PDX III / SEA-TAC

I'm wrapping up my last days and hours here in the Pacific Northwest. Time has gone by quickly, but I feel like I have really been able to relax and enjoy my time as fully as was possible. Vacation. Swell.

I had an ecstatic doughnut experience Saturday morning when Liza took me on a pilgrimage to Portland's famous Voodoo Doughnuts. I chose the $5 bucket of day-olds, which contained no less than 25 doughnuts and 6 enormous fritters. Seriously, these fritters are the size of your face, and they will rock said face right off your head. Pictures can't do this bucket of awesomeness justice, but I took some and will share in the next few days. Just a heads-up: prepare your amazedness and doughnut jealousy now.

Liza and I drove a few hours up the road to Seattle mid-day Saturday to meet up with Scott and Tami and their children Asher and Bella. We stayed in a hotel that was recently converted from a corportate retreat/conference center, so it was kind of perfect for us. The kiddos went to bed early, and the adults got to hang out in comfortable chairs by the fireplace in the lounge and catch up on years of shared history and gaps of togetherness. We told stories and asked questions and talked about all of you people that we know in common. Liza and the Camerons had previously enjoyed an online-only style of friendship, so it was cool that they got to know each other a bit. Catching up with old friends is a special kind of communion.

Sunday we hung out at the hotel a bit in the morning and then explored the University District and some nearby areas in the afternoon. Playing with Asher was great fun, and Bella was a perfect, beautiful little angel. It was a simple, wonderful day that really made me appreciate the power of friendship, and of course these special, priceless friends in particular.

Today Liza and I have been batting clean-up, hitting some shopping and dining spots that we didn't make it to previously or needed to return to. Tomorrow I'm heading back to Chicago and a bit of extra stress at work. My no-good coworkers have been pestering me this week - during my vacation, hello! - about their scheduling issues and things that frankly couldn't concern me less when I'm 2 time zones and a million mental miles away. I snapped pretty hard on the telephone on Saturday, so I'm expecting a little blowback from that. But, whatever. Bitches will be bitches, and I'll leave it up to you to figure out whether I'm talking about myself or them.

Currently disagreeing with Liza on a summary judgement of the movie
500 Days of Summer
and waiting for another Facebook message that may never come.