End-of-summer day out
Today was a pretty grand day out.
First on the agenda, off to Portland State University. I spent about a half-hour wandering the Farmers Market on the quad, buying a couple of different mushrooms and one rather lovely little quiche for later, before meeting up with some folks to talk about the Trans Voice Clinic we've been developing between a local support/education/advocacy group and the graduate students with one - and hopefully two - of the universities. This turned into an impromptu meeting with an overlapping set of people involved in an SLP treatment/materials development start-up, with whom I'm also somewhat involved.
Also watched the clouds roll in. The weather was beautiful at this point - nicely gray & cool after many ridiculously hot, sunny, and humid days. A few sprinkles, but all very scattered and indecisive.
Then off for back-to-school shopping! A stop at the formerly-Bettie-Page, now "Tatyana", store. Had a lovely saleswoman try to tell me that all their stuff fits everyone. I nearly snorted. Instead I managed to stay polite as I informed her that no, no matter how many times people say that (about any line of clothing), it's never really going to be true. OTOH, I have a pretty good success rate at this shop, especially relative to other women's clothing shops.
Followed by Saturday Market. I was there maybe three minutes when the real rain started up. I stuck to the booths that had cover, just in case. I got lucky - thirty seconds later, it started dumping buckets. I decided to just stay where I was. The owner of the booth didn't seem bothered and I wasn't in a big hurry. I watched people (tourists?) take two looks at the sky then make a hurried run for it. I just counted out about three or four minutes right where I was, an lo! A break in the rain! I wandered out to the other end of Saturday Market where pretty much everything on that half is covered, and started my window shopping. Found a couple of items on my list, struggled to not get a dozen more that weren't on the list, and came across these guys:
They had a great crowd. If they'd had a CD, I'd have bought it. As they finished and the next group started, the entire crowd left.
Made another resale clothing stop a short bus ride down the road, didn't find anything, and decided it was time for dinner. I couldn't find the Thai place I'd eaten at last time I was in the area, so I went to the McMenamins instead. They had a "falafel bites" plate with tiny little falafel dippers and a "rosemary polenta cakes" dish that was polenta with rosemary in it, topped with goat cheese, grilled tomato sections, and balsamic vinegar. It reminded me strongly of the Gorgonzola Cheesecake we've had at the bar where Michael proposed to me.
Finally, it's time to head for home. I'm on the bus for a handful of stops when a DRAGON gets on!
He roared at the driver, he roared at a couple of passengers, and he roared at me. He, his mom, and I got off at the same place and went to the same transfer stop. Mom and I chatted about dragons and how fierce they are sometimes, and how it's one thing to roar loudly at adults but she worries about him scaring some of the little kids at his preschool. I suggested maybe they talk a little about other skills dragons need to have, such as being sneaky. I asked the little dragon if he was the kind of dragon who kept treasure. He said that yes, some dragons keep treasure in their lair that they steal from people. I never did hear what kind of treasure he has. Mom said the whole reason he was in his dragon costume was because his preschool teacher had made it for him (I guess she did something like it for all the kids), and mom and little dragon were off to the Jade Market/Festival at the local Asian shopping center where there's supposed to be a dragon dance. They got off the bus just as a couple of fare inspectors got on. The inspectors got roared something fierce too! They looked properly impressed.
Now I'm home with the kitties, Black Kitty who has turned into a giant ball of mewing and need since the other cats got sick (and even more so since Digit was put to sleep), and Callie who got her second steroid shot today, and is feeling rather fine.
First on the agenda, off to Portland State University. I spent about a half-hour wandering the Farmers Market on the quad, buying a couple of different mushrooms and one rather lovely little quiche for later, before meeting up with some folks to talk about the Trans Voice Clinic we've been developing between a local support/education/advocacy group and the graduate students with one - and hopefully two - of the universities. This turned into an impromptu meeting with an overlapping set of people involved in an SLP treatment/materials development start-up, with whom I'm also somewhat involved.
Also watched the clouds roll in. The weather was beautiful at this point - nicely gray & cool after many ridiculously hot, sunny, and humid days. A few sprinkles, but all very scattered and indecisive.
Then off for back-to-school shopping! A stop at the formerly-Bettie-Page, now "Tatyana", store. Had a lovely saleswoman try to tell me that all their stuff fits everyone. I nearly snorted. Instead I managed to stay polite as I informed her that no, no matter how many times people say that (about any line of clothing), it's never really going to be true. OTOH, I have a pretty good success rate at this shop, especially relative to other women's clothing shops.
Followed by Saturday Market. I was there maybe three minutes when the real rain started up. I stuck to the booths that had cover, just in case. I got lucky - thirty seconds later, it started dumping buckets. I decided to just stay where I was. The owner of the booth didn't seem bothered and I wasn't in a big hurry. I watched people (tourists?) take two looks at the sky then make a hurried run for it. I just counted out about three or four minutes right where I was, an lo! A break in the rain! I wandered out to the other end of Saturday Market where pretty much everything on that half is covered, and started my window shopping. Found a couple of items on my list, struggled to not get a dozen more that weren't on the list, and came across these guys:
They had a great crowd. If they'd had a CD, I'd have bought it. As they finished and the next group started, the entire crowd left.
Made another resale clothing stop a short bus ride down the road, didn't find anything, and decided it was time for dinner. I couldn't find the Thai place I'd eaten at last time I was in the area, so I went to the McMenamins instead. They had a "falafel bites" plate with tiny little falafel dippers and a "rosemary polenta cakes" dish that was polenta with rosemary in it, topped with goat cheese, grilled tomato sections, and balsamic vinegar. It reminded me strongly of the Gorgonzola Cheesecake we've had at the bar where Michael proposed to me.
Finally, it's time to head for home. I'm on the bus for a handful of stops when a DRAGON gets on!
He roared at the driver, he roared at a couple of passengers, and he roared at me. He, his mom, and I got off at the same place and went to the same transfer stop. Mom and I chatted about dragons and how fierce they are sometimes, and how it's one thing to roar loudly at adults but she worries about him scaring some of the little kids at his preschool. I suggested maybe they talk a little about other skills dragons need to have, such as being sneaky. I asked the little dragon if he was the kind of dragon who kept treasure. He said that yes, some dragons keep treasure in their lair that they steal from people. I never did hear what kind of treasure he has. Mom said the whole reason he was in his dragon costume was because his preschool teacher had made it for him (I guess she did something like it for all the kids), and mom and little dragon were off to the Jade Market/Festival at the local Asian shopping center where there's supposed to be a dragon dance. They got off the bus just as a couple of fare inspectors got on. The inspectors got roared something fierce too! They looked properly impressed.
Now I'm home with the kitties, Black Kitty who has turned into a giant ball of mewing and need since the other cats got sick (and even more so since Digit was put to sleep), and Callie who got her second steroid shot today, and is feeling rather fine.