It rains a lot in Portland. And, generally speaking, when it’s not raining, the sky looks as if it might explode into a nasty bout of precipitation at any given moment. This gray wetness, however, is not nearly as depressing as I originally thought it would be. For now, at least, it’s kind of fun. It’s weather that inspires giant knee-high socks, big mugs of tea and hand-knit hats and scarves, and for the moment I appreciate the change from the terminally sunny days of New Mexico.
When the clouds do finally disappear in this town, it is something rather spectacular. The yellows and reds of the turning leaves contrast the bluest sky I’ve ever seen, rivaling the riveting autumns of New York. Portland sun sends people out and about, strolling the streets, biking en masse, catching the rays they know they won’t see again until spring rolls around.
Saturday’s sun brought Asa and I and a couple of new friends to the downtown farmer’s market—an extensive array of pesticide-free veggies, homemade donuts, tasty dipping sauces and organic everything-under-the-sun (literally). We wandered through the booths, listening to the live old-timer music wafting through the uncharacteristically dry air, sampling bits and pieces of all sorts of yummy food.
Of course, by the time I found the chocolate booth I had only $1.45 left in my pocket. This was a problem, because the chocolate booth had something that I deemed necessary to my existence: a chocolate ganache coconut macaroon cup for $2.50. I didn’t know what ‘ganache’ was, but it sounded good and looked ever better.
Asa didn’t have any money at all. Jeff had 40 cents, and Meghan had already left to go to work.
“What do you have?” asked the woman at the booth. “And what is it that you want?”
“I have a dollar fourty-five,” I said. “Which is almost enough for that Mississippi mud pie, but what I really want is that chocolate coconut thing.” I must have sounded desperate, although I didn’t mean to.
“Give me what you’ve got, and it’s yours,” she said with an entrancing smile.
I felt like I was buying chocolate from that lady in that movie about the chocolate that saves the town from its woes. You know, the one with Johnny Depp? “Are you sure?” I asked.
“Of course. It’ll be my karma of the day. Everything we give comes back to us all.”
Karma or not, I thanked her profusely and purchased my little cup of heaven for $1.45. We all walked away, and I took a bite. I immediately grabbed Asa’s arm.
“You have to try this,” I said.
Evidently, a chocolate ganache coconut macaroon cup is the most heavenly object in the universe. I have never tasted a chocolate so smooth, so yummy, so… well anyway, it was downright brilliant.
“Did you ask her how she makes it?” he asked. A couple of weeks ago, we made truffles, and since then we’ve both been pretty interested in how chocolate is made. Of course, I only thought to ask her about her technique after I had walked away and taken a bite.
But karmic retribution inevitably works its path. The sun went away for Sunday (Sunlessday?), but the rain managed to hold itself up in the sky. Asa and I were walking down a street near our apartment when he stopped to wave at a pretty woman sitting at an outdoor table at the corner brewery.
“Who’s that?” I asked.
“That’s the chocolate lady!” he said.
“Who?” I didn’t recognize her at first.
“The woman who gave you that chocolate yesterday.”
Turns out she has a chocolate store just around the corner from where I live! Brilliant! This means that not only can I repay her for the heavenly piece of chocolate, but I can buy more, any day of the week, and ask her everything I forgot to ask at the farmers’ market.
“I was thinking about the two of you today,” she said to us, still smiling that magical smile. Okay, yeah, so that’s sort of weird that she was thinking of us, but it was almost like she was a figment of my imagination to begin with. She really is that lady in that movie about chocolate!
Speaking of chocolate, I just scoured our cupboards and it appears that we don’t have any of it at the moment. If you’ll excuse me, I must take a walk around the corner under the cloudy but dry sky. I believe it is time to give back some karma. And by that I mean: “eat more chocolate.”
28 responses so far ↓
1 momsahippiechick // Oct 24, 2005 at 10:21 am
Chocolate in the neighborhood can be good or bad. That thing sounded yummy. I love coconut, but almost never eat it.
Glad to hear you’re doing well. Now I think I’m craving chocolate.
2 TrinityOne // Oct 24, 2005 at 10:28 am
Yummy! Ganache is chocolate and cream all mixed together and it IS wonderful! I’m jealous.
3 x_defying_gravity_x // Oct 24, 2005 at 10:57 am
Hmm the weathre there sounds similar to the weather up here in BC…I love chocolate. I think I’m addicted. Speaking of chocolate…darn you for making me give in to my craving!!
4 zmftimelord // Oct 24, 2005 at 11:27 am
Chocolate…is…worth…every…penny, unless it is at a Godiva store, that place is insane with prices!
5 rubyblue123 // Oct 24, 2005 at 11:38 am
What a wonderful post! I too live a dark a gloomy place but as you pointed out, when the sun does peek through those gray clouds it awakens literally everyone. The trees are brilliant here also. I am so craving a giant chunk of chocolate right now. I’ll have to head to the store shortly. You sound very content since you’ve moved. Yeah!ryc: She is an amazing seven year old with a very loud a riotous five year old brother.
6 rubyblue123 // Oct 24, 2005 at 11:42 am
I forgot to mention that your music choice for today is superb. It didn’t leave the player for months and months.
7 natkat // Oct 24, 2005 at 12:45 pm
oh, most of my journal was “i am so bad at writing in journals. i will write more. why doesn’t sean like me? i have to go, i will try to write more! here is a drawing: . love natalie”
8 TimsHead // Oct 24, 2005 at 2:15 pm
Oh that’s wonderful. Both the story (as usual) and having a chocolate shop in convenient proximity.My brother (aka, the boyfriend of rubyblue’s sister … got it?) lived in Seattle for a few years and said that, to a degree, the all-rain-all-the-time is exaggerated because they were sick of everyone moving out there. Sure enough, I’ve been there twice and it was sunny more than half the days. Woo hooo!
9 TexasAlan // Oct 24, 2005 at 4:11 pm
mmmmm….chocolate!
10 HaveyoumetGreg // Oct 24, 2005 at 4:25 pm
I must say that I too am jealous of your weather. But not for the bright spots. I love overcast, grey days. It makes anything good that happens seem that much brighter. Plus, as you touched on, mugs of tea, a warm blanket, and a roaring fire once you get inside.
11 thinlizzy17 // Oct 24, 2005 at 4:29 pm
Now I’m craving chocolate, too. I’m going to have to find my way downstairs in a minute here.
12 sunshineboy78 // Oct 24, 2005 at 6:16 pm
how far are you from Sacramento?
13 geekgoddiss // Oct 24, 2005 at 6:40 pm
You are a brilliant writer. I totally saw, felt, and tasted everything you just described. Kudos.
14 transvestite_rabbit // Oct 24, 2005 at 7:08 pm
Now, if only you could score Johnny Depp, too!
15 perfectsymmetry // Oct 24, 2005 at 7:24 pm
At this very moment I am wearing my: “Drop the chocolate and nobody gets hurt!” t-shirt. Chocolate = the best thing on the face of this planet. Anyways, enjoy giving back some karma. I know I would
16 chelseaguest // Oct 24, 2005 at 9:41 pm
ganace is the best!
17 prettypixie7 // Oct 24, 2005 at 10:31 pm
I’ve missed your stories…you always make me smile. You live so well.
18 VirtuallySane // Oct 25, 2005 at 3:09 am
Mmmm… chocolate. You’re making me hungry. And I don’t think the soup I brought for my lunch is going to cut it after that amazing description!
19 sunshineboy78 // Oct 25, 2005 at 3:32 am
The unfortunate thing about being on a di-di is that I feel guilty whenever I eat chocolate. Notice, I did not say that being on a di-di has stopped me from eating chocolate.
20 chicagoartgirl23 // Oct 25, 2005 at 7:29 am
This is my favorite entry of all time. Thank you for giving me something cheerful to think about–I seriously needed it this morning.
My favorite chocolate shop is in Ann Arbor. It is called “Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Ice Cream! Ice Cream! Ice Cream!” No joke. That’s what their sign says. I loved saying I was going there as much as going there.
21 Jay_galk25 // Oct 25, 2005 at 8:21 am
“you always make me smile. You live so well.” – Kat summed this up perfectly.
But for my two pennies, all this talk of chocolate, now I don’t feel so bad for almost eating a whole bag of halloween candy while watching Will and Grace with my mother last night lol.
Jay (I was never the same again after that summer) “Rawr”
22 MaximaBella // Oct 25, 2005 at 12:55 pm
yummm!
I love listening to you talk about Portland, as I look out and see the exact same sky as you!
I dig our weather too!
Welcome to the Pacific Northwest, dove!
23 Gnarlysurf // Oct 25, 2005 at 3:21 pm
Hey Laura- Thanks for the birthday wish. The 27th birthday came and went just like the other 26. Nothing over special just hanging out with friends and eating chinese food. Its not so bad living in an environment that is generally grey and rainy. Paris is the same. You do however learn to appreciate those rare days of sun. Oh yean and is it possible to knit mugs of tea? LOL
” It’s weather that inspires knit hats and scarves, big mugs of tea and giant knee-high socks…” Just bustin on ya
24 GLAMOURisCOCAINE // Oct 25, 2005 at 7:49 pm
Chocolate…mmm. I too am a good friend of procrastination, which is what drew me to your blog. You are a wonderful writer. Hilary
25 trcs // Oct 25, 2005 at 9:42 pm
Welcome to the Northwest! I over-mentally prepared myself for the dreary weather when I moved here too… The rain may come but the -35 degree winters do not. (oh, that’s -35 degrees celcius. sorry. haha) Just wait until you hear people complain this winter that it is “sooooo cold!”. I still laugh at that.
26 Gabe_Real // Oct 26, 2005 at 4:49 am
What a rockin’ story – and since there’s a chocolate store around the corner… I sense many a karma-cocoa style blog in your future… Speaking of homemade donuts – I sure could use one right now (maybe filled with chocolate ganache goodness? But dare I say it – I don’t crave chocolate)…Positive Vibes!
27 Rod_Lamour // Oct 27, 2005 at 2:27 am
Well this is an inspiring slice of life…send me your new address…Uncle Joe
28 geekgoddiss // Oct 27, 2005 at 8:21 am
Nashville is its own culture. You generally know that if you go to certain areas of the country, you can expect certain things. Nashville is just…Nashville. We sometimes call it Nashvegas. :-p