Wow

Look, it's pouring rain. I'm not complaining. Really. I mean, it's Portland. It's supposed to be raining. Still - the skies leak.

And yet, I'm enjoying this visit very much. Why?

For one thing, the company. Our friend Lawrence is here, and with him comes a universe of interesting, friendly companions. There was SF, who could not have been more delightful last night (King salmon, "True" cod, crabcakes, "hootnanny" oysters, pineau des charantes...), ML, who chatted to me about jobs, babies, and the importance of personality at lunch today (lasagna with house-roasted red peppers, chicken parmigiana, and hot, dark coffee), and of course EG, who graced both drinks last night (Martini!) and sushi tonight (garlic tuna roll, Cajun roll with "fantasy sauce," scallop, salmon, smelt roe, and tempura soft-shell crab, with pear-flavored sidecars and a bit of sake, too).

Did you guess the second reason Portland's fun? In spite of the rain? Yeah. Food.

I'm here for the ASEH (American Society of Environmental Historians), and they're a friendly bunch. I commented on a food panel today. It was devoted to the concept of "purity"and how that idea connects the history of food to the history of the environment.

Sure, ok. But about halfway through I felt a little itchy. Someone needed to speak up for the impure. So I threw out my prepared comment and instead took 3 minutes to mention the subversive, secret pleasures of the forbidden. After all, the reason anyone had to crusade for "pure"food and drink was partly that people lovelovelove that which is dirty.

Gotta motor. Tomorrow is full of sessions, walking in the rain, and perhaps more interesting people brought into my orbit my the excellent Dr. C. And the morning after that I get to return to my menfolk.