Abracadabra Rah Rah Ree

Cheer Squad and Magic

Matt and Patti are visiting from LA and we joined them for a barbeque at Vince and Nada's house. It was great to watch Pam having fun with her old high school buddies.

I think it went "Rah Rah Ree.... "
Something like that.
Pam Patti, Joni

As an added bonus, we had two variety acts:  Pam, Patti and Joni doing their old high school cheer routine and Matt the Magnificent doing some magic acts.  Matt has been studying close up magic, like card and coin tricks, at the Magic Castle in LA for about six months and he is Really Good.... I think he should just quit the whole Academy Award Winning movie sound editing thing and take the act on the road.  All he would need is a deck of cards and good sturdy card table. Maybe an old top hat to make him look a little eccentric.

Vamping

The Spooky Part:   I would have taken some pictures of Matt, but, almost like magic, my trusty cell phone camera ran out of power right at that instant... actually in mid-picture.  (I don't think it was a coincidence...  very spooky.

My phone losing power
In Mid Picture?
Can that even happen?

Biking Over Sellwood Bridge

Last week, I rode the Black Stallion on a 12 mile loop down the Eastside Esplanade, across the Sellwood Bridge, back up the west waterfront, then home.  It was really enjoyable.

I think I wrote earlier that the Sellwood Bridge was moved last year.  It seems incredible to me. Using hydraulic jacks, teflon pads covered with Dawn dish washing soap, and laser guidance to make sure they were not bending the bridge too much, and literally scooted it over onto new temporary supports.  Here is a time lapse video.

From the Sellwood Bridge

Counting Down for the Big Weekend

As I wrote earlier, we are have tickets to the Willamette Country Music Festival next weekend.  When we first bought the tickets a year ago, we were both confident Pam would be feeling well enough to go ... but over the past several months we were both having our doubts.  But, it is looking like our confidence was well placed. Everything is just getting better... she still has her real bad "skaky days" but they are less frequent. still needs to take a nap every day, but she is eating regularly and is doing more around the condo all of the time.

Later today, we are going to try to take a short bike ride together.  We will see how that goes.

Hard to believe that it has been over a year since this whole adventure started.

Green Boogers and the Black Stallion

Holly from Cliinicient
Creta and Hugo from Metro Sports Med
at Oba

Oba!

It has been a good week. My good friend, Creta Chandler, who is now the COO of Metro Sports Med came to town from New York with their new clinical director, Hugo Van Dijk (not a misspelling, Hugo is a Vowel Deficient Dutchman, don't be insensitive) for some training and to work on some implementation issues. We had a couple of very productive and enjoyable days.

Bonus: I took Hugo and Creta out to dinner at Oba on Thursday and Pam was feeling well enough to join us.  The one block walk from our condo to Oba and back was plenty, but she was able to do it. She pooped out about 8:30, and we called it a night, but it was great that she felt well enough to enjoy herself for a little while.

Little Consolation

I Make Babies Cry

I think my voice is too loud or I make too many sudden movements or too many funny faces or, evidently, look even weirder to babies than something that looks like a Giant Booger.

Here is proof:  Little Austin will snuggle up to Barley, the mascot of the Mighty Hillsboro Hops, but I can make him cry by just looking at him.

MHH, MEA, MSM*

Speaking of MHH, Pam and I went to the game in Hillsboro on Sunday, courtesy of Jason and Alyssa.  We really enjoyed it, but it wore Pam out a bit.  It doesn't take much.  As luck would have it, the MHH were in their final home stand with the Mighty Everett Aquasox, the Mariner's Single A team, so it was a double bonus.  Actually a triple bonus:  Justin Seager is currently playing for the MEA and he is the younger brother of Kyle Seager, who plays 3rd for the Mighty Seattle Mariners and is just tearing it up in the big leagues.

Black Stallion
On the Hitching Post
Ready for Action

On Tuesday, I was bored and realized it was my last chance to watch the MHH play the MEA in Hillsboro this year. Pam was still pretty tired, and didn't want to go to the game, so I had an adventure and got on the Max Train with my trusty bike, aka The Black Stallion, so I could ride it from the train station to the Hop Stadium. (Hops Stadium is cleverly located way out in the toolies of Hillsboro, but at least they put it in an inconvenient location 2 miles away from the train station.)  It was kind of an adventure.

The ride out to Hillsboro on the Max was sort of miserable. The train was crowded, and I had to stand with my bike because the bike hooks were being used and I was competing for some space with too many people trying to get home from work during rush hour.

The ride on the Black Stallion from the Max Station to the stadium was really enjoyable, and I got a nice seat behind home plate.  I got there early enough to catch the end of batting practice and by the time the game started, I was settled into my seat behind home plate, scoring the game, having a beer, eating peanuts and enjoying myself.  The lady sitting behind me asked me if I was a scout. Of course, being the quick wit that I am, I said, "Yes I am a scout for the Yankees, but I would appreciate it if you would kind of keep that on the down low." **

The MEA thrashed the MHH (the MHH don't actually look very M, they need pitching).  The bike ride back from the stadium to the Max was even more enjoyable, and I got my very own bike hook for the Stallion on the way back home.  I had a great ride in the cool evening air from the Goose Hollow Max Station, through Northwest Portland, and back home. When I got back to the condo, I was a little wired and couldn't sleep, but it was fun.

*Startling coincidence: MSM is the acronym for Metro Sports Med AND the Mighty Seattle Mariners... Spooky!

**That is what we call Creative License in blogville, sometimes known as an exaggeration, more commonly known as a blatant lie, designed to make the story more entertaining.  I didn't say I was a scout.. I just said No and laughed.  I wish I would have told her I was a scout, but I wasn't quick enough. Oh well.