Bike Safely, Everyone!

As a recent addition to the car-free population of the Pacific Northwest, I wanted to take the time to let people know a few things about bike safety. You never really think about it, until something bad happens to you!

For example, did you know:

- Bicyclists are roughly 5 to 10 times more likely to die as motorists per mile traveled

- 725 people died in bicycle accidents in 2004, and they were 89% male


- Riding on the sidewalk is several times more dangerous than on the street without a bike lane

- Riding the wrong way on a street is 3 times more dangerous than riding with the flow of traffic

- Texas leads in bicycle deaths

- Driving Under the Influence charges AND fines are the same for bikers as for motorists

On that note, I did not know that riding without a helmet is not actually illegal past the age of 16. It is just really unsafe and definitely accounts for many of these fatalities. Which means that I will be riding without my helmet a lot more often. Note to self: must still wear a helmet!

Really though, the bigger challenge for me has been the weather. I don't have rain gear, any reflectors on my clothes or on my bike, and I ruined my awesome flashy light. I wish that I was better prepared to commute via bike, because both Vancouver and Portland are pretty bike friendly. If I recall correctly, Portland has about 8 times more bike commuters than the national average.


All this was inspired in part by my Halloween costume. I wish that you could see my black eye better! I worked really hard on making it look as realistic as possible.

Halloween was totally rad for me this year, and I had a great time making fake brains and shards of "glass" stick out of my helmet. I think that I was the only one truly amused by it, but that's all that matters, right? I will make some sort of an art piece ot of my ducktape and wire fake bike wheel. Thanks to my handy housemate, John, it turned out really awesome!


BIKE SAFELY, Everyone!

Pink Glove Dance

Dear Friends,

Please take a look at this amazing video and support all the women in your life.

Also, Way To Go, Portland!

Tasty Tuesday!

Crispy Red Cabbage

Ingredients

4 cups shredded red cabbage
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Preparation

1. Prepare a medium saucepan with nonstick pan spray.
2. Place cabbage, apples, 1/4 cup water, the vinegar, and brown sugar in the prepared saucepan; mix well.
3. Cover and simmer over medium heat about 10 minutes, until cabbage is crisp-tender.
4. Turn the cabbage several times during cooking and add a bit more water if it starts to stick.
5. Add the salt and nutmeg; mix well.
6. Serve warm.

The Rains Come

The rainy season is upon us.

We've had such great weather recently but the rain was bound to come sooner or later. We've had intermittent showers and sunny "sucker holes" thrown in here and there. But, overall it's been wet and fresh and still kind of warm. Usually, I only wear 3 layers when I leave the house!


The raindrops are falling


The trees outside are swaying


The fall colors are just as awesome in black and white.


The umbrella is waiting for the first "real rain" of the season.

I'm ready for Halloween!

Tasty Tuesday! (On Monday...)

At our clinics we are trying to start a Tasty Tuesday free healthy food tasting event. Every Tuesday we're going to roll out a crock pot or a microwave and share some tasty and healthy foods that or patients can then make at home. We will showcase how to prepare some seasonal veggies, give out free samples of food, and take home recipes. I thought that it would be a great idea to share these with y'all as well. If you try one of these - let me know how it works!

Spanish Cauliflower

Ingredients:

- 1 table spoon Olive Oil

- 1 Onion, medium, chopped

- ¼ tea spoon Garlic powder

- 1 large head of Cauliflower, chopped into 2 inch pieces

- 2 large Tomatoes, chopped

- ½ tea spoon Black Pepper

- 1 table spoon Parsley

- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Chop the cauliflower, onion and tomatoes. Add 1 inch of water and cauliflower to a pan. Cook over medium heat and let boil for about 3 minutes. In a large pan, heat oil and onion for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic powder and cooked cauliflower to large pan. Continue to cook and continually stir for another 3 minutes or until lightly browned.Add the tomatoes and black pepper. Cook for approximately 5 minutes.Sprinkle parsley and cheese on top. Serve.

When September Ends

There were too many things that happened in September to really recount. Life up in the PacNor is good, and I look forward to all the things that it will bring me in the future. But, I do miss my friends and family - something that I proved to myself while visiting California over this last weekend. It was so great to see everyone that I know and love, and who loves and knows me as well. I had a blast visiting the old spots with my old friends. Places like the MoLo and The Duke, will always be remembered with fondness and excitement.

But, I had to return.

Work is finally kicking up a notch! This last week we've finally redecorated our lobbies with cool health information, including healthy recipes and advertisements for our upcoming Pfizer Tobacco Cessation class, our Wednesday Walking Group (eeep, it's growing!). This week we had an extra person come to our walking group, the two year old talked to me, AND we walked a whole bunch faster! Way to go, group!

My OCTOBER bulletin board. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Also available, delicious Spanish Cauliflower recipe!

I've also gotten to do some short patient interventions because I'm finally trained on the EMR system at the clinic. I even have to write in patient navigator chart notes, which makes me feel totally important, and like I'm actually doing something with my life. I talked to an older woman about getting her some free mammograms and paps, free eye exam AND reminded her about the importance of testing her blood sugar. Seem like minuscule and silly things, but she walked away smiling and happy, which is all I can really expect from an uninsured and unemployed woman in her late 50s after she had to wait for 45 minutes to see a provider. I hope she shows up at our walking group like she said she would!

Also these past few weeks I've been going to Seattle every weekend and then some. I've come to be pretty familiar with the city, more so than Portland! There's Capitol Hill and the Gayborhood, there's Fremont - The Center of The Universe, with it's Lenin statue and dog-friendly restaurants, a chocolate factory and a BLOND GUINESS. Yes, I know.... I couldn't believe it either. There's Mt. Rainier with it's snow covered peaks too! There's much to love about Seattle, and I hope that soon enough I will get to know Portland as well :)

Out in Capitol Hill with some Seattle friends.

But, what I like the most about Seattle is getting to hang out with the AmeriCorps crew. They are a team of really amazing individuals that continue to inspire me everyday. There's Bryan who started an ltUimate Frisbee team while studying abroad in India. There's Anna who biked accross the entire US. There's Kirsten who worked in South America on building a sustainable safe birth program... many many other incredible things were done by our Health Corps members, and many many more amazing things to come. I just thought that I'd finally officially introduce them to my blog.

The 2010-2011 AmeriCorps SeaMar team.

Until next time!

Fall into fall!

It's October in the Pacific Northwest and I couldn't be happier.

I love the lazy, cool and sunny, golden afternoons. The last weekend was a magical weekend that I spent in Seattle. I enjoyed two delightful parks, along with amazing people that are in AmeriCorps with me. The training this week had been grueling and exhausting, but about that later... Today I just wanted to do a quick update and share the amazing beauty of the Northwest.

I had missed the changing colors so much. Sure, Berkeley had trees that faded into yellows and reds, but the leaves were gone quickly, the change was uneventful, and unnoticed by others. Here, everywhere around me there are golden leaves! Falling down, littering the ground, and making the air smell like autumn. I almost forgot how much I love that smell! I hope that the sunshine will stay around just a little bit longer, and I won't have to deal with more consistent rain just yet!

Lilly pads in Lake Washington

I totally loved walking in The Arboretum and around Lake Washington on a Saturday afternoon last week. I wish I could have gone kayaking!

The leaves are turning golden and amber right before your eyes.