9/11..... We all have a story..............

September 11th.

We all have a story to tell. 

Gary and I were on a Princess Cruise ship with our friends, Ed and Liz.  We had already visited Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Florence, Naples, Venice, Athens and Ephesus.  On the afternoon of the 11th we had just returned from a tour of Ephesus when our cabin neighbors shouted over the balcony to turn on BBC news.  We quickly turned on the TV and saw the second airplane hit the second tower.

What did we think at that moment?  It was unimaginable................ and difficult to appropriately react.  It was like the moment was frozen into something that our minds couldn't fathom.  It wasn't until later that we realized that we may be in danger in a foreign country.  The ship quickly left to its final destination of Istanbul where we were greeted with men on the pier holding huge guns and scuba divers ready to surround the ship for protection.  Satellite communication had shut down.  Dinner that night was a somber experience. 

Originally, the plan was to spend a day in Istanbul and then fly from Istanbul to New York and then to S.F. the next morning.  Because air flights in the U.S. were curtailed, we had no way to go home.  The Princess Cruise Line kept us on the ship for two additional nights before chartering a plane from Shannon Ireland.  When we boarded the plane we had no idea if or where we would be allowed to land in the U.S. so we were told that the people in Ireland were preparing to house us for the night if the plane could not continue.  When we landed in Shannon and the captain said that the plane had been refueled and we were going to continue and be the first plane allowed to land at JFK, all we could do was cheer and give thanks.  After a very long flight we landed about 2 a.m. the following morning.

I can't express what it felt like to see only one runway lit at JFK.  We were the first airplane that was allowed to land that morning.  After a rapid walk through Customs we were taken to a hotel where we got a few hours of rest.  Later that morning we returned to JFK to an unbelievable sight of thousands of people standing in lengthy lines (many of them taking 7 to 8 hours to navigate because of the heightened security).  When we finally boarded the airplane for S.F. and we lifted into the air, my mind will never forget the sight of huge billows of smoke that still rose from the site of the towers.

The Butler

Yesterday was another "me" day (yes, I have those quite often) so it started with a streetcar ride to the Heathman Hotel where I enjoyed Eggs Benedict with salmon lox.  Then it was just a short walk to the Regal where I watched the movie "The Butler".  If you haven't already seen it, try to get to it before it leaves the theaters.  It was very well done!

Today it's 95 degrees with some humidity so we're really feeling the heat.  Thankfully, there's a new AC in the living room and the old one is cranking in the office with the addition to a fan.  Cold salad for dinner tonight........................

Bella says "hello".................................................................

Visitors From Irvine

Annette is the daughter of one of Roger's oldest friends so when she called to let us know that she and her husband Rooban were coming to Portland we made sure they would spend at least one day with us.

After enjoying breakfast together, Roger and they went to check out the Farmer's Market.  This afternoon they headed to the Chinese Garden and Roger went along because he has never been there.  They returned somewhat unimpressed but after wine and appetizers they all decided that it was good that they went.



Roger was in charge of dinner so we enjoyed chicken kobob, saffron rice and cucumber and yoghurt.  Weather remains stable in the high 70s so it was a great day for all the activities.  The next two days will be in the 80s and Tuesday and Wednesday we're told it will be a little over 90 degrees.  I'm certainly loving the new AC in the living room where we can stay cool in the afternoons.  Annette told us that in Irvine today it was 112 so they're really happy to be in Oregon.  Now 90 degrees doesn't sound so hot..................................

The Birthday That Never Ends.....

Last night Allison and I finally had an opportunity to get together so she treated me to a birthday celebration at a very quaint and interesting little "dive".  It's a neighborhood cafe in the Goose Hollow area, the "Leaky Roof" on Jefferson.  It's very small with about eight tables and 6 seats at the bar and they were packed (good that we had reservations).  On the table you'll see our appetizer of homemade Guinness battered onion rings.  We followed that with an apple and pear salad and stuffed meatloaf.  We love to share dishes and they were all really great.

Thanks, Allison for another new and delightful Portland experience!!

Art in the Park

After breakfast, the girls and I took the streetcar to the Pearl where there is a Labor Day outdoor art show.  Roger is still having a slow recovery so he decided to stay at home and rest.  Artists from all over the U.S. bring paintings, photographs, pottery, glass and fabric art and a variety of mixed media so it's always a great chance to see what people in the art world are creating.

Now that we have an artist at home, though, we're partial to Roger's work !

Now, the girls are in the kitchen preparing another "birthday dinner" so I'm being thoroughly spoiled.  Lori is preparing a brined chicken with a beer can stuck up her butt so this will be another dining experience.

Wild and Crazy Weekend.........

It is possible that I may be too old for a whole weekend of birthday celebration ............ but I'm giving it my best.  Sunday night Pam and Lori treated me to a birthday dinner at Pok Pok, one of Portland's most popular restaurants.  How popular?  Well, would you believe a two hour wait for a table?  Did we stay?  Yep..................  The Whiskey Lounge is across the street so we lucked out and found three bar stools (after stalking some people for about 20 minutes).  Fortunately, they serve great appetizers so we were able to munch, drink and talk through the time.  Dinner finally started at 8:30.  The weather is so warm and balmy we could comfortably sit outdoors to enjoy some extremely interesting Asian dishes.

Truly, a night to remember......................

Party Time With The Girls...............

Lori and Pam brought an extra carry-on with some breakable things so they packed it with lots of newspaper.  When Bella saw the open case and paper she went into a frenzy and started chewing, growling, and tearing at the paper so we couldn't resist a photo.  Paper is her favorite mischief so all the waste baskets in the house are covered.

Yesterday Roger was in the kitchen all afternoon fixing beef shank and fava bean rice with saffron so we enjoyed a great dinner finished off with fresh apricot pie (Pam's favorite).

Today has been ultra lazy.  The girls just returned from a trip to Powells and some shopping for appetizers so the rest of the afternoon is for reading.  Tonight I'm being treated to a birthday dinner at Pok Pok.