|
-
We are still near Portland.
-
The kids and I figured out the public transportation
system into Portland.
-
Steve is still working. Enough said.
-
The kids and I are trying to make the best of it.
-
We went to the Chinese Garden and had DimSum and
Chrysanthemum tea. It was quiet lovely. Lilli kept saying how
beautiful it was and it was. From there we jumped back into the
MAXX, the local street car, bought the ticket a second before
the train arrived. We got out at Pioneer Square and went to a
beautiful mall. We looked around, went to Victoria Secret and
both Sales People said they were the oldest of 3 kids…giving
Lilli unsolicited advice…of course, everyone was hungry again
and so we end up at the food court. Lilli has Spaghetti and meat
balls, Julia and I share a Pad Thai…they have a nice water
feature and we get a seat right next to it. We share some green
tea, it was nice.
7/28/06 –
Friday Portland
DAY 16
7/29/06 –
Saturday Portland
DAY 17
7/30/06 –
Sunday Portland
DAY 18
-
We are still here. For the first time since we began our
journey does it feel a little like vacation. Steve has been
working non-stop since we got here. I feel bad for him but at
the same time very frustrated. I just don’t know. I am making
bread for breakfast since we are all out of everything. I can’t
really do any grocery shopping on our outings on the bus and the
Maxx…we’ll see how that comes out…
-
At this point, I guess, it’s fair to say that we are not
quite certain how and if Chris G. will come through with the VO
tank…
-
We are still very much uncertain as to how this trip is
going to proceed…
-
It’s the end of July and I hate to say it but the clock
is ticking…
-
The kids and I went to Portland center and the Japanese
Garden yesterday. We had a very nice time. There is an art
festival every weekend here and so we spent lots of time looking
at all the pretty things…
-
Julia was very excited about eating “Elephant Ears”,
Hoola-hooping, and holding a Python on her shoulders. They all
got balloon creations from a street vendor and seemed to enjoy
all the sights and sounds!
-
There was so much going on that it seemed absurd that no
one got run over by one of the street cars going through all of
this commotion, back and forth.
-
The public transportation system is set up really great!
With a day pass you can ride around all day long, plus they have
a fare-less zone in which riding around is absolutely free…
-
On the way to Washington Park, which includes the Zoo,
the arboretum, the children’s museum etc., we stopped at Pioneer
Square because there was a little concert going on. Seems as if
some Christians from Alabama took the effort to come all the way
out here to make Christian music for people…they gave out free
balloons, snow cones, and cotton candy with the express purpose
of “reaching out to the community.” At least that’s what the two
ditsy blonds said when I asked who was sponsoring the shindic…
very strange…do they need an excuse to get out of Alabama?
-
Pioneer Square itself is very hip. There is a terrace
like amphitheatre seating in a half round, cradling a sort of
stage. Apparently the show movies here on Saturday nights…
-
On our way back we passed the square on it’s east side,
and although the concert stage and popcorn were long gone, there
was a dude with a sign saying “salvation is near…if Oregon
changes it’s ways…” before they handed out cards with Einstein’s
face on them, on back it read “test your reading skills… “ and
went from a reading quiz to a diatribe about reading the bible
each day…
-
Well, we made our way to Washington Park and took the
shuttle to the Japanese Garden. It wasn’t a hit with the kids
like the Chinese Garden, partially because they couldn’t sit and
have tea anywhere, I think…
-
It was a little too abstract for their minds. Julia
seemed to get into it after a while making a game out of finding
all the items on our little guide. She was very under whelmed
with the Zen Garden, which I guess I can understand
J Lilli was really
obnoxious, throwing rocks onto the raked beds…I made her sit on
a bench nearby until I was finished taking pictures. Sometimes I
just don’t know about that Lilli. She is missing all sense of
deference for something outside of herself. On the bus on the
way home she kept pulling the stop ropes. When the bus driver
finally told me “your daughter keeps pulling the stop sign,” she
feigned ignorance and an absolute inability to understand that
she had done something wrong…I knew she understood perfectly
well what she did…she does that squinting thing…I wanted to
smack her…
-
On our way back we ended up having to wait almost half an
hour for the bus and we all sat and talked. They found some
leaves and played with them. Lilli made a piece of art and
called it “Lefes”…she is really something sometimes…
-
Today we ended up just vegging out. Steve is still
working, but we all needed a break. All day the kids kept
waiting for it to warm up enough to go into the pool…I was, of
course, very upset that we couldn’t go swimming….hahaha
-
We painted Sand dollars instead and made some artwork.
The kids had a little picnic outside with their Chinese
umbrellas…very cute.
|
