Three nights in the Rose City
Left Thursday afternoon to head south for a weekend in Portland. davidlevine and kateyule met me at the train station and we were off to dinner and the theater. We saw Clybourne Park at Portland Center Stage, an excellent production of a Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning play. We attended both the talk before the show, from which we got some background about the play and some insight into how the production was designed and created, as well as the post-show discussion with a couple of the actors. The production itself was excellent--from the sets to the performances, it was a top-notch experience.
Friday I spent the day at the Portland headquarters of my new employer, lovely, spacious offices in a downtown tower with spectacular views. I admit I was a little envious. I wanted to meet as many of the Portland team as I could and I got some good work done while I was there as well. Friday evening, David barbecued some salmon and asparagus, and Kate made tabouleh and a delicious fruit salad, and we stayed in to watch the Ian McKellan Richard III, which I'd never seen.
Saturday, we went to the Oregon Potter's Association's Ceramics Showcase at the Oregon Convention Center, where we saw a fantastic display of the potter's art. Kate bought a lovely little bowl. I was tempted by several things, but was disciplined about not buying . . . until we went to another event at the convention center, A Gathering of the Guilds, which included vendor/members of the Portland Bead Society, and I was doomed. I bought some lovely art beads that are destined for pieces to be created later this spring, I suspect. (Also showing at the event were members of the Creative Metal Arts Guild, Oregon Glass Guild, Guild of Oregon Woodworkers, Northwest Fine Woodworkers Guild, and the Portland Handweavers Guild. My goodness, we saw some beautiful things!) David split off from Kate and I to spend some time at the Stumptown Comics Fest, from which he brought back some very cool books. We had dinner with D and B at Bar Dobre, where the food was American and Polish and all delicious. (Go to the site and just look at the menu!) All of us had a hard time choosing food; in the end we each got something different and shared tastes with each other. I particularly enjoyed the chicken liver pate and the potato pancakes, but it was all good and I recommend the place without reservation.
This morning, well, I'll cover the news I received this morning in a separate post; suffice it to say it was the hardest kind of news to receive, a death in the family. And with that news tucked away, we went off to The Original for brunch with jaylake and radiantlisa. It was another excellent meal, with a menu that can't be beat. I was astonished by the creme brulee French toast and quite enjoyed the wild mushroom and chevre omelet. Also tasty was the candied bacon. I had little bites of other things too; it was all marvelous, and the company quite fine. I was glad that Jay and Lisa could make time for us. With everything going on, I know that their time is at a premium.
After a brief walk around downtown, David and Kate dropped me at the train station and I headed back to Seattle. I'm not ready for the week ahead. There's too much going on and not enough time to unwind and assimilate everything that happened this weekend--and I have a lot to think about. One hour at a time, I guess. It was, on balance, a lovely weekend away, even with the tough stuff that surrounded it. I'm glad I took the trip.
Friday I spent the day at the Portland headquarters of my new employer, lovely, spacious offices in a downtown tower with spectacular views. I admit I was a little envious. I wanted to meet as many of the Portland team as I could and I got some good work done while I was there as well. Friday evening, David barbecued some salmon and asparagus, and Kate made tabouleh and a delicious fruit salad, and we stayed in to watch the Ian McKellan Richard III, which I'd never seen.
Saturday, we went to the Oregon Potter's Association's Ceramics Showcase at the Oregon Convention Center, where we saw a fantastic display of the potter's art. Kate bought a lovely little bowl. I was tempted by several things, but was disciplined about not buying . . . until we went to another event at the convention center, A Gathering of the Guilds, which included vendor/members of the Portland Bead Society, and I was doomed. I bought some lovely art beads that are destined for pieces to be created later this spring, I suspect. (Also showing at the event were members of the Creative Metal Arts Guild, Oregon Glass Guild, Guild of Oregon Woodworkers, Northwest Fine Woodworkers Guild, and the Portland Handweavers Guild. My goodness, we saw some beautiful things!) David split off from Kate and I to spend some time at the Stumptown Comics Fest, from which he brought back some very cool books. We had dinner with D and B at Bar Dobre, where the food was American and Polish and all delicious. (Go to the site and just look at the menu!) All of us had a hard time choosing food; in the end we each got something different and shared tastes with each other. I particularly enjoyed the chicken liver pate and the potato pancakes, but it was all good and I recommend the place without reservation.
This morning, well, I'll cover the news I received this morning in a separate post; suffice it to say it was the hardest kind of news to receive, a death in the family. And with that news tucked away, we went off to The Original for brunch with jaylake and radiantlisa. It was another excellent meal, with a menu that can't be beat. I was astonished by the creme brulee French toast and quite enjoyed the wild mushroom and chevre omelet. Also tasty was the candied bacon. I had little bites of other things too; it was all marvelous, and the company quite fine. I was glad that Jay and Lisa could make time for us. With everything going on, I know that their time is at a premium.
After a brief walk around downtown, David and Kate dropped me at the train station and I headed back to Seattle. I'm not ready for the week ahead. There's too much going on and not enough time to unwind and assimilate everything that happened this weekend--and I have a lot to think about. One hour at a time, I guess. It was, on balance, a lovely weekend away, even with the tough stuff that surrounded it. I'm glad I took the trip.