I left Portland, OR yesterday at 7am and drove for 10 hours straight through (stopped in Medford, OR for gas).  I had a really good time seeing my family again.  I was cleaning up the house but the computer was calling to me.  It is going to be another busy day today so I had better get off this thing.  I’m drinking the Stumptown Hollister Mountain Blend coffee this morning and man is that some good stuff.  I scanned the labels of the coffee I got when I was there (Hair Bender and Hollister Mountain).  I’ve said many times I don’t understand why so many people love Peet’s Coffee.  Don’t get me wrong it is good stuff too but I’d take Starbucks over Peet’s any day.  I also have to admit I have probably bought into the Starbucks marketing.  I can be bought people.    I tried Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend (see I buy into their little marketing campaigns) and I can’t say I would buy it again.  There, that should stir the coffee pot and get people commenting!  My favorite coffee places in order:

1. Stumptown
2. Tully’s
3. Starbucks
4. Peet’s
5. Seattle’s Best

So I know this is going to sound really odd but prior to Friday night I had never been to an IKEA.  My parents wanted to get Tyler a little table for him to do activity stuff on and I have to say that place is crazy big isn’t it?  I took a picture of the table in the store and I know Tyler is going to love it.  It was funny because by the end of my visit my parents would say “that is going to go on your blog now isn’t it”?  Even funnier when they would say “um that isn’t going on your blog is it”?  This is my life people, exciting stuff.    I also got a coffee press for a whopping $13.00 which I can’t wait to try.

I haven’t been to the movies in a really long time and I actually can’t remember the last movie I have seen in a theater.  We went to see James Bond Quantum of Solace today and trust me I won’t spoil the plot for you by telling you what it is about because there isn’t much of a plot to begin with.  It is basically about a group of terrorists/”bad guys” who Bond learns is trying to control the water supply.  Yeah that is pretty much the plot, sorry I wish there was more.  It has lots of action and all of that good stuff but they would have action scenes to have action scenes which was a little annoying.  The infamous Bond women were pretty annoying and I guess you have to see it to understand why.  I have no idea what Australia is about but it has evidently received good reviews so we were going to see that but there wasn’t a showing around the time we got to the theater.  Unless Bond flicks are your thing, Quantum of Solace is a rental in my opinion.  It was still fun to get out and go to the movies.  I did like the opening car chase scene though, that rocked.

Went to Stumptown Coffee this morning with my parents on Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland.  The one on Division Street has coffee roasting but we missed a few turns and decided to go to another one (next time I come for a visit I’ll go to the one on Division Street).  It was a smaller cafe than the one downtown but being on Hawthorne Boulevard it was definitely more “artsy”.  I took the above pictures. 

Happy Thanksgiving, Evan wants to wish a gaboo gaboo (what a turkey says) to everyone!  My dad always told me growing up that “life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” and that is definitely the case for me in 2008.  Although it definitely didn’t turn out how I thought this year (or any year) would, I am still very thankful for:

1. My family
2. My friends
3. My job
4. My health
5. Just being alive, some day I won’t be able to say that
6. My computer skills (they have saved me this year in more ways than you could ever know)
7. Ice cream
8. Coffee
9. Macaroni & cheese (Kraft of course)
10. Creating a new chapter in my life.  I can’t wait to see how it turns out.