Portland, Day 1.5 and home again
Sunday was about breakfast and shopping.
We started the day at Slappy Cakes, a Portland restaurant where the tables have griddles set into their surfaces and where patrons can, if they choose, make their own pancakes. It was part of the JayCon weekend festivities, so we were there with a delightful crowd, many of whom I hadn't seen on Saturday, though they were, in fact, at Flying Pie for the party, including fjm in from the UK. Jay's Niece made confidently knowledgeable recommendations about the pancake add-ins and toppings I should try. I had a moment of "Wow, this kid is poised," and then remembered the gene pool from which she sprang--no surprises there, just delightful confirmation of how nature and nurture combine. My pancake concoction included a buttermilk batter, bacon, and hazelnuts, with a dab of nutella and a little maple-flavored syrup. (The attendant forgot to bring the apples I'd hoped to include.) The sweet-and-savory thing wins again. The attendant gave me so much nutella (and charged so much for it) that I took home leftovers and had a little bit this morning on a rice cake. All delicious, and the visiting with everyone was quite fine. Spent a little more time with Jay though, as I said yesterday, it wasn't nearly enough because time with friends is never enough. But I'm glad we went. Breakfast was delish and the company even more so.
Here are lillypond, davidlevine and kateyule at breakfast. David demonstrated pancake prep technique with great focus and seriousness. I am proud to point out that the lovely golden brown pancake on the griddle was one of mine.
fjm photographs lillypond:
And here's the guest of honor, bright eyed and bushy-faced, with the impressively articulate Niece in the foreground:
After the meal, davidlevine, kateyule and I went to the mall, there to refurbish David's wardrobe, now that he's discovered that he ought to be wearing men's slim-cut shirts, him being more-or-less the definition of slim. We had some success in the endeavor. I got a pair of leggings and an adorable top at Forever 21, of all places (and for cheap, too). Sadly, we didn't have that kind of success for Kate, though I am determined to do so on the next visit, one way or the other.
And then I was off to the train for the ride home. I passed out almost as soon as the train began to move and slept for about an hour. Spent the rest of the trip reading and playing Ticket To Ride on my iPad. Very recursive.
Spent the evening with ironymaiden, C and E catching up on the most recent season of Doctor Who. It was so good to see my Seattle people. As for Who, the last couple of seasons just really haven't grabbed me. Sure, they're entertaining and all, but I haven't felt compelled to watch nor particularly attached to the characters. It's just fun adventure TV now. We have three episodes left of the season to watch so no spoilers please.
It was nice to come home to my space and my cats, even though it was rather later than I'd originally intended. Both of the kitties wanted attention, which they received. And now, it's time for me to swing into the work week. I wish i had a day of recovery before diving back into the thick of things.
We started the day at Slappy Cakes, a Portland restaurant where the tables have griddles set into their surfaces and where patrons can, if they choose, make their own pancakes. It was part of the JayCon weekend festivities, so we were there with a delightful crowd, many of whom I hadn't seen on Saturday, though they were, in fact, at Flying Pie for the party, including fjm in from the UK. Jay's Niece made confidently knowledgeable recommendations about the pancake add-ins and toppings I should try. I had a moment of "Wow, this kid is poised," and then remembered the gene pool from which she sprang--no surprises there, just delightful confirmation of how nature and nurture combine. My pancake concoction included a buttermilk batter, bacon, and hazelnuts, with a dab of nutella and a little maple-flavored syrup. (The attendant forgot to bring the apples I'd hoped to include.) The sweet-and-savory thing wins again. The attendant gave me so much nutella (and charged so much for it) that I took home leftovers and had a little bit this morning on a rice cake. All delicious, and the visiting with everyone was quite fine. Spent a little more time with Jay though, as I said yesterday, it wasn't nearly enough because time with friends is never enough. But I'm glad we went. Breakfast was delish and the company even more so.
Here are lillypond, davidlevine and kateyule at breakfast. David demonstrated pancake prep technique with great focus and seriousness. I am proud to point out that the lovely golden brown pancake on the griddle was one of mine.
fjm photographs lillypond:
And here's the guest of honor, bright eyed and bushy-faced, with the impressively articulate Niece in the foreground:
After the meal, davidlevine, kateyule and I went to the mall, there to refurbish David's wardrobe, now that he's discovered that he ought to be wearing men's slim-cut shirts, him being more-or-less the definition of slim. We had some success in the endeavor. I got a pair of leggings and an adorable top at Forever 21, of all places (and for cheap, too). Sadly, we didn't have that kind of success for Kate, though I am determined to do so on the next visit, one way or the other.
And then I was off to the train for the ride home. I passed out almost as soon as the train began to move and slept for about an hour. Spent the rest of the trip reading and playing Ticket To Ride on my iPad. Very recursive.
Spent the evening with ironymaiden, C and E catching up on the most recent season of Doctor Who. It was so good to see my Seattle people. As for Who, the last couple of seasons just really haven't grabbed me. Sure, they're entertaining and all, but I haven't felt compelled to watch nor particularly attached to the characters. It's just fun adventure TV now. We have three episodes left of the season to watch so no spoilers please.
It was nice to come home to my space and my cats, even though it was rather later than I'd originally intended. Both of the kitties wanted attention, which they received. And now, it's time for me to swing into the work week. I wish i had a day of recovery before diving back into the thick of things.