorn and 22nd or so. I hadn't been there since the last time I played music there, which was over a year ago. Although everything looks just as it did, things have changed. Overtly, what's different is the the menu, but my hunch is that the menu is just a sign of greater evolutions behind the scenes. I definitely like the new menu, which has many items to please both meat eaters and non-meat eaters (like me). Apparently, the menu is still in flux, meaning your input would be welcome. Sunday is all day happy hour, so cheap eats and drinks abound. My only lament is the obvious-- I miss jamming there each Sunday with my friends. Perhaps the new management will come round eventually and invite us back. For now, it's definitely a place I'll recommend to friends and visitors.

Pancake Breakfast

What a wonderful way to start a long, lazy, weekend day. I recently discovered Dancing Bear Baking Co. I made pancakes using their lemon-blueberry pancake/waffle mix, and they were perfect. I only had one burnt pancake, and that happened when I tried to answer the phone while on pancake flipping duty. Best thing of all: we got to enjoy them outside on the porch in the sun.

Wow! Google Maps Street View

Google maps added a new feature. Now, for some major cities, including Portland, you can actually travel along the streets looking at video/photos of houses and stuff from the street. This would be a great tool to help us find new places. I just looked up my own house, of course. I determined that the photos were probably taken before I moved into the house, but I'm not sure. If I point my view down, I can see the car that drove around taking the photos. Now I'm virtually driving that car around town. Fun.

I like the Rhododendron Garden

Rhododendrons are at their peak right now in Portland. I see them everywhere, and they are brilliant. Their home base is the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden across the street from Reed College in SE Portland. It only costs $3, and is free after 6:00 pm. Now that it's staying light until around 9:00, this is a pretty good deal. Although rhodes are the claim to fame, this place is really nice year-round, and has lots of other blooming things to appreciate in the spring, including cherry trees. It's nine and a half acres, and feels even bigger because it shares a border with a golf course. It wasn't crowded when I went, and that was on a weekend when the flowers were at their best. Check it out!

Happy May Day!

It's May, my roommate's birthday, 1st Thursday (see previous post), and square dancing at the Kennedy School. Hurray for the coming of warmer weather.

Today's bookbag

Today, I'm carrying:
The Best American Science Writing of 2007 (ed. Kulata)
A Field Guide for Science Writers (ed. Blum, Knudson, Henig)
Bechara Kachar's newest science article on hair cells
Spiral bound, quad rule notebook
An apple, an orange and a banana
Water in a plastic bottle- I need to switch to metal
Gym clothes for pilates class
Tissues, cough drops, and chap stick
At least 3 pens and a pencil

Another Reason to Go Green

Today, I got my green power coupon book in the mail! Some of Portland's enviro-friendly businesses use green source power and use these coupon books to let us know (and encourage those of us who have already chosen green power).
Portland General Electric offers several ways to start moving toward sustainability, letting individual customers choose to get some percentage of energy from renewable sources for fractions of pennies more per unit (a few dollars a month for most people). Look at how much coal is in the typical mix-- 41%! This is an easy way to feel better about energy use in my house. If you're in Portland and thinking about energy options, go to Green Power Oregon to find out more.