Sometimes I have no idea what goes on in my little dog's head. Normally when I come home and open the door that keeps him in one half of the house, he puts his paws on my knee a couple of times, apparently to make sure I'm me, and then he might want to go out. This time, he ran right by me to the living room, where I found him with a chew toy and a guilty look on his face. Was he lying there while I was gone, jonesing for a particular rawhide bone? Was he afraid someone had gotten into his secret toy stash in the living room?

There are whispy clouds tonight. I think I'm going to see a pretty sunset from my new porch tonight!!

Well, one's in the Bronx, so I figured out that I can take a train down, test drive the car, grab some lunch with a friend and be back by rush hour. Still 4 hours of travel, but passive travel. The other's a two hour drive. I figure that I'll do the train thing on Friday, the drive on Saturday.

What's the foodie equivalent of Jillifont?

The (otherwise awesome) restaurant charged us $75 for a little dish of shaved truffles that no one even noticed them put down until we were long done with dinner. I wasn't leaving that shit on the table, but honestly, I don't see me using them.

Dog ate well tonight.

brenda, WTH?? That is all kinds of wrong.

Oh, hell no! Did someone order the truffles and they got missed? Or was it one of those situations where the server "helpfully" said "would you like some shaved truffle with that?" and didn't mention that it was extra?

They were doing a chef's tasting for nine of us, and way too much food.

I only gave her two slices, but I really have no idea what to do with the rest. I don't really gt the hubbub, to be honest.

(It was work people, so expensed also.)

Ah, work dinner much less of a fuss. If I were out with friends I'd be pissy though.

So i responded to an ad on Craigslist and she wrote back...and for once I am not the only one with an easily googleable name--I googled the email name, got a real name from there, and moments later know where she works and what she looks like. Heh.

Ah, work dinner much less of a fuss. If I were out with friends I'd be pissy though.

I googled the email name, got a real name from there, and moments later know where she works and what she looks like. Heh.

And do you like what you found out?

I love the viking funeral.

And much ~ma, Maria.

I just discovered iTunes U. How did I not know about this before? Tons of free stuff to learn.

I love iTunes U. To the point, I look for professors I like and try some of their lectures even on topics I wouldn't have otherwise. It is unto crack for me. Stanford is really my favorite. So much cool stuff.

One of my most helpful things was being able to share my love for my dad with you guys, so I know that the Buffistas are here for you.

Not to totally bury the lede... I am moving to the So Cal desert.

My dad had an appt with his oncologist today and there were a lot of questions asked (mine were emailed). Probably he's got a year to five years because the brain tumors were quite responsive to the radiation but the ministrokes are really unpredictable and a little bit awful. This way I'll be a couple of hours away from him and I can see him once or twice a week in person.

I really love Portland and the PNW but I need to be closer to my dad right now. And it was this community, and some of the losses we've shared, that helped me realize how very true that was.