Disclaimer: the friends I have in Portland are not from Portland (everyone I know there is actually from east Tejas or they are married to someone from east Tejas - 3.5 degrees of separation from east TX, give or take...) but they do live there and will probably find humor in the items pasted below that I shamelessly snagged from a random page on the inter-webs. The first item in the list nails me on the forehead tried and true, and though there are many quips about rain in Portland in that list, the region receives the same or even less, in some cases, rainfall than average rainfall about the nation. But first, a recap of the latest Andrea-Heather adventure in Portlandia:
Day 1: I arrived in time for din-din and joined David and Andrea Hampton at Paragon in The Pearl for a stomach hugging feast of grown up grilled cheese sammich, grown up mac-n-cheese, a Texas sized salad, along with a pot roast that looked like a protein paradise.
Day 2: Andrea took me to a boat launching. A BOAT. I mean, a rather large one, too. A barge, actually. One of Andrea's clients, Gunderson Marine, launched a barge for one of their clients and the event was open to the public. This was a true first for me and I hope I get to experience another such site! We're talking massive height, massive weight, massive hulking movement into the river. Complete with champagne smashing! Here's a short read on the history of wasting a perfectly good bottle of bubbly on a metal breast (what I term the front of the boat): http://mentalfloss.com/article/12612/why-are-bottles-champagne-smashed-new-ships Here are some photos of the launching, though I must be honest and admit that I didn't capture a great shot of the barge sliding into the river, so I borrowed one from the inter-webs that displays an aerial view of the entry:
<it probably goes without saying, but coffee and good breakfast is interspersed routinely during most any of my adventures>
Later on day 2, Andrea and I traveled out to Ardiri Winery & Vineyards to conduct grape and soil acidity studies. Ppppfffftttt. Ardiri was a lovely destination and you can see from the photos that Portland's region offers plenty of scenic wow-ery:
Later that evening, the stars and moons aligned, Pluto was a planet once again, The Money Pit was playing repeatedly on cable and Charley's weekend work travel placed him in Portland that very night! The Hamptons and the Greens met for a scrumptious meal chock full of gastric home-runs and fun company. Davis Street Tavern was a solid Urban Spoon selection by Andrea and I loved the warm ambiance in the restaurant.
Day 3: Charley was back en route to Dallas even before the environmentally aware Portland roosters sounded. Andrea, David and myself enjoyed coffee, breakfast and the company of Molly (seen in the photos below), the Portland Cafe Doggy at Ross Island Grocery:
Later, <the font randomly changes as I compose posts and I've decided it's simply not a battle I shall fight any longer> Andrea treated me to a much needed and much appreciated pedicure --> a tradition during our adventures. We intended to visit our friends (also Texans) the Robertson-Beans at their Pearl boutique http://www.mabelandzora.com/, the cutest dern collaboration of fashion, art, Doris Day, good causes, community and love. Tiffany even has her OWN fashion line IN her store now! But, the intent to pop into the store that same day was blown to smithereens and I have only myself and two shoe stores on which to place blame. On the plus side, I have turned the corner and officially become a very particular shoe purchaser. I've come a long way since my days of single digit price shoe purchases, the likes of which left their stamp, autograph and guts - literally, along the Gulf Coast of Texas and plains of north Texas. Let's face it: our human feet have always been sensitive and warranting of proper support, but it's not until we reach a certain age, ahem, that many of us gals realize: long periods in shoes/on feet + cute shoes can STICK IT. My - pun intended - Achilles Heel is the comfort of my feet and, as I recently read, "It's sometimes a good day in middle school if the teacher leaves the workday without having bitten a child." Happy feet ensure that I will likely never succumb to workplace cannibalism.
Day 4: Andrea and I took in a vigorous hike up Council Crest. Here are a few photos of the gorgeous park:
Before Andrea dropped me at the airportico, we had a little fun at a costume store:
Upon my return to work from my absence, the megahorn was making an obscene screeching noise that seemingly cannot be repaired. The kids reported that the substitute covering my classes on that date dropped my precious meghorn and when she put Humpty Dumpty back together, he was making that same obscene noise.
My emotional state upon learning of this development:
You might be from Portland if you:
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