Location, location, location

You know what they say about real estate? It's all about the location. And I guess if that's true then Salem, Oregon is about the best real estate you could buy. Just think about this location.

We are one hour from the Pacific Ocean, sand dunes, beach walking, surfing, storm-watching, whale-watching, clam chowder, fresh fish, and all the rest that goes with the rugged Northwest coastal experience.

We are one hour from the mountains - meaning skiing, snowboarding, snow-shoeing and cabins with fireplaces in the winter. And meaning hiking, camping, mushroom hunting, boating, and all the rest of the mountain activities in the summer.

We are one hour from Portland and Eugene which are both big enough cities to have all the amenities you might need, basically at your fingertips, but without the high cost of living and the traffic problems.

We have access to national forests and state parks. We have a valley overflowing in vineyards and wineries. We have local beer, wine, and cider makers. We have fresh, local produce available nearly year round.

Okay, so we have a little rain. But, that's a small price to pay for a good location. :)

Hello, High St.

So, I went to DaVinci's for Happy Hour the other day with "the ladies" to whom you'll be introduced at a later date. It was delicious and fun and a great time, but what struck me was how cool that whole High St block is becoming. It used to be just DaVinci's and Fuji Ricetime with the Elsinore to back up their coolness. Now we've got La Capitale on the corner, Capitol Dog (which sells borscht and other delicious central European goodness!), Jonathan's which is looking pretty snazzy from my peeks in the window, Sushi Topia - the sushi train, and Pita Pit. I mean, my goodness, that's enough for dinner every night of the week plus an old time movie on Wednesday at the Elsinore. What a cool little block in an even cooler city. You rock, Salem Oregon!

Shopping for a Halloween Costume

I hate to go out and buy off the rack (or out of a bag) Halloween costumes because I feel like its a waste of money if I'm never going to use it again. So, I ended up at the Salem Center Mall looking for something that would make me look like a 1920's mobster. I've already got the pin-striped suit look, I really just needed the accessories.

And I found just what I was looking for at JC Penney.




That place constantly amazes me with the deals I find. I always think of that store as an "old lady's" store, but it's got some pretty cool stuff. I found the perfect fedora for my costume and another member of the Salem Halloween Mafia (a.k.a. the friends I lured into my costume idea) found a pinstripe suit on clearance. My fedora may have been $20, but it is WAY cooler than the $10 fedoras at the costume store that I would never wear again. So, in cost-per-wear, I got a steal.

You can check out my costume at the Pub Crawl downtown this very night in Salem, Oregon! :)

Salem's Best Weekend Ever!

Okay, maybe that's a little overstated, but seriously, I think there is something for everyone this weekend. I know that I have a full weekend of totally awesome things going on. And something strange is starting to happen...

My friends from Portland are starting to ask if they can come down and hang out with me in Salem! What?! This is definitely a new development. I know of at least two people who are coming in from Portland this weekend for the Pub Crawl, one for a Halloween party and lots more Salemites who have turned down invitations from Portland parties and events to hang out and be a part of the events happening in Salem this weekend.

Now that's what I'm talking about! Salem's getting cool.

Here are a few options of things to do this weekend:

• Salem Creative Network Pub Crawl (starts Friday at 6 at Grand Vines)
• Rocky Horror Picture Show at High Street Cinema (7 and 10 pm showings)
• Trick-or-Treating all over town
• Halloween Costume party at Venti's (and I'm sure at most other bars downtown)
• Multiple pumpkin patches with activities -like EZ Orchards and Fordyce Farms
• A pumpkin-smashing event at Fordyce Farms on Sunday
• Plus all the other cool things Salem has to offer on a regular basis!

So get out and enjoy!

So Much Happening in Salem

There is so much happening in Salem these days that I don't even have time to blog! That's how happening this place is becoming. So, let's go over my agenda items for the next couple of weeks:



A Pampered Chef party

A wedding reception

Two birthday celebrations

Master's classes and homework

Training for work

Biggest Loser

Pub Crawl (which is drawing people from Portland now!)

Halloween get-together where we will watch Young Frankenstein (I've never seen it!)

Day of the Dead celebration at the Capitol Mall

Meetings about Minto Brown Park replantings

Meeting with Neighborhood Association board

Meeting with Salem Creative Network



Oh, and I have to work my full-time job somewhere in there. Aaaaaahhhhh. So much to do, so little time.

Sick in Salem

Well, folks! Looks like it's that time of year again. Time for sickness all around. I seem to get one bad cold about this time of year and then (hopefully) I stay well for most of the rest of winter. We'll see how it goes this year since they're promising a bad bout of the flu this season.

I got my yearly cold on Sunday. It came on strong Sunday night and had me down for a couple days. I decided, out of regard for my coworkers, to take off two days of work so I didn't infect them. Wasn't that nice of me?? :)

I went out Sunday afternoon as I felt the bug coming on and picked up some food from Vietnam Restaurant on Center Street. I got some chicken Pho, since I hear chicken soup is good for a cold, and I picked up my favorite dish, #14 Grilled Pork and Shrimp Bun salad just for good measure. I didn't really have much food at home and I knew I needed some good, comforting food. And it was good. And it was comforting.

The other thing I did while sick was run over to the Grocery Outlet for some avocados (surprisingly delicious!) and chips because of my current obsession with guacamole. It's like I have some kind of avocado deficiency which is causing a serious craving! While I was there, I picked up some frozen beef, marinated in tequila and lime and made a delicious crockpot meal with veggies and beef. Normally, I'm not that hungry when I'm sick, and even though I wasn't that hungry during this one, I really felt like cooking and eating comfort food.

It's a good thing I have so many good food options close by. There's nothing like some good comfort food when you're feeling low.

Lauren Sheehan Concert at The Grand Theater

So, I don't know about you all, but I don't howl like a werewolf often enough, but I got a good start on my howling practice Friday night at The Grand Theater. The Grand is on High St. in downtown Salem. It is a really great old building across from the county courthouse with a beautiful, old theater on the street level.

The theater has great acoustics as Lauren pointed out more than once during the performance. Partly because of it's great acoustics which allowed her to hear the audience, and partly because of her laid-back style, the concert felt more like hanging out at a friend's house - a particularly musically talented friend that is. She interacted with the audience throughout the night, telling stories, asking us to sing along, whistle, and yes, even howl like werewolves (okay, so she sang a song about a werewolf, because I know you are all wondering exactly what kind of music includes howling).

Lauren and her musical partner, Greg Clark, made the stringed instruments they played just come alive. The music was a combination of blues, bluegrass, folk, country and maybe a little bit of gospel thrown in just to round it out. I think "American Roots" music covers it very well. It sounds like the kind of music that people used to play and sing-along to all across this country before radio and TV and MP3's took over. There is something really amazing about feeling like you've been taken back to another era - back to a toe-tapping, banjo-playing, dancing-in-the-kitchen kind of era.

Although this music seems to defy explanation, the one thing I can say is that it's the kind of music that just makes you smile. And sometimes...that's just what a body needs. :)

The School Calendar

So, guess what happens when there's an inservice day at Salem-Keizer Public Schools? Teachers go out to lunch. Pretty much all of them. Inservice and grading days are the only days of the school year when there is enough time to get out of the building and enjoy lunch with colleagues. It feels almost like playing hooky.

So, guess what happens when about about 3000 school employees descend on the restaurants of Salem for lunch on an inservice day? Yeah...a lot of busy restauraunts. Which is good for the restaurants except that they often aren't ready for an influx of extra customers and don't have the staffing for it.

The smart restaurants, and the ones located near schools, usually get a hold of the school calendar and plan extra staffing for the lunch rush. You can tell which restaurants haven't figured it out yet by their harried and bewildered looks. :)

A word to Salem restaurants out there: get a school calendar. This year's is available here.

What's Happening On North Broadway

So as I drove down North Broadway a couple days ago, I noticed a few things I thought I should share. Apparently, I haven't been down there in awhile. Lots of stuff was happening and it looked like quite the lively neighborhood. Here's the overview:

• Christo's is now open on Mondays
• Subway has their sign up, but I couldn't see if they were open.
• The original Willamette Noodle was working on something. There was stuff all over the sidewalks and it looked like someone was cleaning inside. I don't know what the plan is for that spot, but something was starting to happen, that's for sure.
• The Little Gypsy is all ready for Halloween, with their costumes hanging up outside for all to admire. Even the Can of Spam costume! Awesome!
• Maynard's Bakery (who plans to have video poker! What???) looked like it had lots of furnishings and was ready to open. Have they opened? What are they waiting for?

So, that's what's happening on North Broadway (AKA NoBro) as far as I can tell. I obviously don't have lots of info about the ins and outs over there, so if anyone else has the scoop, please comment and let me know. Thanks!

Monmouth - Salem's Odd Little Neighbor

Okay, so I don't want to offend any Monmouthonians (Monmouthites? Monmouthers?), but it is an odd town. And I don't mean that in a bad way. It's just quirky. Every town has it's little quirks and Monmouth is full of them.

I started my Master's program over at Western Oregon University this summer and started up again this week for fall term. I did my undergrad there as well, so it's really fun to be back and I really do love being in Monmouth. Like I said, it's odd. Well, I happen to like odd.

You've got this town that has been dry for forever and a day and only just recently started allowing beer and wine to be sold within the town limits. It's got a University in the town, but a very small one. It's got a few restaurants most of which are some type of asian cuisine or fast food. A good half of the town is made up of the campus and a large portion of the rest of it is rental homes for students. It's just a funny little place that you can't help but love. Main street is straight out of a movie. I drove through last night and even noticed that there was a farmer's market still going strong at 7:00 pm! We don't even have that in Salem!

The other thing I discovered was Miyoma Sushi restaurant. I was astounded! Not because I didn't expect Monmouth to have good sushi, after all, they have the best teriyaki in the valley. I was astounded because there were very few other people in the place! Where were they? This place has excellent sushi and some pretty decent prices. They even made me some seared salmon sashimi with the brand new blow-torch they had just gotten even though it wasn't on the menu.

I don't know why the place wasn't packed. Possibly because there are only a few people in this town and they can't all eat sushi every night. Well, Salem, take advantage of this and head out to Monmouth for a sushi dinner some night. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Fall is in the Air...The Oregon Edition

Well, folks, looks like summer is officially over. There may be a nice day here or there, but you can feel the crispness in the air.

I really do love fall. I love the leaves falling off the trees and piling up on the sidewalk. I love the wind blowing and creating leaf gusts. I love the crisp mornings and the sunny afternoons. I love the fog and the rain - the sweater weather. I love that fall means cozying up with a blanket, pumpkin lattes, candles in the evenings, and Thanksgiving! I love all that stuff and more.

But, as so many Oregonians do, I realize that fall leads to winter and winter means rain and dark and no more Christmas lights and being constantly damp and not seeing the sun for weeks at a time and...and then I just feel depressed. Is this normal, I wonder? But then, I talk to a few people and realize it may not be normal, but it's common enough to warrant a name.

It is commonly known as SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder. I'm not sure that I actually have that. I would refer to mine as pre-SAD. Like I'm not really depressed when winter actually arrives. It's the looking forward to months of it that makes me depressed. And all this happens when the weather is still at it's best!

I realize this may make me sound crazy and that's okay, because I know I'm not the only one out there that feels this way. You're not alone!! :)

Maybe this is actually just a mourning of the seasons as they pass. Sure. Let's go with that. Sounds more poetic...and less crazy.

A Pub Crawl, You Say? In Salem??

You know how sometimes you wander around downtown Salem and the place looks like a ghost town? Well, guess what? Tomorrow is NOT going to be one of those days.

Tomorrow is going to be rockin'! Tomorrow night downtown is going to be full of revelers. People will be laughing, drinking, meeting new friends, ringing bells. Tomorrow night is the Pub Crawl. That's right, people moving from bar to bar, eating, drinking, and having a good time. And yes, that will be happening right here in Salem.

And get this!! For the first time ever, there will also be a wine crawl. I think this is a great addition to this event. The wine crawl will go slightly slower and have a few less venues, but I think it will be a great, relaxing evening.

So come on down Friday night. Meet at 6 pm at Cascade Baking company and get your free wristband that allows you to participate in all the specials. If you can't make it at 6, wristbands will be handed out at the Rivers Condominuims on Front St. until about 10 PM, I believe. Either that or you can just look for the band of happy people parading to the next venue and tag along.

Oh, and don't forget to dress for the Back to School Fantasy Theme!

For more info, click here.

I Love Guacamole!!

Some days you just need guacamole. It's been one of those days for me for about 5 days now. I finally got some avocados on Sunday and made up a big ol' bowl of guac...which I have been eating for pretty much every meal ever since!

I had asked my local Twitter friends for some advice on where to buy avocados here in Salem and they mentioned Winco (which is where I eventually bought mine), Cash & Carry, and Safeway for good produce options. I also wondered if Morrow's on Silverton might have some, but I didn't get over that way to check.

Here's my guacamole recipe, which I have perfected after several trips to Mexico and watching my Mexican born friend make it for her family.

Caution: This makes a lot, but since it's pretty addicting that's usually a good thing. It'll be gone before you know it!

4 avocados
4 medium tomatoes (I used vine-ripened Roma's from my sister's plentiful garden)
1/2 an onion (I used red onion because that was what was in my fridge)
1 and a 1/2 fresh jalepenos (medium/hot spiciness, use more or less depending taste)
1/2 cup or so of fresh chopped cilantro
The juice of one lime

Chop it all up, mix it together, and then eat it all up! Yummmmmm. Happy tummies!

Mt. Angel Oktoberfest - Chicken Dance Anyone?

I can't wait for the Oktoberfest this weekend in Mt. Angel. For one, I love Mt. Angel. For two, I love chicken dancing. :) And for three, I love to wander around looking at booths and drooling over delicious dining out of small trailer-like kitchens. It's just a wonderfully campy adventure to the music of accordians and the smells of sausage and kraut.

Oh, plus the drinking. That's fun too, if you're in the mood for a little partying beyong the standard chicken dance in the street by the gazebo pavilion. I think I might try the wine garden this year. I hear they have good music as well as good wine!

Oh, and the people watching at Oktoberfest is always superb. It was even better back in the day, before the ban on grocery stickers (which was really a good thing) when you could watch people coming out of the beer garden covered in the strangest places with stickers that said things like fresh meat or hot. They were banned to keep people from sticking them on building all over town as they left and leaving a mess for the locals. A few contraband stickers always get in anyway, but nothing like the grocery sticker heyday.

This year I am going to do the Oktoberfest 5K run/walk on Saturday morning that supports the local high school track and field team. It's my first one and I am really excited. I hope the rain holds off! Wish me luck. :)

Vietnamese Cuisine in Salem

I am a big fan of Vietnamese food. I just love the flavors and the textures and the smells...soooo pretty much everything about it I guess.

My long time favorite restaurant in the Salem area is Kim Huong's on Silverton Rd. They have great summer (fresh veggies in rice paper) rolls, delicious Bun salad, and the Lemon Chicken is to excellent.

More recently, I discovered Vietnam Restaurant, which is situated just between my home and work, for an easy stop-off for dinner on the go. Vietnam Restaurant is on Center St across from the Rite-Aid parking lot. I must confess I can't say a lot about the variety of food because I've only tried the Bun salad with grilled pork and shrimp. It is just that good. I order it every time! I CRAVE it. So, that is the only thing I order there, and I never regret it. The service here is usually really good. I say usually, because periodically the family's son (looks about 10 or so) has the day off from school or something and decides to take over the serving. Usually his dad doesn't let this go on for too long, but the boy is quite a character, and having him serve you will be an experience you will never forget. :)

Now, for the Super Pho! I have been hearing about it, but the last time I drove by it was still closed (apparently I don't get to Lancaster much). I tried it out the other night for the first time and I must say the pho was super. Super taste, super sized, super service. The one funny thing we noted was that the place was freezing when we walked in. When we said something about it they said we just needed some pho to warm us up. Oddly enough, as we ate it we felt perfectly comfortable, but then when we were done, sitting and chatting, we froze again. It was weird. Who knew hot soup could warm you up 20 degrees or so. So don't plan and hanging out here after the meal is done. It's not a lingering place - unless you bring a blanket.

The server at Super Pho did mention that they are starting their to-go menu and a drive through window soon, so you'll be able to get your pho to-go and enjoy it in whatever temperature you prefer!

Even though we don't have multitudes of places to choose from for Vietnamese food in Salem, we have a few quality spots...and they really hit the spot sometimes. :) Sorry, folks.