"My Week with Marilyn" & Ringside Fish House

It was "girl's day" today so Cheryl, Allison and I started with celebrating Allison's birthday at the new downtown Ringside Fish House. It was our first time there (but not the last). It has an elegant dining room with 1st quality service and delicious food. We enjoyed scallops with risotto cooked with squid ink, a po boy razor clam sandwich and cioppino. Since it was Allison's birthday, we were required to have dessert and we managed to share two of them on the menu.

After lunch we walked next door to the theater to see the movie "My Week with Marilyn". Actress, Michelle Williams had the star role and she was amazing. We could have sworn that she was really Marilyn.

When I got home, I was surprised that Roger wasn't in the condo because he had lots of studying to do for an exam tomorrow. It turned out that he had spent three hours sitting in the lobby because he locked himself out of the condo (that's another story..............). We now have spare door keys to hide in appropriate places so it doesn't happen again.

A Special Couple.............

Orlan and Sheila have been an important couple in my life.

I send my wishes that you have a beautiful and loving holiday season.

The Girls' Favorite Places in Portland

The day started with a walk to the Farmer's Market where we found some hand made cheese and country pate with fresh baked artisan bread for our evening appetizers. The market was smaller and more quiet today but it actually was more enjoyable because we didn't have to fight the massive crowds that we see in summer.

Pam's very favorite place for lunch is a New York Deli, Kenny & Zukes so we hopped on the streetcar and went there for lunch.

Since we were only two blocks from Powell's Book Store, we decided to search for some good books so now the house is quiet with Roger studying and the rest of us with our noses in a new book.

The girls are going to Pok Pok for dinner tonight and Roger and I get to finish off the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers.

Weather is nice with no rain so it has been nice to get outside without all the rain paraphernalia.

Hello From Roger and Janice

Two Views of Our Turkey.......................

Roger was in charge of the Thanksgiving turkey and he did a perfect job of fixing a moist bird with pasta and fruit stuffing and delicious gravy.

The other turkey is one with a history. It belonged to Grandma Ann and she used it on our Thanksgiving table since sometime in the late 1940s. It's a special way to remember the love of a great mom and grandmother.

Thanksgiving Wishes A Little Late............

Lori and Pam arrived yesterday afternoon to celebrate Thanksgiving and we had a great evening with lots of delicious food.

Bella loves when the girls visit because she gets to cuddle with them under the down comforter on their bed.

Bumper Carts...............

Looking for a thrill? Hurry, get in the car and head for Costco. I guarantee that you'll get body slammed, hit by dozens of giant carts and do a little bump and grind through the aisles. Was it worth it? Well............. yes.

We use our back balcony to store fruit and veggies when the temps are low so we have our "balcony refrigerator" well stocked with oranges, grapefruit, potatoes, onions and apples. It's actually pretty with everything in baskets and we still have room in the refrigerator. Tucked away is a fresh 10 pound turkey so we're starting to get ready for the big day.

International Night..............

Last night started with a delicious dinner at Oba, in the Pearl, a popular Cuban restaurant. The atmosphere is great and the food is spectacular. After dinner we went over to Powell's Book Store to hear an author speak about her new book. It was a class assignment for Roger's English class but we both enjoyed the opportunity to meet an author, learn more about her book and have an opportunity to ask questions. The book is "Opium Nation" by Fariba Nawa and it chronicles the opium trade in Afghanistan. Fariba claims that 90% of the world's opiates come from Afghanistan and that there are many concerns about the American troops returning to the U.S. as addicts.

Snow was forecast last night but, this morning we awoke to ice blue skies and dry streets so it didn't get this low. There's a huge amount of snow in the mountains so it's going to be very cold this week (39 degrees now at 9:00 a.m.)

Warm In Portland..................

We're told that this winter will be unusually cold and, presently, we're told it will snow this weekend, so Roger found this portable heater at Costco. He barely had it unpacked and plugged in when Bella decided that it was a "personal" heater.

She has been laying in front of it for the past two days so tonight I decided to just put her bed in front of it. The toy in the bed was a gift from Vicki and Steve when they visited in September so she's a happy (and warm) dog.

Photodynamic Therapy for Skin Cancer

This morning I had a new treatment for skin cancer that I am very excited about. It's called Photodynamic Therapy and it's used for large areas of skin (mine was for both legs from the knees down to the feet. First they rubbed on a chemical which interacts with all the individual tumors on the skin. The second phase of the treatment is to expose the skin to an intense light that kills the cancer cells. I was told to expect burning and pain but it has been three hours since I finished the treatment and all I can feel is a little stinging similar to a sunburn. It will take about two weeks for the skin to heal but that's a small price to pay for a cure.

"J Edgar" Movie Day With The Girls...............

Today, Cheryl, Allison and I enjoyed a delicious lunch at Brasserie Montmartre and then we walked to the theater to see "J. Edgar." The movie is excellent so it's highly recommended. The acting is exceptional and the story has some enlightening moments.

It's cold here in Portland so the trees are rapidly losing the rest of their leaves, making thick blankets of color in the parks. I couldn't resist picking some up to use for decorations on our Thanksgiving table.

Snow is forecast later in the week so we are looking forward to seeing some "white" soon.

L A Z Y....................

I'm working at my computer - Roger is doing homework - and - Bella is laying directly in front of a portable heater using her favorite toy for a pillow.

A perfect way to spend a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon........

Another Week In Portland

I wish that I had something really interesting to communicate, but, unfortunately, our lives our reasonably boring - the colds are finally (almost) over - two weeks of misery - Roger is studying for mid-terms and I've enjoyed a few lunches with my "girl" friends. Work has started outside on Lincoln preparing for the new MAX train so we have lots of activity to keep us entertained.

We had a lovely week with temperate weather and sunshine but, starting tonight, we're looking ahead to a cool and wet week.

Lori and Pam are flying into Portland on Thanksgiving day and they'll be here through Monday so we're looking forward to seeing them.

Am I just getting old or is Christmas coming a lot earlier this year???? One of my favorite radio stations here in Portland was playing back to back Christmas music today while I was running errands. I quickly switched to CD's. This is much too early..............

Happy Thanksgiving. We all truly have much to be grateful for.

Beautiful, Bright and Sunny............

We've had a quiet week - mostly bundled up and trying to get rid of our colds. Fall colors are at their peak so we have a beautiful view of multi-colored leaves on all the trees that surround the condo.

Since I was home most of the week I have been reading a lot and I just finished the latest John Grisham book. It has a similar theme to his others; about a small legal firm that runs into some chaos but it's entertaining. The World's Greatest Novel? No......... but still worth taking time to read.

We're looking forward to spending the evening with friends and we love having the extra hour added to the day !

It's Tomorrow.................

No better.................. sigh..................