Did something a bit out of character but nonetheless thoroughly enjoyable yesterday, which was basically take a 'me day.'  I think I probably spoke fewer words on Thursday than I have during any other day of my adult life.  I was by myself for a good 80% of it, although I was constantly surrounded by people.  It was a good reminder of just how often we forget to spend time with ourselves, and I know that sounds strange but I think I often get mixed up in dealing with other people and don't realize how fun life can be on my own.

I ventured up to Portland for the day, after class that is, around 3.  Stopped at Stumptown on Belmont, which was a first for me at that location, and I have to say I liked it a whole hell of a lot better than the one on 3rd or in the Ace.  Cool vibe, more mellow people, and obviously some of the bombest coffee (which, I might add, has been greatly missed in Rain-town).  Spend the better part of the afternoon just walking around Belmont and Hawthorne.  Some of the cutest houses on the planet are in that neighborhood, I'm convinced.  The people in Southeast just seem nicer than the general Portland population to me, I don't know why, but I really dig that part of the city.  Walked/stumbled/browsed around House of Vintage for almost an hour, without buying anything (I hate people that do that).  Picked up some bizarre African/French record at Jackpot, haven't played it yet, hoping it's interesting but even if it's not I'm only 6 bucks out.

Then comes the big news: I had dinner at a sit down restaurant all by myself.  Definitely a first for me.  I walked up and down about 8 blocks of Hawthorne in the pouring rain trying to decide which restaurant looked least intimidating, and finally chose one mostly because I couldn't handle the torrential downpour any longer.  It was surprisingly really great.  I had a beer and some weird huevos rancheros type of stuff, I mean I think that's what it was, but it was confusing.  Whatever, that isn't important, the important thing was I didn't feel awkward even for one small second.  There were probably only about 10 or 15 people in the entire place, and most of them were couples, but that didn't even alter the way I felt about being there alone.  I just really enjoyed being able to sit there, eat, drink, read some of my stuuuupid book for class, and not have to engage in any unnecessary conversation.

 After that I accomplished the second big "solo task" of the evening, which was going to the Macklemore show at the Hawthorne that I'd been dying to go to for the past month.  It was a sold out show that I'd bought tickets for a few weeks back.  I was pretty skeptical about this one because honestly, there are two things that I've learned make concerts great: booze and friends.  Of which I had neither (or very little, rather).

Really really terrible cell phone photo.  Apologies.

Showed up at the Hawthorne right around 8:30, waited in line with a literal gaggle of drunk high school students for what felt like decades, and once inside promptly bee-lined it for the bar upstairs.  Met a cute couple from Spokane who were friends with my make-believe-boyfriend, Ryan Lewis, Macklemore's DJ.  Just getting me one step closer to my future as Mrs. Lewis.  Half joking.  But honestly.  The show was really, really, really amazing.  So much heart in the performance, definitely something I haven't seen in a live show in a long ass time.  Waited around after to shake Ben's hand, bought a Seattle Heads t-shirt from his awesome girlfriend who was manning the merch table, and drove my butt back to Corvallis around 1am to be back for two "midterm" tests this morning.

This isn't my edit, but I dig it.  Four things I love about this video: (1) The crowd blows, BUT that makes the sound quality a whole helluva lot better. (2) You can watch my dream-man Ryan Lewis jump around in the back nearly the entire time. (3) Dude tours with a trumpet player & a violin player.  Need I say more? (4) Well, the song. Duh.

Oh yeah, & then I got ballsy.

Haaaaaaaaaaaa. When will I grow up?