Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Portland Rose Festival

PDX Carpet Selfies And Parade Hijinks!

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by Kimberly A. Cook                 (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

It is definitely catch-up time. So many fun things have been happening! Our favorite airport carpet was featured as the Grand Marshall at the Portland Rose Festival Starlight Parade. “PeeDee” rode in a fabulous red Cadillac and made quite the entrance.

PDX carpet shoe and toe selfie arriving home from Maui!
PDX carpet shoes and toes selfie arriving home from Maui!

Since we are ga-ga over our old teal carpet currently being replaced by new green carpet we haven’t bonded with yet, there is an entire industry of shoes, ties, mugs, you name it with the old carpet pattern. Even the pace truck for Saturday’s Portland Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade was wrapped in the pattern.

SO, of course you can imagine that I had a shoe selfie taken when we arrived back from Maui last month, so here is my photo complete with sparkly toes! This is not considered odd behavior by the way, shoe selfies with the old PDX carpet is the thing to do here while we all race to get pics taken before all the carpet is replaced.

Worthy of a “Portlandia” episode, we love our old carpet and it has risen to great heights; including a limited edition shoe from Trailblazer Damian Lillard. Only in Oregon, I guess. We take Keep Portland Weird to the MAX (Also the name of our lightrail train).

It was a very hot and toasty weekend and yesterday hit 91 degrees, so even though you might think the hot weather explains all the PDX carpet-mania, it doesn’t. I think what it really explains is that I was born in the right city, Quirky Portland, Oregon.  Because if everybody is a little odd, we all fit in!

P.S. I just registered to get in line for some used PDX airport carpet. Keep your fingers crossed!

www.pdxcarpetstore.com

www.twitter.com/pdxcarpet

HGTV For Elephants?

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by Kimberly A. Cook          (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Very big redecorating going on at the Oregon Zoo for years and this past week was move in time! I don’t know if the “Property Brothers” could have even handled these picky clients, but the folks who designed the new elephant habitat gave them all the latest home amenities for our popular pachyderms.

Just in time for a sizzling hot weekend here in Oregon, the elephants get to roam in their new home, complete with large windows, then outside play area, elephant proof gazebo and auto feeders and misters! Nothing but the best for our lovable giants. Check out the action. I couldn’t resist all three videos.

Have a great weekend and Happy Quirky Friday! (P.S. Lilly is still SO CUTE!)

 

 

 

 

Are You Ready For Some “Big Magic” This Fall?

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by Kimberly A. Cook               (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Few things get me more excited than word of a new book by a favorite author. Double that when the book is about creativity and I’d only heard rumors about it until recently. So, while I am marking my calendar for September 22nd this year, I wanted to share the info with those of you like-minded creative types. The new book was announced Jan. 12th, but I’ve been oblivious I guess.

Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book is “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear.” I’m figuring out whether to take vacation time from the day job to hit the bookstore first thing that morning and/or pre-order it from her “Two Buttons” store so I can get an autographed copy. I’m thinking both. Why deny myself?

I’ve come to realize I prefer getting a paperback or hard copy of non-fiction books because highlighting on my ereader makes a mess; kidding, but not quite. Physically underlining words on a page reinforces the learning process of the brain and I can use all the education help I can get. Plus, I’m addicted to those Post-It Note Flags.

So for all of us creative types, and that is pretty much everybody on the planet, more book fun to come. Plus the cover is partly pink! Living the dream!

P.S. The Portland Rose Festival is in grand swing now and Fleet Week starts on Wednesday. Check out the link to see which ships are coming for a visit. Too fun! Brings back high school days memories; seeing sexy U.S. and Canadian Navy uniforms. But I can’t swim for beans or chocolate so into the Army and Air Force I went!  http://www.rosefestival.org/event/fleet-week-4-3

Time To Hide The Gnomes And Trim The Roses

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by Kimberly A. Cook             (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Last week was a bit nuts. Came home on Feb. 9th during the Pineapple Express rainstorm at 8 p.m. and found the gusting winds had flattened part of my backyard fence. Oh joy. So while I was out making macrame out of my orange extension cords and using my black and yellow caution tape to secure the kinda upright fence sections from killing someone, it occurred to me that might be an odd thing – that I didn’t have r0pe, but I had Caution tape.

Gnomes, rabbits and frogs sequestered at an undisclosed location. Gnomeo seems too happy Juliet is gone. What's up with that?
Gnomes, rabbits and frogs sequestered at an undisclosed location. Gnomeo seems too happy Juliet is gone. Suspicious?

One never knows what supplies are about with a writer in the house. After an hour out in the “Dark and Stormy Night” as Snoopy would write, I came inside, peeled off wet clothes, gave Spec Ops Cat thirty minutes of lap time and hit the sack.

Later in the week on Friday the 13th our Governor resigned, on Saturday we all celebrated Valentine’s Day, Oregon’s 156th and my Mom’s birthday, plus tore apart the damaged fence with help from big elves. A fun time was had by all, assisted by the fact there were not one, but two birthday cakes to eat.

I think cake fixes everything. Except fences, but you don’t care when you have chocolate cake.

Because part of my yard was unsecured, I had to round-up the gnomes, bunnies, flamingoes, turtles, polar bear and frogs. I’ve been the victim of a gnome kidnapping before and the trauma still haunts me. During the big gnome relocation I realized I’ve got a herd of yard art.

Then I got really paranoid and moved the lawn swing inside for safe keeping too. There was one casualty. When I reached to get the mega-hammer from the tool box to break apart the fence with my elf helpers, I hit Gnomeo with my foot and he hit Juliet who fell over and broke in two. Rats!

Now she has to go to the hospital to get fixed. I’m thinking Gorilla Glue and red Duct Tape. We shall see. So what did I do until I can get Juliet to the hospital? I went ahead and trimmed the roses, which is what we do here in Portland Rose Festival land on President’s Day.

Regardless of politics, rain storms, damaged yard art and flat fences, it’s time to trim the roses! But everything is fine here because there are leftover chocolate birthday cupcakes. Life is good!

 

U.S. Navy Back At Fleet Week In Portland

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by Kimberly A. Cook                        (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Last year for the first time in memory, U.S. Navy ships did not attend Fleet Week during the Portland Rose Festival due to federal budget issues. But they are back Thursday to help us thank the active duty sailors, let locals tour the ships and honor veterans.

http://youtu.be/3_xUoXQ0YQo

There are always some challenges getting these big ships more than 120 miles upstream to moor in the exact center of downtown Portland. I’ve seen masts snapped, near misses from turning ships around in the channel and all kinds of fun things. It’s a delicate ballet of tugs and river pilots and Navy bridge personnel making it all work. The Coast Guard protects the big ships while they are in port and the Portland Fire Department boats welcome them with spray and colored water. It’s a blast!

We also have Canadian Navy military ships, U.S. Coast Guard ships to tour, the restored PT boat and a pirate ship or two. It’s a great event and so many fun things to see, including the oldest Rose Show in the nation. It’s just not June without Rose Festival in full swing.

What I love best is people watching. If you park yourself on a bench down near the waterfront, you can see the whole world go by and hear many different languages. A writer loves nothing more than eavesdropping on regular folks to get great quotes.

So while you may have festivals and fairs in your area, go check them out. Not only can you research and have fun, there are always tons of snacks available. Around here we also get to watch the Dragon Boat races held in the Willamette River, right by all the ships. Rose Festival Ho!

www.rosefestival.org