Top 5 Things I Missed About Europe

It’s been a little over a week since I’ve been an expat in Norway and I gotta say, so far so good! I haven’t burned down the house with our fire-hazard corner of transformers and extension cords, my kids aren’t starving in protest to the different food and I haven’t gotten lost.

I’ve been to Europe and Scandinavia a decent amount of times, and there’s a few cultural differences that I always forget about until I return. And they always make me smile, like when … Read more ...

Escaping to Hood River for the Hopsfest

It’s been too long. It really has. It’s been too long since I’ve written. My writing is the lifeblood of me and I’ve been too caught up in my busy-ness that I’ve been neglecting it and thusly me.

We were in Hood River this past weekend, seeking a nice respite from the demands on our time and attention. Hubby had been in India for nearly two weeks, and when he came back last week, he immediately jumped into work. I’m not sure how he does … Read more ...

Tasty Tuesday: The local McMenamins restaurant is our new ‘Cheers’

                                                     “Sometimes you want to go 
                                              Where everybody knows your name,
                                                   And they’re always glad you came;
                                                You want to be where you can see,
                                                   Our troubles are all the same;
                                     You want to be where everybody knows your name.”

It’s the theme song to Cheers, the TV sitcom on lifelong bonds made in a Boston bar. Yet the words of the song ring true. My husband and I have always enjoyed a drink or three, especially at a local pub. When we lived in the … Read more ...

Tasty Tuesdays: Our Drunken Pub Crawl and Medieval Porn

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love to throw parties. In the time of 2002 BC (before children) we used to have a big party each year, my favorite was the 80s-themed one.  With two little ones, those days have been put on hold.

Sort of.

His and hers.

Hubby and I were talking one night and decided we wanted to host a pub crawl. It’s popular in this area for 20-somethings to have pub crawls using the Metra commuter trains since there … Read more ...

Tuscan Market and Wine Shop: Drink Wine and Be Merry

Tuscan Market and Wine Shop is a place where it’s not all about the wine. Really, it’s all about you.

It’s nestled in the middle of a block not far from the commuter rail line and it sits along a bricked sidewalk, looking like the other wine shops in town. But creak open the doors and slip into a welcoming watering hole.

The vibe here is “drink whatever you like, we just want you to have a good time,” says owner Amy Philpott, who opened … Read more ...