The Big Finale

The big Portland finale, our very last full day in Portland. Un-
believable. Has it really been 4 full weeks? Where did they go? Thank goodness I took the time to blog every day or I would honestly have no idea. Another gorgeous day. 75 degrees, not a cloud in the sky. Perfect bike riding weather. This time a new trail. Well another part of the same trail. The Springwater trail, from Sellwood towards Gresham. I have no idea where we were when we turned around. I do know that the trail was picked for this cool bridge and for that reason only.

Without a loop or logical turn around point, we just thought we would go until someone complained they were tired. Romney was the first to go today. He pooped out right before a big road so we had him keep going until that point. Good thing, since there was a food cart pod on the corner. We stopped for some hoop action (in a giant high top shoe, of course) and snacks for the 3 men I travel with. All fueled up and ready for the ride back, those boys flew back to the car (It helped that the way back was all downhill. I had wondered why I felt like I was working MUCH harder than I thought I should be. The trail had looked flat enough, but I guess it had some slope to it.)


I am without a helmet and found this lovely rabbit complete with ears during a bathroom break. If only it had fit a little better, it may have had to come home with me. Sexy, no? But the very best part of my day came when we finally located and enjoyed the 24 hour Church of Elvis, aka the world's first 24 hour coin operated art instillation. The boys and I had looked before, but had an old address and couldn't find it. This time sweet, sweet success finding the place of worship. We brought our handful of quarters and plugged them in one at a time to either get a fortune, a horoscope, a test of our Elvis knowledge (sort of), or a window full of Barbie's all working out in unison. I would have cried if we got home without getting a chance to experience the full instillation. (See video below)



After a ride, food, bathroom breaks all our needs had been met, and we still had some time left over to see what was left on our list to be seen. We took Bill back to Food Fight! and Herbivore to buy a present for my hardworking sister who has kindly been taking care of our home for the past month. Played in a cool park across the street from the strip mall. Then headed to the stop Romney had been looking forward to, another Fairley's soda fountain visit. Only once we got there, we saw they closed at 3 p.m. Really, on a Saturday? Romney burst into tears. 10 minutes later he was still unconsolable, telling us he had been even dreaming of going to the soda fountain and couldn't fall asleep last night because he was too excited. Now I am a parent who in theory fully believes in the importance of children being allowed to experience negative emotions so they can learn how to handle them with love and support of grown-ups before not knowing what to do with those unpleasant feelings when they themselves are grown-ups.

But I caved! Hard core! I googled soda fountains in Portland and found another one downtown called Blue Plate. Part soda fountain/ part diner with not as much genuine old school charm. Romney was content however, because they allowed him to design his own shake. He chose a banana, strawberry, orange creamsicle, lemon concoction. (I did talk him into leaving out the butterscotch he also wanted to add--blech!)

Another highlight of my day- highlights. I have never paid anyone to put the blonde in my hair. Me, a $10 box of 1970's regulation bleaching goodness and a pair of gloves and I consider myself done. (I probably shouldn't publicize my cheapness so blatantly. The truth is often not pretty.) I needed to have the dead ends whacked off my hair even before we left Utah. For the past week, it has been in braids and buns and other configurations that hide the fact that the ends of my hair more closely resemble horse food than human hair. I couldn't take another day of it and just bit the bullet and let BIshops take a whack at it. They got it so right. My hair color looks amazing. Almost like God and or the sun gave me these beautiful natural looking summer highlights (As if!) Bill paid my bill so I wouldn't freak out when I saw the total. He's cool like that. (Plus, he's the one who really has to look at me.) Now I am avoiding packing by blogging to my heart's content. I think I better not procrastinate another minute and throw some stuff in bags or we will never get to San Francisco. See ya' there.