Ramblings from a coffee addicted, takes herself too seriously, literary buff.
I’ve been exploring some new food options in Portland. After long months of watching myself and my friends and family suffer from numerous bouts of the flu, colds, and other ailments I decided to do a little research and find ways to help prevent getting sick. Where did I turn first? Food, of course. Check out my Food Scene page for cool sites and tips that should help you in your own search for healthier (and I think tastier) edible options.
Last Saturday night, after Avery’s wedding, my sister Hannah and I headed to Billings MT. Hannah goes to school there and since I haven’t been to visit yet and she was driving by herself, I decided to join her for the trip. We knew ahead of time that Daylight Savings was going to mess with our schedule but what we didn’t remember is the change from Pacific to Mountain time.
After navigating two passes in the dark, fog, and slush we arrived in Missoula. (BTW, I want to go back and visit Missoula again. It has such a cute downtown area.) We had planned on meeting up with a friend of Hannah’s but the two time changes meant that it was midnight when we rolled into town. I, for one, was exhausted and couldn’t wait to crawl into a hotel bed somewhere and zonk out for the next eight hours. I had forgotten how time consuming and high energy weddings can be.
Here’s where the story gets interesting and funny. We tried a Holiday Express first and they wanted a whopping $109 for one night with military discount!! What’s up with that? So we headed a little further down the road and settled for the Days Inn which wasn’t as posh but certainly looked clean and tidy. We pay for our room, lug our gear up to the second story, and try our room card in the door. It took a few tries but the door finally opened on a man and woman who jerked upright in bed as light from the hallway poured into the room. Hannah and I stopped cold in the doorway as the man yelled, “This room is occupied!” Needless to say, we practically flew back downstairs.
me: I think you gave us the wrong room. There’s a couple in 201 and we just woke them up.
lady behind the desk: Now how can that be?
janitor: Well did you ask them to split the bill with you? Maybe they wouldn’t mind sharing. (he’s chuckling by the way)
lady behind the desk: this has been one hell of a night and I just came on shift (at about this point I lost any and all sympathy and feelings of goodwill toward her)
Hannah and I were given the card to 202 at which point we crept back up the stairs and tried to get into the room as fast as possible, fearing that Mr. Woken-up next door might come out in his boxers and give us a piece of his mind. We decided to deadbolt our door on the off chance that the lady behind the desk’s night got worse.
These past few weeks have been filled to the brim and overflowing with activities, work responsibilities, and endless lists of things to do. I was ill two weeks ago and spent four days trying to sleep it off but the remains of a cold are still clinging frantically to my body, making it difficult to get things done. All I really want to do is rest, eat good food, and get some exercise but what I actually get to do is not nearly so much fun.
My classes end in a few weeks and I’m really not ready to face writing final papers and studying for exams. My little brother gets married on Saturday and I still refuse to believe it. Everything is happening so fast! I have this fear that spring is going to pass me by and before I know it summer will already be upon us and I will have missed out on enjoying the changing seasons. I hate being out-of-tune with my body and with the natural world.