kimmykimmykokonut

Who needs a car?

We are having record snow in this city that owns no plows.  It’s beautiful, fluffy snow and has encouraged us to better insulate the house.  Last weekend we spent most of the day putting up the shrink plastic over our single paned windows and Matt put up insulation under the dining room floor.  I think I can feel a difference already, and just in time.

It’s been snowing everyday for almost a week now, making it a little unsafe to ride my bike to work (and now unsafe to drive.  It’s currently illegal to drive in Portland without chains on your tires).  I’m glad I only live a mile away because walking has been pleasant until the snow started piling up.  Matt had a snow day today, but my store stays open because when it snows, people want to go to the store and get food.  Today I dug out my snowshoes and happily trod to work among a slew of other people on foot, snowshoe or skis.  I love how our neighborhood so easily adapts to the change.  It’s great to see a lot of other people on skis/snowboards.

Most of Matt’s family was off with other family this holiday, so we chose to have a small Thanksgiving in our unfurnished house in progress.  Luckily, Matt’s parents brought us our dining room table that we got in Seattle and we all fit comfortably at that table along with two of our friends who moved to Portland around the same time we did.  I made apple-sage seitan sausages, a wild mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, shredded brussel sprouts with candied nuts and salad with pomegranate seeds.  Our friends brought an amazing beautiful dessert from Pix Patisserie, which is only a few blocks from our house.  They do gorgeous and tasty French desserts.  Everyone helped in the kitchen and we ate and ate and ate.  And played some euchre.  And ate some more.

It was a fun, relaxing day followed by a full day of work blowing insulation into our  uninsulated attic and 4 (5?) trips to Home Depot.  I think the insulation will make a difference in electric bills this winter.  It doesn’t get that cold in the winter compared to CT snowstorms and wind chill factors, but it’s cold enough to need heat and it feels good to check that big goal off our list.  Hooray for my father in law who knows about insulation and did most of the dirty dusty work.  It was nice to have my in-laws stay for a few days and visit and even though we were doing house projects during the day, we had time to play cards and visit the brewpub down the street.