Into the wild: Elk

It is said there are wild elk in the Pacific Northwest roaming the forests and hillsides. I am yet to spot one however.

Venturing back as a passenger in my own car from the Oregon coast (Lincoln City to be exact), I see the yellow signs warning of "ELK," a testiment I'm sure to too many surprise roadside elk sightings, near misses and the unfortunate collisions. My eyes roam the fields, and a little further away, the treelines. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong spots for what I imagine are a super-sized deer.

I'm not sure which evergreens they are hiding behind or when one will accidentally break the elk code of conduct to present itself to me, but PNW resident for nearly two years now, and frankly I deserve this:)

Bring it.

Here's to looking at you, Adam

A direct post to the groom I will be supporting on Aug. 6 - Let's see how long it takes him to respond.

Dear Adam,

• I haven't written a speech yet, and I might just forgo it in place of photos of Adam's hula hoop living room dancing. (Picture to come)
• I'll be in WI for an entire 10 day stretch. I expect warm food and water (preferably filtered w/ a squeeze of lime to fight the summer heat.)
• A bachelor party weekend. What happens in WI Dells... will definitely go on Facebook.
• While I will not have my guitar with me, I fully anticipate a one-man show in your living room. the playlist?
• Pretender, Foo Fighters
• My Hero, Foo Fighters
• Plush, STP
• The entire Colour and Shape album, Foo Fighters
• Vertigo, U2 :) UNO DOS TRES CATORCE! (not really)
• Rum. Lots and lots of rum. For you.

Until next time, my friend,

Matt

FOG

Here's a photo from outside my office window this morning....

Sticking to my Gu[m]s

Today i started chewing a piece of hairy/pocket-fuzzed gum that has a hint of perfume flavor…..

Wow- This is very Facebook-status-like and I apologize, mainly to myself. I obviously need to get this blog flowing again... 

Until next time.

Dec. 8

Today, I ate a piece of cheese in the shower.
Top that.

Entombed Tuesday

Upon all my hopeful wishes, the city shut down today - well at least for some of us. Cars and busses were icey statues scattered across the streets, stalled wherever they lost the battle last night against the freeze. People, too, were comfortable on their couches and seeing no need to attempt the face-shattering air.

I, however, was already planning on walking to work this artic morning, but that all changed when the ultimate email popped up, "Office closed."

Yay!

Although I worked several hours at the kitchen table, now my makeshift desk, today's elements (frozen infrastructure, frozen blue sky, and a frozen walk to lunch with friends) were just about perfect.

More snow is in the forecast however, and I'm... 

Waiting for Wednesday.

Enchanted Monday

Icey roads, and 40mph gusts of wind have engulfed the city tonight. This morning was different...

Hi.

 I woke up today surprised and excited. The white glow squeezed through the window blinds, but not akin to the usual "morning gray" of cloudy sunrise. This, my friends, was different. Today, there was snow.

All day the white goodness fell from the sky, past the 13th floor office window, and gently burying itself atop the cool Seattle ground, already white.

I caught myself looking over my should several times throughout the day to gaze over the speckled city skyline...no longer emerald.

The adventure home was not as enchanting however. Brake lights and the sound of rubber spinning kept tires from going nowhere. To my left, a car is stranded. The driver succeed in going halfway up the steep hill in the bike lane before subduing to the icy road - facing the wrong direction. How did he do that?

I sat in the driver seat, queuing up the winter driver inside me from years past to go up the hill about 10 blocks. Remember: slow and steady - don't slam on the gas!

I successfully navigated through several intersections of inclined travel before the final challenge showed its ugly face.

The beast infront of me stopped. On the hill right infront of me, the bus was unvoluntarily spinning its chain-covered tires. Sparks rifled out from the underbelly of this road giant as metal hit the pavement. My car stopped moving. Not good.

When my car moved again, we went sideways.

Second Attempt.

More sideways movement, inching closer to the car parked by the curb.

Not good.

The guys in the bar walked out and tried to push us, unsolicited. They slipped on their first attempt to push my bumper and gave up.

"Im going to back up to where its flat," I told him hoping to create a runway for momentum. The man walked down to the intersection to "block" traffic for me.

I followed, sailing in reverse down the hill among all the traffic, and managed to stop.

Here we go...

A slow start, a manuever to the snow-filled median of the road for traction, and a burst of gas flung me up the block and on the path home. Whew.

There are 3-4 inches of snow by tonight.

It was totally worth it :)

Just a couple of things

Nearly a year

Turning the page on the calender Wednesday allowed me to embark upon Seattle in my 12th calender month. To celebrate my one year here, I will travel back to Wisconsin later this month for some cheese...

Turkey Sandwich lunch

Who corrupted the lunch gods and proclaimed that turkey and mustard on wheat is not a reasonable mid-day meal?