Double-Stacked Bookshelves

Here's what's on my mind... 1.  Something I'm not looking forward to:  a six day work week...barf!  Working at a university, it is sometimes necessary to work six days a week; roughly about eight Saturdays a year.  These happen sporadically throughout the year, but between June and July our Freshmen Orientation programs take place and 6:30am and me do NOT get along.  One bright side to this:  it's the last one!  Woohoo! 2.  Spending Sunday at the beach...or the Oregon Brewers Festival  in Portland...or hiking Silver Falls ...or relaxing on my only day off.  We haven't decided which yet.  South Falls @ Silver Creek Falls 3.  Finishing up In Paradise by Peter Matthiessen and starting in on Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich; I'm picking it up at the library on my way home :)  Along with this, I'm excited to knock out some more squares on my  Bookish Bingo: Summer Edition card ! 4.  I ...

Highlights of the week/coming weekend: 1.  Yesterday after work was spent lounging poolside to combat the unnatural heat we've been experiencing here in the PNW (Pacific Northwest).  I love that there are opportunities like this and friends with pools who are down to open their doors during the work week for a little cooldown.  Naturally, we always come bearing some form of dinner and liquid libations; last night was bratwurst, bacon-ranch macaroni salad, chips, and beer.  I like to think we're pretty accommodating guests :)  To top the evening off, we were able to spend some lovely time in the hot tub afterward! 2.  Tonight, along with my lovely friend Lori @ Palmer's Page Turners , I'll be hitting up an awesome, FREE, concert in the park.  Parish Gap , a local band, puts on a great show of classic rock covers peppered with some originals.  Definitely check their stuff ou.  Cajun tots and Rubinators! 3.  Tomorrow night (...

It's day two of the A-Z Blogging Challenge and B is our designated letter today.  Unlike last year, I've decided on a dedicated theme to guide my posts for this month's challenge and have chosen:  sites and points of interest in Oregon .  I sat down last night and filled in my list (for the most part...some of those pesky letters are tricky) with places and things that I think are awesome and must-see stops for anyone traveling through the Pacific Northwest.  So, without further ado, let's get this virtual tour started! Bend, Oregon Technically considered the central point of the state, Bend is a city that is a must for nature enthusiasts and beer connoisseurs.  Nestled in the Cascade Range, it's a vibrant city with the highest population in Central Oregon (roughly 76,000).  Surrounded by high desert and US Service Forest land, the climate is temperate and offers activities year round.  Whether you're into biking and hiking in the summer or...

O...there are a lot of things that I could write about that start with this letter, but I'm going to talk about: Oregon Breweries I  have to say that Oregon has some pretty dang good breweries.  In fact, the state as a whole is ranked fourth in the nation as having the most breweries per capita with 105.  Portland alone has 32, making it the number 1 city in the US per capita.  That's a lot of beer floating around a state with a population of 3.8 million.  Below are some of my favorite breweries. #1:  Calapooia Brewing   Located in downtown Albany, Oregon, the Calapooia Brewing Company has been around for almost twenty years.  It's first on my list because of a few reasons.  1) It's local and never more than a ten minute drive away.  2) Live music and dart competitions are regular activities.  3) Their Chili Beer is out of this world.  That's right people, Chili Beer.  Brewed with Jalapenos, Serrano, and Anaheim chili...