Portland, Oregon

ok ok sorry i have been so lazy but this whole working-5-days-a-week thing is hard to get use to again.... oh and BTW this will be a bit picture heavy

so after having a fantastic time in Texas and a spectacular experience in the Dallas Airport we headed off to my home town. PORTLAND!!! Woot woot!

I was so excited to get home and even better was that my dad was waiting for us as we walked out of the airport. I turned into a little kid again as I ran up to him to get a big bear hug. We arrived pretty late at night so he took us straight home where we promptly fell asleep after exciting hello's to my mom.

The day after our arrival we did something so exciting. Something that I took for granted when I was younger and living in the States. We went to Safeway and Costco! I know!!! It was so much fun.

In Safeway we went up and down every isle and oooed and awwed over all the exciting things like red onions that are bigger than a golf ball and darker in color than watered down pink lemonade. There we giant cucumbers and rice mixes in al flavors. There was an entire isle dedicated to cereal and another to salad dressings. There was all kinds of milk and sour cream. You should have seen all the yogurt flavors. They even had blackberry my very favorite!!! It was fantastic!!

Then in Costco we wandered around looking at the bargain packaging of dish soap and tortilla chips then looked at all the reduced price books (that would make them nearly half the price of the same book here) and oooh the packages of socks!!! We even got a jumbo size bottle of vitamins. Then on our way out I got a hotdog and a coke for a dollar fifty! $1.50!!! Why cant we get hotdogs made with beef out here that are that good. Seriously. I know they exist and I want them. Now! So tasty.

The next day we headed over to my dad's where a bunch of family had come over and we had a proper barbeque. We had barbecued chicken with pasta salad and fruit. YUM! It was great to see all the family as it's been sooooo long! All the kids grew loads while I have been away.... Apparently kids grow whether you are there or not. Go figure.

Monday was Knitting Bee Day! My all time favorite LYS... Need I say more?
Dream in Color Smooshy in Pansy Golightly - Used this for my very first pair of socks (stay tuned)

Plymouth Yarn Dye For Me Happy Feet will be for my first Kool-Aid dyeing attempt. And my brother came to town from Oakland to hang out with us while we were in town

Tuesday it was off to the Oregon Coast where we had lunch watching the surf break and then headed to the Tillamook Cheese Factory . Then we headed over to one of my favorite places, the outlet mall! Oh that was good times... although for some reason my husband wasn't as excited as I by this last stop.

On the following day Mom, husband and I headed downtown to my all time favorite bookstore, Powells and we roamed around there. All I can say is that it's a good thing we had luggage that was already full otherwise I could have bought hundreds of books. Hundreds I tell you! Then we headed over to Knit Purl.
Fleece Artist Woolie Silk. I just couldn't resist these colors! The pic doesn't do them justice

Artyarns Regal Silk

The Fibre Company Canopy Fingering which I used for the Knot Hat - more on that later

My sister came to town as well! It was so much fun to see everyone and hang out. We (sis, brother, hubby & I) went and wandered all around downtown again. I just can't get enough of that place. We ended up at a little cafe that has fantasic juices and get this: Sheesha! Hahaha!

Finally after more days of lounging around, eating and chatting with all my family ooooh and there was shopping. Lots and lots of shopping we headed over to (drum roll please) Twisted!!!! They carry Blue Moon Fiber Arts and I had been itching to get there the entire trip.

Look at all that yarny goodness!!! I got four skeins of BMFA Socks That Rock in different weights (if you are interested in colors and weights you can check out my stash on Ravelry) and I got another skein of Smooshy and the Monarch on the end in Green & Yellow.... My schools colors. How could I pass that up!?!? I'm going to knit socks that represent the Ducks! Woot woot!

Overall the trip was great. I got to see everyone. The weather was fantastic and I went to all my favorite hangouts. It was just so nice to be home. It made me realize just how much I miss my family. I think it's a feeling I try to surpress a lot because when you live on the other side of the world there isn't a whole lot you can do about home sickness so you just try not to think about it. But to be home, seeing everyone, talking to everyone whenever we wanted, just made me realize how much I miss everyone... How much I miss home.

I think I'll go cuddle some of my new yarn to cheer my self up now....

city life

i did something today that i have not done in a very long time. something that for a while had only been a distant memory... a memory so distant that i was starting wonder if it had only been a dream. but it wasn't a dream and today i reminded my self

i walked outside. in the city. that's right people, i walked. i walked around in Abu Dhabi city visiting multiple retailers that were not under the same roof. i parked my car and got out(!) and it was fantastic.

it all started when while we were on the way to the mall my hubby had to go to work un-expectantly (which is never good -but that's for a whole other post) so i dropped him off and decided that instead of going to the mall i would go to the Green Branch (on Electra Street). this was perfect because i wanted to see if they had gotten in any new knitting supplies and also to check out buttons (which for .60 - 1.50 AED is a steal!) and well my husband doesn't really look forward to my knitting shopping although he hardly ever complains about going with me...

when i was a block away from the Green Branch i spotted a Starbucks and then a plan was born. i parked my car in the block between the two streets and i got out and walked!!! i know, it's was fantastic. it wasn't too hot and it wasn't dark yet. it was just right. i headed to Starbucks first and got the best coffee (dopio on ice) i have had in a long time. i sat on one of the comfy couches drinking my coffee and reading my book ( i always always keep one in my purse) for about a half hour and then i got up and walked the block to the Green Branch.

at the Green Branch i was able to shop leisurely (with out my husband asking if i really NEEDED another skein of yarn... HA!) and look at all the tons and tons of buttons they had packed away on the back shelf. about the time i had gathered all my goodies to go and purchase them he called and said he was ready. after i purchased everything i walked back to my car and headed for the hubby.

really i forgot how good it felt not only to be outside but to be walking around a city with all the sounds and smells (although not all of them good) and the people walking along. it's been way too hot here in Abu Dhabi for that kind of walking for the last 3 months and finally we are at a place (weather wise) where it is enjoyable again. and i sure do plan on enjoying it over the next few months.

who's buying the books?

a friend of mine here in Dubai is going home to New York for a visit next month and has been beyond kind enough to offer to bring me some knitting supplies back with her. i'm so excited it's better then purse shopping. i have been scouring the internet looking for the best deals and trying to fulfill the needs of some patterns i have been eyeing so that i can finally knit them. i've gotten 30 skeins of yarn, 2 books, and set of needles from Knit Picks! i know i'm beyond excited too!!!!

but the process has reminded me of just how frustrating it can be to live somewhere where you cant find the things you need (i.e. knitting supplies).

let me ponder something with you... perhaps you may even have explanation for this quandary. why do all of the bookstores (Magrudy's, Barns & Nobels, etc) sell knitting books, yet i can't buy knitting supplies ANYWHERE!!! does this make sense to anyone? really, there must be a demand if the knitting books are in the stores no? so where is all the stuff to make the things IN the books. who is buying knitting books if they aren't able to go right out and buy the supplies for their very favorite pattern inside? that's my very favorite part of getting a new pattern book! i directly pick my favorite pattern (that i think i can knit) and buy the necessary skeins and needles so i can go home and get to work! all though, in all honestly, i usually let the new pretty balls sit at the top of my yarn basket and eye them for a few days before i get started.

i miss my local knitting shop (the Knitting Bee in Portland, Oregon) where i could go in and look at all the beautiful yarns and pick out what i wanted to work on next. sometimes buying yarns that i just wanted to buy because i thought they looked and felt amazing! or buying yarns cause i was having a bad day : ( i miss having people to ask for advice and just somewhere to go and browse.... nope not here in the uae! not ONE knitting shop!

ok i will admit there's a guy that has a textiles shop at the bottom of Carrefour along Airport Road in Abu Dhabi who sells a minimal selection of knitting supplies... this includes to different kinds of yarn each available in 4 - 10 colors (depending on his stock) and he has 3 different sizes of straight knitting needles. now this is as close as i have found to a knitting shop so every time i go in i encourage him to expand his selection but seriously fellow knitters would this satisfy your knitting needs?

oh well thanks to my good friend i will soon have enough yarn to last me a year!
my poor husband