Rare Joys: Snow in the Valley and Playing Hooky

I am a snow lover. Although there is a lot of snow up in the mountains here most of the year (as in this picture of Table Mtn I took from the top of Hamilton Mtn last weekend; Mt Adams is in the background off to the right as well), it is a very rare thing for it to actually snow in Portland. But today was a snow day! Since I didn't *have* to be up the hill, I stayed home to enjoy. It made me supremely happy to play hooky, as life has been very, very busy the last few months. When I was a kid, my dad would let me play hooky from school once or twice a year, and we always used that day to go on some kind of epic adventure around the city-- an all day bike ride, or a trip to some far away neighborhood where no one spoke any english. Given the amount of traveling I have been doing, today's adventure was staying home, being cozied up, watching gigantic snowflakes fall on the flowers that have recently started to blossum nearby, venturing out into the eye of the storm to get hot chocolate (as one is contractually obligated to drink hot cocoa when it snows if that is a rare event), and lolling about in a bunch of new ideas about where I might be and what I might do in the not-too-distant future (yes folks, it looks like it is time for me to get a real job). Not what most people think of when you say the word adventure, but a rare joy for me.

Science Pub Next Week

Although all 3 of my faithful blog readers live outside of Portland, I figured I would mention my debut as part of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's Science Pub series next week on the off chance that someone would want to come. Science Pub is a lecture series conducted at bars all over Oregon where scientists from any discipline put together a jargon-free (or at least jargon-light), non-technical talk on their research and present it at a bar to citizens of the world interested in learning about science, while eating, drinking, and relaxing with friends. It is a brilliant idea, and really fun (having attended in the past, I can say this with confidence-- as for next Tuesday's, we'll have to see...) There's trivia at the beginning, and the winners get pint glasses with the Science Pub logo on them. My particular talk will be held at the Mission Theater-- an old religious center converted to a bar/music/theater venue at some point in the past that seats an intimidating number of people at 7 pm-- come if you're in the neighborhood! The title is: Promiscuous DNA: The Invasion, Spread, and Impact of Mobile Genes-- provocative, no? If you can't make mine, no problem-- but I encourage you to check future lectures out if you can. Pictures from the pub, now available here.

Who has Emily's kidney?

Just back last night from St. Louis, where among many fun and interesting activities, I got to see my friend Emily McFarland. Emily is awesome-- she is hilarious, vivacious, successful, kind, interesting, upbeat, and delightful. She is so high spirited, you would never know from meeting her that she is actually surviving with low to no kidney funciton, has dialysis three times a week (for 4 hrs each time), and has been on the waiting list for a kidney transplant (for the second time) for over three years. Her positive attitude has always been awesome to witness, but some friends of hers have recently decided that positivity wasn't getting the job done. They decided to launch a campaign via social networking media outlets (Facebook and Twitter) for Emily's kidney-- which is currently in one of our bodies, just waiting to be united with the rest of Emily and her three current good-for-nothing kidneys. You can read some about Emily's story and that of other folks on the waiting list for kidneys in the US here, or follow Emily's kidney's charming twitter feed here, or become a friend of Emily's kidney here. But more importantly, if you are interested in being a kidney donor (the one you keep can more than cover the job! read about that here), call the Barnes Transplant Center at 314-362-5365 and they will get you information about screening and sign up. I am going to do it tomorrow. While I am at it, I am going to see if I am a liver match with my uncle. If there is a way to make organ donation trendy in Portland, I want to figure out what it is... maybe if it comes with homemade pickles, some craft microbrew, and artisan cupcakes. If you don't know Emily, that's okay-- but if you know (or have) what could be her future kidney, please call.