Woah Busy!

Hello friends and family,

We've had another busy week here in Eugene. Michael's parents arrived last Tuesday with books, bikes, and camping gear in tow. It was magical. I came home from work on Wednesday morning to find all of our stuff in our new place. Now, Michael and I are not stuff people. Stuff stresses me out. The less the better. But, we were aching for our tent, packs, and books. And I was pining for Henry, my typewriter. Now that he arrived safely I have many letters to write.

While the Elder Dainings were in town we tried to show them the staples of Eugene. This included cheesecake at Sweet Life, burritos at Laughing Planet, a hike up Spencer's Butte, etc. The Eugene Celebration was this past weekend, so we also did that. For about two weeks people told me I HAD to go to Eugene Celebration, that it's a BIG DEAL. We attended the parade in the morning, which consisted of peace groups, animal rights activists, gay pride organizations, a few politicians (all Democrats. The Republicans were surprisingly unrepresented), and more. All in all, very Eugene.

Afterwards, we headed up the McKenzie (what what!) River so Michael and his Dad could do some fly fishing. I read and slept on warm rocks in the sun.

 Look at that handsome fellow!

 Michael and his Dad fly fishing

Other goings ons:

We celebrated the 30th birthday of one of our New Friends last night. We had tasty adult beverages at the Rogue Bar, the rogue of Rogue Dead Guy, Michael's most favorite beer.

In a couple weeks we're going to Crater Lake to celebrate one year of Marriedness. We're white water rafting down the North Umpqua river, which boasts class 3 and 4 rapids.

It's hard to believe summer is coming to an end. Though I think we still have another month of beautiful weather. Today at the bank I heard someone say how they feel the "cold of winter coming." Friends, it rarely dips below freezing here in January. I laughed audibly at the stranger. Before the brutality of winter commences Michael and I still have some things to do: Climb the South Sister. Check out Slide Rock, a 100 foot natural rock water slide. Visit the Aviation Museum, which is also a water park and has water slides going through a 747. Much to do!

Love from the west,
Katie and Michael

Bring Out the Pigs!

aMichael and I had a very busy week. We moved into our new place and our friend Amanda came for a visit. We are currently waiting on the arrival of Elder Dainings, which is imminent! More on those items in a later post(s). For now, we want to tell you about Lane County Fair. This past weekend we met up with New Friends for an evening not to be forgotten. The four of us arrived at the fair just in time for the Goat Gala, which is a parade of goats dressed in cheap costumes. About twenty goats and their owners competed for the coveted blue ribbon, and the pride of winning (of course). Though the older couple in wigs received the most applause the girl with the baby goat won. So, you can see that it was political. We left dismayed, but eager for the All-Alaskan Pig Racing!

A preface: Our New Friends are hilarious and fun people. They were as pumped for the pig-racing as we were, though I was surprised when one of them yelled "Bring out the pigs!" while we were waiting for the show to begin. Later, when the Pig MC asked for adult volunteers this same friend did not hesitate. So guess what? She got to be the official releaser of the pigs! She was even given a ribbon for her responsible services. There's not much more to say about pig racing, except that my pig (Kevin Bacon) won. I should also mention that the animals are treated very well, as far as we could tell. They even have AC in their housings. All-Alaskan Pig Racing:

(all rights reserved to the original filmmakers)

After pig racing we played a few fair games, which haven't changed much. We all lost, which hasn't changed much. Then we headed to the main stage for Creedence Clearwater Revisited. It was a great show and they played many of their hits, including Susie Q, Down on the Corner, Fortunate Son, Travelin' Band, Who'll Stop the Rain, Heard it Through the Grapevine, and more. Two of the original CCR members make up Revisited: the bassist and the drummer. The guitarist is some young dude and the keyboardist some guy who looks like a better fit for WWF wrestling. Still, the songs were classics and fun dancing was had. 

The Rock n Roll ceased in the wee hours of night (ahem 9 pm) so we pedaled back to New Friends place for  beers. Like I said, a night never to be forgotten. 

Love from the West,

Katie and Michael

I love the smell of Avgas in the morning.

So this is my first ever post on a blog. I feel like I just jumped into the year 2002.

This past week has been a busy week. As Kt said I am working for Frito-Lay in a warehouse on the West side of Eugene. My boss Brent is the proud owner of a 1946 Luscombe 8 A/E. Here is a picture in which you can (kind of) see Mt. Hood in the background. It is a 2 seat airplane designed for people smaller than me but I am certainly not complaining. If I remember right it has about 95 HP and weighs just over 3000 lbs which makes it a very small and light airplane.

Brent and I went into work at 5am last Sunday so that we could be done early. We flew north from Eugene about an hour and a half to a Fly-In with about 50 other planes and about 40 classic cars such as these.

On the flight up the weather was partly cloudy with ceilings at about 4500 ft with light turbulence. Visibility was about 25 miles and hazy. With the clouds at 4500 ft we could see that the hills on both sides of the Willamette Valley were very close to the clouds. (more on them later) On our way to the airport we passed a friend of Brent's that was flying a 1930's biplane that was painted a bright blue and yellow.
                                                                             I took a picture.

As we neared the airport we needed to be on the lookout for other planes as we were not the only ones arriving. My former aircraft spotting skills were not wasted. By the time we got to the airport we were 4th in line at an untowered airport. Brent had obviously done this many times as he was very comfortable in traffic. At the airport Brent and I walked around looking at planes and cars, talked to some of his pilot friends, admired a 1936 DC-3 that flew in for the show and eat pancakes. There was a helicopter giving rides for $95 and a couple biplanes for $65 including the flying dentist.
                                                                 And here he is!

He and his wife travel around to airshows (him in the plane and her in their VW Westfalia) giving rides and just having fun.

We did not participate seeing as we had our own plane to play with. All told it was a good time at the airport. After noon we said goodbye to friends and interesting strangers and jumped back in the plane for a circuitous route home. Instead of flying South towards Eugene, we flew West to the ocean. To get there we had to fly over the coast range which rises to about 4000 ft in the area. For those of you paying attention you will remember that the clouds were only at 4500 ft, which means we had to climb above them for a few miles.
                                                                  I took a picture of that too.

Those of you who have been to the Oregon coast know that the rivers and forests of Oregon abruptly end at the Pacific Ocean in steep cliffs and boulders jutting out into the sea. We flew about 100 miles of the Oregon coast about 1500 ft above the ocean descending sometimes for a better look. At the ocean the clouds disappeared and the sun shone off the perfectly smooth blue water as far as we could see. As we flew South, Brent pointed out towns, rivers, lighthouses and the sea lion caves. At the caves we descended and turned around so I could get better pictures.
                                                                   Here are some of them.

                                                               

After the last picture we turned inland and landed back at Eugene Airport. It was very good to be in a light plane again. Hopefully Brent will take me up again soon. If not, it was a great experience and I'm very happy I  had the opportunity.

In other news my parents are on there way to Eugene with the rest of our stuff, Amanda was in town for a couple days and we went to see CCR at the Lane County Fair. All of which deserve there own post so I will finish here and hopefully we will post again soon.

Wishing you clear skies from Michael (and Kt)

Why Eugene?

Just a brief post today—Michael and I have an evening of pizza eating and movie watching in front of us (we’re tired).

Yesterday, Michael heard from his dear friend Josh that he and his wife were near Portland. We of course jumped at the chance to have dinner with them and road trip to a new city. The four of us met up and found an Irish Pub downtown for beer and fish & chips. It was good for the heart to see old friends in an unfamiliar place. I was grateful for the easy conversation.

Ok, so Portland. Woah, what a beautiful city. We drove in around dusk, so the full moon was rising over Mt. Hood and the sun was setting. Mountains. Winding roads. Pine forests. Woah.

Back in the spring when we told people about our moving plans we fielded questions about “why Eugene” and “why Eugene and not Portland.” Our response came easily: Eugene has a university with a pretty darn good education program for Michael. Done. Sold. Away we went. Personally, I had the subconscious fear that no city could please me. I think my ambivalence with Grand Rapids cultivated this. I also knew I was romanticizing the notion of both Eugene and moving to Eugene. The mix of expectations and fears made me reticent. But! Eugene is perfect. We drove around Portland for only a couple hours and realized that it’s too big, that we love our new, small city. I can ride my bike anywhere I need here. The library, bookstores, brew pubs, coffeeshops, theatres, are all within walking and biking distance. But when we want to hike, climb, or fish we have (literally) hundreds of options within decent driving distance. I did not think any town would have the perfect balance of country and city, but I found it. Now, Eugene is not all glorious. It’s ranked second in bike theft. And generally, the theft problem here is bad. And there are some funny characters. This morning Michael and I were in Goodwill and some guy looking at pants spilled his beer. Some guy: “Damn. I’m sorry dude. I spilled my beer. Shit. I’m not supposed to have beer in here. I’m sorry.” Goodwill clerk: “Here” (throws rag). 

Michael and I are inches away from moving into our new place. Today, we frequented the thrift stores in the area where we found some pots and pans. Also, we saw a beautiful typewriter. A Remmington. It came with a case and was 16 dollars. I already have a typewriter, so I said to Michael “I need to walk away.” You know what he did? He bought it! I’m trying not to covet, but my husband has a better typewriter than me. When he brought it to the counter you want to know what the cashier asked him: “Are you a writer?” I exclaimed “No!” on his behalf. I need to get over it. Here’s a picture:

Tomorrow Michael flies to Portland with his boss, who owns a 1940s era plane. I’m sure it has a specific name, but we don’t remember. Pictures from that adventure to come. 

Love from the West,

katie and michael

Eugene is Beer Paradise

Michael and I had another busy week, exploring the city and making friends. On Tuesday night we went to the David Minor theater to see Cedar Rapids, a raunchy comedy that made us both laugh heartily despite the unoriginal plot and mediocre writing. The mantra of the DMT? “No longer sneaking beer into theaters since 2008.” Not that Michael and I ever did such a juvenile thing (wink wink)! It’s a small place with two main theaters, by which I mean rooms filled with couches and coffee tables. They serve beer and have a decent sized menu. It felt fantastic to sit in oversized chairs, eating pizza, and laughing along to a ridiculous movie about some quirky dude who finds Cedar Rapids exotic and exciting. Both Michael and I are currently drawn to stories about people discovering new ways of living and stepping out of comfort zones. We look for affirmation and reinforcement everywhere, because (honestly) each day has scary moments.

Yesterday we met up with new friends at Ninkasi Brewery, the Founders Brewery of Eugene. Their beer selection is excellent (hmm… there’s a lot of beer in this post), the IPA passing Michael’s standards. The place consisted solely of outdoor seating with a Japanese aesthetic, and played an on-going selection of 90s music. We were pleased, which is lucky for us, because it’s right down the street from our new apartment! Michael and I are still in our sublet for another week or two, but we continue to check out places in our soon-to-be neighborhood (The Whiteaker): authentic Mexican cuisine, a patisserie, Ninkasi! What more could we want than burritos, cheesecake, and beer? Good breakfast, that’s what! Keystone Café is on our street, a few blocks down, and we hear it is most excellent. Gaia Café has left a whole in our lives (or our bellies), so we need to get our fix of delicious eggs and potatoes ASAP. Also, New Friends live in the neighborhood! We are planning a possible white water trip with them, or at the very least some hiking. We love them. Too soon to use the L-word? Love!

This morning I woke early and pedaled to June coffee shop, just a few blocks away. The poet friend I mentioned earlier invited me to meet her writing group. For an hour we wrote together, responding to prompts and reading our work. It was a refreshing way to begin the day. This evening I’m meeting up with another writer friend at another coffee shop. I’m definitely getting my tea fix with all this socializing! And man-o-man, Eugene is a solid place to find a writing community. I’m feeling blessed and energized, though I’ve had a post-Bennington writing block for the past four weeks. Perhaps it’s just that we are still in transition, not yet settled, and my books are still in the Midwest.

Also, want to know something crazy? In one month Michael and I celebrate our one year MARRIED anniversary! This year went wicked fast. So here is a picture from our first month of dating: 

We are still determining what kind of adventure we want this weekend. Lava caves or waterfalls? Next week I have an interview at the University and our dear friend Amanda visits! The living is good!

Love from the west,

katie and michael

Irony and Iron Mountain

I (Katie) had a job interview this week. After seeing an ad on craigslist for a marketing/publicity position I submitted my resume and cover letter. Like I said, I am so content with my current living that it would take a lot to get me back in a cube staring at a computer screen. But, I met every qualification and I’m of the mind that it never hurts, right? Only when it does hurt. . . from laughing so hard. This is what happened:

The ad did not list the company, which is common for craigslist. I was therefore not surprised when it was a recruiting company that called me about the position. They asked me to come in for a preliminary interview, saying they hoped to fill the position quickly. I showed up at their offices the next day feeling good, without a shred of nerves. The woman at the recruiting company asked me if I felt comfortable “creating marketing and publicity campaigns.” Check. How about “working with media to promote products.” Yes, check. “Authors?” Yes, definitely. Turns out, the company I applied to is a local Christian book publisher. The kind that publishes amish romance fiction and self-help books for wives. You know, books that tell women how to submit to their husbands and diet for Jesus. So how did this feminist agnostic respond to the irony? Laughter. I restrained myself for the rest of the interview, but laughed the entire way home. And for hours after the interview I would start laughing at just the thought of it. I told Michael it would be like him showing up for a warehouse position and finding out that it’s a meat packaging facility run by conservative West Michiganders.

I declined an interview with the company.

In other news, Michael and I had drinks with one of my co-workers and her husband this weekend. We like them. A lot. They love biking, camping, and books, and are funny, honest, and earnest people. I’ve really enjoyed the anonymity of a new city but being SO unknown can be overwhelming. It is therefore a relief to sit with new friends who don’t actually feel so new!

We also climbed Iron Mountain this weekend. The wildflowers were in bloom and magnificent. The hike took about five hours and in that time we saw lush forest, wildflower meadows, volcanic desert, snow, and more. What a landscape! When we made summit we were able to see the Three Sisters, Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, and more. This trail was a bit more populated than the last one we were on, so we had the opportunity to talk with a few people, including a very nice older couple. They asked if we knew our mountains because they were trying to determine one in the distance. I replied “Unfortunately, not well. We’ve only been here four weeks.” The older gentleman exclaimed “Only four weeks and you’ve discovered Iron Mountain? It took me fifteen years!” I understand his exclamation. Iron Mountain is a treasure.

Here are some pictures: 

Ominous sounding, eh?

You can see some of the wildflowers in these pictures. 

A view of Iron Mountain from Cone Peak, where we stopped for lunch.

 The Three Sisters in the background

 View from the summit

 Mt. Hood is on the right and very faint in the middle you can see Mount St. Helens

 Holy craps! Snows!

My snowball. 

 The butterfly and chrysalis we found at lunch. Neato!

Love from the west,

Katie and Michael

Making friends

Michael and I have been busy this week, so no updates the last couple days. We’ve both been working and meeting new people and sleeping. I promise, Michael will charm you with an update soon. For now, it’s all me. Here’s what’s going on:

I met an Eugenian poet who teaches letterpress printing at the university. We shared some tea and talked for a few hours about writing, life in Eugene, hiking, letterpress, and WS Merlin ambivalence. She told me about local readings and writing groups, how this is a great town to meet writers and get connected with workshops and readings. I am secretly, though publically, hoping she will invite me over to see her letterpress printing studio. Michael and I also had an authentic Mexican dinner with a couple of new friends, one of whom is also a recent MFA grad.

So, look Moms! We’re making friends!

I’ve also had a few job interviews, but nothing that can compete with barista-ing. Seriously. When Michael and I moved here we came not only for a different landscape; we came to create different lives for ourselves, ones we didn’t think possible in Grand Rapids. The coffee shop I’m working at is a micro-community, one I’m happy to be a part of. It’s wonderful—most of the people coming in are regulars and SUPER nice. My fellow co-workers are cool (we’ll probably try to make them be our friends too) and I get to look at mountains all day.

In other news: Michael and I have had to get creative when it comes to our budget. So when my hairs started to get long, especially in the back, I had him cut it. Why pay 40 bucks when you have a husband? It was a SLOW, incremental process, but he did a great job. We also go to this bar down the street that gives us free popcorn in a humungous bowl. The beer fills in the gaps, obviously. Staying healthy in Eugene!

This weekend we’re headed to Iron Mountain for some excellent hiking. The wildflowers bloom in July, but because of the unseasonal rain we think they may still be around. The plant life in the area is supposed to be spectacular—17 kinds of trees!

I don’t have any new pictures from the week, so instead I give you this:

Love from the west,

Katie (and M)

The Butt

It's not easy to get lost in Eugene. Eugene is a small town and the streets are numbered. One is either driving down a number or a president. But still, we're new and we have moments of complete confusion. The other day we drove in a big circle around western Eugene. It was like the movie where that pitiful dude is lost in the woods and spends an entire day walking south. Or so he thinks until he ends up back at his camp where his fire is still smoldering. It was just like that, except our campfire was a Target. Anyways, it's hard to get turned around, but when we do I look for Spencer's Butte. It's a 2055 ft. butte on the southern edge of the city. I immediately started calling it the Butt because, hey, it's funny.

Tonight Michael and I climbed Spencer's Butte. It was not a long hike, only .6 of a mile to the top, but it gains 800 feet of elevation in that .6 of a mile. The view from the top was incredible. We could see down into the Willamette Valley and over to the Three Sisters. We plan to hike the Butt once a week or so. And once Michael's parents arrive with his bike later this month we'll ride the six miles to the trail head, hike up, then cycle back. See, we're training for our fall summit attempt at the South Sister, a 10,300 foot mountain close to Bend. The hike will be difficult, 11 miles and 4900 feet of elevation gain. But that's why we moved out here.

During our descent, which really was us stumbling awkwardly down steep rock faces, we saw a doe. She was fifteen feet or less from us and unconcerned. She ate some leaves and looked at us and ate some leaves then walked away. We also saw many vultures at the summit. I swear one was gunning for me but she realized I was a just bit bigger than she could manage. Or perhaps she thought I was near death, a misinterpretation I would not criticize her for. They were neat because they caught the updrafts from the butte and soared for long stretches.

Here are some pictures from the Butt:

Want to know one of the COOLEST things about Oregon? There are no mosquitoes. None. We hike and sit outside at night and play by rivers without consequence. So come visit us.

Thanks for reading!

kt (and M)

OMG We're blogging

It’s true. We thought it would be a fun way to tell our stories. And that’s that.

We’ve been in Eugene for close to a month now. After arriving and sleeping off three days of travel we started our job search immediately. Eugene’s unemployment rate is perhaps a hangnail better than Michigan. So we applied for nearly anything and everything. I walked into a coffee shop on our first day of the hunt to inquire about an ad posted on craigslist. The owner had 85 applicants in one and a half days of accepting resumes. And this for a 10-12 hour a week position at minimum wage. Most of the applicants for this position, including myself, were college graduates. My conversation with the owner solidified all of our instincts to be worried. Freaked out, even. Ok, so I don’t like coffee or drink coffee. I could not tell you what the hell a latte is, but when the owner offered me the position I grabbed it. Some income was better than none. And it would afford me the opportunity to write, giving me both the mental space and the literal time.

Michael also found a job within a week. He’s working at the local Frito Lay distributor and sometimes he brings home free bags of potato chips. The work is decent and the hours are great for him, especially once he starts school in September. Our employment situation is actually ideal because we’re making money (always good) while still having the time and flexibility to find our place in this new world.

So, Eugene is a college town. When we go for walks we see remnants of beer pong on the sidewalks. Beyonce and Eminem blare at the most random hours. But this is also because we’re subletting a place close to the University. Too close. In searching for an apartment to call ours (really, for the first time in our relationship) we found dumpy college apartment after dumpy frat house. I was pretty annoying and stubborn about NOT living in some white-walled, gray-carpeted complex. But we’re also on a pretty tight budget. After a few weeks of finding nothing, I mean not one charming place, we started to feel despondent. Or at least I did. Michael is a champ in the glass-half-full department. Then, blamo! A one-bedroom apartment (with an office!) in the Whiteaker neighborhood. Vaulted wooden ceilings, exposed brick, lots of windows (and therefore lots of light). We applied for it immediately and signed a couple days later. Our first home.

We’ve already played by the ocean, went on some incredible hikes, made a few friends, and drank many beers at Moe’s Tavern. So, there are more (interesting) stories to come. Perhaps Michael will even tell you about almost losing his foot.

love from the west,

kt and m