The Portland Periscope

Spam email titles...

2009-10-29T11:27:00.001-07:00

A new one from this morning:

CHARMED BY HER BOOBS

In Remembrance of Cpl. Toby Candilora

2009-10-23T00:16:00.001-07:00

I will be attending my former co-worker's funeral this Saturday. It is a class-A uniform event. Police funerals are ceremonial. I enjoy the honor guard and the attention to detail. Enough about me. Here are two different columns about my co-worker.

Finding a new way to serve and protect: Raising money to fight ALS

By Margie Boule, The Oregonian

June 23, 2009, 6:30AM

Four years ago, Toby Candilora was working for the Washington County Sheriff's Department. He loved wearing a badge, protecting the community. He worked hard.

Toby decided to play in a charity football game, Washington County versus Marion County. It was a tough game. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament, in his knee.

A doctor suggested knee surgery. "But he said I'd be out of work for five months. If you're a cop working the street, that's not a good option."

Toby, who was then 31, decided to postpone surgery. "I was healthy and in great shape," he says.

But about a year later, he noticed a change. "I was walking with a limp." He scheduled surgery for January 2008.

A strange thing happened during his operation. His left leg -- not the leg being operated on -- started twitching uncontrollably on the operating table. Doctors told Toby to get the twitch checked. "But, of course, being stubborn and a guy with too much pride, I blew that off."

Still, during rehabilitation, Toby got concerned. "My legs were not acting right. Even the good leg. The way I stood, the strength, everything."

Toby went to a neurologist who performed a lot of tests, then proceeded to tell him -- "very arrogantly," Toby says -- "I believe you have ALS. You are dying. There is no cure. Get your affairs in order." Toby's wife started crying.

"I asked him, 'What's the positive?' He looked at me very coldly, shrugged his shoulders and said, 'Nothing.' "

ALS -- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease -- is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes the brain to lose control of the muscles. Most patients die two to five years after diagnosis.
Toby took his anger at the unfeeling doctor and turned it into a powerful drive to fight the disease.

"I'm not a person who gets news like that and just says, 'I'm going to give up.' As soon as I walked out of his office, I said to myself, 'Years from now I'm going to walk into his office and thank him for being part of my motivation to beat ALS.' And I live with that philosophy. I'm going to beat this. You can't convince me otherwise."

He found a new, supportive physician, Dr. Kimberly Goslin. "She cares about her patients," Toby says. He considers Dr. Goslin his ally in the fight.

It's not a fair fight, Toby knows. People who have cancer can combat it with chemotherapy or radiation or other tools. There is no treatment for ALS, so far. But there are laboratories doing ground-breaking research, some using stem cells, to fight the disease. Human trials may be just a year away.

After Toby got the diagnosis, he did intensive research on ALS. But reading wasn't enough. Toby telephoned scientists across America to discuss their work. In every case, they told Toby their funding was provided by the ALS Association.

So last fall, Toby contacted friends and family and put together a walking team for the Vancouver Walk to Defeat ALS.

It was pretty much a surprise attack, says Aubrey Mercer of the ALS Association, Oregon and SW Washington Chapter. About 100 people walked for Toby; they raised more than $18,000. Toby, walking with canes, sometimes supported by family members, finished the entire 3 miles.

Today Toby gets around in a motorized wheelchair provided by the association. With trademark good humor Toby says, "It's so comfortable. If I'd known this 10 years ago, I would have got one of these chairs just for the fun of it."

Toby will go on medical retirement from his law enforcement job in a month or two. But he still considers himself part of the Washington County Sheriff's department, which sponsored a fundraiser for his family. Members have also donated vacation pay to cover Toby until his Social Security disability payments begin. "I can't thank them enough for what they've done," he says.

But he's asking for just a little bit more. Four quarters more, to be exact.

This year, for the annual ALS fundraiser, Toby is asking every person who works in the public safety industry in the Northwest -- police officers, firefighters, paramedics and others -- to donate a dollar apiece. (To sign up, go to http://web.alsa.org/goto/candiloracadets.)

He's hoping to get $1 apiece from 30,000 workers, money that will go to research and patient support. He's calling it "$30,000 from 30,000 of America's Finest Heroes."

It's a significant number. About 30,000 Americans have ALS on any given day.

Corporal Toby Candilora can't drive a police car anymore. "But I can still serve and protect the community with my charity work for the ALS Association," he says.

"I want to beat this disease. I'm going to beat this. Somebody's got to beat it. Why can't it be me?"

---

10/22/09

Toby Candilora was a corporal with the Washington County Sheriff's office. He loved his work, he told me. He picked law enforcement as a career because he wanted to help people.

I wrote about Toby in June. He was trying to raise $30,000 for the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS -- Lou Gehrig's disease. Toby had been diagnosed with the disease just last year.

Toby told me he wanted 30,000 law enforcement officers, paramedics and firefighters to each pledge $1 for the ALS fundraising walk this fall. He wrote public service departments across the Northwest, asking for pledges.

Toby was 35, healthy and very strong. In June, when I interviewed him, he was still able to talk understandably, although he had recently transitioned to a wheelchair.

There was every reason to believe Toby would live for several more years. He certainly had the strength of will to wage a powerful fight.

And he saw it as a fight.

"I'm not a person who gets news like that and just says, 'I'm going to give up,' " he told me four months ago. "I'm going to beat this."

Toby talked to ALS researchers across the nation and resolved to raise money to support research and families of ALS patients.

"He had personal medical needs that insurance didn't cover," Toby's father, Kim Candilora, says. "But every time we raised money, he'd say, 'No. This money goes to ALS to help other families.'"

Toby actually believed his diagnosis was a gift because it made him appreciate his family more.

But his family thought they'd have more time with him than they did. "ALS is a hard disease," says Toby's widow, April. "It's different with everybody. It will slow down, then speed up."

Unlike most ALS patients, Toby was able to speak until the day he died. But his lungs stopped working. He had decided early on that he did not want to be put on a respirator.

Toby made it to the ALS walk on Sept. 27. Ten days later, Toby died in his bed at home, with his wife and two daughters beside him. "It's time," he told April. "I love you."

Toby didn't reach his $30,000 fundraising goal. "But I know that he knows the girls and I are still going to continue the fight for him," April says.

To donate to the ALS Association, go to http://webor.alsa.org.

--
"I would rather fail in a cause that will ultimately triumph than to triumph in a cause that will ultimately fail." - Woodrow Wilson

Utah Visit Recounted

2009-10-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure recently of visiting Utah. The purpose was two-fold: to visit my paternal grandparents, who live in Roy, and to attend the annual Affirmation national conference. I was successful on both counts.

I flew into Salt Lake City on September 19th, arriving at lunch time. I had invited my dad to fly up from southern California and join me in visiting his parents. He accepted, after also planning a fun weekend for himself. His flight arrived a few minutes after mine and we met at the Avis rental counter. After getting our stylish Hyundai Accent (my first new car my senior year of college – oh the joyful flashbacks!) with Colorado license plates, we stopped for lunch at Taco Time in Woods Cross.

Before I go on, we learned the secret ingredients of one of the spicy-yet-tangy sauces they offered in their salsa bar: barbeque sauce with ranch. I enjoyed dipping my tater tots in it (I will never be able to call them Mexi-fries). But I digress. We made it to Roy and found my grandparents’ home. I am sad to report that it had been years since I had seen my grandparents (possibly graduation day at BYU?).

My grandma, who has suffered a few strokes, was home, but my grandpa was not. Grandma was in her wheelchair, reading. She is as cute as ever, but the strokes have left their toll. She sits hunched over and is fairly non-communicative. When she did talk, it was nice to hear her sweet voice. Her smile, always wonderful, was constant. Even as her body suffers, her spirit is sweet and constant. It warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes.

Grandma and her sweet smile.

Grandpa came home and we all sat around, catching up. Soon, grandpa showed my dad and me that one of his knees was completely swollen, about doubled in size. It looked incredibly painful. It was also discolored and clearly infected. The infection was spreading down his leg, which was warm to the touch and very bruised. It was evident that he was in great pain. It was also apparent that this old Dutchman has an extremely high tolerance for pain.

My dad explained, very logically, that grandpa was at risk of losing his leg or even dying if his leg didn’t get immediate treatment. Grandpa wouldn’t hear anything of it, dismissing dad’s attempts to get him medical care. Grandpa said that he had received a blessing and was just going to wait it out. He hated emergency rooms, he said, and made it clear he wasn’t fond of doctors. A short time later, I brought up the idea of going to urgent care. I plugged “urgent care” into my trusty iPhone and saw that even in Roy, Utah, there were many. Grandpa warmed to this idea and soon we were on the way, after he had assigned my dad some tasks to perform around the house (this reminded me of my childhood summer days – now I know where my dad learned his delegation skills).

Urgent care needs to change it’s name to not-so-expeditious-care. We were gone several hours. Grandpa was feisty with all of the people in the medical office, all women. I could tell he wasn’t very confident. When it was all said and done, he had an exam, was X-rayed, got a shot in the rear end, and was sent to a local pharmacy for more anti-biotics. He and I were both pleased when the pharmacy employee told me that the pills prescribed by the doctor were on their $4 list. That was the best news of the day – and worth waiting for!

When all that was said and done, my dad drove me down to the University of Utah. The Affirmation conference hotel was the university guest house, with most of the speakers and seminars inside the hotel or at adjoining Fort Douglas. The facilities were pretty good, though the hotel rooms, built apparently for the winter Olympics, seemed hastily built and were barely three-star accommodations, in my humble opinion.

I got checked in, happy with trusting Utahans that simply accepted that I was sharing a room with my friend Jason. The student employee made me a room key, and I was set. Jason had gone to an opening-night conference and didn’t return for a few hours. I hung out with my friend Brett for a while, and then the three of us joined others and went to a few clubs. None of them were noteworthy, although I did like that the first one we found served bottled root beer. I liked that.

The hotel provided a continental breakfast, which was great. I didn’t see my dad today. He went golfing in the morning with a friend and then to a BYU football game in the evening. Since both are activities I don’t care a lick about, I was glad to have a neat conference to be part of.

The opening session was at 8:15am(!). The speaker was Marie Soderburg. I thought it was funny when she said she was grateful to have been invited to speak by her good friend, Brian. I knew the conference chair from past conferences and know him by his real name, David. The first presentation I went to was by Joan and Bill Atkinson, a wonderful couple. I like the personal narratives of parents of gay children.

I then attended former-BYU history professor D. Michael Quinn’s presentation entitled, “3,600 years of verified same-sex marriages.” He knows his history and presented a cross-cultural examination of same-sex relationships and marriages over time. It was pretty interested. I later bought his book, which I first read/skimmed in college, called “Same-Sex Dynamics Among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example.” He signed it for me.

The next presentation was semi-interesting. Connell O’Donovan presented on “Irony and Ecstasy: Communism, Mormonism, and the Origins of Modern Homophobia.” I learned more about Cleon Skousen, who I remembered was one of my dad’s college professors. I didn’t know Skousen had been an FBI agent or the police chief in Salt Lake City. That’s about all I remember from that session.

Saturday’s luncheon speaker was superb. I’m sure that has nothing to do with the fact that he was a police officer for many years. Robert Kirby is a columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune, picked up after being too blunt/honest/crude for the readers of Provo’s Daily Herald. His talk was one of the best of the conference. We were also shown an excerpt from a movie called “Voicings,” a film being made by Stephen Williams. Any struggling married person (and even those of us not married) would appreciate the delicate/sensitive situation depicted in this movie.

Many conference attendees went to hear Chad Hardy, creator of the Men on a Mission calendar series. A natural public speaker, he talked about the public’s/church’s reaction to his calendar and his eventual ex-communication from the Mormon church. It was very interesting.

After the afternoon sessions and before dinner, I got to talking to an awesome guy named Dustin. He is a professional sign language interpreter and was paid to come to the conference to interpret, but the person that needed interpretation had not actually come to the conference. Dustin and I were going to read together on the grass, but got to talking and hit it off. He is easily the neatest person I have met in a long, long time.

Dustin: simply one of the neatest people I've met in a LONG time.

We went to the awards banquet, where we got to hear Carol Lynn Pearson, one of the neatest people in the world, I think.

Carol Lynn Pearson: Author, playwright, generally awesome person

Dustin and I then went on a long walk. We had awesome weather during the conference and the night was cool and crisp. Sunday morning was the devotional, which is usually the highlight of these conferences for me. We heard from Linda and Steve Stay, who spoke and performed musically. There was lots of good music that brought in a wonderful spirit. The Danzigs spoke about their son, Tyler. When they talked about their son being married to Spencer Jones, a light bulb went on in my head. Spencer Jones, an attorney in San Francisco, is a cousin of mine. When they showed some pictures of the event, I even saw my cousin Warren and his wife. Small world! It was a great talk and a much-needed devotional.

My dad came to pick me up and we drove back to Roy, where we visited with his parents again. I shot some pictures of furniture that grandpa wants to sell. We had a nice visit and all ate some pizza together before dad again dropped me off at the university guest house. I stayed up late talking to my friends David and Robert, then took a shuttle early the next morning back to the airport. Apparently, I just missed my old friend Jeff Jensen in the airport.

Three generations of Rookhuyzen men.

Spam Emails

2009-10-09T10:30:00.001-07:00

I check my spam email folder every day, just to see some of the catchy titles that spammers hope will attract me to click on them. Two from today and yesterday:

"Damn, will you respond?"

Uh, no.

"Incredible Madonna's tits."

Nope, not even that will entice me to open your spammerific email.

Andreas Published in AFS Newsletter

2009-10-04T22:05:00.001-07:00

Andreas wrote another article that was published in the AFS newsletter. Click here, then click FULL SCREEN, then go to page six, to read it.

Vacation 2009 Remembered

2009-08-24T21:18:00.001-07:00

It took me forever to finish this. Here it is, enjoy.

Vacation 2009

Photos from this trip can be seen here if you are a Facebook user.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Our vacation this year started at a normal hour. Curtis' co-worker Brooke got us to Portland International Airport on time for out 12:35pm flight to Dallas. We arrived in Texas at 6:25pm. Although we didn't go outside, we could feel how uncomfortably hot it was. We were very glad that Dallas was not our final destination. We had time to walk around this lovely and sprawling airport, which is one of the nicest I have ever seen.

After some decent Mexican food and a lengthy chair massage at the Brookstone store, we boarded our American Airlines flight to Santiago, Chile. It departed at 9:10pm and arrived the next morning at 7:10am. They fed us plenty, but the seats on the older jet were not very comfortable. I was surprised for an international flight.

Our first destination was Chile, a country with a coastline of over 3,000 miles (about the same distance as New York to Los Angeles)! Its average width is only 115 miles. It has a very diverse geography, home to both the driest desert in the world (the Atacama) and a slice of Antarctica. Interestingly enough, Easter Island and the Robinson Crusoe Islands belong to Chile. Frommer's guidebook describes Chile as having a "firmly entrenched democracy (corruption is relatively unheard of here)" and continues to call it "one of the safest and most economically prosperous countries in South America."

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

This was the first time for both of us on the South American continent. The Andes Mountains were amazing and I was glad to be able to see them for quite a while before we landed. We arrived at Santiago's airport and were immediately shepherded to customs and immigration. First things first, though. Chile charges citizens of certain countries (Albania and the United States among them) a reciprocity fee. Our guidebook said it would cost $100/person. The current fee is $131/person. Supposedly, our country charges this to Chileans who enter the United States and they just want to be fair.

We then walked passed the masses of waiting cab drivers, all eagerly vying to take you wherever you want to go. As it was winter in Chile, we were able to watch the sun rise. The snow-covered Andes Mountains made an absolutely stunning backdrop. Most of the time, the temperatures were in the 60s and very pleasant. At night, sometimes it got down to freezing.

We stopped and looked into ground transportation and saw that we could both take a shuttle service to our hotel for $18. On the way, we drove past some very scary-looking shanty-towns on the side of the highway. TransVip dropped us off at the Windsor Suite Hotel. Our hotel was a stone's throw from Cerro Santa Lucia, a park landmark and very high hill in the middle of downtown Santiago. The location was perfect, actually. From here you could walk to all the sights of the city. It was also quite close to a subway stop.

Santiago is home to more than five million people and nearly one-third of all Chileans. It was early, so we figured that we would have to leave our luggage and come back. Turns out that it was no problem at all for us to check in early. Breakfast was still going on, so Curtis and I enjoyed a feast of meats, cheeses, canned fruit, and breads. This turned out to be a typical breakfast for each of our hotels in South America.

Curtis has a Chilean co-worker who was in Santiago for the summer with her children. Bernice asked if she should have her friend, Francisco, a massage therapist, pay a visit to our hotel. When we learned that an hour-long massage was only $30, we said sure. He was to arrive around 3pm, so we ventured out of the hotel for bottled water. We also had our first chicken empanadas, which we instantly liked.

We also found an ATM and withdrew Chilean pesos. The exchange rate was $1 to 500 Chilean pesos. It began raining outside, so we stayed closer to the hotel and explored a large, covered artisan market.

Chile had a lot of stray dogs wandering around. Some looked horribly filthy, but others looked like they just walked away from a cute dog contest. While some appeared to be healthy, others were obviously diseased and close to death. As much as I love dogs, I never touched one of them. It seemed odd that in the interest of public health that the government didn't round them up and euthanize them. None were violent or mean.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

This hotel was decent, but the hot water wasn't plentiful. Bernice traveled to us and had the hotel breakfast with us. She had some paperwork to do downtown, so we walked with her to the government building, and then wandered off to see a few things. We saw Constitution Plaza, home to the Palacio de la Moneda, the presidential work palace and site of the 1973 coup that put Augusto Pinochet into power.

We saw the Plaza de Armas, the city's main square, planned for in 1541 by the city's founder, Pedro de Valdivia. We found the best bargain of the trip near here – a vendor was selling ties for only $2. We found a couple that we liked.

The highlight of the day was a long dinner with Bernice and her sister, Pam. Pam works for Experian, which she told us outsources work and calls to Chile. She used to be a concierge at the Santiago Ritz Carlton and was a wonderful resource on what to see in Santiago and Chile. She gave us plentiful maps and guides.

We ate at a place called Como Agua Para Chocolate in Bellavista, the city's bohemian neighborhood. Curtis and I shared a giant helping of Mexican fajitas. Our desserts were almost too beautiful to eat. The conversation was wonderful and we all had a blast.

Bellavista is graffiti-covered and a neighborhood made up of narrow streets. By night, the clubs and bars open and it is home to the city's nightlife.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

We again enjoyed the hotel breakfast. Curtis and I had been told by Pam to go to Cerro San Cristobal in Metropolitan Park (a large park with over 1,800 acres!) early in the morning or at sunset to see the best views of the sun reflecting off the Andes. We decided to hit it this morning, walking through Bellavista to the old funicular.

The car we rode on had a plaque that said that Pope John Paul II had been on it. This made me feel safer as the old transportation system went into action and carried us up the steep mountainside. There was one stop for people to get off at the zoo, but then we were at the top.

The view was stupendous. I can't even guess the distance that one can see from the top. Santiago can be seen sprawling in all directions. Away from downtown, one could see clusters of skyscrapers in parts of the city that we would not even explore on this trip. We had the only Magnum (ice cream) bar of the trip as we walked around the hill. We visited the sanctuary and the giant Virgin Mary statue (72-feet tall). Unfortunately, the teleférico (cable car) was closed. Here's what the view looked like from up above.

When we descended, Curtis went for another massage while I went on another city walk. I explored some neighborhoods and found the University of Chile. They had a plaque inside with a lengthy list of all of the presidents of the country that they counted as alumni.

Friday, July 3, 2009

At 8:45am, after eating the hotel breakfast, a TransVip shuttle picked us up and returned us to Santiago's airport. We picked up a rental car from Alamo – a Chevrolet Swing, a tiny little thing – and began our drive to the coast. We splurged and got a GPS for $12/day. We knew that Valparaiso is a steep city consisting of 40 or so hills. Since we didn't know how to find our hotel, I thought it was imperative that we have the GPS. Unfortunately, the GPS didn't acknowledge our hotel's street name.

Along the way, we stopped in a small village at a place advertising empanadas. We apparently stood out quite a bit. All of the locals just stared and stared. True, we were the only ones wearing shorts, but still. Instead, we bought bottled water and then went to a roadside cart. A woman made us sopaipillas (fried dough) on which we applied hot sauce. Curtis also had coffee. Our total bill was one dollar. We were amazed during this trip at the buying power of the United States dollar. We were quite pleased. We also explored a local cemetery, which was quite neat.

We made it to Valparaiso, the GPS taking us to a street near our hotel. As expected, the coastal city of hills was a labyrinth. We kept running into dead ends and having to turn around. Fortunately, it was daylight and we happened to stumble across our hotel, the Hotel Ultramar. Although purely in a residential neighborhood, it was super nice. A recently re-modeled villa, it was open, extremely modern, and had free street parking. We put our bags down and went out exploring. Later, when the heater didn't work, we got upgraded to a room with a marvelous view of the ocean.

Valparaiso was gorgeous, a city of buildings painted in colorful pastels. It is also a very impoverished city. Our friends in Santiago discouraged us from staying in Valparaiso out of concerns for our safety. The city has a lot of simple structures made out of sheet metal. Graffiti and stray dogs were rampant.

Due to the steep hillsides, there are approximately 40 elevators throughout the city that move people up and down. We walked and explored the city. Curtis went into a tattoo parlor and felt that he needed to get a tattoo right then and there. My fear tactics got him to give up on the idea.

For dinner, we went into an empty Chinese restaurant. We still weren't used to having dinner so late, so we ate alone until the very end. I saw a roach scurry across the dining room floor, but I was undeterred.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

We took a road trip today to the neighboring city of Viña del Mar. This is a much more upscale city than Valparaiso. Still, stray dogs roamed everywhere. We parked in a river bed that had been converted into a city parking lot. We walked the clean and modern city, which was much better maintained than its neighbor. At a street café, we ordered roast chicken and steak. A cute stray dog waited nearby, patiently awaiting table scraps.

We walked across the river to a giant and glamorous casino. Instead of going in, we hired a horse-drawn carriage to take us on a city tour. After that, we were quite cold, so we got back in our car to take a Pacific Coast Highway tour. Along our route, we saw fruit stands offering all varieties – three kilograms for $2. Amazing.

Our trip took us along the stunning Chilean coastline.

We stopped often to admire the sights and to take pictures. We saw Reñaca, a very popular beach. We continued north and saw many, many resorts and condominium developments in all stages of construction. We drove back to Valparaiso and found our hotel again. We walked to dinner at El Mastodonte, where I enjoyed filet mignon and mushrooms for $6.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

We woke up at 7:20am. Headed out early, stopping for gas before our drive back to Santiago. The route to the airport was well-labeled. Alamo was SLOW checking the car back in. They said we had a scratch on the hood (we didn't), which was still no big deal since we obviously had the full coverage. I think it was their chance to have the car repaired while someone had coverage on it.

We checked in for our Air Canada flight to Buenos Aires. It was delayed while they checked on some engine problem. Our two-hour flight was uneventful. It was nice hearing English again and having something similar to American-style customer service.

Argentina is over one million square miles, which makes it the eighth-largest country in the world. Prior to landing, it was announced that Argentina required all deplaning passengers to don face masks. The flu scare was alive and well and they didn't want to take any chances. Many North Americans on the flight thought this was a good photo op. Unfortunately, I set off some kind of temperature alarm during their walk-through medical screening. After being re-checked several times, I was allowed to continue.

We arranged a private car to our hotel and paid in dollars. We drove right by the Mormon temple, which was surprisingly close to the airport. It began to rain and soon our cab driver exited the freeway, unexpectedly. Ever cautious, I was a little afraid. Soon it started hailing – violently. Several cabbies and other cars tried to take shelter under a gas station. We tried to get pictures, but the pictures didn't do justice. These were the largest chunks of hail that I have ever seen.

Our hotel was top-notch and in the ritzy Recoleta district. While Curtis relaxed, I filled out some postcards. We decided to get out and see the city. We took the oldest subway system in South America. We saw no open ticket booths, but the gates were wide open, so we walked on and rode to our destination. Had we been able to buy a ticket, the cost was $0.30.

We watched a large gathering (we think soccer fans of rival teams gathered in the same plaza) that was being observed by riot police. This was near the neat obelisk. We found a great dinner in a small restaurant district. I enjoyed my lamb and potato slices and Curtis said his steak was good. That night, we went to a dance club. We didn't stay long.

Monday, July 6, 2009

We slept until noon, missing the hotel breakfast. Then, we dealt with electrical issues, as in we didn't have any. I had to shower upstairs in a different room, as the bathroom was too dark to occupy.

We got our bearings and explored the Recoleta cemetery, where Eva Perón, arguably one of the most famous (or at least well-known) Argentines was laid to rest. The tombs here were very elaborate and super fancy. I was surprised to see that some, though, were in complete and utter disrepair. Looking in, you could see the coffins, no longer protected by their edifice. Some of these tombs were deep and one could see several layers of rich, dead Argentines. The main tourist attraction here is the final resting place of Eva Perón, wife of former Argentine president Juan Perón.

We took a cab from here to the Abasto Mall, a large and sprawling shopping center. The cab driver was extremely friendly and talkative and I enjoyed the banter. He even complimented me on my "Castellano," the word for the Spanish that they speak in Argentina. He told us that his business was suffering as a result of the flu epidemic. He told us that all schools (including universities), courts, and theaters in the country had been closed as a precaution. He told us that traffic was unusually light.

While food prices were awesome, prices for goods such as clothing were comparable or even more expensive than in the United States. We saw many international name brands here. At this mall, most of the prices were quoted in dollars. Today, we dropped off laundry. It was $20 for five loads. [We got it back the next day, nicely folded, although they didn't do a good job of matching socks.]

We walked around Puerto Madero, a really nice port district. Full of upscale restaurants and clubs, it is the place to be in Buenos Aires. We saw the Teatro Colón, a very impressive theater. We also saw the widest boulevard in the world, the noteworthy Avenida 9 de Julio, which boasts 20 lanes of traffic! I think we used three different crosswalks with traffic control devices to get across the whole thing!

Luckily, we stumbled upon a Spanish restaurant called La Rioja. The food was stellar! This place is definitely worth looking up when we return to Buenos Aires. We had an appetizer of hams, cheeses, and olives that was to die for. We then shared their paella valenciana, which was superb.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

After a breakfast at the hotel, we walked around downtown some more. The shopping district is huge and a lot of it is pedestrian-only. We exchanged more money today (which requires a passport here). Looking at our itinerary, we determined that we would eliminate Mendoza. It ended up being too far of a drive, so we opted to have an extra night in Córdoba. I also knew that because we used hotels.com, we would not have a cancellation charge as long as we called this morning.

We found a call center and I made the call. I was so pleased with the customer service that I received. Not only did he cancel the reservation without a fee, but the rep also extended by one night our hotel rate in Córdoba. And he found that the rate had gone down since I booked online, so he gave us the lower rate. Amazing American customer service. The more I travel, the more unparalleled it seems!

We took colectivo 152 (a colectivo is a shared car or bus that runs on a set route) to Boca, Buenos Aires' storied Bohemian neighborhood. All of the buildings in the area are painted brightly in fluorescent colors. It cost us each $1,20 ($0.30 US) for the ride. Transportation is dirt cheap here!

Boca is a neat tourist area, complete with outdoor cafes with tango dancers on Caminito, the main passageway. The dancers invite people up to dance with them, take photos with them in dance positions, etc. There are guys working the streets whose sole job is to drum up business for the cafes. They were rather aggressive.

We sat at one of the cafes and enjoyed the tango dance show. We feasted on the mixed grill, which had several different kinds of meat. Curtis had the blood sausage (which they translated as "black pudding,"), which I refused to try.

Walking around the area, I stopped for a brief second to look at pictures on our camera (I think our memory card was full). A police car pulled up next to us and asked if we understood castellano, what the Argentines call their language. Skeptical of foreign police, I indicated that we spoke a little. The officer encouraged us to move back onto the tourist beaten path, as we were at risk of being robbed. We heeded the advice.

We saw lots of artists out peddling their work. Some were painting in the street. We struck up a conversation with a vendor representing Carlos Sosa, billed as el pintor sin manos (the painter without hands). Sosa has some kind of palsy or paralysis of the arms/hand and paints with the brush in his mouth. It was amazing to even think about. We talked about pricing and looked at several of the works, purchasing one.

We bought another piece of original art from someone else after our first attempt to negotiate down the price was swiftly accepted. Walking back through the area, I saw a sign indicating that it was Carlos Sosa's studio. I stood in front of it and asked Curtis to take a picture, since we bought one of his and I liked his story.

Just then, we heard a voice shouting at us, trying to get our attention. It was the artist, inviting us to come in to his studio/home. This great and humble man welcomed us in and introduced us to his children. He showed us his work shop and told us all about his work. It was fascinating. He also told us that due to the flu scare, business had been bad. He said it had been 29 days since he sold a painting. [Hearing that, we obviously bought a second one.] He showed us that he was down to his last 30 pesos.

His talent is great. The fact that this man is severely disabled (he only walks with great difficulty) makes appreciating his art even easier. Also in Boca, we sampled Argentina's national drink (we later learned that it was prevalent in Uruguay, too), yerba mate. I'm not a huge tea fan, so I didn't particularly care for it. In Boca, we spent a total of 630 pesos (roughly $158) on art.

We went back to the neighborhood of our hotel and picked up our laundry. We then wandered and saw the night vendors on Avenida Florida. We took pictures of La Casa Rosada, Argentina's presidential palace. Dinner was at La Chacra, a place I vowed to email Frommer's guidebook about. It billed itself as Buenos Aires' most typical restaurant. This place is all about the beef. There is a stuffed cow near the front door to greet people on the sidewalk. People can also see large cuts of meat cooking on an open fire.

The expansive menu has a diagram of a cow and shows where all of the different beef cuts are from. We had an awesome meal. We both enjoyed great steaks and provoleta, a large grilled cut of provolone cheese. Fantastic!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

We took a hired car to the Jorge Newberry airport for 45 pesos (about $11.25). We had arranged through Priceline.com for a rental through Alamo. When we got there, Alamo had some dumb limit of 200km per day. Since we were going to be doing some serious driving, our Priceline reservation wasn't going to cut it. All calls to Priceline were unsuccessful.

We checked around and ended up getting a better deal on a car with GPS and unlimited miles through Hertz.

We investigated airfare prices to/from Uruguay (too expensive for last-minute purchase), but then drove in heavy traffic to the Buquebus ferry terminal to get our boat tickets to/from Uruguay. Due to a very large and serious crash, it took hours just to get out of Buenos Aires.

Outside of the city and in a rural area, we were startled (okay, I was scared) to see people with banners blocking most of the freeway. They had burning tires and had slowed all traffic down to one lane. Curtis rolled down his window and was handed a flyer about disgruntled cargo workers being laid off. It was scary but also very Latin American. There were no police to be seen.

We made it to Córdoba by evening. Most of the route from Buenos Aires was on a two-lane highway (Route 9). With big, slow trucks, Curtis spent a lot of time passing vehicles. We passed through towns with names such as Morrison, Armstrong, and Bell Ville, which should have been called Ballville. It is home to several soccer ball factories.

We checked into the lovely Amerian Hotel (an Argentine chain), which was smack dab in the center of downtown. It was a nice place. We checked in and then headed out on foot for food. We ended up settling on a $2 pizza. Food prices were amazing.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

We slept in, then enjoyed the hotel's breakfast. It was some sort of holiday, so everything was closed. There were still street vendors out and about, so we looked at their goods (mostly pirated DVDs) and saw some very neat cathedrals. We saw most of the University of Córdoba and the historic center. At a café, I discovered my love for licuados, a smoothie-like drink made from milk and peaches.

This delightful city turned a former women's prison into a beautiful community-gathering spot called El Paseo del Buen Pastor. Right by an old cathedral, this place had fountains, lawns, and community space. Hundreds of young people flocked here to have mate with each other. Love was in the air!

Walking on, we discovered Parque Sarmiento, which had a small amusement park in it. We enjoyed seeing the simple rides and the little kids enjoying them so much. We walked to see the river, which wasn't very impressive. We did have different stray canines accompany us. We befriended a young Argentine schoolteacher named Dario and together enjoyed döner kebaps.

Friday, July 10, 2009

After partaking of another hotel breakfast, we checked out and headed out with the car to find a money exchange. After changing some money, we drove to Rosario. On the toll roads, some of the tolls were so cheap we wondered why they even bothered. We arrived at 4:45pm and checked into the local Howard Johnson. We stopped in at a bakery and once again were astounded at their amazingly low prices.

We then explored the city on foot. We could have used some more time here, as it turned out to be a beautiful city. We particularly enjoyed Belgrano's crypt and the tomb of the unknown soldier (complete with eternal flame) monuments near the river. We had an early dinner (we were the first ones to show up, around 8:30pm) at La Estancia, another grill place. We sure enjoyed our steaks in Argentina. We had to go to bed early.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

We woke up at the ungodly hour of 5:20am and were on the road just after 6am. The GPS apparently didn't work that early in the morning, so we were on our own to head back the 170 miles to Buenos Aires. Fortunately, signage was good and we found our way.

Our complaint about the GPS not working got Hertz to not charge us for it. We then took a taxi to the Buquebus terminal, where we were early enough to take an earlier ferry (10am instead of our 11:30am reservation). Immigration checks for both countries were handled right in the terminal and took only seconds. Frommer's guidebook lists Uruguay as having "the best medical care system in South America." It is further described as being "one of the most peaceful and corrupt countries in South America."

We took the fast ferry across the Atlantic Ocean to Colonia, Uruguay. After a quick customs inspection, we joined a fancy bus for the two-hour ride to Montevideo. I enjoyed looking out the window and seeing the countryside. We saw both shanties and nice homes before we made it to the capital.

At the bustling bus terminal, we exchanged money into Uruguayan pesos (about 23 pesos to the U.S. dollar). We took a cab to our extremely humble two-star hotel in Montevideo. This was a place I took a gamble on online at $28/night. I really shouldn't have. This place was dank, obscure, and quite frankly, a little scary. The surly desk clerks collected the key each time we left. The building was old and the bed and fixtures in the room had to have been at least 30 years old. It was definitely the yuckiest hotel we've stayed in.

Downtown Montevideo resembled a ghost down. There was hardly any traffic and not that many people out and about. We found a grocery store open and bought water and snacks, then walked down to the legislative palace, which was gigantic. We walked around the city some more, including to La Rambla, which wasn't anywhere near as cool as the area with the same name in Barcelona. We saw the ocean, not a whole lot to see.

We found another grill place (we thoroughly enjoyed our carnivorous selves this trip) and enjoyed sushi, then steaks. Curtis and I both read a couple of David Sedaris books on this trip, so we retired early and read.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Neither of us felt great this morning. My skin itched. We worried about the flu, bed bugs, etc., since the hotel was so nasty. We didn't have consistent hot water. We were concerned about staying another night, but not concerned enough to spend the dollars to switch to a nicer hotel. We told ourselves we were camping.

We had breakfast at an outdoor café in the city center, then walked the main street up and down. Next we went to the old city, which had some amazing architecture. Most things were closed, except for Burger King and McDonalds, both of which I was disappointed to see. The Mercado del Puerto (port market) was very neat to see. We sat outside and ate some more paella, which was filling.

Later that evening, we went to a ballet show. The tickets were obviously subsidized, costing us only $4 for an evening's entertainment. Not knowing anything about ballet, we still enjoyed it. It was nice being out with the elite of Montevideo. The nights here were cold and our waterproof windbreakers barely kept us warm.

Monday, July 13, 2009

We checked out of the scary hotel and took a cab to the Buquebus terminal, where we spent our last pesos on breakfast (empanadas, licuado, and coffee for Curtis). We arrived back in Buenos Aires with plenty of time on our hands. Since we had luggage with us, we had to take turns exploring the city. I think we each got 90 minutes to walk.

I checked out Puerto Madero again and was surprised to see a "Queen of Holland Plaza" near the ABN-AMRO building (a huge Dutch bank). There were lots of international companies in this area. I walked and located the bus terminal where we needed to catch our bus to the airport. Curtis then had his turn walking around.

Instead of catching a cab, I convinced Curtis that we could walk. Bad idea. I took one wrong street and we over-walked it. Suddenly, we went from being hours early at the bus terminal to possibly missing our bus and our flight. Ugh. A bus 30 minutes later still had seats and we were able to get on it without any trouble. We made it to the airport and were happy to be on our 9:30pm from Buenos Aires to Dallas.

Tuesday, June 14, 2009

We made it to Texas at 6:05am. The temperature was already way too high. We were glad we didn't have to leave the building. It's always nice to be back in the United States again. We arrived back in Portland at 11:05am and were picked up by our friend Lee, who had been house-sitting for us after he returned from a trip to Fiji. Our first trip to South America was quite the adventure. It was another great and relaxing vacation.

New Cat

2009-08-18T11:49:00.001-07:00

After our trip to South America, Curtis and I visited the Oregon Humane Society. Andreas was allergic to animals, so we did not have any while he was around. We had come to the shelter with essentially two guidelines: 1) Declawed cats go to the front of the line (although we wouldn't declaw a cat on our own, if one already came that way, it was fine with us); 2) No long hair.

I'm sure you won't be surprised that we broke both of our guidelines. We saw a mostly-white cat with brown spots and beautiful blue eyes. She was in one of the communal rooms that are three sides glass. She made eye contact, then followed us around, apparently very interested in us. She then began pawing at the glass door, seemingly wanting us to come inside. She then continued to rub up against the glass door. We were very impressed by her little show. So impressed, in fact, that we didn't need to look at any other cats. We brought her home

We christened her "Gladys," continuing the tradition of having cats with old-people names to them. She is super affectionate and has been no problem at all. We like having a pet around again.

Did you Hear the Bad News That Turned Out to be Good News?

2009-08-18T09:47:00.001-07:00

Back in March, I went to the emergency room for some intense ear pain in my left ear (read all about that here). I was diagnosed with an outer ear infection and was given some strong pain pills and ear drops. I was half deaf for about a week, but then began follow-up appointments with an audiologist and an otolaryngologist. The doctor told me that I hadn't had an ear infection, but rather had suffered trauma to my left ear. I remembered then about three weeks earlier, at work, I had slammed the side of my head into a police car while trying to remove someone out of the back seat. It hurt at the time, but I had forgotten all about it.

They also determined was that I had moderate hearing loss in my left ear. The doctor started me on a nasal allergy spray as well as allergy pills to see if allergies had anything to do with my ear being blocked. I had no external allergy symptoms, but what the heck?

For work, we have our hearing tested annually. I had data for the past eight years on how my hearing has been. The doctor asked me to bring it with me when I returned to see him. To make a long story short, I was re-tested by the audiologist. There was no significant improvement in my hearing, unfortunately. In fact, they told me that if I were older, my hearing loss is when people started looking at hearing aids. :( They also told me that my hearing loss is right in the range of where normal human conversation is. So if you're talking to me and you see my favoring my right ear, now you now.

The good news was that when the doctor reviewed my hearing tests for the last several years, he noted that my hearing had not deteriorated over that time. The bad news (moderate hearing loss) turned out to be good news (it hasn't gotten any worse!).

In Chile

2009-07-03T18:33:00.001-07:00

Curtis and I had the best time ever in Santiago, Chile. NEAT big city, quite overlooked as an international destination, if you ask me. One dollar is worth over 500 pesos and one can get quite a lot for their money here. Last night, both Curtis and I had a small dinner and he had a coke - all for 500 pesos. Amazing.

Today we rented a car and drove to the coast. We are at a very nice hotel in Valparaiso. Tomorrow we will take a day trip to Viña del Mar. After that, on to Argentina for several days and then on to Uruguay.

Chile has been wonderful. We´ve tried new fruits and foods and I´ll write later about the unbelievable hospitality we have experienced here. One of Curtis´co-workers is here for the summer and she and her family certainly spoiled the heck out of us. I can´t wait to get my pics posted!

Our First Day Together...

2009-06-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

After I testified before the grand jury this morning, Curtis picked me up and we headed to the new DMV in Beaverton. He stopped off and bought a motorcycle jacket from someone in Hillsboro. At DMV, we explained we were there for our motorcycle endorsements. They informed us that we needed passports and Social Security cards to prove who we were. Ever wise, Curtis said he would stay behind waiting for our numbers to be called while I ran home and retrieved the requested items. I got back in plenty of time. We spent over an hour at the DMV and paid $154 between us for our motorcycle endorsements. We ran into my friend Mark at DMV. Mark also passed the basic rider class this week (so did my good friend Lee!).

We had a bike picked out at a dealership in Hillsboro, a Kawasaki 650R Ninja - Plasma blue in color. We had inquired about some listed on Craigslist, but hadn't heard back from anyone. Curtis told me when he picked me up that he heard back from someone in Beaverton who was selling the same back we were going to buy from the dealership. This one, though, had less miles and cost less. Not one to pass up a bargain, we re-directed to Beaverton. We stopped at Chase and withdrew lots of cash.

We met Todd, who let us both test-ride his nice motorcycle. Curtis and I both drove around Beaverton and determined that we liked it. We paid Todd cash and he signed his title over to us. He also gave us a free - almost new - helmet with the purchase. More DMV fees are in store for us (at least we can ride the motorcycle there to have a fun part!).

Curtis then rode the motorcycle to a nearby elementary school, where he rode around the parking lot while I got on the phone with Progressive Insurance. My research ahead of time had narrowed our future insurance provider to either Progressive or Geico, both of whom had very favorable rates. Within minutes, Progressive sold me a policy and faxed and emailed insurance cards to me. I rode around the parking lot. Once we were fully legit with the state, Curtis rode to a local motorcycle shop and I followed in the BMW. Since our new beauty has to sleep outside, we wanted to get a heavy-duty lock for it and a cover (since it rains so much!).

We then rode by Curtis' cousin's house to show off (at her request), but she wasn't home. I then rode from her house through the city of Beaverton. Prior to the freeway, I pulled over so Curtis could take over. We made it home safely and parked our beauty for the first time. After dinner, I'm going out for another ride!

Car into house in Beaverton...

2009-06-22T19:48:00.001-07:00

Something you don't see every day (thank goodness!). Photos taken by one of my colleagues.

Update...

2009-06-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

Yours truly is one of the most recent graduates of Team Oregon's Basic Rider Training program. I passed the written and skill proficiency exams today, even though I got less than five hours of sleep after working last night. I was very pleased. The written test was quite challenging.

It was so challenging, in fact, that when she told me that I passed, I was also prepared to hear that I hadn't passed. Curtis did very well, ranking number two in the class on the skills portion. I got an 84% and he got a 86% on the written portion. We were both very happy to find out that we had passed the class!

We came home and got busy researching the motorcycle we plan to buy tomorrow, after we stop at DMV to obtain our endorsements.

Motorcycle School

2009-06-20T16:49:00.001-07:00

Today was day two of three. Day one was all classroom lecture, 6pm-9pm. I was surprised (I know, what a chauvinist pig I am) that our instructor was a female. I was also surprised that of the 24 people enrolled in the class, there were many women in the class. It seems the motorcycle bug has gotten into everyone in rain-drenched Oregon. There was homework, too, reading from the manual.

Today was an early start. We were on their motorcycles at 7:15am! We rode until 11:15am and broke for lunch until 12:30. I have ridden the first 11.3 miles of my motorcycle career! I even figured out the clutch and shifting gears, etc. It was great fun and totally dry. It didn't start raining until we broke for lunch.

We then had two more hours of classroom work. Tomorrow we're on the motors again. We then have a written test and a proficiency test. Successful completion equals a waiver that I can take to DMV to get a motorcycle endorsement (without any further testing!).

Published in AFS Newsletter...

2009-06-19T21:10:00.001-07:00

I was published in the AFS newsletter (click here, if interested, then go to page five). AFS is the American Field Service, the largest exchange student organization, and the one that brought Andreas (and our Germans) to Oregon. I contributed a small piece for the final newsletter and it was printed.

Curtis Becomes Voluntary Pin Cushion

2009-06-08T12:29:00.001-07:00

While wandering the city yesterday, we came across a festival in Chinatown. A booth was set up for the Oregon School of Oriental Medicine. Someone asked Curtis if he wanted to try a free acupuncture session. This was the wrong question to ask, as Curtis had just been complaining about his allergies AND he's always wanted to try acupuncture. I got these pictures with my iPhone, so the quality isn't so great.

Overheard on the train just now

2009-06-04T13:48:00.001-07:00

How's this for a vague answer?

Person 1: "What's Twitter, anyway?"
Person 2: "Something to do with the Internet."
Person 1: "Oh.

My letter to the editor worked!

2009-06-04T10:00:00.001-07:00

Yesterday's Oregonian ran a letter to the editor from me. Later that evening, this was posted on their web site...

Oregon lawmakers spare sheriff, 70, basic training

by Nikole Hannah-Jones, The Oregonian
Wednesday June 03, 2009, 7:44 PM

Multnomah County Sheriff Bob Skipper swore that even though he would likely be the oldest police cadet in state history, he could hold his own with the 20-somethings. But it looks like the 70-year-old won't have to prove himself.

State legislators are stepping in.

They have drafted an amendment to override a state requirement to send Skipper to four months of basic training. The agency that oversees police certification in Oregon ruled he had to go because he retired 13 years ago and hadn't worked in policing until he returned as sheriff last year.

Skipper tried unsuccessfully to get the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training to grant a waiver or allow him to take shorter refresher courses. When that didn't work, he launched a media campaign touting his 34 years of law enforcement experience -- including four years as sheriff -- and missing 16 weeks of work during hard budget times.

That caught the eyes of several legislators.

"This 70-year-old man has been in law enforcement all of his life, and he was elected by voters and asked to clean up a mess," said Sen. Rod Monroe, D-Portland. "When I heard (the training agency) was going to make him jump through hoops, I was aghast. It was the silliest thing I've heard."

House Majority Leader Mary Nolan said her office called a meeting with several legislators, Skipper and agency Director John Minnis to discuss a compromise.

But the training agency wasn't comfortable making an exception, said Deputy Director Eriks Gabliks. State law requires anyone out of law enforcement for more than five years to undergo basic training.

In the end, the lawmakers decided to take the matter out of the agency's hands.

The amendment is tailor-made for Skipper and will affect few others, said Nolan, D-Portland.

It allows the certification of a sheriff who has served at least 25 years as a police officer in Oregon, retired from law enforcement under honorable conditions, held state executive-level certification, served as elected sheriff for at least four years and is elected in a county where the sheriff's chief role is as an administrator. It also requires the sheriff to take career officer development courses.

Gabliks said his agency has a great deal of respect for Skipper and only sought to be diligent and follow the intent of the law. The amendment "solves the issue," he said.

The amendment is attached to an uncontroversial bill that makes offices of county assessors and surveyors appointed and will likely go to a vote Monday, Monroe said, so Skipper will know soon whether he needs to shine up his boots and report for camp June 22.

Support for the amendment is strong, both Monroe and Nolan said.

As for Skipper, he is relieved that he probably won't have to go through a novice training where he would be not only the oldest student, but probably older than all the teachers.

"I feel good about it," he said. "I've contended all along that a refresher course is ample to suffice because I left the very job that I am doing, and it's obvious that I can still do it."

I finally saw "Wendy and Lucy"

2009-06-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

"Wendy and Lucy," a film starring Michelle Williams and filmed in the area of Oregon where I live, found its way into my DVD player last night (thanks, Netflix!). My friend Eric, the professional movie critic, warned me that he predicted that I wouldn't like the movie. He further forewarned me that I would call it "boring."

Don't underestimate friends that have known you since college. He was dead-on accurate. The film was painfully slow-moving, with not a whole lot happening. While I was obviously sympathetic to the bad things that befell Williams, the movie didn't do much else.

One reason why I knew I was going to see this movie - no matter what Eric said - was that part of it was filmed at my office in Beaverton. I remember the filming dates and was on location with Williams, the catering folks, and the fake cops. Yep, although real cops were crawling all over the place (some eager to be in the movie, too!), fake cops were imported and used.

It was neat to see the fingerprinting room, the holding cells, and the front counter of the place where I start each and every shift. People with sharp eyes will even be able to pick out my office's logo and actual name on the paperwork that Williams signs after she is arrested for shoplifting.

Eric wrote about "Wendy and Lucy" here on his blog, even giving it a B+ rating.

Keep the Skipper at the Helm

2009-06-03T17:57:00.001-07:00

I had this letter printed in today's Oregonian newspaper. They also put it online here. I am always happy to be published!

Basic training alternative

I am dismayed at the state's handling of the issue of whether Multnomah County Sheriff Bob Skipper has to re-attend the state's basic police academy ("Sheriff insists he hasn't lost a step; state says prove it," May 30).

Earlier in the year, the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training announced that it would reduce the number of basic police classes due to budget cuts. Prior to this, it sometimes already took several months for new police officers to obtain an entry date into a basic police class.

Forcing Skipper to return to the basic academy means that a never-before-certified officer could be forced to wait months for a new class to begin.

Arguments that laws and procedures change and that Skipper or the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office could be subject to liability for not being current on both are less than convincing.

Sheriffs are surrounded by advisors and experts on these subjects. Some police skills are, of course, perishable, which is why Skipper has been attending agency training.

The obvious solution here is to have Skipper sign a stipulation that he will not perform hands-on enforcement or corrections work and will instead administratively run his department. No one disputes that his leadership is timely, solid and necessary. Removing him from his agency for 16 weeks is unnecessary and a waste of time and limited financial resources.

ROBERT L. ROOKHUYZEN
Southwest Portland

(For more background on this issue, see the original article here.)

Uruguay to lift ban on gays in the military

2009-05-15T08:10:00.001-07:00

Uruguay to lift ban on gays in the military

The Associated Press

MONTEVIDEO -- Uruguay is moving to lift a ban on homosexuals joining the armed forces.

The defense ministry confirms that Minister Jose Bayardi has signed a decree lifting the ban imposed by the 1973-85 military dictatorship.

The army said Wednesday it has received the decree, which has yet to be signed by President Tabare Vazquez.

The law had barred people with what it called "open sexual deviations" from entering the military academies.

It includes homosexuality among the "mental illnesses and disorders" that make a person unsuitable to join the armed forces.

The new decree states that sexual orientation will no longer be considered a reason to prevent people entering the military.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/AP/story/1046259.html

Motorcycle in the Near Future?

2009-05-06T13:00:00.001-07:00

After going MANY years thinking that the risks of motorcycling outweighed the fun and practical benefits of motorcycle ownership, I believe I've had a change of heart. Curtis has long wanted one. I can't say for sure why, but I now think it sounds fun. And practical. I looked up a basic motorcycle safety class and Curtis and I are hoping to go at the end of the month. They provide motorcycles, helmets, and instruction. If you pass their written and practical tests, they give you a waiver that you take to DMV, who then automatically issues a motorcycle endorsement. We went looking at motorcycles last weekend, which is difficult when you know next-to-nothing about them. Nonetheless, it was fun. We hope to buy one right after we pass the course. We do have a few months in Oregon when the weather is dry and nice, and those months (fingers crossed) will start soon!

A Compelling Travel Article

2009-05-02T04:53:00.001-07:00

I am a new reader to this guy's blog, but I am hooked. He's a young guy from the northwest whose goal it is to visit every country in the world before he turns 30. This is a neat post/article on things he wished he knew before traveling.

http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/28-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-started-traveling/

We Said "NO" to Owning our Vacation

2009-04-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

Curtis and I went to a Portland Beavers baseball game last week. While we were walking in, I passed one of those attention-getting spinny-wheel things. It had names of cities - none of them too exciting. One of them - Coeur d'Alene - was mis-spelled. That's what really caught my attention, to be completely truthful. I just notice these things. In any event, you spun the wheel and then you won a two-night stay in that city. What was the catch? Attending a timeshare sales presentation, of course!

I was slightly intrigued, honestly. I LOVE to travel, yet I knew nothing about timeshares. I signed up with the nice man, who made sure, on behalf of his company, Worldmark by Wyndham, that I had a major credit card, earned more than $50,000 per year, and was available for a two-hour block on Saturday past. In return, $20 cash was promised, as well as a $75 American Express gift card, and a two-night stay at one of the destination properties. I selected Victoria, B.C., somewhere I've been wanting to go but had not yet ventured.

On Saturday, at the designated time, Curtis and I appeared in Vancouver, WA. We were ushered into a room with other (mostly young) couples, where hip music was playing and a video of resort properties was showing. I wasn't overly impressed with some of the properties. We recognized one that we had stayed at previously in Seattle. We had a group presentation, first, which intent was to get us all excited and into a buying mode.

We then got introduced to a personal salesperson. Ours was Dominica, from the Ukraine. She had back up from a very tan man. She informed us that she herself had been in our seats just a few short years ago. She claimed that her timeshare purchase changed her life - and her career! She had pictures from the properties she had been to, including Vancouver, B.C. and Cozumel (lovely!). She pointed out that all of their properties were paid off, debt-free. The annual maintenance fee (we were quoted between $345-$750) would only climb a maximum of 5% a year.

Their timeshare works off a system of points. We talked first about the 12,000 points-per-year program. She also had a catalog that listed all of the domestic properties. The times of year were divided into red (busy season), white (moderate season) and blue (off season) zones. The points required to book a room at that particular property were also divided by whether one wanted a studio, two-bedroom, or three-bedroom condo. It looked like almost all of the months of the year were red, which meant they were spendy (in points currency) and (I imagined) difficult to book. One of the perks was a discount when staying at their properties during weeknights. If you took the required points, multiplied by $0.048, you could see what it would be for a night at one of the domestic properties (this was very attractive for some of the places).

We were quoted a $23,000 initial investment, with 10% down, at 17% interest, for ten years. In addition, there was the $750 annual maintenance fee. More fees: $164/week for staying at a domestic property, $199/week for any international property. On top of that was a cleaning fee charged at the end of one's stay. We thought about it and declined.

Undeterred, Dominica and Tan Man told us that maybe we were thinking of too many points. We then got quoted the price for a 6,000 points-per-year plan. It was $13,388 over ten years with 10% down at 17% interest. The maintenance fee was $541. Curtis and I both crunched numbers on our iPhone calculators.

Sales staff kept bringing us Coke and lemonade. Loud, fun music played. People at tables around us were drinking champagne or sparkling apple cider after they had signed on the dotted line. Dominica would give us time to think, but then we would be interrupted by the Tan Man. We asked specific, pointed questions, to which we got consistently vague replies. She explained that when we wanted to book a reservation, all we had to do was call her. She said she would teach us how to work the system and maximize our points.

When booking travel now, I actually feel more comfortable doing so on the Internet, by myself. I also worried out loud about the flexibility of it all. After all, what if I wanted to plan a trip to Thailand but couldn't get the resort I wanted, or the dates I needed? She assured me that it was never a problem, as long as one was flexible. The trouble is that my work vacation schedule doesn't always afford that flexibility.

As we continued thinking about the deal, I told Curtis that we hadn't yet booked hotels for our upcoming trip to Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. We sat and computed whether or not we could get our money's worth by using timeshare properties this year in those countries. The longer we sat with the salespeople, the sweeter the deal got. They offered a one-time extra deposit of 7,000 credits into our account, as well as TWO complimentary one-week stays (a $249 broker fee each time). I felt sorry for the poor saps who had said yes on the first offer and had already left.

In the end, as the headline up above already told you, we said no. They feigned shock and surprise, but we said no. The system had a financed lump sum, which means a monthly payment we don't currently have or need. There were also fees built in everywhere you turned around, which sure didn't make a week's stay seem like that much of a bargain. Once the lump sum was paid off, maybe, but not until then.

We left with our $20 cash, $75 American Express gift cards, and a voucher for two nights at a property on the Oregon Coast. We hurried back to Oregon, where I had to get ready to go in to work. We now have a basic understanding of how timeshares work.

Andreas Enjoys Prom

2009-04-28T16:28:00.001-07:00

Andreas' blog hasn't even discussed the event yet, so you heard it here first, faithful readers.

He went to Lincoln High School's prom on Saturday. After dinner on the waterfront, he and his date, Joan, went to the prom, which was at the downtown Marriott Hotel. Unfortunately, I had to work, so I was unable to get any of my own pics of the happy couple. He said he had a good time.

After the dance, he went to his friend Sarah's house and watched a movie.

I went with him a few weeks ago to pick out his tuxedo. I think he looked quite sharp.

He said he felt like a government agent. So we used a prop that was handy, to capture the moment.

Tax Error in your Favor. Collect $2,400.

2009-04-13T14:32:00.001-07:00

I just sat down to finalize Curtis' Oregon taxes for the year. Since Turbo Tax showed him owing $2,100, we of course decided to put it off until the last possible moment. I negotiated that I would write the check, print the documents, and mail it all off if he swept the downstairs for me the other night. I was in a hurry and had to leave. This was something administrative that I could put off until my next day off.

As I printed out the stuff today, I saw that Curtis owed $2,100. I then read that his Oregon tax liability was about that amount. I thought to myself, "So his employer didn't take out any state tax?" That didn't sound right. I found his W2 and saw that they not only took out $2,100, but several hundred more than that. I did some more digging and checking and saw that on the very first screen of Turbo Tax, he had not entered the state tax taken out by his employer. It changed it to where we not only don't have to pay the $2,100 he thought we owed, but we also get three hundred back on top of that.

And that, my dear readers, is quite refreshing. I had to call his office to tell him the good news.

Lincoln High School Coaches in the Press...Again

2009-04-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

Lincoln High School, where Andreas attends, has had some unusual press this year regarding its sports programs. Or rather, those that lead them. Read on...

Taken from http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2009/04/will_lincoln_start_learning_it.html

Will Lincoln start learning its lessons?

by John Canzano, The Oregonian
Saturday April 04, 2009, 9:59 PM

The baseball coach at Lincoln High School resigned on Friday. Michael Todd allegedly accompanied three of his baseball players to an adult entertainment venue while in San Francisco for a spring break baseball tournament.

He will face a review by the state's Teacher Standards and Practices Commission.

First though, we've arrived at another one of those wonderful "teaching moments" from the educators at Lincoln.

In late February boys basketball coach David Adelman was cited for driving under the influence for the second time since 2005, and for that, he was not suspended or fired, or asked to resign, but rather, rallied around by school officials.

Celebrated, even, as a great coach.

Eek.

Principal Peyton Chapman said it wouldn't be fair to his players to remove Adelman because the playoffs were starting. And she pointed out that the criminal offense didn't happen on school time or with students present. There was more to be learned, she insisted, by having the students see how Adelman handled adversity.

And all of this slaps you right in the face when you see Todd vilified, doesn't it?

Now, understand, Todd's actions during spring break were a gross violation of his authority and the trust placed with him as a coach and chaperone. He allegedly took teens under his care to a strip club. The level of stupidity it required was unbelievable.

That said, unlike Adelman, he didn't endanger anyone's life.

Unlike Adelman, he hasn't been charged with a crime.

Unlike Adelman, this was a one-time mistake.

So which offense is worse?

Because Todd resigned. And Adelman made some public apologies, got supported by his principal, but then, privately joked to a peer that he'd like to go have a beer and put it all behind him. Then, he led his team to the state championship game.

One successful local high school coach said of the second DUII, "If that was me, I'd have suspended myself."

I suppose the larger point is that none of us should be surprised that a coach at Lincoln felt entitled to paint outside society's lines. There's an atmosphere of absurdity and tolerance that's been created by Chapman and a few blinded apologist parents.

Anyone who has ever played on an athletics team, coached, or even spent time around one, knows that every moment is a teaching moment. It doesn't matter if your athletes are present or not. It doesn't matter if they're witnessing the transgression or hearing about it at school the following morning.

I suppose it would be convenient if coaches could punch in and out of the job on some imaginary time clock. Lincoln created one for Adelman, who won lots of games and has a famous dad. I'm hopeful that's not the only kind of currency that trades at Lincoln.

Because Todd's resignation was a big move.

Coaches are always teaching. There is no "personal" time vs. "private" time debate here. If the principal at Lincoln doesn't know this, we've arrived at her "get-a-grip" moment. The teaching happens with every breath, and every decision, and every mistake. When you sign on to coach a youth sports team on any level you're accepting a deep responsibility, and your actions need to reflect an understanding of this.

Adelman is human. He'll do better, I hope. But I'm convinced if he does it won't be because he feels pressure or initiative from his employer or his responsibilities. There's something about that that feels twisted and wrong.

Todd resigned?

He did the right thing.

I'm not worried about him. Or the kids he allegedly took to the adult club. I'm more concerned about Lincoln. Because something tells me this won't be the school's last teachable moment.

Gmail Always Good for an April Fool's Day Joke

2009-04-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

This is what I saw when I logged on this morning. They're clever folks at Google, aren't they? :)

Gmail Autopilot^TM by CADIE

Email will never be a thing of the past, but actually reading and writing messages is about to be. Gmail Autopilot automatically manages your inbox better than you can, with zero effort from you. Learn more »

Keep in touch
Brand-new CADIE technology enables Autopilot to scan every one of your incoming messages and automatically send the perfect reply.

Manage relationships
Impress everyone with your prompt and insightful responses to everything from urgent notes from your boss to cute messages from your significant other.

Match your style
Autopilot calibrates for tone, typos and preferred punctuation. It's just like you, but automated.

Whirlwind SoCal Trip Recounted

2009-03-27T15:10:00.001-07:00

With Curtis in Costa Rica for Spring Break, Andreas and I toured the Los Angeles area this week.

We flew down on Monday and were met at Ontario Airport by my mom, sister Brenda, and my nephews Nathan and Thomas. The air was clear and the temperature was perfect! I changed into shorts as quickly as possible. We drove from the airport to the driving tour of where we used to live. Saw my parents' old home (and was saddened that the new owners are not maintaining the yard at all - it looks like crap!) and my high school. Had lunch at the Del Taco where I spent many school day lunch periods during high school. We got chauffeured to Enterprise, where I picked up my Mazda 3 that would get us around for the next few days.

We enjoyed sitting in the sunshine on the back patio and getting another tour of the Rookhuyzen Resort. My mom made a lavish dinner that night and we were joined by my dad's cousin and his wife, as well as Brenda's husband, Dan. A great meal was had by all, only to be topped by Brenda's homemade cheesecake (!). After the other guests left, we went up and sat in the hot tub for a while.

The next morning, Andreas and I left before 9am for our drive to Hollywood. With the horrible traffic, it took us over two hours to arrive at the Chinese Theater. Hollywood Boulevard was closed off in front of the famous theater, as Hollywood was rolling out the red carpet (literally) for the opening of a film neither of us had ever heard of. Andreas enjoyed the celebrity impersonators who pose for pictures with tourists, as well as the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He recognized several of his favorite actors, memorialized on the sidewalk. I tried to get him to do something crazy at the Chuck Norris star, but Andreas could not be convinced.

We had a quick lunch, then drove south to Culver City, where we met up with my parents for a taping of Jeopardy.

Actually, we got to see the taping of two shows. They go very fast. Alex Trebek was the quintessential showman. He spent every free moment with the crowd, answering questions, entertaining, and sharing anecdotes. No trip to Jeopardy would be complete without a mention of Ken Jennings (a fellow BYU alum!). Alex talked about Ken's long winning streak and his eventual demise. It was very cool to see a show in person that I have been watching since my childhood. A librarian won $54,000 in just a few hours. In the second show, a guy won $22,000 in about 20 minutes. Very neat! [In other news, my sister Brenda has qualified to be on Wheel of Fortune, which is taped right next door. Congrats!] One of the clues today was a video clue taped in Denmark at a recognizable-for-Andreas landmark.

After Jeopardy, we went out for Indonesian food with my parents. It was great! Andreas and I then scurried to Venice Beach. We found parking without too much difficulty and then strolled the boardwalk. We saw the Santa Monica Pier off in the distance, but didn't get to see it this trip. Andreas got lots of great pictures at Venice. We both enjoyed the people-watching and the sights.

We next met up with my friend Sloan for dinner. He lives near 3rd/Fairfax and works in the garment district. We dined at Toast (tasty) and it was great to see him again. Sloan tipped us off to the Grove shopping center at the Los Angeles Farmers Market, so we headed over there. We watched the new film, "I Love You, Man." It was great! Coincidentally, the movie was filmed in Los Angeles and Venice Beach and we got to re-trace our day's steps.

We got to the downtown Marriott after 12:30am. Fortunately, we found FREE street parking right in front of the hotel. I slept horrible. We were up bright and early (7:45am) and drove north to Universal Studios. We had crepes for breakfast in CityWalk and were ready to storm the theme park when it opened at 10am. We did the back lot studio tour first, then the Simpsons ride. We went to a special effects demo, the Backdraft show, rode the Jurassic Park and The Mummy rides, etc.

We left at 2pm and headed into Burbank for a taping of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. My sister Morgan and her husband Carlos joined us (just in the nick of time, too, might I add!). We got lucky and got to see Halle Berry, who was promoting a new perfume. We got to see a hilarious spoof called "Name that Sound," where impersonators represented George W. Bush, the Octomom, and someone else. It was awesome! A comedian/voice impersonator named Frank Caliendo was the second guest. The show ended with a musical performance by Prince, who was promoting a new CD. He has always struck me as an odd fellow. I was surprised by how tiny he was. Andreas met three college-aged Danish women in line.

After the taping, we headed back to my sister Brenda's house in Menifee, where another wonderful feast had been prepared. What a wonderful hostess! We spent the night there and I slept GREAT. The following morning, we got a driving tour of her community before heading back to the airport. It was certainly a whirlwind trip, but I am so grateful that I got to see friends and family AND enjoy the beautiful weather of southern California.

Spring Break Plans

2009-03-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

I got an email from Curtis last night, letting me know that he made it to Costa Rica, safe and in one piece. I hope he's having a great time.

Andreas and I fly out early tomorrow morning for southern California. We'll spend the day with my parents and sister Brenda's family, while staying at the Rookhuyzen Resort.

Tuesday, Andreas and I will tour Los Angeles, then go to Culver City and watch a taping of Jeopardy at the Sony Picture Studios. I hope to show him Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier this day. We'll stay the night in Los Angeles.

Wednesday, we'll be up early to visit Universal Studios. We won't have much time there, unfortunately, since we have tickets to see The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in Burbank. The guests are Halle Berry and Frank Caliendo. Fortunately, this is very close to Universal Studios, so we won't lose too much time in transit.

The weather is going to be nice - low-to mid 70s the whole time. And dry! Should be a great Spring Break!

Curtis Journeys to Costa Rica for the 3rd Time!

2009-03-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

Curtis headed out this morning at 4:30am for his third trip to Costa Rica. Lucky him! I would like to accompany him, but not with the 21 middle school students that are also along for the ride. Curtis has three other adult chaperones to help shepherd the little hoodlums.

Some quick facts:
* Costa Rica is smaller than West Virginia
* 27% of the country is set apart for National Parks and reserves

My friend Bob sent me an article, see it here, about Costa Rica (it comes out tomorrow in the New York Times).

Click here for a slideshow of 12 pictures from Costa Rica.

The Kaiser Marathon (Day) / Ear Update

2009-03-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

I met with three Kaiser practitioners today, in three different buildings, in two cities. At 10am, I met with a physical therapist to talk about my back pain that began in January (which is MUCH better now, thank you very much). I've stopped taking the muscle relaxers, bought some suspenders for my belt at work, and generally haven't been suffering from that like I was. She did make sure to point out that I was getting older, and such aches and pains were only going to become more common. :/ She also thought it was time to replace my bed (now almost 10 years old - Thanks, Judy!).

At 11:50am, I went to a different building (same campus) to meet with a nurse practitioner, my first follow-up on my right ear since my hospital visit VERY early Monday morning. She took a simple peek in my ear with the scope and told me, "You need to see a specialist. Right away. I'll call and get you in today." She secured me a 4pm appointment in the suburbs.

Curtis has been a fantastic medical chauffeur. He met me at a light-rail station (I still can't drive due to the pain meds I am on) and drove me to the otolarynologist (wow!). He was by far the best of the day, in information, humor, time spent with me, etc. He had more scopes, a cleaning vacuum, etc. He inspected, then said with total seriousness: "I don't know what you've got going on in there, but you have one messed up ear." I was waiting for the punch line, or the "just kidding," but there was none.

The doc says I had fresh bleeding, dried blood, and a hematoma. The body, trying to help, was trying to cover all this with scar tissue. Not good, he said. He removed as much tissue as he could. He told me to stop my current anti-biotics, because I needed something stronger. He also started me on a steroid (he clarified "not anabolic steroids"). I was hoping to leave the appointment being able to hear, but no such luck.

This means no swimming during Spring Break next week.

(The only good news from this is that we are now using an airline miles credit card. All of the prescriptions, doctor visit co-pays, etc. probably will add up to a free trip for us!)

What? Say Again? Turn that up!

2009-03-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

For the first time since age five, I went to an emergency room early Monday morning – as a patient. We had a delightful time with our friends Rick and Henry on Sunday, but by the time I went to bed, I couldn’t hear out of my right ear. I didn’t think a whole lot about it. After all, I’d been sick (congested and coughing) for at least 10 days (nothing that kept me from going to work, though).

When I laid down, my right ear was downright painful. Really painful. I tried ibuprofen, which usually works pretty fast for me. It did nothing. I soon began looking up home remedies on my iPhone for ear infections. Curtis helped me add garlic juice, but it produced no relief that I know of. My ear continued to hurt. The pain was really bad – an eight!

I knew that Kaiser just cut back their urgent care hours, ending them at 8:30pm. This meant that my only option was to go to the hospital. Curtis drove me (what a great guy!) and we arrived just before 1am. Surprisingly, I got checked in and was in a room within 20 minutes. Soon, a nurse and doctor asked me the same questions and did the same exam. They told me I had an outer ear infection. I was really in pain and was happy when they had a blister pack of Vicodin. It took a while to kick in, but I was finally able to fall asleep about 4am. They also prescribed some oral anti-biotics and drops to go in the ear. Since I’m on painkillers, I have been unable to work.

My ear drained a lot Monday, but since then has been all clogged up. I am going in again tomorrow to make sure it’s getting better. I have not heard anything out of that ear for several days now. It’s weird being half-deaf. I’ve never had an ear infection before. I had no idea they were so painful! It was the worst physical pain I’ve possibly ever felt. Since Monday, I’ve attempted – twice – to stop taking the pain meds. Bad move. The pain returned. Although not as bad as it was on Monday, it’s still pretty noticeable. Unfortunately.

Men in Tights?!

2009-03-19T19:08:00.001-07:00

Second choice for headline: "Andreas Hurls" (a javelin, that is).
Yesterday afternoon, Curtis and I went to our first-ever track meet. Lincoln High School, in beautiful downtown Portland, hosted Grant High School. The weather was clear and delightful, the temperature a delightful 60 degrees. Andreas participated in the javelin throw. I sat in the bleachers at first, watching the runners do their relays and distance runs. It was a lot of fun to watch. I was amazed how many people are on the track and field team. It seemed like a lot, compared to basketball, football, and baseball. There must be a lot of coaches to keep their eyes on so many participants. What's not to like about a sporting event that begins with a shot from a pistol? From what we could tell, Andreas did a great job. It was fun watching all of the throwers, with their different techniques. After throwing, each would help measure the distance thrown. I got some pictures of Andreas, as well as a video. He opted to wear the black tights under his red team shorts as a fashion statement. Just kidding. He didn't feel very modest wearing the short shorts provided by the team. I noticed several other participants did the same thing. I am glad that Andreas is participating in so many activities. I think it really makes his stay a lot more enjoyable.

Argentina Allows Gays to Openly Serve in the Military

2009-03-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

http://www.queerty.com/a-new-argentina-overturns-gay-military-ban-20090302/

It's Official: We're going to South America

2009-03-02T10:44:00.001-08:00

I love the planning and research (sometimes a lot, sometimes just a little) that goes into our annual vacation. There's a somewhat predictable routine: getting an acceptable block of time off at work; seeing where the cruise ships will be; checking prices on cruises and land vacations; checking out library books on particular countries, regions, etc. Then comes the next step: making the travel purchase, almost always online.

We made it official last night. Before going to bed, we sat down and bought our plane tickets for South America. We'll fly to Chile, sightsee, make our way to Argentina, see a few cities, then take a ferry from Buenos Aires to Montevideo, Uruguay. Three new country stamps for the passport and a new continent to count!

View Larger Map

Valentine's Day and Oregon's Birthday

2009-02-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

Today my Valentine got me the newest John Grisham book, The Associate. I look forward to reading anything that man writes and this new book will make me current on all of his published works. Thanks, Valentine! I got my Valentine a gift card to HairM, a unique salon in downtown Portland.

---

Later, we're going to the Oregon Historical Society to celebrate Oregon's 150th birthday (Oregon, you're an old man!). Down in Salem, the original, handwritten state constitution is on display. Despite all of its problems (mostly government finances), this is a wonderful place to live and raise exchange students. I am quite happy here.

Bumper Stickers Seen

2009-02-14T11:26:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, while out and about, I saw two clever bumper stickers:

1) "God bless our troops, especially the snipers."

and

2) "The way to a man's rod is through his fly." [This was a fishing bumper sticker, you sickos!]

LASIK Surgery Completed - All is Well

2009-01-23T13:50:00.001-08:00

After two pre-surgical visits, I went in for my scheduled surgery yesterday at 2:30pm. Thanks to Bob and Nancy for giving me a ride to the surgeon's office. At 3:38pm, I was walking out the door, somewhat clumsily, due to two Ativan pills dispensed to me prior to my appointment with the laser. Every patient gets them, I was told, to help "take the edge off." I was slightly anxious, so I didn't decline them.

I was given a head cover and booties for my shoes, since the surgical suite is a sterile environment. Curtis arrived just as I was taken back to the surgical suite. I was delighted that he brought the camera to capture the transformation of my eyes.

It was cold, so I was wrapped in a blanket from my neck down. Some kind of clip held my eyes open, one at a time. I was told to gaze at a flashing orange light, which I did.

As many people had told me, it was fast and painless. It took less than 15 seconds for one laser to create the corneal flap (the surgical staff counted down for me). I was then re-positioned to a different laser that worked on the prescription. There was indeed a burning hair smell while the laser did its job on my eyes, as well as a not-so-pleasant sound.

The medicine seemed to take effect while I was on my back. They asked me questions or directed me to do things, and it seemed like I was unable to move my mouth or talk. It seemed slow motion. I had been inside the surgical suite for only 14 minutes.

I could immediately read the clock on the wall and license plates and signs outside. They fitted me with funny-looking dark goggles. Curtis drove me home, where I went to sleep - goggles on. I slept for several hours, quite soundly.

[Photos Curtis took while the doctor and laser were working on me.]

I had a follow-up appointment at 8:45am today. I drove myself, without glasses or contacts (first time in 12 years!). I was 20/15 in my left eye, 20/20 in my right eye, and 20/15 together. My vision should continue to get better as my eyes heal. What a great adventure!

This video shows me removed my contact lenses for the last time, on January 6th.

See What a Mischievous Bay Area Artist Did

2009-01-23T13:46:00.000-08:00

A bay-area artist re-christened several "Bush" street signs in San Francisco, before being caught by local police.

Sources: http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/01/sign-of-times.html and http://sfist.com/2008/11/03/bush_street_renamed.php

I Highly Recommend "Anyone and Everyone"

2009-01-16T10:32:00.000-08:00

I recently attended a Portland PFLAG meeting, where I had read they would be showing a documentary called "Anyone and Everyone." This documentary, I read, covered the coming-out process from a variety of religious and cultural perspectives: Catholic, Mormon, Cherokee Indian, etc.

This was a wonderful way to spend 57 minutes of my time. [Thanks to the friends who joined me there!] The documentary was powerful in its impact and thought-provoking. I was especially touched by the LDS family portrayed in the movie, Robert, Kerry and Lanette Graves. The Graves are featured most prominently in the movie and have a neat story to tell. I got to meet Lanette Graves at the Washington D.C. Affirmation National Conference in 2007. She is an amazing speaker, who speaks directly from the heart. The love she feels for her son and the way she expresses it is beyond admirable.

You can watch a trailer for "Anyone and Everyone" right here. To see when it will be on PBS in your area, check here.

Why Shouldn't I Be Able to Donate Blood?

2009-01-16T10:24:00.000-08:00

This is something that has bothered me for quite some time. I'm surprised that I haven't written about it before. [With my memory, maybe I should check!] Why can't I donate blood? Or the more appropriate question: Why don't the Red Cross and other blood banks accept blood donations from gay men (or men who have had sex with men, even once, since 1977)? My next question: Why the hell was 1977 the cut-off? :)

I was raised watching my mom consistently donate blood and being sad when she was turned away for a low iron count, etc. I donated blood during high school and college. Heck, I even sold plasma during college. It's sad, with blood banks seemingly always reporting low levels of emergency blood, and me with my valuable O- blood-type, that I would be turned away.

This editorial here is wonderful. Please take the time to read it.

So why can't I donate now? Because I'm an honest person. Even though I know that the Red Cross will screen my blood, I won't lie about who I am. It's time for their policy to change.

Great Video Clip

2009-01-15T16:03:00.000-08:00

Click here to see a dog with boundless energy, frolicking in the snow. Funny, with or without sound. Thanks, Aunt Kim, for sharing this.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-26T22:50:00.001-08:00

Andreas made us some delicious Danish rice pudding this year. Normally, I'm not a rice pudding fan myself, but I tried his and really liked it. It miracuslously disappeared from our refrigerator in a short time.

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, though it didn't quite turn out like we expected. We had planned on celebrating in southern California, where it would be warm. This seemed especially wonderful when snow hit Portland, almost two weeks ago. Unfortunately, the impact crippled the city and the airport. Curtis and Andreas were due to fly out on the 22nd. Despite a valiant effort to get to PDX with suitcases in tow (in the snow!), their flight was canceled. Alaska Airlines said they could not be re-booked until the 26th. I was due to fly out on the 24th after work on Southwest. I never checked to see if my flight left or not (unlikely), as I wasn't going to spend it apart from my guys. I was sad to not see my parents and sister Brenda, though.

I got off early on Christmas Eve and rode the MAX downtown for some last-minute shopping that Santa needed to do. I hit Abercrombie, Macy's, Safeway, and Rite Aid. Curtis had invited some friends over for a Christmas Eve dinner. We were delighted that we weren't the only ones in town. Kevin, Sam, Rick, Henry, Daniel, and my sister Tina joined us for a wonderful dinner of salad, ham, green bean salad, mashed potatoes, gravy, and dessert. We then shared Christmas memories, read Luke 2 from the Bible ("Just like dad does," Tina reported to me), and sang some Christmas carols. It was a good time spent with some good people.

Curtis, Andreas, Tina and I walked in the snow to midnight mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in NW Portland. There was a good turnout, but not as full as it normally is. The music was fantastic and enjoyable! By the time Santa was done with his work, it was 3:30am! Tina slept on the couch.

Surprisingly, I was the first one up (around 9:45am). We opened our stockings first, then took turns handing out presents and opening them up individually. I thought Tina had been naughty this year, but Santa brought her some gifts anyway (she was to receive many more later at Aunt Kim's house). I got a bunch of good books and movies this year. Andreas gave me "Dark Knight" and a Joker bobble-head, as well as a Blockbuster gift card. Curtis gave me a very nice duty bag for work. I also received "Into the Wild," a wonderful movie made from the great book of the same name. I got a new scarf, too! Aunt Kim gave me gift cards to Red Lobster and the Cheesecake Factory (does she know me, or what?).

The next highlight of the day was dinner at my Aunt Kim's house. I hiked down to PSU and picked up an all-wheel-drive Subaru. I picked up everyone at my condo, then we headed out to NE Portland. The roads were good. Once we arrived, heavy snow began. We brought lots of Martinelli's and made some spinach artichoke tartlet appetizers. Kim and Brian did the rest. We feasted on ham, Mormon potatoes, green bean casserole, jello, and more I can't even remember. Dessert was pies (several kinds) and Christmas cookies.

After dinner, we came home and watched "A Christmas Story," which has to be my favorite Christmas movie. One of Tina's co-workers came and picked her up, since she had to be to work at 8am the next day.

Our original holiday plans didn't work out, but our holiday was awesome! I am grateful to have family in Portland.

New Cooking Toys

2008-12-26T22:41:00.000-08:00

We recently attended a cooking party/sales presentation put on by one of Curtis' co-workers. She sells for Demarle at Home, which is a French professional cooking product line. We spent almost $200 on products, which we told ourselves would be our Christmas gifts to one another.

One of the items we bought (and have used the most so far) is a tartlet tray. We bought an a cookie cutter-type tool and a shaper and have been in the appetizer business ever since. We took some spinach artichoke tartlets to Christmas dinner yesterday and they were a hit. We've also made some sweet tartlets using raspberry preserves. Here is the tray, which is flexible and non-stick.

Here is how we make them (the pie dough is pre-made and comes in a roll from the grocery store):

Snow Pics

2008-12-26T22:37:00.000-08:00

Curtis and Andreas enjoyed the snow. Here is some proof.

Did Mother Nature Confuse Portland, ME with Portland, OR?

2008-12-26T21:50:00.001-08:00

We have had unusually harsh weather this Winter. If my eavesdropping ears heard right, we have had 16.5 inches of snow in the past two weeks. Our car is snowed in and hasn't moved in over a week. We have a steepish driveway that still hasn't recovered from last week's ice rain. Even our neighbors with SUVs have not moved them or are parking on the street and hiking up. Schools in Portland and Beaverton closed for a full week prior to the normally-scheduled Christmas vacation due to the harsh weather. I have had to drive my patrol car around with chains on.

My secrets to getting around this Winter have been:

1) Not driving (except at work). I have taken the MAX (Portland's light-rail train) to work every day since the storms started. The system has been very reliable, particularly the leg I use between home and my office.

2) If you must drive, and your BMW sedan just isn't cutting it, take a Zipcar all-wheel drive Subaru for a spin. Having a membership with Zipcar prior to the harsh weather allowed us to make some much-needed escapes from downtown (Christmas dinner, for example). If you would like to join Zipcar, I would love to refer you!

3) Good quality footwear. My Danner boots, made to order in Portland, Oregon, have done an awesome job in this weather.

4) Yaktrax. They do for shoes what snow chains do for car tires. They have been invaluable, both at work and at home. Have some ready for the next time this kind of weather strikes!

5) Columbia Sportswear gear. Waterproof and weatherproof. Enough said.

Let There Be Sight II

2008-12-20T15:37:00.001-08:00

Since I last wrote about my eyes, I have been to a consultation for all-laser Lasik vision correction surgery. I am a candidate. After extensive testing, I learned that it will cost $3,598. As part of the testing, the nice lady put drops in my eyes to dilate my pupils. They really dilated! With my pupils that dilated, I couldn't see anything up close. It was scary. Fortunately, Curtis was there to drive me home.

I have a tentative surgery date of 1/8/09. I might move that back a week, but it's nice to have a date set.

Snow = We Don't Need No Education

2008-12-19T18:49:00.001-08:00

There has been no school this week due to the snow and ice in Portland. I drove to work on Sunday and everything was fine, though cold. During briefing, it began snowing. It has been on and off snow ever since then. With the freezing temps, the roads have been perilous. I'm not a fan of snow, as many of you already know. I had to have chains put on my patrol car on Sunday. I ran around, going from crash to crash, until it got really, really old. Cars are so well-built now that I didn't see any serious injuries. I worked "the road" Monday and Tuesday, as well, assisting several more people who had crashed into cars, other stationary objects, power poles, etc. I was glad that I had training scheduled for Wednesday. A reprieve from crashes!

There has been no school for Curtis or Andreas all week due to the snowy and icy roads. They have had a blast playing in the snow, sledding, and building a snowman.

Another Movie Recommendation: "Derailed"

2008-12-13T18:17:00.001-08:00

Starring Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen, this gripping thriller will have you on the edge of your seat. What starts as an innocent introduction on a Chicago-bound commuter train becomes a passionate, psychological thriller with some unexpected twists and turns (unless you're a movie critic, apparently). I recommend Derailed.

Christmas is Coming!

2008-12-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

We got our lovely tree last Saturday (they're only $15 in Oregon where we go) and it's all decorated and pretty. I also got our Christmas cards out in the mail today. We're slowly getting ready for the big day.

An Apology over Proposition 8

2008-12-12T15:21:00.001-08:00

I got this emailed to me and liked it. I did a little editing. The original source is http://forgivenessfor8.blogspot.com/

What more can be said? I'm sorry I'm sorry.

I am sorry to my gay and lesbian friends in California that we Mormons got involved in an issue designed specifically to deprive you of the social and legal comforts that marriage can bring. I am sorry that we Mormons live in a world of contradiction.

On the one-hand we condemn the homosexual community for its supposed instability, promiscuity, and immorality, while on the other we seek to deny you the very institution which, according to our own heterosexual world-view, would provide the stability, commitment, and moral fortitude we claim you lack. I am sorry because we claim that that children have the "right" to be raised in a home with a father and a mother.

We are so committed to this idea in fact, that we would rather see those children already born into difficult and non-ideal circumstances languish in foster-care and other flawed systems, rather than be given the love and stability that your homes are so ready and willing to provide. Oddly, we claim that children have this "right" to both mother and father yet our own divorce rates would indicate that many Mormon children do not enjoy this "right."

Also, I'm sorry that all of our attention has been focused on you and not on preventing single persons the ability to adopt, or stripping children way from single mothers or widows and who are depriving their children of this "right" to both mother and father. I'm sorry that we have spent so much time and so many resources in this "moral" battle while ignoring other battles of equal, if not more certain moral concern. For a church that has, for at least one given reason, engaged in the Proposition 8 fight to protect the will of the voters, we have been oddly silent about troubling provisions of the Patriot Act, for example, which clearly violate the rights of voters and citizens.

What more can be said? I'm sorry.

Let There be Sight

2008-12-12T14:56:00.000-08:00

I got a letter in the mail from my employer's Human Resources department. It invited me to a meeting where Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) would be discussed. They had also chosen a new, different provider, and questions could be answered. I read more about FSAs and attended the meeting after processing the information.

FSAs provide a place for pre-tax dollars from my paychecks to hang out until I need to be reimbursed for an approved health-care related expense. Medical/dental appointment deductibles are eligible, as are purchases of home health care items, and laser eye surgery. An employee can contribute up to $2,500 per year for their own (or for their dependents') care. The money does not get carried over from year to year.

Laser eye surgery? I have been needing/wanting to have this procedure done, but was never quite sure how to squeeze it into the old budget. By setting aside a certain amount per pay period, I can pay for the procedure with money that otherwise would have gone to taxes! At the meeting, I also learned something even more intriguing: I can have the procedure done before I have contributed my full amount. That part shocked me. But sooner is better. My eyes have been getting worse with each new prescription.

I have two appointments scheduled with different clinics to see how their services/rates compare. OHSU's Casey Vision Correction Center quoted me $1,975 per eye (!).

Movie Recommendation: Proof

2008-12-12T14:51:00.001-08:00

I watched a fantastic movie the other night called Proof. There was brilliant acting from three of my favorite actors: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins. Also, Hope Davis does a fine job as the voice of reason and efficiency. The movie deals with mathematics, mental illness and genius. I highly recommend it. It's even PG-13. For those of you still not convinced, my friend Eric, a professional movie critic, gave it a B (for proof on Proof, see here). When critics give something a B, it means that normal people would really enjoy it. So go see it.

Warren's Masterpiece

2008-12-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

My cousin Warren has some fancy camera. Check out this masterpiece shot of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin Headlands. Pretty fancy, eh?

German Christmas Tradition Continues

2008-12-05T16:13:00.001-08:00

Our second exchange student, Alex Herzog, surprised us again this year with a neat tradition that he and his family do: a German advent calendar, complete with delicious German truffles and candies. Each day, we get to devour one of these wrapped candies (they are numbered). Here is a picture of this year's edition. Thanks so much, Alex and Sabine!

Sister Tina Turns 25!

2008-12-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

I haven't been very good about updating my blog lately. Life has been so busy and hectic. On November 21st, I got to spend most of the day with my sister, Tina. She turned 25. She moved across the country recently, has bills to pay, and is new at her job. Her birthday wish was as humble as it was pragmatic: "Can I get my oil changed? I haven't had it changed since before I drove across the country." It didn't seem very festive, but that's what she wanted. Curtis and I paid to have her oil changed. Aunt Kim joined us for a birthday lunch at Round Table Pizza (very yummy!).

Tina then wanted to get her hair cut, so I drove her to the Beau Monde Salon in downtown Portland. That must be French for extremely slow, as we were there for THREE hours. To be fair, she had some coloring or highlights done, but still. She ended with a different look. What do you think?

Before and After (sucky iPhone pictures)

Two of her friends joined Curtis, Andreas and me for dinner at the Courtyard Restaurant at McMenamins' Kennedy School. We then had everyone rendezvous back at our condo for birthday cake and ice cream (see video below). Curtis and Tina then went out for a night on the town. I chauffeured them to and from their selected establishments.

Almost-Annual Thanksgiving Trek a "Great Success!"

2008-12-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

I left work on Wednesday at 3pm. Curtis left work early and Andreas already had the day off. Andreas had been afraid of being late (good man!), so he was at the light-rail station by my office at 2:30pm. My trainee and I picked him up in my "company car" and drove him back to my office. He obviously had to sit in the back seat, which we didn't think was a big deal. As we turned into my office driveway, though, 40+ elementary school kids saw him in the back seat and wondered what this dangerous Dane did (how's that for alliteration?).

We left my office and headed south. Traffic was reasonable, but not as good as we had hoped by sneaking out a couple hours earlier than normal. We drove south, alternating between Curtis and me, stopping only for a brief dinner. We arrived at the Sacramento Hyatt, relieved to have reached our destination.

The next morning, Curtis was out jogging when Andreas and I woke up, so we went swimming. Curtis re-joined us and we met our friends Jinnie and Collin and other assorted friends and family for a Thanksgiving breakfast at a joint called Lyon's (similar to Denny's). We then hung out at Jinnie's house until the big meal was ready. I got to help the effort by peeling potatoes and later by doing dishes.

We had a delightful, picture-perfect meal, complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, green bean casserole, etc. Curtis and I provided some Marie Callender's pies and Thrifty ice cream for dessert.

The next morning, we met for a group photo at the California state capitol. We arrived before the rest of the group and happened upon a small group protesting the passage of Proposition 8 (see my earlier blog post here). We happily joined them and stood with them for 30 minutes or so.

We bought some of their "Fight for Civil Rights" wrist-bands. We went into the capitol building and Collin placed us all for one of his perfect group photos. After that, we all went to Tres Hermanas (a delightfully spicy Mexican restaurant) for lunch. Andreas and I strolled Sutter's Fort very briefly.

We headed off to San Francisco for the second half of our trip. We stayed this time at the San Francisco Hilton on O'Farrell. What a great location this turned out to be. We were steps from Union Square, which was hopping with activity. We arrived just after 5pm and the city's tree was to be lit at 6pm. We walked through Macy's and several other stores. We then walked to Chinatown for some shopping and dinner. The three of us drove into the Castro district, but most of the stores were closed. Curtis and I dropped Andreas off at the hotel and then returned to Castro.

The next day, we had plans with my cousin Warren and his new wife, Teeny. It had been years since I had seen Warren and we had LOTS to talk about. I had never met Teeny, as the two of them just reached 14 months together. What a wonderful, happy couple they are. I haven't seen two people that much in love for quite some time. It's refreshing to see. It was great to see Warren so happy. They have known each other for many years and have quite the love story.

Since they were running late, we headed out and drove to Lombard Street, showing Andreas the zig-zaggiest road in America. A short time later, we got fetched at the hotel by our SF guides. Teeny is a native (or as close as you can be - she grew up in Fairfield) and knows the place like the back of her hand. We drove to Golden Gate National Park (state park?) and parked.

We then walked around, enjoying gorgeous and scenic views of my favorite San Francisco landmark. We then walked around the Palace of Fine Arts, but it was closed.

We had lunch at Fisherman's Wharf (I love it!) then admired the barking seals (I was reminded of my former barking beagle, Demi) at Pier 39.

We then headed over the Bay Bridge onto Treasure Island for a photo op. Next, we headed over the Golden Gate to the Marin Headlands. There was a road and trail I had never before seen. The views of the bridge as the sun was setting were breathtaking.

We next parked in Castro and walked around as a group. An admirer approached Andreas and spoke of his admiration for him, but then quickly walked off. This was good, as I became quite protective of the kid and was eager to speak my mind to this fellow. We had some Mexican food as we prepared for our Greek dinner. The new Sean Penn movie Milk, which debuted on Castro, was still playing to sell-out crowds.

We had 9:45pm reservations at Kokkari, a Greek restaurant. We all enjoyed the fine feast of appetizers. This was a great recommendation!

We returned Sunday evening early enough for Andreas to proudly show us one of his new favorite movies (and the first movie he saw on American soil), Tropic Thunder. It was silly, but funny. [I just checked my friend Eric's web site and found a rarity. Tropic Thunder happened to be a movie that he liked more than I did!]

Rainy Days are here...

2008-11-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

I took this photo recently. Is it apparent what this is (no, not the rain, silly)?

Birthday #33 Appropriately Celebrated

2008-11-03T21:41:00.000-08:00

Toward the end of October, I celebrated my 33rd birthday. It was a very special day and a very happy one. I got numerous cards and many recorded well-wishes on my voicemail. Right after waking up, Andreas informed me that it was almost night-time in Denmark and told me that I needed to open his gift. He hand-carried it from home when he arrived in August. Here is what he brought me:
A hand-made knife made by a Danish artisan. It came in a wonderful wood box, has a fixed blade with an awesome design in the metal, a silver-lined handle, and a Siberian mammoth tooth for the base.

Curtis, Andreas and I then visited our local farmer's market (it is superb!). I had my customary strawberry estrella pastry from the same baker (I am a creature of habit). As we wandered into downtown, we stopped and saw a historic house being moved (click here for a really cool time-lapse video of the move). During the time we watched it, we were fed free hot dogs by the construction company and watched professionals cut down decades-old trees to make room for the house to move down the street. I left them to go have a wonderful Thai lunch at my favorite Thai restaurant, which Eric provided.

We then went to Sauvie Island, where we took Andreas to a corn maze. This one wasn't nearly as fun as the one we normally go to in North Plains. We then chose pumpkins from the field and saw the adorable petting zoo, where a calf licked my hand. The pumpkin launcher (think sling shot for pumpkins) was quite entertaining.

Curtis' gift to me was my first-ever professional massage. Actually, we both went for massages. It certainly was relaxing. The LMTs played piano music and I even picked out some Mormon sacrament music songs in there. Other than hearing the CD repeat a few times, I had no worries or concerns.

Dinner was at El Gaucho, where we ordered the exact same things that we always do: tableside prepared Caesar salad, filet mignon, southwest scalloped potatoes, wild mushroom risotto, etc. They gave me a slice of cheesecake for my birthday, but I was much too full to enjoy it at that moment. When we got home, I was surprised to see a box from The Cheesecake Factory in my fridge. Curtis and Andreas snuck down there while Eric and I had lunch. Andreas' parents, Bo and Lene, provided the white chocolate macadamia nut cheesecake (Thanks!). Soon, we were joined by my sister Tina and friends Brian and Lee for dessert. They sang to me and I generally felt quite loved. It was a great day!

Thoughts on Prop. 8...

2008-10-31T09:57:00.000-07:00

California's Proposition 8

I have waited way too long to sit down and write how I feel about California's Proposition 8, which will be decided very soon. Whatever voters in California decide about Prop. 8, I'll be happy when election day is over. I get so many emails about it, from family and friends. I also subscribe to email mailing lists that have dozens of messages a day on the topic. I skim most of them, as I want to keep up with what is going on.

Here are some cool commercials I saw. Video #1 Video #2 Video #3

If you've been living in a cave and haven't heard, California's Prop. 8 proposes to amend the California state constitution to include the following words: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

For those few words, nearly $60 million has been raised to influence the undecided. I was saddened to learn that people I know (some I even still love!) have contributed over $50,000 to the proponents of Prop. 8. That's a lot of money that could have been better used to fight homelessness, poverty, hunger, etc. How sad that it went to a political entity that is striving to codify discrimination.

This issue has been debated within my own family and has caused some tension. Family members are on both ends of the spectrum and some are somewhere in the middle. For me, I consider marriage to be something that should be able to be entered into by consenting, non-related adults. The two should be able to obtain a marriage license from their local government agency and then have a nice ceremony with their loved ones, followed by a life lived happily ever after.

Tradition and Significance

Gay people have always been around. I suspect that they won't disappear anytime soon. Just because marriage has traditionally been between one man and one woman doesn't mean it should legally have to stay that way. I am proud and grateful that I have several good examples of long-term gay relationships in my circle of friends. I admire them and respect them so much.

Marriage means different things to different people. A relative wrote to me that God had never sanctified a gay union. I think that's an entirely different issue than what's on this ballot measure. A marriage's religious significance comes from the individuals involved and - if they choose to include one - a church or a religion. No church would be forced to marry gay people that didn't want to. Pay attention - it's not happening in Massachusetts, California, or Connecticut right now.

Issuing a marriage license is a government function, one that should not be restricted solely to one man and one woman.

The California Supreme Court

California voters passed Proposition 22 in 2000 with 61% approval. The language in Prop. 22 is the same as in the current Prop. 8 and effectively prevented California from recognizing same-sex marriages for the past eight years. When lawsuits contesting the constitutionality of Prop. 22 came before the state supreme court, the court ruled in May 2008 that Prop. 22 violated the state's constitution, rendering it invalid. Bravo for the California Supreme Court, which was criticized as being an activist court.

This is simply what people nowadays call courts that make decisions that they don't care for. The courts have the final say. That is their job. The United States Constitution is the standard by which their decision has to be made.

Save marriage. Protect the sanctity of marriage.

These are some of the words and battle cries being shouted out by advocates of Prop. 8. To them I say "great." Where is the ballot measure and the accompanying web sites, fundraising, and media blitz to save and protect the sanctity of marriage. As it is now, people can drive through a wedding chapel in Las Vegas. They can get married, change their mind, and have it annulled hours later.

The truth is: my relationship doesn't threaten yours. Whether I call my other half my partner or my husband, it mattereth not to you. Trust me, your relationship is safe.

Domestic partnerships aren't the same thing as marriage.

Proponents of Prop. 8 suggest that the same rights of marriage are available in a domestic partnership. That's silly. Why then couldn't they be called the same thing? Proponents of Prop. 8 claim that they don't discriminate against gay people because they support domestic partnerships. Wrong.

Mormons and Marriage

The Mormon church has really been vocal in its support for Prop. 8. Mormon families and congregations have been asked to contribute to Yes on 8 and have done so in great obedience. The wording of Prop. 8 contradicts the early Mormon teaching of plural marriage (one man, multiple wives). The persecution of Mormons over this issue led them to leave the boundaries of the United States, forming colonies in Mexico and Canada to continue the practice.

When gay marriage was legalized in Canada, there was no mobilization like we are seeing in California. Ditto for the Netherlands, Denmark, and other progressive, modern nations.

Marriage: A constitutional issue?

The United States Constitution does not contain the word "marriage." The Declaration of Independence contains the words and the founding fathers' fundamental belief that "all men are created equal." Writing discrimination into law is inherently unconstitutional. An argument that a domestic partnership is the same as marriage creates a "separate but equal" argument that certainly didn't work in more recent United States history.

If you are a California voter and have not voted absentee, please carefully consider your vote on Proposition 8. Do you want discrimination codified?

Web Resources:

A wonderful video including LDS (Mormon) scriptural references is here.

http://www.noonprop8.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_8_(2008)

http://mormonsformarriage.com/

One of Calfornia's senators speaks out against Prop. 8 here.

A Yes on 8 video is here. Some cute kids singing their support for Prop. 8 is here.

Obama Helped Norwegian Stranger Years Ago

2008-10-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

I liked this story and thought you might like it, too.

12 Important Reasons Why Gay Marriage Will Ruin Society

2008-10-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

This was emailed to me and made me laugh.

12 Important Reasons Why Gay Marriage Will Ruin Society

1. Homosexuality is not natural, much like eyeglasses, polyester, and birth control are not natural.

2. Heterosexual marriages are valid because they produce children. Infertile couples and old people cannot get legally married because the world needs more children.

3. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children because straight parents only raise straight children.

4. Straight marriage will be less meaningful, since Britney Spears's 55-hour just-for-fun marriage was meaningful.

5. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time, and it hasn't changed at all: women are property, Blacks can't marry Whites, and divorce is illegal.

6. Gay marriage should be decided by the people, not the courts, because the majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of minorities.

7. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are always imposed on the entire country. That's why we only have one religion in America. [Which one would THAT be?]

8. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people makes you tall.

9. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage license.

10. Children can never succeed without both male and female role models at home. That's why single parents are forbidden to raise children.

11. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time, and we could never adapt to new social norms because we haven't adapted to cars or longer lifespans.

12. Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because a "separate but equal" institution is always constitutional. Separate schools for African-Americans worked just as well as separate marriages will for gays & lesbians.

The above list was compiled by GatorGSA , a group of people who clearly have their heads screwed on straight, no pun intended.

Friend on TV Opposing Prop. 8

2008-10-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

My friend George Cole, who I met through Portland's chapter of Affirmation, was recently on TV as he protested in Oakland, CA. Here is the link:

http://cbs5.com/video/?id=40971@kpix.dayport.com

Home Improves in my Absence

2008-10-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

I don't believe that we plan these things ahead of time, but whenever I leave for a weekend or more, I return home to some neat home improvements. Many years ago, I flew to Utah for my grandpa's funeral and returned to my house being painted. During my trip to SoCal earlier this month, Curtis did some work on the master bathroom. I dug into my photo archives to provide you with some before and after, so you can appreciate the changes as much as I do. He is quite a handy fellow to have around.

BEFORE

I was never a fan of the sink or wood back splash, which inevitably always got wet. The sink had those annoying handles that had to go clockwise on the right side but was counter-clockwise on the left side. With soap on your hands, they were simply not pleasant.

Here is a side view that shows the former sink, light fixture, and wood back splash.

AFTER

Look at the pleasant new back splash that Curtis installed.A much nicer sink.The new light fixture is much more modern.

October trip to SoCal

2008-10-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, I flew to Los Angeles to attend the annual Affirmation conference. My friend Jason picked me and two others up at the airport. After a night in Cypress, the four of us spent the following day at California Adventure and Disneyland. It was $94 for an adult, two-park ticket. It was a lot of fun and the lines weren't bad at all. A lot was the same since I was a kid and a lot had changed. One example: the submarine ride was now a Finding Nemo-themed adventure.

On Friday, my parents picked me up in Cypress and we headed out to Santa Monica, where they have a favorite Indonesian restaurant. I adore Indonesian food and don't get it nearly enough. Fortunately, Portland has a plethora of Thai restaurants and my adoration for them is almost equal. Their favorite Indonesian had been shut down due to a fire, but I spied another Indonesian restaurant across the street. The food was excellent and plentiful.

We then headed to Santa Monica Pier, where we saw the new trapeze school that I had read about in the airline magazine. We walked around a bit. The weather was ever-pleasant and we noticed many fishermen enjoying the day. We then strolled to what is possibly the world's best people-watching venue, the boardwalk at Venice Beach. What a place! We enjoyed watching the sights (people), saw muscle beach, and enjoyed each other's company. They dropped me off at the San Pedro Doubletree Hotel and then endured Friday night traffic back to Corona. Thanks, old people!

The Affirmation Conference was great. I got to know my friends Stacey and Matt a lot better. I met a lot of cool new people, including a family I knew as a primary kid in Riverside. The parents were not only there supporting their gay daughter, but the three of them presented a workshop on Saturday morning talking about their journey. The parents ultimately decided to have their names removed from the church's membership records for several reasons, among them that they were disappointed with the church's reaction to their gay daughter. They found the organization to be somewhat hypocritical: their daughter was to be excommunicated for being in a loving, committed relationship, while the church regularly provides food and emergency shelter to female members who are unwed mothers.

I got to hear from Dr. Gary Watts (always a conference favorite), who leads a group called Family Fellowship. I also heard from D. Michael Quinn, a Mormon historian and author of Same-Sex Dynamics Among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example. Entertainment on Saturday night was provided by the Gay Mafia and was hilarious. My friend Jason Giles won the national leadership award (see here). He is the leader of our Portland chapter. Next year's conference is in Salt Lake City. I look forward to these yearly events.

Camping at Ike Kinswa State Park

2008-10-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

Beautiful and tranquil Mayfield Lake

We went camping last weekend at Ike Kinswa State Park, near Mossyrock, WA. Curtis planned the trip and we went with our delightful friends Kelly and Jeff and their beautiful baby son, Logan. My sister Tina came with us, too, and it was wonderful to spend some time with her. I rode up with her on Friday and Curtis and Andreas drove in the beamer. Kelly and Jeff arrived first, setting up their trailer with all of its modern-day-life conveniences. I had been afraid that it would rain on us and our simple tent, so we booked a $45/night cabin, just steps from Mayfield Lake. The scenery was stunning. We had been to this park twice before on day trips, but this was our first time spending the night.

The cabin had portable heaters and electricity, but no running water inside. It also had two big rooms and sleeping arrangements for five. We made skewers and cooked them over an open fire for Friday's dinner. Kelly made homemade cinnamon rolls for Saturday's breakfast. They were very tasty and I think we all want the recipe!

We spent Saturday hiking around the beautiful park. It turned out to be a sunny-yet-cool day, perfect to be outdoors.

This video below (starring Andreas) shows an activity that caused me to giggle each and every time. Kelly and Jeff have literally harnessed the energy of their dog "Lindy."

I headed home Saturday night, as I had to work bright and early Sunday morning. The rest of the group came home Sunday night. A great time was had by all!

Blanding Residents Up in Arms about Sculpture's Penis

2008-10-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

An anatomically correct sculpture of the humpbacked flute player Kokopelli has been moved from the front of Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum in Blanding after complaints from a local group calling itself the "Values Committee."

Park manager Teri Paul said she planned to remove the Kokopelli sculpture from the park entirely after a group of Blanding residents threatened a protest because the sculpture has a penis. Kokopelli was considered a fertility god and healer by ancient Indian cultures.
But Paul decided to relocate the piece instead after another group of residents protested what they said was censorship.
"This [Values Committee] group has let it be known that they

An uproar from several Blanding locals about the Kokopelli statue (the ancestral Puebloan god of fertility) in front of the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum in Blanding got state park officials to move the statue after it had been in place since 1989. ( Courtesy Utah State Parks)

are offended by it and would like it removed," said State Parks director Mary Tullius, adding that the group was "complaining that it has male anatomy so it is too phallic for some of the locals. Our intention is to be good partners in the community and we feel like this is a reasonable compromise."
The sculpture by Bluff artist Joe Pachak has welcomed visitors to the museum since 1989. It will be placed today in a less obvious place inside the park, according to Paul.
Paul quoted Pachak, who did not return a call Wednesday, as agreeing to move the sculpture and replace it with another piece because he did not want to "bring any negativity to the museum."
Blanding resident Harold Lyman supported moving the statue. He objected to the anatomical representation on the statue. He objected to the phallic symbol, saying it sometimes appears on rock art and sometimes does not.
Bluff resident Susan Dexter was among those who favored leaving the sculpture in place.
"Kokopelli is just a statue," she said. "Give me a break. It's not like a massive erection like some of the ones you see on the panels. It's nothing like that."
Dexter said the staff was capitulating either to Puritan thinking or local business interests.
"If they are going to be bullied, they should at least announce it so other people can step up," she said. "If a handful of ladies can pressure a state park into changing their displays without anybody having input, that should be outrageous to everybody. . . . These poor ladies have never been to Florence or Rome or any actual art museum. They would be scandalized."
Paul said a female member of the group also complained about datura plants in front of the museum because of their hallucinogenic properties, claiming park managers are encouraging its use. Paul said the native plant is common in the area and will not be removed.
Park officials said the Kokopelli sculpture is a representation of rock art imagery from Arizona's Canyon de Chelly National Monument. It is similar to other rock art depictions of the deity commonly seen throughout the Four Corners Region.
This isn't the first time State Parks and Recreation has removed something from a museum after a complaint.

Source: The Salt Lake Tribune

Fondue Lack We Not

2008-10-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Happy October to all. This year continues to fly by.

Portland has at least two fondue restaurants: one national chain and one local. The Melting Pot is the national chain. Although they have the better name, Curtis and I checked out Urban Fondue last night. Gotta support the little guy! I'm very glad we did, too. There was only one other table occupied when we arrived. And it stayed that way through our appetizer, dinner and dessert.

I thought back fondly to my first time experiencing fondue. I was in Lelystad, The Netherlands. My good friend Trees (pronounced "Trace" in Dutch) supplied it. As was everything she ever made for me, it was delectable. She had different meats and many types of sauces. My dinner last night caused me to think back on those fond Dutch memories.

Curtis and I chose our cooking broth from a short list. We selected 'Urban Yosenabe,' which was described on the menu as "chicken and clam broth with hints of ginger, lemongrass, soy and sweet chilies." We then had the
Tillamook white cheddar and caraway appetizer fondue, dipping in chunks of "local hearth baked bread." It was wonderful. The cheese was heavy and filling.

We then moved on to our entree. We chose the Urban Fondue for Two. We then enjoyed "seasoned choice beef rib eye, Carlton pork, house-made sausages, local Chinook salmon, breast of local chicken, tiger prawns, baby lobster tails, and east coast scallops." Several sauces were available - six were included with our selection. We enjoyed the Thai peanut sauce the best, followed by lemon Hollandaise, blackberry ketchup, lemon garlic butter and others I already forgot.

Fondue is a very social food. As each little tidbit cooks, there is much time for conversation. We admired the bright-red decor, the candles on the wall about 20 feet high, the high-backed booths, etc. The service was excellent. The cucumber water was refreshing, as were my strawberry and then peach lemonades.

The biggest treat was the dessert fondue. We were brought strawberries, cookie dough, pound cake, old-fashioned donut and cheesecake. We dipped these delightful bits into a chocolate and peanut butter fondue. All in all, this dinner was delicious, fun and memorable.

Very Proud of Dad

2008-09-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

A summary of one of my dad's recent trials was included in the firm newsletter. You can read it here:

http://www.lbbslaw.com/publicationdetail.aspx?ID=3720

Nice work!

Photos too Great to Miss

2008-09-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

This link is from my Aunt Kim. These are some AMAZING photos of the aftermath of recent storms:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/the_short_but_eventful_life_of.html

Camping Photos/Videos Posted

2008-09-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

Curtis, Andreas and I went camping last Friday night at Fort Stevens (near Warrenton, Oregon) on the Oregon Coast. Our friend Brian joined us and we all had a good time. His black lab, Buster, kept watch over the camp site and was an awesome camp pal. Brian fed us salmon burgers for dinner, along with foil-wrapped veggies. We had a nice campfire, then Andreas had his first s'more.

We slept in our old-fashioned tents. It was a relatively quiet and peaceful campsite. Some of my co-workers brought their fancy, modern trailers. In the morning, the free showers felt great. I made pancakes on the griddle, which were accompanied by yogurt, canned fruit, etc.

We then explored the shipwreck of the Peter Iredale, which ran ashore on my birthday in 1906. Not very much is left, but the rusted mass is neat to see (and photograph!). We then noticed some 4x4 vehicles driving on the beach and thought to ourselves: "We can do that, too!" We only have the Jeep until September 18th, when the lease ends. We haven't used its four-wheel-drive features more than a handful of times and never on the beach, so we gave that a whirl (fun, fun, fun!).

We then explored a military cemetery (complete with unknown soldiers and unknown remains which had washed ashore). What can I say? I am my mother's son (she loves cemeteries). Next we saw all kinds of bunkers and fortifications from the Civil War and World War II (no kidding) at Fort Stevens (an active military post from 1863-1947!). President Abraham Lincoln ordered fortifications at the Pacific Ocean - at the mouth of the Columbia River. During World War II, a Japanese sub even fired at Oregon! It is the only base in the continental United States to receive fire (no damage) during World War II. Neat, hands-on history. We all enjoyed the remains and the museum.

We then visited Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, enjoyed some locally-caught seafood (my breaded shrimp were delightful!), washed our car to remove the ocean water and sand, and drove back to Portland. It was an eventful and nice 24 hours! I added our camping photos and videos to my photo site. Please visit here to see them.

We like exchange students, especially those that cook!

2008-09-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago, Andreas made us Danish pancakes. They were extremely tasty and we hope he'll make even more in the future. We tried vanilla ice cream on some, raspberry syrup on others, bananas (not me!), and Nutella to be able to sample and savor all of the different delights.

Happy 17th Birthday, Andreas!

2008-09-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we helped Andreas celebrate his 17th birthday. A day early, technically, but if you want to get specific, he was born in Denmark, so after 3pm our time, he was already a birthday boy in Silkeborg!

After school, he opened letters, cards and gifts from his family in Denmark. They gave him money, DVDs, a nice graphing calculator, and an electric shaver. We gave him gift cards for iTunes and American Eagle.

We then went to Typhoon, probably the best Thai restaurant in Portland. Guests started arriving for the cake and ice cream celebration just after 7:15pm. We had a great turn-out of our friends. You can see the pictures (and even the exclusive video of Andreas blowing out the candles) right here.

Tonight, we're driving to the Oregon Coast to go camping.

Back in Touch

2008-09-04T12:21:00.001-07:00

I got a call a little while back from my old friend/boss/mentor Danny Stewart. Danny played a large part in my family's church life in Riverside. He was a seminary teacher for some of us, a high councilor, a bishop, a listening ear, and always someone I could talk to for advice. Danny was also my employer after my first year of college and before I went to Europe. It's so nice when friends from the past re-connect. Today I called him back and we had a delightful conversation. Danny and his wife are retired and now live in Idaho Falls. Not too familiar with Idaho geography, I just looked at a map and saw that it is on the eastern part of the state and very close to Yellowstone National Park. I am glad to be back in touch with the Stewarts.

Oooops!

2008-09-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

I saw this yesterday and thought the pictures might be entertaining. No one was hurt.

Work Anniversary

2008-09-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my seven-year anniversary at work. I took in Costco muffins for my co-workers for the occasion. My employer has been great and has paid me well over the years. I feel like I have given them their money's worth. I am one of the hardest working folks there.

In addition, I have received many, many hours of training, well-above what is required by the state. I have been able to travel out of state for training and even once got a week in Canada for a training conference. I have now been a corporal for over 14 months! Time flies. I'm sure retirement is right around the corner.

Although sometimes I feel like a seasoned veteran, I still get to do and learn new things. An example from Monday: due to the holiday, there were no crime scene technicians working. Our medical examiner (coroner) called in, requesting that we take fingerprints from a corpse at a local funeral home. Yours truly got to perform that task for the first time. Fortunately, the owner manipulated the deceased man's refrigerated arms and fingers, while I inked the fingers and put the FBI card in the right place. [In case you're wondering, when someone dies and they have a criminal record, we have to positively identify them by fingerprints in order to close their criminal history file.]

Two of my biggest cases as a corporal resolved themselves without a trial, both in the same week. I investigated an adult male having intercourse several times with a 15-year-old and 16-year-old girl at his cheap hotel room. He recently pled guilty and was sentenced to 36 months in prison.

A credit card fraud case I was working morphed into multiple counts of ID Theft, Forgery, and a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The male suspect recently pled guilty to 26 months in prison. He is a known, repeat bad guy and we are happy to have a respite from his crimes.

Interesting Training Classes

2008-08-30T19:13:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, I drove to the state public safety academy in Salem and got to listen to a detective and a lieutenant from Modesto, California. They were here to do a case review of the Laci Peterson homicide. It was fascinating and I learned a lot about the case, which I had only known from media accounts during the time. A lot of it was for law enforcement ears only. The pair did a fantastic job presenting the case. They included in their PowerPoint presentation the original 911 call, photographs and video of the residence and warehouse during the initial visit and during the two search warrants, etc. It was all very captivating.

Laci Peterson's family called her in as a missing person on Christmas Eve 2002. Modesto PD responded and her husband's story didn't make any sense. They were soon able to prove him lying. They discovered marital infidelity and $100,000 debt. Superb police work resulted in pre-text phone calls, wire taps, search warrants, and the recovery of Laci's remains (as well as those of her unborn child) four months later.

The case file had 43,000 pages in it. Three-hundred and three police officers assisted in the case, as did more than 90 law enforcement agencies. There were 1,156 items of evidence presented in the case. Modesto PD also sorted through 10,882 tips.

The pre-meditated murder trial lasted 11 months. After a successful change of venue motion, the case got moved to Redwood City, CA. This was the second most expensive trial in history at $4.13 million. It is second only to the O.J. Simpson trial. One hundred and eighty-four witnesses were called to the stand. As you might recall, Scott Peterson was finally sentenced to death in 2004 for killing his eight-month pregnant wife, Laci.

On Friday, I carpooled with a colleague to Albany to hear a forensic nurse teach on the subject of Forensic Homicide Photography. Needless to say, we saw plenty of images of dead people. One that stands out is a man who jaywalked under a semi-truck stopped for a red light. When the light turned green and the truck pulled forward, the man got squished under two seats of dually tires. There was also a segment on SIDS (which we learned was a 'diagnosis of exclusion,' when every other possible death is ruled out).

We also saw autopsy photos, death scene photos, people in various stages of decomposition (including maggot infestations, total skeletal remains, etc.). It was informative and I learned new terminology to describe my observations of deceased individuals that I encounter on patrol calls.

Today's Mission: Ape Caves

2008-08-30T18:53:00.001-07:00

We've been doing lots of outdoor stuff lately, thanks to the awesome Summer weather. Today, we invited representatives from Austria, Denmark and Germany to join us as we hiked through the Ape Caves at Mt. St. Helens (near Cougar, Washington). Host parents Rick and Henry, Mike and Kendall, and host-sibling Dylan were invited.

The Ape Caves are the longest known lava tubes in North America. Everyone seemed to have a good time. My friend Brian also joined us. We caravaned up in three cars and got off I-5 at 10:15am. We explored the upper cave and had lots of fun. We then had a nice lunch at Del Taco in Vancouver.

Multnomah Falls and American Baseball

2008-08-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

I had another day off on Thursday. Andreas and I loaded up the Jeep and we went to Multnomah Falls, America's second-largest year-round waterfall. We got some great pics and hiked a mile to the top of the falls. We also visited Horsetail Falls and visited the Crown Point Vista House.

Later that night, Curtis and Tina joined us for a Portland Beavers baseball game at PGE Park. It was their final home game of the season. We had a great time and the Beavers won 7-2 and played wonderfully. Over 11,000 people turned out, which is quite good (normal turnout is less than 4,000). Portland is host to the 2009 AAA All-Star game. I am hoping to get tickets to go to that.

Shooting in the Tillamook State Forest

2008-08-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

I had a day off work on Tuesday and it was lovely outside. Andreas and I decided to make the drive out to the beautiful Tillamook State Forest (30 miles west of the Pacific Ocean). Parking at Browns Camp, we spent the better part of the afternoon shooting. We shot my .40 Glock, my .40 Smith & Wesson, and my now year-old 12-gauge shotgun.

Andreas had never been shooting before. He did quite well, as newcomers usually do (no bad habits!). We shot at an old computer tower I had down in the storage room. We raided the recycling bins in the parking lot, but they had just been emptied (doh!). Fortunately for us, someone had just thrown away some IKEA furniture, so we had particle board to shoot at, as well as two blenders.

We are both making short movies (suitable for YouTube) about our adventures while shooting. Here are some still pics (and stand by for some cool little movies!).

Funny Military Pics

2008-08-23T17:58:00.001-07:00

My Aunt Eileen forwarded these to me. I thought these were the best of a series she sent.

If only it were this simple.

Ha ha.

The epitome of teamwork.

Registered for School, Clothes Bought, DMV Visited

2008-08-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning, I went with Andreas to Lincoln High School, where we got him registered for his classes. It was a surprisingly painless process and very well-organized. I was very surprised when they even issued textbooks and lockers! He will be taking some very challenging courses (including some IB classes). He is also taking French I and Photography I. All of his classes remain the same for the full year. Lincoln requires that international students take a course called International Perspectives, where they discuss world issues with people from all over the world.

We have been on a clothing shopping spree. Curtis and I got to shop at the Nike employee store on Saturday, where we loaded up on shoes and workout gear (at around 50% off retail costs). With Andreas, we have been visiting a few malls and other stores for some school clothes. He really likes American Eagle and also bought something at Abercrombie yesterday. We went to the Columbia Sportswear store yesterday, where he bought a very nice jacket at a great price. Everywhere we go, he is happy with American prices.

We also visited Washington Mutual and opened a savings account for him. The bank would not give him a debit card, as he's not 18. We also visited the Oregon DMV and obtained a state ID card. I think Andreas is all official now!

He is a big movie buff and has enjoyed playing on Netflix.com. He gets to meet my movie critic-friend Eric today over lunch. Later this afternoon means more shopping: we're off to the Woodburn Factory Outlet Stores.

An Armed Andreas, Plus Mexican Food Day

2008-08-19T21:20:00.001-07:00

Andreas came to work with me today. He rode the MAX out to Millikan Way on his own (nice work!) and I was there in the police car waiting for him. Within seconds, he had signed the ridealong release of liability and was in the patrol car with me. We met Curtis for lunch at Muchas Gracias, a local Mexican chain. Andreas knew what chorizo was and ordered it in a burrito. Curtis and I enjoyed our burritos de camarones.

It was a slow day on patrol, but Andreas got to see me write several traffic citations and deal with a family worried about their relative's deteriorating mental health. Back at the office, I got some pictures of Andreas holding our H&K MP5 .40 patrol rifle and our new 40mm launcher. [These low-quality pics were taken with my iPhone. He forgot his camera.]

After work, we attended a farewell party that Curtis' former co-workers threw for him. It was well-attended and lots of fun. One of the highlights was that our friend Lisa made homemade tamales. Those close to me know how much I love my tamales - almost as much as I love my cheesecake! I really hope that we stay in touch with this awesome group of educators.

Tina Arrives!

2008-08-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

The week keeps getting better and better. First, we get Andreas from Denmark. Last night, around 11pm, my sister Tina rolled into town. I knew that she had an interview at a bank this morning at 8:30am in Beaverton. I work in Beaverton, starting at 7am. In an almost-stalker-like fashion, I was waiting at the bank around 8:10am to see if I could hug her and wish her luck prior to her interview.

She rolled up around 8:28am, looking very businesslike and presentable. She later told me that she had been up until 4am chatting with her friends. I am amazed that she made it on time and had a good interview. She thinks I might have helped her earn some "brownie points" with the manager who interviewed her. She said that it came up that her cop brother had met her out in the parking lot. The manager volunteered that her husband was a retired police officer. She should know about that job by Friday.

I am so happy to have Tina here. I know that she will thoroughly enjoy Portland, which is especially a city for young people.

Andreas has Arrived!

2008-08-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

Our Danish exchange student, Andreas Thybo, is finally here! We have been emailing for months and we finally got to meet him in person on Saturday afternoon. AFS, our exchange student organization, has 48 students from 26 countries placed in the greater Portland area. We already feel like we got the best one.

Andreas' English is wonderful, his accent extremely mild. His vocabulary is extensive. He is a good conversationalist, outgoing, and well-rounded. We look forward to a very fun year together.

Tonight we hit the mall, where he obtained cell phone service, a phone charger, a new polo shirt, and a cover for his new iPod touch. He says he likes his new laptop, which he got at the Apple store yesterday.

Vacation 2008 - The Official Write-up (and links to photos)

2008-08-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

This may be my longest blog entry - ever. Read as much or as little as you like. Your comments are always welcome and appreciated. You can make it as inter-active as you would like: either read straight through or follow the links embedded in the text to learn more on a particular subject or see a photograph.

125 of the best pictures we took on this trip are available here. I narrowed it down from the 900 we took! You can pick and choose individually, or watch a slideshow. Enjoy and please feel free to leave comments!

---

July 17 – August 1, 2008

We broke from tradition. We had been alternating between cruises and land vacations for our yearly big trip, but decided that we would cruise again this year. We had such a good time last year in the British Isles and France, plus land vacations in Europe right now are seriously expensive due to the falling dollar and a strengthened euro. We located a Mediterranean itinerary with acceptable dates. [We paid $1,567.22/each for the 12-day cruise through Azumano Travel. We then booked our own flights through Travelocity for $1,834.70/each.]

We broke another tradition, too, when Curtis booked this cruise on May 21st. We have cruised four times with Princess Cruises (to Alaska, Mexico, the Baltic, and the U.K.) and this time booked with Holland America. They are owned by the same parent corporation and we noted a lot of similarities (great food, great entertainment, spotlessly clean, superb service, etc.). Some differences: our ship, the MS Zuiderdam, was smaller than some of the Princess ships we have cruised on. This resulted in smaller facilities and more crowded common areas. Its service staff, aside from the ship’s officers (mostly Dutch and American), was entirely Filipino and Indonesian. Our Princess ships have had a more diverse international crew, drawing from Poland, Romania, most of Asia, some of Africa, etc. The Holland America ship had no public laundry (more on this later), while we have done coin laundry on Princess ships. Holland America provides a daily news digest to your stateroom, based on your country of residence. We got a New York Times extract each day, while our Canadian neighbors got a Canadian-focused periodical.

Our trip began on July 17^th, when we took the 6:36am red line MAX train from Goose Hollow to Portland International Airport, a 45-minute trip. Our U.S. Airways flight was on time and we rode flew on a nice Airbus to Philadelphia. We were surprised that there was only one drink service for the five-hour flight. We had a short layover and then caught our direct flight to Venice’s Marco Polo Airport.

We arrived on July 18^th and it was raining. We collected our luggage and took a €2 shuttle bus trip to Piazzale Roma in Venice. This is the last place where cars can drive after traveling over the long bridge from Mestre (see map, here). There are large parking structures here and a good-sized bus terminal. This is also where the vaporettos (Venice’s public transportation) begin.

Without cars, Venice seems quiet, relaxing, and unusually peaceful. The ticket seller cheated me out of €5 when making change from my €50 bill. I didn’t realize it until it was too late to do anything about it. That made me mad, but I was determined not to let it ruin anything.

We rode the vaporetto to San Toma, which was the closest stop to our hotel. Our hotel’s address would not come up on any internet mapping program, but we knew we were 200 meters from the San Toma stop. Unfortunately, it was raining and we spent some time in Venice’s tiny alleys looking for the Hotel Pantalon. Finally, I stayed with the luggage while Curtis set out exploring. He soon came and got me after locating our hotel. They let us drop off our luggage, but it was too early to check in. [We had booked this three-star hotel room through Expedia.com and paid $190.49. This was the cheapest I could find! This really hit home to me how inexpensive cruising is compared to staying on land. During our trip, €1 was worth $1.50. One dollar was worth €0,67.]

We had been to Venice in 2004 and stayed in a completely different area. What a great city to get lost in. Beauty abounds. The narrow alleys are romantic, picturesque and just charming. Around every corner is a new bridge, plaza, or waterway. The rain stopped after a while. Gondolas were prevalent, with their stripe-shirted attendants. We found a trattoria and enjoyed pasta alla amatriciana and goulash. We went back to our hotel and intended to take a short nap. Instead, we slept for hours. We woke up and went out wandering around again.

On July 19^th, we enjoyed our breakfast at the hotel. We then went and had a nice morning walk around Venice. I think we covered most of the whole city. We even stumbled upon the Marittima cruise terminal, which was where our ship was supposed to dock. We checked out of the hotel at 11am and walked to Piazzale Roma (no need for a vaporetto, after all) and then to our beautiful ship, the MS Zuiderdam. I guess I haven’t mentioned yet how hot and humid it was. This lasted for the duration of our cruise. We sweat gallons. It was amazing how much water I could drink without needing to urinate. It was hot. It felt miserable. But I was on vacation.

The check-in process was well-run and efficient. We dropped off our luggage and got checked in (they just check your cruise tickets, passports, swipe your credit card, etc.). As our room wasn’t yet ready, we were ushered to the dining room for lunch. Oregon bay shrimp were on the menu for appetizers. Instantly, I got used to someone catering to my every need and bringing me delicious food. I enjoyed the fresh bread and rolls at each and every dining room meal we ate at.

I have always booked the most inexpensive room. Our inside cabin (#4171) was just fine. We changed into our swim suits and enjoyed the pool, then read by the pool. After a prime rib dinner, we walked back into town. The ship was open all night so that people could come and go. We learned that we were in town for Festa del Redentore, the Festival of the Redeemer. This is a Venetian celebration of their deliverance from the plague in 1577 (you can read more, here). The fireworks display, we were told, was very impressive.

We left the ship at 9:30pm and walked for an hour and made it to St. Mark’s Square. Thousands of people descended on Venice by car and boat. I saw license plates from all over Europe. Around 11:30pm, the fireworks began. They kept going for over 45 minutes. Curtis and I both remarked that we had never been to a fireworks display that lasted that long. I also don’t think I had ever been in a crowd that large (except quite possibly when my parents took me to see Ronald Reagan speak at a rally).

The crowd was very spirited (drunk) and greatly enjoyed the display of pyrotechnics. [Click here and here for fireworks pictures that we took.] As we walked back to the ship, I saw a photographer taking pictures of someone, but I could tell that he was trying not to be seen. I looked at his subject: a homeless man bathing in a public fountain.

We woke up on July 20^th to the sound of a vacuum in the hallway. We were both disappointed. I asked Curtis, “Why can’t they do that at 5pm?” We were both a little concerned that we had been woken up so early by the room stewards. That is, until we looked at our watches. We saw it was 3:30pm! We had stayed out late, sure, but we had no idea that we had slept so long. When our room steward finally got into our room to clean it, he turned down the sheets for the evening!

We walked into Venice again, this time for our last stroll around. We shopped and found some Murano glass souvenirs. We also had some gelato, the delightful Italian ice cream. We had to be back on the ship by 8pm, as we had a 9pm dinner reservation at the Pinnacle Grill, the ship’s classiest restaurant. Our cover charge for this optional dining experience had been pre-paid and was provided as a perk by our travel agent. We were also given a free small portrait. I really enjoyed my filet mignon and side dishes. Superb!

On July 21^st we departed Venice. After the mandatory muster drill, Curtis and I changed into our swim suits and sat in the hot tub for our traditional departure routine. We saw lots of gorgeous scenery and traveled right by St. Mark’s Square. Here is our picture. A lot of the towers seemed to be leaning, which they probably were, given that Venice is slowly sinking. We watched a movie called “Fool’s Gold” in the ship’s movie theater. We went to the live show that night called “Song and Stage.”

We went to Dubrovnik, Croatia (see map here, for reference), where we spent July 22^nd. We slept okay and had to wake up early. We got into Dubrovnik at 7am. We enjoyed salmon and shrimp omelettes for breakfast. We walked two miles into the old city, complete with ancient city wall. I think my best picture of the city wall is here. The old city was stunningly beautiful and accessible only to pedestrians. It was hot and humid, so we sat and rested several times. We had lunch on land, enjoying some local bread, meat, and cheese from a grocery store.

They don’t use the euro here and we were too lazy to get local currency from the ATM since our stay was so brief. We found some souvenirs and Curtis went to an internet café for 15 minutes to check his work email. He had to finalize details for a conference in Denver shortly after our return home. I sent out a quick email to my family, letting them know that I was in Croatia. Prices were very affordable and I believe this was the most affordable port of our cruise.

Signs in Dubrovnik noted heavy damage from the civil war of 1992-1992. The damage must have been repaired, though, as we didn’t note anything. The old city had neat views of the Adriatic Sea, which was stunningly blue and pristine. With the high temperatures and humidity, the cool water certainly tempted.

Back on the ship, we swam and sat in the hot tub prior to dinner. The dinner was Dutch-themed and I was delighted that Bami Goreng, an Indonesian favorite, was on the menu. I asked the Indonesian waiter if it was as good as it was back home. He quickly dodged the question. I ordered it still, hoping for the best. I love Bami Goreng when I am in the Netherlands. As for the ship’s version? Let’s say something got lost in translation. The entertainment that night was an Italian violinist. He was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

July 23^rd’s scenery was the city of Argostoli on the Greek island of Cephalonia (see map here and you can see Athens (Athina) to the east). There was a one hour time change (forward). The Greek alphabet looked very unsympathetic. I joked to Curtis, “There sure are a lot of fraternities here.” The city was so small that the cruise ship’s tenders took us ashore (see one here). Argostoli was a pretty normal Greek town with not much tourist appeal.

It was a drive to Cephalonia’s nice beaches and we didn’t have much time on the island, so we just poked around the small town. The sound made by the resident locusts about drove me crazy. They were so loud! We sat at a sidewalk café and watched the world go by. I mailed post cards from here, after guessing which slot to put them in. See my dilemma here.

Curtis and I played some roulette in the ship’s casino. I was luckier than usual and even had the other players at the table betting on my numbers each and every time.

One of the greatest treats of this cruise was July 24^th. We spent Pioneer Day on the island of Santorini, Greece. What a jewel of the world! All of the whitewashed buildings overlooking the ocean were stunning (also see this one). As soon as our tender took us ashore, I was eager to see it all. To reach Thira, the main city on the island, one was faced with three options: a donkey ride, a funicular ride, or old-fashioned walking. The elevation change is 890 feet straight up (over 500 switch-back steps). We rode the donkeys for €5 each. You have to see this satellite image from space to appreciate it. [Also, here’s a video (not mine) of the donkeys in Santorini. If you get dizzy easily, skip it.]

Once we got up to the top, the beauty of the architecture was overwhelming. We learned that the islands of Cephalonia (yesterday’s port) and Santorini were both devastated by an earthquake in the 1950’s. The planning and design that went into re-building Santorini was superb. It is a gorgeous island. The architecture is a great example of how people can build right on cliffs and not block views or seem intrusive at all. Stunning! Words don’t begin to describe the beauty of this island. It is a must-return-to place.

We walked around and admired the white-washed and sun-drenched churches, hotels, villas, etc. The government has to subsidize the Greek orthodox churches, as they were quite ubiquitous. There were also some Catholic churches. We found an ATV rental for €17 for the day. This was quite good, as I was expecting some price-gouging. We added €8 for fuel and set off to explore the island. Our first stop was Perissa, which we heard was a party beach.

There were lots of people enjoying the black sand beach, but it was not overcrowded. We had been warned on the ship about how hot the sand was, as it was volcanic and retained heat. They weren’t kidding! We enjoyed swimming in the ocean. Floating was completely effortless. It was delightful. We went through lots and lots of sunscreen. Hopefully all of the topless women did, too. We enjoyed pork and chicken gyros for lunch, as well as the best grape leaves I have ever had. We also had some wonderful fresh tomatoes and watermelon. For those that know me, I am not a fan of tomatoes. However, I ate them in Italy and Greece because they were so fresh and tasty!

After a while, we left the beach and explored more of the island. We saw Emborio, Akrotiri, Red Beach, then ended up traveling to the whole other side of the island, to Oia, population 1,230. By the time we turned in our ATV, we had declared the island explored. We found some neat fortress-looking towers (see photo, here). We had dinner at Stanis in Thira. It had a wonderful balcony overlooking the volcano at sunset. I had a Greek salad and Curtis had chicken souvlaki. Some friends from the ship, Scott and Lieslt, had recommended the restaurant. We walked down the steps back to the ship. There were fewer donkeys this late at night.

July 25^th was a day at sea. We went to a “Secrets to a Flatter Stomach” seminar at the ship’s gym, but it mostly turned out to be a sales pitch for their green algae detoxification that they do at their spa. The speaker did joke, though, that everyone else on the ship was at the hands-on “Secrets to a Fatter Stomach” lecture at the buffet. We worked out, then I ran a mile on the deck, then we went swimming. We did the galley tour and saw where they make all of the fancy food. We had dinner with Scott and Lieslt, then went to the “In Concert” stage show. We stayed up until 1:30am talking with our new friends from Minneapolis.

On July 26^th, we visited Catania, a city of 300,000, on the island of Sicily (see the boot of Italy here). The city symbol is an elephant (read more about that here). We had room service breakfast at 9am, then wandered into town. Stepping off the ship, we were right in the heart of downtown (doesn’t get any easier than that!). We found the large cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo, always the heart of an Italian city. We got to peek inside the church before it closed for the day.

We also happened upon the city’s fish market (see here and here), which I can best describe as crowded and boisterous. I took many photos, but I can’t really share the experience without audio. Heck, maybe I do need a video camera. The vendors were all yelling in Italian, presumably why their fish were better than what the seller next to them had. All kinds of fish, mild and scary, were available. We saw a lot of swordfish and I was surprised how big these creatures get. The outdoor markets here were phenomenal. There were meats, cheeses, produce, household goods, wine (Curtis got some for €1,50/bottle), all manner of groceries, etc. Such variety! We ate a lunch of prosciutto and cheese for €3,69.

As I mentioned above, we had been enjoying the tomatoes in this part of the world. Curtis wanted to eat one like an apple, so picked one out. The vendor saw that he only wanted one and waved away Curtis’ money. How is that for some international good will? We also walked to the Castello Ursino, now a museum. We saw the Roman Theater as well as the ruins of a Roman amphitheater.

Walking by one church, we saw that a wedding party was about to emerge. We waited awhile, but never got to see them. The neighborhood, though, had some businesses that we could tell were there because the church was there. We saw several casket shops. One was unattended, so we lingered a little longer and looked through the door at the different varieties.

A very young and adorable boy came out, smiled at us, then said, “Cask!” He then said something else in Italian. When we couldn’t respond in a language he understood, he put his hands together, tilted his head to the side, and touched the heads and the hands: international sign language for sleep or rest. No doubt at his young age he had seen many people ‘resting’ in the caskets of the family business.

To make the day even better, it was announced that between 8:30 and 10pm, the ship would be “scenic cruising” around the Aeolian Islands and an active volcano called Stromboli, one of Italy’s three active volcanoes. You can see where the island of Stromboli is located by clicking here and playing with the map. This turned into one of my favorite moments of the cruise. If the name Stromboli seems familiar, but your mind isn’t linking it to a volcanic island, it’s because Stromboli was a villain in Disney’s Pinocchio.

Our camera unfortunately doesn’t do well at night, so here is the best picture I got of this awesome-looking volcano. It got perfectly dark while we lingered in the area and we could actually see lava bubbling! This was quite a treat to see and one of the neater moments of the cruise for me. We also saw plenty of camera flashes at the top, where people were peering over into the crater, watching the neat activity inside. Curtis pointed out the lava scar on one side of the island. The people that live on the island live on the far opposite side.

We next went to Naples (see here for map), where we spent July 27^th. It was another early day, as we signed up for a guided, four-hour tour of the ruins at Pompeii ($84/each). We had a nice, air conditioned bus ride to the ruins (see their neat history, here). The ruins are one of Italy’s most popular attractions. More than 2.5 million visitors came to the site in 2007. Our guide focused on the Foro Romano, as the city was large and the ruins are spread out. I want to return next time and see even more.

Our guide told us that 18,000 people inhabited Pompeii before the destructive eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Most fled the city, but three thousand people (many of them slaves or people who refused to evacuate to the ocean) perished when they were overcome by ash and could not breathe. Although macabre, I found the bodies, frozen in place, fascinating. On this one, notice the belt. This indicated a slave. This photo shows the detailed preservation – you can make out individual teeth!

Also fascinating was the day-to-day living (one-way streets, fast food, public baths and markets) and the luxuries these people had so long ago (elaborate art and decoration, two-story buildings, etc.). I was absolutely mesmerized by the living history that is Pompeii. Excavations started in 1748 and continue to this day. Our guide told us that a museum in Naples houses more of the artifacts and bodies recovered at the site. I simply must see that museum someday.

Our bus tour stopped at a cameo factory and I don’t think anyone bought anything. Although hot and yucky outside, we got back to Naples (population one million) and walked around the city. It was pretty quiet, compared to normal, I guess, as it was Sunday. Naples is a large, modern, tall city. There was more than one funicular available to get from the city center to the highest parts of the city. There were still plenty of people out and about. We found the Naples version of St. Pieter’s Square. It was lovely and deserted!

The city was very dirty and graffiti-plagued like none I have ever seen. My impression of Italy is that if you apply graffiti, it stays there forever. Our ship’s port lecturer called Naples “Rome’s crazy sister.” We found a nice, seemingly family-run restaurant off the beaten path and had some delicious, true, Neapolitan pizzas. I had mushroom and Curtis had the four-cheese variety. My understanding is that the Naples-style pizzas are cooked in wood ovens.

We hit all the highlights of Rome (population three million) on July 28^th when our ship docked in Civitavecchia. We walked four minutes or so to the local train station, where we caught a train to Rome’s Termini station. It was less than €5 each! We stumbled at first to get oriented, but once we figured out where we were, we walked to all of the highlights. My personal favorite: Trevi Fountain. We didn’t pay to go into the coliseum this time, though we certainly enjoyed the tour and got our money’s worth in 2004. We stopped and admired the ruins of the forum.

We then walked to Piazza Navona, where a protest was taking place. There were plenty of riot police on hand, but things remained under control. We had lunch (lasagna and salad) at an outdoor café. We then walked to St. Pieter’s Square, where we sat and watched the world go by. The crowds to get into the Sistine Chapel had dwindled from their morning masses. The Vatican Bookstore had a book on the Mormons (only in Italian). Its cost? On clearance for €1.

We rode the train back to Civitavecchia and walked around the town for a few minutes. We found a kebap place and then got back on the ship.

We woke up early on July 29^th and were some of the first to get off the ship in Livorno. We were so early, in fact, that the shuttle bus into the city hadn’t even started yet. We waited around, but got acquainted with some awesome people from New Zealand. We enjoyed Andrew and Nikki’s company for the whole day.

The Kiwis were delightful conversationalists and we found we had much in common with them, including our day’s destination: one of my favorite spots in the entire world – Cinque Terre. We rode the train to Pisa and then transferred for one bound for Riomaggiore. Our round-trip ticket for both of us was €24. We also met and talked to a girl from Ohio State University on the train. She was out exploring Italy all on her own.

Cinque Terre is an Italian national park and a collection of five villages. The beautiful pastel-colored buildings lean on each other like drunken sailors (I borrowed that line from a Rick Steves book on Italy that I skimmed during this trip). Each village is reached by hiking along the Via dell’ Amore (Trail of Lovers) or by train. There is a €5 charge for each pedestrian on this trail and tickets are checked at various checkpoints.

In 2004, we didn’t budget enough time here and only had a few hours. We were therefore only able to explore Riomaggiore and Manarola. Today, due to a long train commute, we ended up only having from 12:40pm to 3:52pm to be able to explore. There was no way we wanted to miss the ship, so we were on our train on time with our Kiwi friends. This time, we saw the first two cities and were able to hike to Corniglia, a new piece of the puzzle. It was lovely and we enjoyed a pizza lunch. We (Curtis, actually) accidentally bought carbonated water, which I don’t prefer.

It was so hot and humid out that I thought I would lose ten pounds of my weight in water. I wasn’t that lucky, but honestly, I don’t remember any time where I have sweat that much. To reach Corniglia, there were 382 steep, switchback steps. I was SO relieved to get to the top. I was also surprised to see a few cars. I didn’t think there were any automobiles in Cinque Terre. I was a little disappointed, to be honest.

July 30^th was mostly a day at sea. We slept in, lounged by the pool, and then enjoyed a matinee show of magic and comedy. At 5:30pm, the ship pulled into Barcelona. We ate dinner in the dining room. We had packed our bags and set them outside of our room for collection. A lot of people got off the ship for a few hours in the city, but lots also remained onboard. They knew they would be forced off the next morning! We wanted to spend as much time in Barcelona as we could.

We boarded a shuttle bus that took us to Columbus Plaza We walked La Rambla, a bustling pedestrian zone, to Plaza Catalunya. Along the way, we saw an awesome outdoor market, outdoor pet stores selling all kinds of animals, including chipmunks, street performers of all types, and prostitutes. The architecture was clean and lovely, the city almost spotless. I found another kebap on our way back to ship.

The cruise part of our vacation ended on July 31^st. They forced us off the ship, but not until we had consumed a buffet breakfast. We waited until the “last call” before we exited. This made it much easier for us to find our luggage in the cruise terminal. We took a shuttle bus back to Columbus Plaza. The first one broke down, so we had to wait for the second one. While we waited, I got to witness a taxi rear-end another taxi and then drive off. My police instinct made me want to chase the guy down and arrest him for hit and run!

Our room at the four-star Hotel Medinaceli (booked on Hotels.com for $143.19) turned out to be much nicer than either of us expected. Also, the location was superb – close to La Rambla and very close to where our cruise ended. They allowed us to check in early, so we dumped our bags and headed out. Once we stocked up on more bottled water, we walked many miles. Our main focus was to see some of the works of Antonio Gaudi, particularly the Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Family (commonly known as the Sagrada Familia). One of my pictures is here.

What a neat, innovative church/construction site! Work started on this building in 1882 and continues to this day. The scheduled completion date is 2026. Responding to a complaint about the slow pace of construction, Gaudi replied, prior to his death in 1926, “My client is not in a hurry.”

We also got to see the “bat house.” A beautiful surprise was Güell Park, where Gaudi designed the grounds. This park, once a private estate, has a great view of the city. It also boasts the world’s longest bench, which is decorated with lovely mosaic and tile. Lots of people and tour buses shared it with us.

On August 1^st, we set an alarm and enjoyed the hotel breakfast. On our way out the door to the Metro, the desk clerk informed us that breakfast cost €9 each! It seemed like a scam to me (it’s almost always included in Europe!), but I laid down my American Express in case they would have otherwise called the policía.

We took the Metro a few stops before realizing that their maps showed two different colors for a line to the airport. After feeling lost and confused – and we consider ourselves train savvy – we went above-ground and caught the airport bus for €4,05 each. It was slow, VERY FULL, and got us to the airport at 11:15am. Our flight closed at 11:10am, but they let us check in anyway. The flight was then delayed over two hours, so U.S. Airways bought us lunch.

I learned that each meal voucher was worth €20 (generous!), so we loaded our cafeteria trays to make sure we used the full amount. We missed our connecting flight to Portland in Philadelphia, but fortunately, they had a later flight and had boarding passes all printed and waiting for us when we arrived in Pennsylvania. Since we were going to arrive after midnight, instead of the original 9pm, the MAX train was no longer an option. My friend Lee graciously offered to come fetch us. He delivered a very tired Robert and Curtis to their downtown condo.

This was a very active, lots-of-hiking-and-always-on-the-go vacation, but it goes down as one of my favorite vacations. I am so fortunate that Curtis and I travel so well together. It is fun to get the 24/7 time together and to be without the distractions of our regular life.

125 of the best pictures we took on this trip are available here. I narrowed it down from the 900 we took! You can pick and choose individually, or watch a slideshow. Enjoy and please feel free to leave comments!

Bumper Sticker Wisdom

2008-08-07T13:52:00.001-07:00

I saw this one today and really liked it. It read: "Get involved. The world is run by those who show up."

Mt. St. Helens still eludes us

2008-07-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

We took a long but beautiful drive to Mt. St. Helens today. How long did it take? Eight years. We've lived in Portland almost eight years and have never seen this snowcapped beauty up close. On a clear day, we can see it from our balcony. But until today, we haven't made the drive to see it.

We took I-5 north and exited near the town of Cougar, WA. We then drove east for a long time, through lovely country and along the very-healthy Lewis River. All of the locals were out with their boats and jet-skis. The weather could not have been more perfect for such an outing. There were motorcyclists galore! We stopped at a viewpoint and got these gorgeous pictures:

We got to within three miles of the Mt. St. Helens visitors center before we encountered a very unfriendly sign. It exclaimed, "ROAD CLOSED." To emphasize the point - and to keep out the disobedient - someone had closed and locked metal barriers across the road. We got so close!

We drove a northern route home, stopping briefly to see (I think I got the name right) Iron Creek Falls.

Belgium and its Languages

2008-07-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I spent a year living in tiny-but-wonderful Belgium in 1995-1996. I learned and spoke Flemish and was always dismayed in Brussels when no one claimed to speak the main national language (Flemish). This was in today's Oregonian from the Associated Press:

http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/international-28/1215887945268500.xml&storylist=international

The Portland Periscope

Spam email titles...

In Remembrance of Cpl. Toby Candilora

By Margie Boule, The Oregonian

June 23, 2009, 6:30AM

Utah Visit Recounted

Spam Emails

Andreas Published in AFS Newsletter

Vacation 2009 Remembered

New Cat

Did you Hear the Bad News That Turned Out to be Good News?

In Chile

Our First Day Together...

Car into house in Beaverton...

Update...

Motorcycle School

Published in AFS Newsletter...

Curtis Becomes Voluntary Pin Cushion

Overheard on the train just now

My letter to the editor worked!

Yesterday's Oregonian ran a letter to the editor from me. Later that evening, this was posted on their web site...

Oregon lawmakers spare sheriff, 70, basic training

by Nikole Hannah-Jones, The Oregonian Wednesday June 03, 2009, 7:44 PM

I finally saw "Wendy and Lucy"

Keep the Skipper at the Helm

Uruguay to lift ban on gays in the military

Uruguay to lift ban on gays in the military

The Associated Press

Motorcycle in the Near Future?

A Compelling Travel Article

We Said "NO" to Owning our Vacation

Andreas Enjoys Prom

Tax Error in your Favor. Collect $2,400.

Lincoln High School Coaches in the Press...Again

Will Lincoln start learning its lessons?

by John Canzano, The Oregonian Saturday April 04, 2009, 9:59 PM

Gmail Always Good for an April Fool's Day Joke

Whirlwind SoCal Trip Recounted

Spring Break Plans

Curtis Journeys to Costa Rica for the 3rd Time!

The Kaiser Marathon (Day) / Ear Update

What? Say Again? Turn that up!

Men in Tights?!

Argentina Allows Gays to Openly Serve in the Military

It's Official: We're going to South America

Valentine's Day and Oregon's Birthday

Bumper Stickers Seen

LASIK Surgery Completed - All is Well

See What a Mischievous Bay Area Artist Did

I Highly Recommend "Anyone and Everyone"

Why Shouldn't I Be Able to Donate Blood?

Great Video Clip

Christmas 2008

New Cooking Toys

Snow Pics

Did Mother Nature Confuse Portland, ME with Portland, OR?

Let There Be Sight II

Snow = We Don't Need No Education

Another Movie Recommendation: "Derailed"

Christmas is Coming!

An Apology over Proposition 8

Let There be Sight

Movie Recommendation: Proof

Warren's Masterpiece

German Christmas Tradition Continues

Sister Tina Turns 25!

Almost-Annual Thanksgiving Trek a "Great Success!"

Rainy Days are here...

Birthday #33 Appropriately Celebrated

Thoughts on Prop. 8...

Obama Helped Norwegian Stranger Years Ago

12 Important Reasons Why Gay Marriage Will Ruin Society

Friend on TV Opposing Prop. 8

Home Improves in my Absence

October trip to SoCal

Camping at Ike Kinswa State Park

Blanding Residents Up in Arms about Sculpture's Penis

Fondue Lack We Not

Very Proud of Dad

Photos too Great to Miss

by Nikole Hannah-Jones, The Oregonian
Wednesday June 03, 2009, 7:44 PM

by John Canzano, The Oregonian
Saturday April 04, 2009, 9:59 PM