And to celebrate our launch into the app age, this first one is priced an introductory 99¢. Less than a scoop of gelato from Capogiro in Philadelphia, less than a yard of ribbon from French General in Los Angeles. Less than the $3.99 that the apps will be in the future. Okay, enough of this less stuff. Let’s talk about more.

The new eat.shop portland 5ed app is more than pretty, it’s useful. It allows you to do all the useful app type things: note which businesses you covet, show what’s around them, show what’s nearby your location, call the businesses lickety-split. Need we say more? Only this - Get thee to the app store

Though there’s a decent amount of things to do in the area, we tend to turn into pool-dwelling, sun-worshipping (we do live in Oregon after all), trashy-book reading sloths. When we do bust out of our routine it’s usually to the mini-golf range where my mother is known to throw tantrums and my husband does creative score-keeping.

Yesterday I decided to get my mother and nine-year-old daughter out of the house. First stop, Cheekys, for a mind-blowingly good breakfast. I had not only the eggs benedict with poached eggs, braised arugula and bacon on a cheesy biscuit, but also a buttermilk corn blueberry pancake. This pancake was easily the most delicious pancake I’ve ever eaten. The corn part of the cake was kernels of corn in the batter, and it added an incredible texture. I’m right now thinking of getting up and heading there.

After waddling out of breakfast, we went searching for desert wildflowers. Specifically the hairy sand verbena. What better way to spend a morning than driving down dirt roads in the desert trying to spot a small, fuzzy plant. We understood from the local paper that this is primo wildflower season, and my mother was key to see all of the purpley widlflowers. Of course we found only yellow wildflowers that looked to be more in the weed category. This incredibly cool three-pronged yellow sunburst was discovered by my mother though, and I do think it was a find.

This inconvenience buys 26 more hours in NYC. On most days of the years, this would be more like a lucky treat, than a major inconvenience. But when it’s impossible to get a cab and walking to the subway is through more snow than the nordic combined track has in Vancouver, you start to think strategically.

The way my mind works is to think about proximities. Where do I want to spend a long, isolated winter day where the most that is asked of me is if I would like another beer? Easy answer. The ultra-cozy and ultra-satisfying Diner in Brooklyn. So I call a friend who lives across the street there and is conveniently out of town for work. I move into his killer apartment and start planning my lunch and dinner at Diner and be ultra thankful for the kindness of friends.

Okay, fine. This was just a fantasy and I’ve actually been at home in rainy Portland, Oregon for the last three or so months glued to my kitchen counter working on the upcoming Spring eat.shop titles for Paris, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Twin Cities.

Where has the time gone? Certainly not to this blog. But now I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m trying to think of another cliché to add here for drama, but it alludes me. Feel free to add some cliché suggestions…

Tonight is the first party in Chicago at the Damen location. Anna will be there, as will goodies from Southport Grocery and Sarah’s Candies. Drop by between 7 – 9p. You will find Jon and I happily ensconced at the Vancouver party this Thursday the 19th at the Robson location from 7 – 9p. Come have a drink with us and grab a book while you are at it. And then Tuesday the 1st of December is the Boston party at the Prudential Center location. Same time as the others. Anna will be there will bells on.