Last Day

Posted by Lisa Eirene

Our last full day in Bend! It was a bit cooler, like almost 70, with a cool breeze. After breakfast Michael and my dad went to the driving range and my mom and I took Logan on a tour of some of the cool parks around the area. We went to Hillside Park (but it was for older kids) and then to Harmon Park, which was perfect for Logan.

For lunch we got food from Spork for takeout. We tried to go last time we were in Bend and it was so packed we couldn’t get an order in. But this time we lucked out! It was SO good! A new favorite for Bend, for sure. It’s a cool, funky Mexican/Asian fusion restaurant.

I got the Korean BBQ Short Ribs. They came on rice, arugula, sprouts, topped with seaweed, a fried egg and kimchi. Delicious!

My dad got the chicken tacos. Michael got the chilaquiles (I had a few bites and it was SO good) with steak. My mom got the best thing–the spicy pork noodles. I will definitely be getting that next time.

After Logan’s nap, the plan was to go rent one of the “Double Surrey” bikes for fun. It fits 4 adults and a kid. But unfortunately they were closed! We were one week early for their summer hours. BOO! Next time!  So instead of biking we just hung out in the front yard of the house we rented. Logan played soccer and golf and we enjoyed the warm sunshine.

Then we went for a short walk for some shaved ice (at Dakine Hawaiian Shaved Ice.) 🙂

Even though our plans to bike got thwarted, it was a nice, chill day. Like, an actual vacation with RELAXING. What’s that?!? I actually got to sit on the front porch and relax and finish reading my book!

Dinner was burgers again. They were so good last time. With grilled asparagus, coleslaw and raw veggies.

And of course, once again, Boneyard RPM, hot tub, bed. 😀 We were definitely in a routine!

Tuesday morning I went for a run. It was nice out. Cool and quiet but not too cold. I ran down to Drake Park, crossed the bridge to the other side of the river, and had Drake Park basically to myself. Just me and the geese.

It was a nice, and flat, trail. I went through the park to one end and then the other. Then I crossed over the bridge on Galveston, ran through a neighborhood, crossed the wooden bridge back to Drake Park and did part of it again before heading back.

The water was like glass. It was so peaceful out that early (like 7am).

I got back to the house just in time for breakfast.

We all had breakfast, I showered and we packed and said our goodbyes. Boo. 🙁 It was such a nice vacation. We had a lot of fun, spent time with my parents, they got to spend tons of time with Logan…we all got in naps, a hike, I finished a book and had excellent beer. I call that a win for vacation!

It’s hard to say goodbye, to my parents AND the Bend house. We love it so much. The location is so perfect for us. Close to restaurants, bars, parks and the river downtown. So beautiful and quiet. I definitely recommend Bend AND the house we rented!

No Reservations

Posted by Lisa Eirene

There have been a few celebrity deaths that really touched me. I know a lot of people probably think it’s silly–I mean, we don’t know these people in real life. But celebrities give us something–movies we love, music we never forget, and it’s not easy when your favorites pass on.

The first was Michael Jackson. One of my first childhood memories was of him and his music. I was a fan! I was about 4 or 5 years old and my dad came home from a business trip with a gift: THE Michael Jackson record and my very own Fisher Price record player. I was so ecstatic and I played it until the record warped, I’m sure.

I grew up listening MJ and Prince and Whitney….and when they all passed suddenly it was a huge shock to the system. You think about all the times growing up you listened to their records (or cassette tapes) alone in your bedroom, or at sleepovers with your friends…And then suddenly you’re an adult and you realize they are just human beings who die.

Tom Petty was another one that hit me very, very hard. I’d always loved Tom Petty’s music. It’s the PERFECT summer/road trip music and I can’t tell you how many trips I took with him as the soundtrack. I grew up listening to him and when I was 18 I had the incredible pleasure to see him live at The Gorge.

To this day, it was still one of the very best concerts I’ve ever been to. It’s hard not being sad when I hear the music now. Favorite song? Learning to Fly. Second favorite: Wildflowers. (Gut punch hearing that song now.)

Last year Chris Cornell (I am listening to this song as I write this),committed suicide and I saw the news before most people–I was up at 1am breastfeeding Logan in his dark room, scrolling through Twitter when I saw the news and again, gut punch. Why? Why would someone so talented and so beautiful and successful and just so amazing…end it all?

That brings me to the latest:

10 years ago I met my now husband, Michael, who was a big foodie and a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain and Alton Brown. I was NOT a foodie. I didn’t cook. I didn’t know. He introduced me to Bourdain’s TV show, No Reservations, and it quickly became one of my all time favorites.

In the beginning what struck me about Bourdain was his breathe-taking beautiful prose and narration on his show. He was a poet. I was stunned at how beautiful and descriptive his writing was. So I had to read his books, of course. Kitchen Confidential was a pretty good book–it’s the one everyone is talking about now, but I enjoyed Medium Raw better. Read it!

One of my favorite episodes of his show was the Thailand one. (From Parts Unknown)

Waking up to the horrible news that he died in France, and was found by Eric Ripert (another one of my favorite chefs). Part of me was sad for Eric because he seems like such a sweet and gentle person; then the other part of me was glad it was one of Bourdain’s closest friends who was there. I cannot even imagine the pain the people closest to him are feeling.

I spent Friday in shock, like a lot of people. Michael was devastated. It’s hard to put into words how you feel about someone you’ve never met dying but I think a lot of people felt the loss immediately.

Suicide is such a hard thing, too. You are always left with questions. Why? Why? I’ve suffered from depression and anxiety most of my life and I know what that darkness feels like. It’s easy to get stuck, get settled in, and it’s hard to see a way out.

Bourdain was a very vocal and very loud supporter of the #MeToo movement. He had class and dignity, even when he was ripping someone a new one–which was really entertaining. He was smart and funny and interesting and he showed us all interesting places in the world. Some of my very favorite parts of the show were when he was in a far away country, eating a meal made by someone’s grandma–not the four star restaurant, just someone’s kitchen. He wasn’t stodgy or snobby about food and he came across as down to earth on the show–and that made it accessible to all of the viewers.

So in honor of Anthony Bourdain, our favorite chef and author, who loved tube-shaped meat and got it in almost every city he traveled, ;), we had some tube-shaped meat for dinner Friday night.

Cheers, Anthony, you will be missed by millions.