Wrap n’ Roll

Wrapping up the week and rolling straight into the weekend, that’s the name of the game! This week has flown by and I’ve also felt incredibly productive both at work and at home. I was able to run 4 weekdays (including this morning…which was a really early alarm for everyone), got a great amount of work done and was even able to sneak in a pedicure, a movie and some time with my Mr. Dan.

First of all, the half birthday celebrations yesterday were more than expected as always and I feel pampered, loved and fulfilled.

The day started out with Dan chauffeuring me into work in the rental mini-van, then returning to deliver me a extra big latte with extra big results, followed by a facebook frenzy of well wishes by friends, family and the sweet little sisters below – who are experts at photo editing #amIright?

The next wonderful thing that happened to me was this ‘omg!’ inducing lunch complete with meal-prepped grilled chicken, lettuce, 1/2 avocado and S.R.I.R.A.C.H.A. Dan was in charge of the sriracha ‘drenching’ on this one and sad to say it just didn’t kick enough. Therefore, tomorrow’s container leaves the chicken unrecognizable to the naked eye. #morespiceplz

At the end of the day after I had to put out a few tiny little fires at the workplace, Dan swooped me up and took US to get pedicures together in Beaverton. He loves taking me to get pedicures and he’s the happiest guy I’ve ever seen sitting back in the massage chair, people touching his weary hairy feet and even a little nail polish. He may not be as appreciative of me getting photo evidence for the blog, but I think he and his clear-painted nails will get over it!

To wrap up the evening, this handsome guy whisked me away in our weekend rented mini van and we headed to Cinetopia for dinner and Great Gatsby. I was thrilled beyond belief as I saw a dear childhood friend of mine enter the theater just after me, and it was a great to giggle, chat and make ‘let’s see each other soon’ plans with one another. In the meantime I’ll work on finding old photos of our younger years for a Throwback Thursday, Gretchen!

When we returned home late, I was surprised to find that my parents had dropped off a chocolate cake, fresh raspberries, a gift card to our favorite java spot and a beautiful flower in a vase picked straight from the garden – all for the special day!

I have the greatest family, friends and boyfriend I could ever ask for. It’s easy for my mind to be happy when there’s so much positive energy flowing through my beautiful life.

This weekend I have a lot of solid blog (this one) and educational reading/viewing to dive into (like this!) – many peaceful running miles while Dan’s off being important, and a whole amazing world around me to take in, one breath at a time!

Golden Weekend

I’m so rested from this weekend – come at me, May!

Despite some car troubles for me (Thank you Dan, Dad, Mom, Sisters!) and some additional car troubles for Dan (Thank you, Austin!) we had a pretty nice birthday weekend for Dan.

He had his golf tournament both days so we didn’t hit the town or get wild, but it was everything you’d want a weekend to be.

• I had some quality alone time with two 10 mile runs (20 total).
• I enjoyed a massage with miracle worker Maggie. 
• We relaxed with some NBA playoffs and enjoyed the beautiful sunlight coming through the windows and illuminating our home.

I even reacquianted with these friendly drinking fountains in the neighborhood: The Benson Bubbler

The biggest part of the weekend that I didn’t like was being unable to drive to get the cake Dan really wanted for his birthday a sheet cake from Costco, so he had no cake at all.

Instead, here are the cakes from his last two birthdays we’ve spent together:

At least I learned!

He had all kinds of birthday love from friends and family on facebook and via phone calls – so overall he considered his special week day a success.

He especially loved the visits and gifts from the two little goldens that have stolen his heart:

Restaurant Review: Torta-Landia

Saturday night Dan and I were couch potatoes. We kept talking about what our ‘plans’ were for the rest of the evening and couldn’t come up with anything better than catching up on our DVR with shows dating back to March. No time for TV

I really didn’t want to spend the rest of my night just sitting, but I also only wanted to spend the evening with my guy. I saw an update on Facebook that my parents were headed out to date night and I was convinced that Dan and I needed to have one too!

The last time I was with miracle worker Maggie, she recommended a restaurant that was great for an upbeat vibe, delicious chips + guacamole and a feel good ‘hole in the wall’ spot off the beaten path. I told her we’d check it out and I wanted to do it before my next appointment at the end of the month.

Torta-Landia is located on SE 60th avenue just off of Foster Road and within 2 miles walking distance of our home. Since we were feeling like bums we weren’t going to drive so we bundled up, put on our walking shoes and headed out the door holding hands and soaking in sights of the neighborhood.

We arrived to the restaurant just past 8pm and found a packed house with live music and margaritas everywhere. We had to join in!

What We Drank

2 House Margaritas ($5.50 each)

We almost went with the Corona-rita (Margarita with an upside-down corona) but had already been drinking most of the day while watching the Masters. #Sorrynotsorry

What We Ate

House Made Chips + Side of Guacamole ($3 + $2 Guac)

Carnitas del Diablo Burrito ($8.50)

Slow roasted carnitas sauteed with habaneros & jalapeno peppers, borracho beans, green rice cilantro-lime crema, queso oaxaca, and habanero salsa.

This burrito was big enough that both of us felt satisfied with the food we’d eaten and our bodies were warm walking back in the cool 50 degree evening.

Know Before You Go:

• It really is off the beaten path, hidden behind a used tire lot on Foster Road
• Happy Hour is 3-5pm Tuesday-Friday and 9-close Daily
• They had live music the entire time we were there – it looked like it was set up for the same scene every night
• Even Dan thought the burrito was massive – check the menu before you go and split a dish or two
• Location: 4144 SE 60th Ave, Portland, OR
• Hours: Closed Mondays, open Tuesday-Sunday starting at 11am.

Enjoy!

Weekend of Ups and Downs

This weekend brought many ups and a few downs for Dan and I – I’ll start with the happy times so that I don’t fall short on the events of the weekend.

Friday night after the work week Dan and I went to see Oz The Great and Powerful and loved it! I highly recommend that you head to the theater to see it if you have the chance. Oz the Great and Powerful is the prequel story to the Wizard of Oz and enchanted us for the entire 2 hours and 7 minutes in 3D. The Wizard of Oz is a classic film that you couldn’t imagine being enhanced upon but this was creatively made and so well cast that without knowing you’d honestly believe that it was made before the 1939 classic.

1. Spring has sprung – the cherry blossoms are blooming in the neighborhood and I stopped to take twenty photos on my Saturday run

2. Dan scored 9th row Blazers tickets to their win vs. Detroit on Saturday night with Club level tickets ❤

3. I baked a shamrock cake on Saturday – you’ll see it tomorrow!

4. There were $2 Guinness cans at work on Friday as employee appreciation for St. Patrick’s Day so my work team took advantage.

5. The Blazers scored 100 points in their win, so we got a Chalupa coupon which can be used at Portland’s best food cart KOi Fusion as well!

6. Friday night ended with spontaneous margaritas at Dan’s suggestion while we were driving home. His best idea in a while!

We finally caved and treated ourselves to the real deal – the Shamrock Shake from McDonald’s.

You can see the excitement and surprise that Dan had when the following things occurred:

1. I wasn’t having anxiety going through a drive-thru A story for another day

2. Was agreeing to the drink since I’ve been re-creating healthier versions and pushing them on him

I wish that this is where I could wrap up my weekend update, but I need to share the real, the sad, the human part of the weekend that sours the joy we had.

Saturday I heard the news that my 98 year old grandmother had a fall that broke her hip and sent her to the hospital in an ambulance. Her health has been declining recently and as you’d imagine of any person that age her bones are fragile and her mind has been wandering for a few years. It was sad to see her on Sunday afternoon laying in a hospital bed, helpless, seemingly gasping for oxygen and only comforted by the medication and the breathing assistance she was receiving from modern medicine. It was heartbreaking to see my aunts standing by her bedside, and especially seeing the emotion on my dad’s face knowing that this was a sign that she’s near the end.

We are wishing her a comfortable and peaceful week – hoping that she is able to eat, rest and enjoy the company of family members at her side.

Hug your family and friends love them with all you have.

Week 10: Cohabitation

As I sit here writing this post (hint: Thursday night) Dan is in the kitchen making us NY Strip Steak, sauteed veggies and we’re both sipping wine from a new bottle we sampled today at Trader Joe’s. Life is good Great!

This was a big week for both of us so let’s focus on only the happy moments!

This week Dan celebrated his five year anniversary with the company of his dreams. When he was congratulated by a round of applause from his peers, he was then presented with a peer-voted Employee of the Quarter award for all of his hard work and passion for his work.

It’ll be two more years until I get my very own plaque:

We grabbed coffee from our local coffee shop THREE mornings this week which always puts a little pep in our step! Normally when we make it into work we have a couple minutes to spare and those are spent resting on each other’s shoulders to have a little more ‘us time’ before we are sentenced to 8-10 hours of non-stop work. The coffee puts us in the parking lot a little closer to go-time and it just plain tastes good!

Wednesday night we had a special visitor at the house! Mom was going out at night to meet with a long lost friend and we had the privilege of keeping an eye on the sweetest little girl. Bella has the sweetest temperament, the gentlest eyes and the softest coat of hair! She was a sleepyhead for most of the night as was I and fell asleep on my feet while we tried our hardest to stay awake for mom to come in after curfew 😉

-Pause-

This is dinner and drinks tonight, don’t be jealous!

Weekend plans? No way!

Dan plans to run with me Saturday morning before getting 18 holes of golf in. I plan to run as far as my legs will take me and dream as far as my mind will let me travel. Maybe a pedicure too – what are you guys up to?

Oh right, St. Patty’s Day! I hope you’re wearing green! I can see us grabbing a pint of Guinness to celebrate but other than that I’m laying low. I think it’s important to call out that last year I spent St. Patty’s morning DIY-ing with Brooke and Erica where we made these pinterest gems: Bracelets & Shoes

Sorry to end this short, but my man’s calling me to dance with him in our living room to some new J.T.- have a great weekend, everyone!

Saving Daylight

Who else around here is happy to have another hour of sunlight in the evenings?

I feel like the extra afternoon light will be exactly what I need to remind myself to get out in the world and enjoy it. In the winter darkness it’s easy to get stuck in a rut when the only natural light you see is out the windows while you’re tied to a desk all day figuratively speaking. Sure, when it’s dark outside I can justify spending more time catching up on our DVR and catching up on my favorite internet reads – but that’s not how I want to remember spending my twenties!

More daylight will mean more living, more inspiration, more color, more imagination and more time to take a step outside and breathe in the fresh air. It will also mean better photos, BBQ’s and some beautiful sunsets to soak in.

Losing an hour this weekend didn’t phase us and I felt more productive and balanced than ever.

• I finished running by 8am each morning
• I enjoyed quality family time as my brother packed up and returned home
• I finally met Olive and caught up with Tanna – both are happy and healthy!
• I visited Barista for a cup of coffee downtown Sunday morning
• Food prep for the weekend is done!
• We tried and loved some borrowed recipes (stay tuned!)

And Dan? He had a great Saturday playing frosty golf early in the morning, he loved watching Tiger Woods win the WGC Cadillac Championship on Sunday and he thanked me repeatedly for the time I spent in the kitchen making our meals for the weekend and for the week. He also impressed me domestically by mopping the floor and getting the dishes washed and put away before I even noticed.

He’s a keeper.

25 Miles Later

Good morning and happy Monday!

It was a less than eventful weekend as both Dan and I were putting in time at the office. He unfortunately had to physically be there at his desk, I was fortunate enough to be able to keep my glasses on, my coffee mug full and most importantly see what Tiger does all day long while we are normally away. He’s pretty funny.

As the story was last weekend, I laced up and hit the road. Running was the easiest thing that I did all week and more than anything it was relaxing and an opportunity to hash some work dilemmas out in my mind and come up with an action plan. Friday I ran 10 after work in the beautiful weather we had, Saturday was a “short” five mile shake-out and Sunday was another long haul where I ran 100 blocks east of my house and 100 blocks back. If you’re familiar, you know that 100 blocks in Southeast Portland can be a big change of scenery from neighborhood shopping, quaint homes, busy commercial areas, un-paved sidewalks and less than appealing apartment complexes. All the landscape differences always provide an entertaining run. Plus I don’t mind that there’s minimal elevation change – win/win!

Count it up and I’ve met one of my February Goals of four 10 miler’s for the month. Now I just have to keep up the strength training!

When I wasn’t out in the fresh air stomping the pavement, I was at Papaccino’s Coffee House enjoying the sights and sounds of the neighborhood while switching back and forth with the book I’m reading and some work I volunteered to do. I might have been better off just going into the office as well to take advantage of a large monitor and a mouse. #firstworldproblems

The great news about working on the weekend though was that when my spreadsheets were too long and taking up to 20 minutes to calculate (ugh!) I was able to clean up the 100+ blogs in my reading list that I hadn’t been able to get after yet. And found this adorably annoying kitty

Isn’t this the friendliest Dragon you’ve ever seen?

Dan also made fun of the dragon photo as being a ‘half-selfie’… I suppose!

This one is short and sweet today, come back tomorrow!

❤ JE

 

Restaurant Review | The Original Taco House

Do you have that restaurant that reminds you of everything good in the world? The restaurant that was your reward after a big win, or your destination for a special birthday party. A place where you can go and see a familiar face each and every time you visit? For me, that restaurant in Portland is The Original Taco House. Authentic Mexican flare, comfortable neighborhood vibe, great eats without getting away with the “hole in the wall” ambiance and mostly importantly: no shortage on tortilla chips… ever!

Original Taco House has been a family staple for years and it was one of the first places that I showed Dan when he first started to court me. We have continued to return and enjoy it more and more each time we go back. I always dream that OTH is a well kept secret close to my heart and my family, but when I see how packed it was last Friday night I know that it’s no fluke they’ve comfortably thrived for 53 years in PDX.

What We Drank:

2 El Bravo’s ($9.50 each)

A wonderful mix of six liquors and juices garnished with fresh orange wedges, lime wedges and maraschino cherries. Served in a big bowl with even bigger straws. Dan and I choose the evenings carefully when we think we can handle one two of these.

What We Ate:

Tostada Regulario ($7.45)

Lettuce, grilled chicken, black beans (substituted), tomatoes, cheddar cheese – all piled atop a yellow corn tortilla flat. Add the house dressing and you’re set for an amazing meal.

I don’t even look at the menu anymore. I know that I can never finish this salad on my own and I’m happy that it’s become one of Dan’s favorites as well.

Chips + Salsa (free and unlimited)

One minute you see them, the next you don’t. Good news is a refill is on it’s way in minutes!

Know Before You Go:

• They cater and their fresh salsas can be found in a grocery near you
• Happy Hour Daily; 3-6pm and 9-close.
• I’ve heard rumors of some excellent lunch specials.
• If the restaurant is busy and you’re 21+, head to the Cantina.
• Save room for their mouthwatering (AND FREE) cinnamon cookies at the end of your meal.
• Locations: 3550 SE Powell Blvd Portland, OR // 3255 NE 82nd Ave Portland, OR
• Hours: All days 11am-10pm
  
• If you know anyone in Southeast, expect to see them there.

I’ll see you there!

❤ JE

February’s Eight Great Goals

Welcome, February! Please have a seat and make yourself comfortable – I’ve been waiting for you.

January has always been one of my least favorite months as far as months go and I’ve heard others say that too. It’s a rude awakening from the holidays, the days are short, the nights are cold and my heat, energy and water bills are off the charts in comparison. I’d like to shine some positive light on January as a time to restart, to renew and for new beginnings – but truly every month should be approached this way. Just like everyday should be like Valentine’s Day and you should call your mother more than only on her birthday, Christmas or Mother’s Day. Little things.

This month is sure to present some challenges, like more dreary & cold weather,  three less days to complete 100 miles or that our workforce of three will drop down to two (ahh!). With all of the madness presented in those challenges there’s still so much more to look forward to. Loving and nurturing Tiger, a no-frills baby shower invite, Super Bowl shenanigans, another 90 minute massage, return of AMC’s The Walking Dead, Bailey’s 1 and a half year birthday(!!!), girls night birthday fun, seeing Amanda (hopefully) when she makes her first visit to Portland after her big career move, continuing to live with my wonderful boyfriend …and so much more I don’t even know about!

Let’s get down to it, my mission for the month!

February’s Eight Great Goals:

1. Follow Amanda from RunToTheFinish in her #BestFoot challenge to Eat a Clean Breakfast every day in February

2. Read a book, cover to cover, for the pure pleasure of reading. Any suggestions are welcome – what have you read lately?

3. Practice my pool game before brother comes home in March.

4. Spend some serious time at mom and dad’s house to go through ‘the archives’ that they’ve been holding onto my entire life since I moved out 7 years ago.

5. Encourage Dan to play golf and never ask that he does otherwise.

6. Pre-write 3 posts per week to eliminate some time constraints and pressures when it comes to delivering content by 8am.

7. Comment on other blogger’s posts and participate in this worldwide community.

8. Log four 10-mile runs in preparation for my second #ToughMudder (first mudder here).

That seems like more than enough to keep me busy in the short 28 days. I am excited to share more with you as you share more with me!

❤ JE

Restaurant Review | Mellow Mushroom

I hope that everyone had as wonderful of a 3-day weekend as I did and thank you for staying patient while I took Martin Luther King Jr. day off from both work and blogging – a girl needs her rest!

This is an easy post as I’m still in a bit of a food coma while I write this  so pardon me if I trail off mid-sentence with a drool streak.

For a MLK + Inauguration day celebrations Dan and I were invited by our good friends Brooke and Brad to visit Mellow Mushroom for an all-out lunch and day drinking extravaganza.  We had visited previously the restaurant for both a friend’s birthday and for pre-New Years Eve dinner plans and can say that it’s one of our favorite pizza locations in Portland. We haven’t yet been disappointed and have barely covered all of the incredible options on the menu.

They are predominantly located in Southeastern states with a few locations moving West… and only one location in Oregon that we are lucky enough to have only a few minutes drive from home and work.

What’s even greater about Mellow Mushroom is that on Monday’s they have an All Day special where any of their beers originally priced $5.50 and under per pint (as long as its under 8% abv) are only $2.00. This isn’t just a deal for the light beers and canned varieties – it’s for well crafted, top quality, local and domestic micro brews. You could go there every day for a week and not order the same thing twice. <– That is a challenge.

(via)

What We Ate:

1 Medium House Special Pizza ($20.00)

Red sauce base with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, ham, Applewood smoked bacon, mushrooms, black olives, Roma tomatoes, green peppers and onions. Topped with extra mozzarella.

[Previously we’ve eaten the Philosopher’s Pie –

Olive oil and garlic base, all natural grilled steak, Portobello mushrooms, artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, Provolone, feta and mozzarella cheeses.]

What We Drank:

Beers on beers on beers. I had three (Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Goose Island 312, Vertigo Raspberry Wheat) and Dan had four dark stout varieties that met his requirements for a good drink.

In addition, we all had a round of Irish Car bombs that sealed the deal on our day drinking. Martin wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Know Before You Go:

• Oh what – a Beer Club? In case you plan to try new beers and earn points for them.
• Remember that Monday night happy hour ^^ it’s important when you’re planning your nights out.
• They’re Social – Check out their Facebook or Twitter
  
• Address: 1411 NW Flanders St Portland, OR 97209
• Hours: All days 11am-10pm // Friday & Saturday open until 11pm.
  
• View their drool-worthy Menu here
  

I’m going to have to take my parents here, I have a feeling that my dad would find a few pizzas on the menu irresistible!

❤ JE