One Last Bit of Portland

We've had a rough day. Between our work, Iain's cold, and the general craziness of everything, it's just been one bump after another. But at least we don't have to look at this all day. Check it out: Portland's City Hall (I think. It's downtown, in any case).

And below, a shot of the other side, where someone thought it would be a good idea to build big, minty green bows onto a government building.


The good news is that the federal courthouse is beautiful. Just really fabulously modern with a slightly Frank Lloyd Wright/Asian quality to it. We walked all 'round it before realizing what it was (though props to Lawrence, who took these photos, for saying "looks like a federal building - there's no easy way in!")
So. Today. On the hard side, Iain was very difficult and his cough just makes my ears bleed. He demanded Kipper all day and when denied he threw fit after fit. We need to cut back, I think. Also, I had to drive out to Shelbyville (pronounced: Shb-uh-vl) to give a little talk, despite being sick myself and having an awesome-sounding deep cough. That left Charles to handle Mr. Nutty all alone. Last, but not least, today we made an offer on a house in Salt Lake City.

But there were bright bits to leaven the day. I made a lovely pan of stuffed shells (with fresh mozzarella, spinach and carrots, plus ricotta with fresh oregano), Callie came by for a few hours (her latest expressions are "Donno How! You do it!"), and the people in Salt Lake seem positively disposed toward us.

It might have been a tie - good and bad.

But then...

We got a piece of extraordinary, wonderful, stupendous, incredible, long-awaited news. Some friends are very happy tonight, and about to be very sleep deprived. We're all full up with glee, making all the little things about today fade into insignificance.

Pocket Parks

Above, near City Hall, in the center of the downtown area.

Below, at the tip of the Pearl district, a park surrounded by modernist condo buildings (gorgeous modernist condo buildings, in case you wondered). It's a habitat renewal project, in which an old meadow and stream were re-created with paths and sculpture so people could wander through, sit and have a cuppa (coffee, natch, in this city), or just check out the view of the bridge. The natural bit is off to the left, because Lawrence, Mike and I were entranced by the undulating, rusty fence.


And last but not least, this passage of blossoms from the street into a little condo development. So lovely, and entirely created by the commercial builders - not the city. Can you imagine walking home through this?

All photos courtesy of Lawrence's spiffy little camera.

Uhh...ok

Huge, inflatable crawdad, Jake's
Photo by Lawrence

Portland was great. And not just because every time I left my hotel room someone was offering me a beer. That was great - don't get me wrong. But Portland had so much more to offer.

For one thing, there was the seafood. I ate most of mine raw, but you can get just about anything you want, from Dungeness crab to King Salmon to Pacific tuna to...well anything.

And you can play tourist or be super cool. We intended to do both, eating sushi one night at Masu and crab the next night at Jake's. But Jake's hung out a huge, inflatable crawdad that morning. And wouldn't you know it, every tourist in Portland (which that day included a posse of physicists) flocked down there. Phooey. So we just walked back to Masu and told them that we'd had such a fabulous time we wanted to ride again. They were cool about it.

I think they welcomed us back because they knew - somehow - we'd just come from The Strangest Shop in Portland. No, I don't remember it's name. It's an import shop full of pottery, furniture, jewelry, shoes, expandable Chinese dragons, paper lotus blossums, pencils, and members of the Worker's Party riding to the Moon on a rocket, while holding scythes. Yes, scythes. Because there's a harvest to take in on the Moon, didn't you know?

We liked it. And we were a little weirded-out by it. So we needed warmth, sake, and an adorable waitress with pink hair and a green flower over her ear. Naturally, Masu obliged.

Did I mention the "fantasy sauce"? Yeah. If you're ever in Portland, Masu's the shizzle. That's all I'm saying.

Gotta motor, the hoos wants to watch a movie...

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jog...

Tomorrow at 4:15am I get to say "Hello!" in a cheery sort of way to a nice shuttle driver.

If all goes well, I should be home in time to squeeze my boys before one of them goes to bed with Elmo.

In the meantime, today was all about the Pearl district, Powell's bookstore, and yet more sushi. Because you can never have too much sushi. Never.

Photos when I can sit down and breathe.

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.