Chris Botti in Portland................ & Heathman

Last night was the ultimate date night for Roger and me.  We started out with a sensational dinner at the Heathman Hotel which would be difficult to describe except to say that it was an experience of a lifetime.  Service, ambiance, and food are all perfection.

The nice thing about the Heathman is that is right next door to the Schnitzer Theater so, after we finished dinner, it was a very short walk to find our seats.

Listening to Botti's music is an emotional experience.  I couldn't help but be moved to an occasional tear because of the beauty of the performance.  Botti travels with several outstanding musicians and he featured two exceptional singers.  We're still talking about the beautiful experience.

Yes, we're still in love with Portland.......................................

www.chrisbotti.com

Jason Rezaian - Free from Iran Prison

Roger has experienced the hell of an Iran prison so he was devastated to hear that another innocent journalist had been arrested.  (Roger had a brother who was a journalist, and killed while being tortured in prison).  He was elated when he heard that Jason was freed and that his wife and mother were able to leave with him.  They're safe now in the U.S. and Roger created this pencil and charcoal drawing to honor them.

Finally - Oregon Dungeness Crab Season.............

Dungeness crab season opened late this year on January 4th so today is the first time that I've purchased one (hoping the price would go down a bit from $9.99 a pound). 

Roger doesn't eat shell fish so this little guy is all for ME...................

KOBOS TEA - Another new Portland discovery............

Roger loves his tea so the cupboard is always full of choices.  Until today, they were all in tea bags but now, he's excited to have found a unique tea and kitchen shop where he can buy loose tea.

He plans on brewing the tea in a French Press pot which will make about two large cups each time.

Kobos is actually a coffee shop so on our next visit, I'll be checking out their fresh roasted coffee beans.

We're looking forward to making this a new stop when we have visitors in Portland because the kitchen shop portion is filled with unique and colorful linens and kitchen accessories.

Surgery Success................

The eye surgery went well yesterday so now it's just a slow recovery waiting for the eye to heal.  The next week is the critical time when I need to use three different eye medications and protect the eye from any trauma. I'm feeling good and when the surgeon examined my eye this morning, she was pleased that I already have improved sight in the eye.  It will get better as it heals.

Cataract Surgery..................

I'm very excited to finally have the opportunity to improve my eyesight.  It has been a lengthy progression of something like ten years when I first realized that I wasn't reading street signs all that well and that, often, I had to get up from my chair to read something on the TV screen.  Bright lights also bothered me, especially at night so, tomorrow I'm having my right eye operated on.  This will be followed with my left eye on February 10th.

The surgery is considered to be the most efficient and easy process but there's a lot of "check-ups" prior to the surgery.  This includes a physical exam by a general practitioner and an EKG.  I've had my eyes measured three different times and, starting today, I'll be on an eye drop regimen for the next couple of months (about one month per eye).

My physician is Dr. Dave (Da-Vey) who is a specialist on operating on eyes that have previously had lasik so I'm excited about the results.

More later.......................

Party Time At American Plaza................

Last night was "party time" with a cocktail and dinner party in honor of our neighbor's 75th birthday.  Kathleen Lagana hosted the party to honor her husband, Antonio.  Sivers Center is a building in our complex that was designed specifically for large social functions and it has a kitchen, fireplace and outdoor patio for use in nice weather.  The building also houses an indoor swimming pool and a gym so there's something for everyone.

  

Kathleen Lagana hosted the party to honor her husband, Antonio.  It was formal and elegant with live music throughout the evening.  Ann (shown here with her friend, Peter) played piano with a bass player and drums for the first two hours and then Tom Grant (a popular Portland musician) took over for the last two hours).  Lots of fun and a great opportunity to dress up (something we Oregonians don't often do anymore).

Snow and Ice Start The New Year..............

The picture was taken from our front balcony this morning.  It snowed lightly throughout yesterday and last night the snow changed to ice.  To make it worse, frozen rain fell last night.  Schools are all closed today and almost no one was seen outside today until after 10 a.m. when the temperature finally warmed to 34 degrees.

For those of us who can stay inside, it's a beautiful sight - for others, not so much...............

The MAX trains were so crowded this morning, people had to shove themselves inside and often the trains did not even stop because they couldn't fit one more body inside.

All of this calamity is caused by the city not being able to clear freeways and streets because of limited snow removal equipment.  It snows so rarely within the city limits that it's easier to just shut down commerce and wait a day or two for things to clear.  We're told that the streets likely will refreeze tonight but, starting tomorrow we won't have any temps go below 32 degrees.

We're snug inside with chicken bones cooking in preparation for lentil soup, the heaters are cranked up and we're ready to do some marathon Netflix watching.