This American Life LIVE!!!

My book group unfortunately made an incredibly LAME book choice this month (Bill Bryson's, "I'm a Stranger Here Myself"--DON'T read it if you haven't allready, it's like the cheesiest book on the planet!!!) and so I had to skip out on our meeting and instead went to see THIS AMERICAN LIFE LIVE!!!

It is a little bit bizairre watching a radio show onstage, and I have the sense that this was a desperate attempt for the show to raise some money so that it can stay on the air. In any event I decided to go since I have had a fettish for the show lately, and what can I say, I have a teensy tiny little crush on its charming host, Ira Glass. (He's just so sassy and articulate!~)

The show had a really funny story from comedian Mike Birbuglia and a (possibly too sentimental) story from Starlee Kline (finally got to see a face behind that funny voice), plus we got to see Ira Glass himself working the turntables.

I enjoyed the show, although I don't know if it was worth $20. I think that one of the coolest things that I saw was an interview before the show with an Iraqui who went around the US talking with Americans about the war.

A mouse scampered away.



we missed our window of



opportunity.

Happy Easter!!

I gave myself two wonderful Easter gifts this year:

1) a box of chocolates for my roommates (I had managed to only have eaten half of the chocolates before I gave it to them) and

2) Decided to clean up the kitchen in the bachelor pad where I am living (which involved purchasing mice traps and also a garbage can)

I also actually purchased an Easter basket for a friend this year, which I think means that I am officially an adult.

I remember one Easter in my teens, waking up in the morning and to my horror finding no Easter basket at the foot of my bed.

I stormed into my parent's room in tears and asked my mother how come, if my three-year old sister had received an Easter basket, I had not?

A look of exasperation may have crossed my mother's face, or she muttered something barely audible about me being 'incredibly spoiled' but, in any event, after this I continued receiving Easter baskets until I turned 27.

The Spirit of the Guinea Pig accompanied all of us at Easter brunch this year, which was complete with hot-cross buns, Portland Punch (boysenberry juice mixed with rasberry juice mixed with sugar), and of course, Peeps for desert.

The High Holy day for the Guinea pig, however will not fall until Thanksgiving ;)

Debbie Brooks

I drank myself silly last week at the First Thursday Artwalk. (I'm still trying to figure out if, had I actually broken that giraffe sculputre that started to topple as I leaned against it, I would have attemted to pay for it or instead have run out of the gallery screaming, caught the first bus that passed, and then have attempted to disappear off of the plant altogether).

Anyway, however, I saw some beautiful Debbie Brooks bags at the Schaffer Fine Art Gallery. This was a fun gallery that had very charming hostesses, who were serving 'Midwest red wine" which, apparently means red wine that has been chilled.

With her purses, Debbie Brooks translates her art into product. The images on the purses are all orginal artwork done by Debbi herself!! You can read more about Debbie and see her fun, whimsical purse designs at www.debbiebrooks.com

Way to use artwork in a practial medium!!!

NE 17th and Broadway:

The best bakery in Portland!!! I've gotten into all sorts of trouble at this place. I specially recommend the raised crumb doughnut and the english muffin bread. Plus on Sundays everything is 1/2 off!!

The only thing that really sucks about the Helen Bernhard Bakery is that there is nowhere to sit down....you have to buy something and then sneak it into Pete's Coffee, which is just down the street.