Rainy weekend

A rainy weekend is the perfect setting to settle down and read a good book. Even tempted to start up the fireplace. Anybody else reading or recently read a good book?

Reading

I'm always baffled by friends who don't enjoy reading and haven't read an entire book in years. I don't read all the time but can't imagine going more than a few weeks without reading a book. So many amazing stories, literary adventures to experience, thoughts to be inspired, and things to learn. Some days I just wish there was more hours in the day to spend engrossed in a book enjoying the worlds or situations into which the author leads. With continuing series, I cannot wait until the next book arrives and I can once more rejoin beloved characters and places. I love when books inspire a view of the world I never appreciated before, or simply allow me to escape to another time or existence. It is exhilarating when you simply cannot put a book down because you must know what occurs next. I found myself in that situation with two books today. So now, 8.5 hrs and 700 pages later, I will finally be able to rest easy but excited for the next time a book ensnares me.

Changing of the seasons

Even though the weather is staying gorgeous so far, autumn is definitely here. On one hand, I am a sad that summer is over because this was one of the best and was full of great people and fun experiences. I will also miss the warm weather and the activities that go along with it. On the other hand, I am excited for fall and winter and all they bring. There is the beauty of the changing colors, storms, and hopefully snow. The  holidays which are full of family and traditions. The parties with friends on Halloween and New Years. And favorite activities such as drinking eggnog, snowboarding, and reading in warmth while it is cold and windy outside.

So I bid a fond farewell to summer but know I will probably be longing for its return by February.(Being in  Oregon, it will probably rain nonstop until then.) Hoping fall and winter contain many great times and hopefully more snow than rain!

Soccer, crabbing, a new phone, and delicious food

The title is basically a synopsis of what has been going on in the last week. My brother and I played in the annual alumni soccer game at our high school which was a lot of fun because this was the first one we've  played together since he got out of the Marines. The alumni took the victory once again(which brings my record to something like 6-1) and it was tons of fun seeing players new and old. It's awesome to have been part of the start of a great tradition and the foundation for many successful teams that have gone farther than we ever did when I played. But also nice to show them that we still have the skills to beat them. :-P

This week I also went crabbing in Pacific City with my brothers which is always a ton of fun even if I can't eat the crab.(I get sick and puke. Minor allergy maybe?) Anyways, we went out at low tide which was supposedly the worst time to go and put our pots where it was least crowded and not where this other crabber said to. And we rocked it! We went on our instincts and pulled up way more crabs then the other boats and within 2 hrs had 32 crabs.(which was about ~$450 worth at store price) We had a great time hanging out, joking around, and succeeding while doing it all wrong. lol We took them home and put them on ice and had a big crab boil the next night with the rest of the family. Course we ended up having way too much so the rest of the crab meat was saved and we decided we needed to invite friends next time we go crabbing to help eat it all.

This weekend I finally decided I had the funds to upgrade from my ancient cellphone which had many problems but had survived three and a half years. So I decided to join a friend's cell plan and wait in line for the new iPhone 5. (Figured I might as well get the best if I was gonna upgrade. Plus I like Apple's mobile OS) So we waited overnight in line at the Apple store to ensure we got them. I highly recommend midnight movie showings and product releases because it's always a fun experience and something to remember. Plus we ended up being on a couple news segments and even got interviewed live at 5:30 am. Anyways it was a great experience and I ended up with a fantastic new phone and lots of fun memories.

Today I decided to use my new phone and the Yelp app to find some new places to try for brunch and dinner. I went to the Down to Earth Cafe in Tigard/South Portland and enjoyed some great stuffed French toast. It was stuffed with a fresh strawberry cream cheese filling and fresh blueberries. I was also topped with blueberries and powdered sugar. Amazing! Only downside was that it was a bit pricey but a fantastic meal nonetheless.

For dinner I really wanted to find some inari sushi after having it recommended by a friend. After being foiled in my search last weekend, I was successful today and thoroughly enjoyed it! Definitely will be one of my preferences now. I also had some great pork gyoza.

I love summer

Man, I am really terrible about updating this blog, but I haven't eaten anywhere new, seen any new movies, or had anything extraordinary happen. So I guess I figured there wasn't a point. But then I realized that I have done some really fun stuff this summer with a lot of great people. I have been wakeboarding a lot and finally am getting good which is nice cause it means less face-plants(as amusing and entertaining as they were for others). I've camped out on the river and slept in the boat, played a lot of softball(we are doing pretty good and sport a 20-2 record with one more week before playoffs), gone to a few parties (including an engagement party for a couple of good friends), and just hung out with a lot of awesome people that I am blessed to be friends with.

So all in all I have had a fantastic summer that I felt deserved a blog post. The weather in Oregon has been sublime and am looking forward to what the rest of the summer brings. I started rock climbing again today(which is a fantastic hobby if you are looking to find one) and had a friend move in as a roommate a few days ago. I am looking to run a 5K again in September and also have our alumni soccer game approaching as well. Also planning to celebrate turning 27 with a bunch of friends.

I'm still in the process of looking for a new church but am really liking the one I am currently trying out. I hope that God leads me to the right one and that I can get involved. I really enjoy helping with youth(middle and high school) and hope to be helping with a youth group this fall. My youth group leaders in high school had such a big and important impact on my life, and I hope I can have even a fraction of that impact on the lives of the youth.

Random update

Well I'm already doing a bad job keeping this blog up to date. But figured I share a few random things.

Had brunch today at Morning Thunder which is a nice little breakfast and lunch joint in McMinnville. It's located on 3rd St and is a small place but wasn't busy when I stopped by a little before closing. The ambiance is nice and the scramble special I had was very good. It was an egg scramble with feta, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and spinach. They happily added bacon for me which perfected it IMO. Their OJ, country potatoes, and toast were ok but nothing to rave about. Overall, it was a good meal and I will have to stop by again to try other items on the menu. Not the best place in Mac but I would put it fourth in my list of breakfast/lunch places after Crescent Cafe(the far and away #1), Wild Wood Cafe, and Tommy's.

Also thought I'd randomly post a few of my favorite Pearls Before Swine comics. Unfortunately I couldn't find a pic of one of my favorites so I will just share the text:

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

All the King's horses and all the king's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again."

"Scrambled or omelette was the choice

'Ilove the taste,' yelled somebody's voice.

'His death was not kind,' cried one of the men

'But I'd shove that egg all over again.'"

The unknown second verse

Anyways here's a few others I thought I'd post. A comic I definitely recommend reading as it is commonly hilarious but probably not a comic for those easily offended as the artist at times makes fun of touchy topics.

Eagle Creek Hike

Last Saturday, I went hiking with a few friends at Eagle Creek which on the Gorge a little past Multnomah Falls(exit 41 off I-84 to be exact). It is an amazing hike with tons of beautiful views and awesome waterfalls. Part of the trail was blasted out of cliff sides back in the 1910s I believe. It makes for a fun but slightly dangerous walk at certain points.(There are steel cables that serve as hand-rails who need the security) Wanted to share a few of the pics my friend Gabe took. They are all on Facebook but here is a cross-section.

Metlako Falls

View from the top of Upper Punchbowl Falls. You'll see the view from the bottom down farther. Me and Gabe plan to jump it next time! 60+ ft!

Found this little guy slowly making his way along the trail too.

It's crazy how pictures can't even put the height and distance into perspective very well.

Loowit Falls

Taken from a bridge

Skoonichuk Falls

Lower Punchbowl Falls.

Very popular cliff jumping spot. It's about a 20 ft jump from here and you can rock climb back up the face. There is also a 35-40 ft jump from the other side that you can't see in this pic. Me and Gabe jumped from both sides. It's a rush and it's so beautiful and the water is so pure and clear.

The iconic Upper Punchbowl Falls

Hope you enjoyed looking at some of these pictures. Eagle Creek trail is a hike I would recommend to everyone. It's a fun hike and the beauty can't be properly captured with photos.

Dark Knight Rises

I wanted this post to be a movie review for my favorite comic book character and the final movie in Christopher Nolan's (who BTW is absolute gold at writing and directing) epic Batman trilogy. I wanted to write about how it closed the series well and tied up story lines.

However, it just felt shallow writing a long post about it considering the tragedy that occurred in Aurora, Colorado. It was extremely sad and sobering to read the story as soon as I got home from the midnight showing. My heart and prayers go out to the victims and their families. I can't imagine the shock and pain that is being felt there. May God be with them and comfort them.

Only thought I can take from this is a reminder to always live your life with no regrets when it come to your friends, family, and others you care about. Make sure they know how you feel and enjoy whatever time you spend with them because it could be the last. Life is fleeting and you or them could be gone in an instant, whether it be in a accident, natural causes, or even something as random and senseless as this shooting.

Relaxing Drive

Driving through the beautiful Oregon countryside with the windows down and watching the sun set over the fog-covered Coast Range is one of those things that just clears the mind and relaxes the soul. Not too mention, it reminds you to appreciate the beauty of God's creation all around us. It also inspires you to just relax and appreciate life.

Only wish I had a nice camera with me so I could share some of the awesome colors and views with others. Luckily the good thing about sunsets is there is always another to be seen. Maybe not exactly the same, but amazing in its own way.