Magical Oregon Weekend

After work on Friday I headed down south to Portland, Oregon. The traffic was fucking terrible and the 3 hour drive took 4.5 hours but it was totally worth it. I met Marissa at her apartment in Kenton (N. Portland) and we shared some Rosé, meat, cheese, hummus and crackers before putting on lipstick (and a heavy, winter coat for Marissa because August? lol) and heading out to sip Moscow Mules at a cute bar with a patio on Mississippi. After that there were raviolis, fries and vodka sodas at another bar patio down the street. We hopped in an Uber from there and headed to Dig A Pony to drop it low and take snapchat selfies while waiting in line for the bathroom (as one does, duh).

^^Rebeka and Marissa running wild on the streets of Portland^^

^^HEY GIRL^^

When we were done sharing a beer with a stranger on the dance floor we ran out of Dig A Pony and into a random bar where we saw one of Marissa's ex-flings who  many summers ago asked me "Where abouts you be lurkin to, girl?" #winner. We hid from him in a photo booth and then emerged long enough to shout "HI!" at him and literally run out of the bar, down the street and into my first ever strip club!!

^^Photo Booth Goodness^^

I've always been a bit weary of strip clubs (is it degrading to the women? are they there against their will? do they hate it? are there a ton of pervs there?) but Sassy's totally changed my mind. It was so magical. It was like a really fun, packed-full-of-hipsters bar with badass, beautiful, real, talented ladies dancing around naked/mostly naked. I wanted to literally throw all my money at them.

Side note: can we talk about how I was definitely the least cool person in all of Portland? THERE ARE SO MANY COOL PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE! I don't know where they all came from, but my self esteem is glad they're not in Seattle. Lolz.

Then, as we were leaving the strip club, Marissa wanted to take a picture of a sign on the door and she accidentally left her flash on and the bartender came over and literally screamed at us "NO PICTURES" (no joke, screamed) and we RAN out of Sassy's and down the street and called an Uber that we made drop us off at a 24-hour donut shop where we bougth donuts from a literal child and walked the rest of the way home and I face swapped a pic of Marissa with Spock and it was so so good. And then Marissa made us frozen pizza which we ate before passing the F out at approximately 3:45am. In case you're keeping track, that's: meat, cheese, hummus, crackers, raviolis, fries, donuts and pizza. Fat kids so hard.

^^Best Face Swap^^

Saturday morning we grabbed coffee and went for a walk in Marissa's neighborhood before grabbing some things, some snacks and heading down to the Willamette River for a mini-beach/river day. I ate a Reuben on the beach (logical) and we played on our phones behind a stump and waded out in the water and I sunburned the back of my legs like the ginger soul I am. It was great.

^^A Reuben is a totes approps thing to eat at the beach, duh^^

^^River chilling/back of leg sun burning^^

 

 ^^Hey Gurl^^

^^Only Marissa wears flannel to the beach^^

^^River River River Riverrrr^^

^^LOOK AT MEEEE^^

^^Beach selfie^^

After the beach we headed to Salt and Straw on Alberta (my first time!!) for a long line and eventually ice cream. It was worth the wait. I got the carrot cake batter that had cream cheese frosting chunks, OMG you guys, so good. Eventually we made our way back to Marissa's apartment where I showered, squeezed her goodbye and then drove to Hood River.

^^Waiting in line at Salt and Straw for ice cream^^

When I got to Hood River I headed to Beth's house (because Beth moved back to Hood River, eeeeeeeeeee! yay!) to get ready for the pFriem 4th Birthday Party event at the waterfront park. We ended up meeting Beth's sister Emily at the party and ran into more friends there. We had beers, listened to music and took pictures in the really cute photo booth. It was a blast!

 ^^Sun setting and all the festivities and Beth's face at the pFriem bday party^^

 ^^Beth, me and Emily at the pFriem party^^

 

^^Photo Booth Magic^^

After the party I was a little drunk and got a SUPER delicious quesadilla from a street cart before meeting up with everyone again at the Pub. We eventually headed for Double Mountain and then I met Brian to chill and drink some pink wine.

My liver hates me.

The next morning there was breakfast at the Hood River Inn (coffee, water and mimosas included which is my favorite thing at breakfast) before I headed back over to Washington see my parents and Fluffy Face for a bit. Fluffy was begging for a biscuit for like 20 minutes so eventually we finally gave him one and he went to town. We are bad pet owners for giving him human food, but also, it was hilarious.

^^Fluffy and his biscuit^^

When I got back to Oregon a few hours later I grabbed coffee at Doppio with Gaby. We gossiped and discussed our V EXCITING upcoming trip before hugging goodbye so she could go on a boat with some friends. I then grabbed a pork belly banh mi and a beer for lunch on a patio with Josh and Sarah where I third-wheeled really hard and peer pressured Josh into coming to my birthday party in Mexicooo (successfully, I think?). It was a really eventful 1/2 of a day. I spent the 2nd 1/2 of the day driving back to Seattle (6 hours I'll never get back, UGH, thanks traffic) and then slept for a million hours that night.

Thanks again for filtering all that alcohol, liver, you're the best. And thanks again friends, strippers, alcohol and the state of Oregon for the great-ass time.

xo

^^I am impressed with the amount of photo booth pics I took this weekend, high five Oregon Rebeka, killing it^^

Noelle and Tim's Wedding Weekend in the Gorge

The week of the 4th of July was a crazy one to say the least. I was at home in White Salmon/Hood River from Saturday to Tuesday to: pick 40 lbs of cherries with Sarah, wear red white and blue, teach my first Zumba class, hang with my besties, drink drinks and watch fireworks. On Tuesday I came back to Seattle and my 6 year long relationship ended. I worked and tried to function like a normal person on Wednesday and Thursday (extra big props to Katie, Natalie, Beth, Gaby and everyone else who helped with that fun couple of days) until I could head back to Hood River on Thursday after work for a weekend of fun celebrating Tim and Noelle.

^^The best Bing Cherries from the Larsen orchard^^

 ^^Beth, me and Gaby getting full on patriotic at Ben Berger's house for the 4th of July fireworks^^

^^And one more for fun because look at this! PS Beth is in little boy's cargo shorts from Top to Bottom, LOLz^^

When I got to Hood River on Thursday night I immediately headed to Solstice to meet Josh and Sarah for dinner and then drinks at Camp 1805. I followed that up with a beer with Brian and before I knew it, it was Thursday morning and I was hazily getting Dog River Coffee and getting ready for a hike up the middle of a river. 

We drove out past Multnomah Falls to the Oneonta Gorge where we first did a "dry" hike the boys promised us would be super quick up to Middle Oneonta Falls and back down to Horsetail Falls but ended up being a few miles longer than expected which was fine except Elee and I were wearing $4 WalMart water moccasins. After the dry hike we met up with the rest of our group and headed up the freezing cold Oneonta Gorge (via the middle of the river), over log banks, into chest deep water, until we finally reached the lower Oneonta waterfall. When we got there the boys swam into the pool for a picture or two and then we turned around and waded back down the river which wasn't quite as cold because our entire bodies were super numb. High five to MOH Elee for forcing me to go the final distance in the deep part of the river to get to the waterfall. I felt like a total badass when it was all said and done and I was really glad I finished the whole thing!

^^Elee and I bringing up the rear of the hiking crew^^

^^One of the log jams in the middle of the river we had to climb over, they were intense. Thank the baby J no one fell off and broke an arm or something the day before the wedding!!^^

After the hike we headed back to the rental house (which was SO gorgeous, OMG) to get ready for the rehearsal dinner. I ended up heading out before the rehearsal dinner to grab a beer and a salad at Double Mountain with Gaby because I was starving after all the hiking and a way too small breakfast.

When I got back to the house Alli, A Jo and Erin had arrived from Seattle and it was time to get the party started!! The rehearsal dinner consisted of smoked meats, mac and cheese and pie! It was super good (nice choice, Tim!) and the cateror was wearing overalls and a shirt that said PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals) and on the back it said "you can jerk anything" Lolll what, why? Stay classy, Hood River!

^^Sisters at the rehearsal: Erin, A Jo, Noelle, Alli, Elee and me^^

^^Full Sail beer in Full Sail glasses and the amazing view from the deck of the house^^

After the rehearsal din I met our my old roommie Kylee for a beer and then ended up seeing Tim and his friend out and decided to stay out to hang with them, Gaby, Josh and Jon and ended up staying out later than expected having fun with friends at the British Pub.

Saturday Alli, A Jo, Erin and I woke up in our communal room (took us right back to Sorority sleeping porch days), got ready in less than 20 minutes (SO impressed by that) and headed to downtown Hood River for coffee at Dog River followed by Colby's pop up Ramen at the Hood River Farmer's Market for breakfast which was mind blowing. Soo tasty!!

 ^^Colby in the pop-up-Ramen tent^^

^^Ramen porn^^

While we were enjoying our ramen (and our first beer of the day thanks to the Full Sail beer tent at the farmer's market) Colby came over and showed us his 1999 yearbook which he had scribbled all over as a kid. There were doodles of his name, notes, stars next to some people, some people were scribbled out, the word "hot" under a few people and when I got to my name the words "very hot" were there and it was the best thing ever. Thank you Colby for making my whole week! It's exactly what my newly single heart needed!! That yearbook was pure gold, we all loved looking through it so much!!

^^my first ever, 6th grade boyfriend Colby and I at the Hood River Farmer's Market^^

After the farmer's market we did a few minutes of shopping to kill time before the Full Sail Brewery opened, which A Jo was dying to try. We got tasters of beer, made fun of Erin for always embarrassing us (see: painting all 10 of her fingernails at Parts+Labour while Alli was buying a romper), gave Kerry a hug, chatted with Brian, enjoyed the view and then Alli DD-ed us back to the Gorge White House to get cider for Elee (the MOH) and to take some pics before heading to the rental house to get ready for the BEST WEDDING EVER!

^^Full Sail is open, RUNNNN^^

 ^^Me, A Jo, Erin and our Full Sail taster trays, out on the Full Sail Patio^^

^^A Jo, Erin, me and Alli at the Gorge White House^^ 

^^Gorge White House groupie!^^

Noelle and Tim arranged for a school bus to take us from the rental house, pick up some folks at Full Sail and then head over to Underwood, Washington where the wedding was happening. It was super fun drinking cheap beers on the bus with my fav college ladies!!

^^A Jo and I, school bus drinking in the back seats, like you do!^^

 ^^Erin and Alli bussing it up!^^

The wedding was at Gorge Crest Vineyards which is the MOST beautiful venue. It was partly cloudy for the wedding which was great for pictures but meant you couldn't see all of Mount Hood (worse things have happened). Tim's brother officiated the wedding and did a really impressive and wonderful job. He was so sincere, short but sweet and captured them and their relationship perfectly. I got to sit in the front row with Noelle's mom and brother, Erin, Alli, A Jo and Kylee which was so, so special. After they said I do we enjoyed the bombbbbb reception - the food was super good (bacon and bleu cheese mashed potatoes!) and assortment of cakes were some of the best I've ever had, there were a ton of drinks (being poured by Morgan from the Red Carpet!!), Elee's MOH speech was sooo funny, we learned how to use Boomerang, and best of all, the dance floor was hopping off with jams from the coolest DJ! Noelle did such an amazing job planning everything and I think everyone there had a really, genuinely good time.

 ^^Noelle and Tim saying their vows^^

 ^^Mount Hood peeking out. At one point I was standing off to the side of the dance floor, looking at this view, filled with joy for the day and though that I was really, genuinely happy for the first time in days. I had this moment of clarity that everything was going to be ok and that I am so lucky to live in such a beautiful place with such amazing people^^

 ^^Me, A Jo, Erin, Alli and Kylee^^

 ^^ZTA sisters with our sister bride!!^^

^^This DJ knew how to get down with the BSB and Ja Rule #collegefratjams^^

After the wedding was over we all loaded back on the bus and headed to none other than Jack's for the after party!! We drank way too many scorpion bowls, danced our faces off, ate $181 worth of fried appetizers and partied it up until 1:30am when we were finally shuttled home and I immediately passed out on my twin bed in the communal bedroom.

^^Me, A Jo, Erin and Noelle on the stage at Jack's^^

The next morning we woke up, packed up, at breakfast sandwiches from River Daze and then Alli, A Jo and I headed back up to Seattle in my car. It was so nice having company on the drive back. I had the very best time this past weekend celebrating Tim and Noelle and spending time with some of the very best people!

Two Weekends of Emily's Twenty First

Beth's sister Emily turned 21 recently and Beth and I had only been looking forward to it for like 4 years. Emily is rad and we were excited to finally be able to take her out in Hood River. On the weekend after her birthday (which was on a Tuesday) I rented a house in Hood River with the whole Runnels family (Beth, Emily, Brother Neil, Mom & Dad Runnels). I bought decorations on Amazon, ordered customized beer koozys and the house was party-central for the weekend, complete with a hot tub.

^^View from the house + personalized koozy^^

^^Birthday girl, personalized koozy, gold wall, rental house magic^^

^^Saturday morning yoga at the rental house^^

On Friday after Emily's birthday we planned a bar crawl complete with clues (for which bar we were going to next) that the bartenders had waiting. We went from the Trillium to Double Mountain to Brian's Pourhouse for dinner, then to the Pub before finally ending up at River City where more friends were waiting. We then ended the night walking up a million stairs back to the rental house and we were all sore the next morning hah. It was a fun night, even if it wasn't a total surprise because Emily had seen the Facebook invite open when her boyfriend was browsing Facebook one day, ha!

 ^^Emily and I at Trillium, stop one on her 21 run^^

^^Brother Neil and I at Emily's Bday Dinner^^

That Saturday was the Double Mountain Anniversary Party which was super fun. We day drank beers in the sunshine, and then night drank beers under a tent, ate pizza, chatted with our favorite people, listened to live music and eventually ended up at the Pub when the party shut down. We ended the night by walking up the million flights of stairs to our rental house and kept the party going (just 4 of us at this point, Beth, Emily, Emily's BF Kelly and me) in the hot tub with PBRs. Breakfast the next morning followed by the 4 hour drive back to Seattle was in a word, rough.

^^Me and the entire Runnels Family at the DM Anniversary Party^^ 

 ^^Gaby, Emily and I at the DM Anniversary Party^^

^^Take 2!^^

The one thing that was missing from Emily's 21st birthday weekend though, was Jack's. Jack's is magical and it was closed for an entire month starting on her birthday. They reopened the weekend after I got back from Mexico, so Beth and I met once again in Hood River to take Emily to Jack's for the first time. Can I say success? SHE LOVED IT! We had some beers at double mountain, followed by dinner at Henni's and then a dance party at Emily and Kelly's apartment. Eventually we made our way to the Pub to wait until the appropriate time (Jack's O-Clock) to head down to Hood River's most magical bar. We obviously purchased scorpion bowls and an appetizer platter (fried Chinese food, yes!). After our snacks and drinks we danced and danced and at one point on the dance floor Emily shouted "CAN WE COME BACK TOMORROW?!" Lol. So good.

^^Day beers on the patio at Double Mountain are the best beers^^ 

^^Shout out to Phinny for the multiple shots^^ 

^^Emily's first ever Scorpion Bowl^^

The next day we went to Hood River Cider Fest and then out to dinner and then I called it an early night because I can't party like that two nights in a row.

Celebrating Emily and going on 2 21st birthday extravaganzas was super fun and made me feel kind of old, but also kind of proud that I was able to hang! Happy 21st Emily, we love you!