![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Doug and Emily have gone to the airport now - they just pulled away about 8:40. It was a good visit. They called Friday, as expected, and we set meeting times - Saturday Market at about 10 am (phone call beforehand to get the time more precisely).
They stayed at the Benson, one of the hotels my dad mentioned (although not one he'd stayed at), and they really liked it a lot, so that was good. They were able to leave luggage and rental car there past the checkout time while they wandered around Portland with us, which pleased them, but not (I think) as much as the hotel in general did. Having seen it and heard their reactions now, I'm tempted to stay a night just for the hell of it some day. ;)
We met at Saturday Market, at the fountain, about 10:15 and wandered the Market. They really seemed to enjoy it; we talked a lot, and Emily had a number of items she didn't buy because she'd have to get them home. (How many she'd have bought if that were a consideration, I don't know - but at least I know she liked them.) Neither Emily nor I managed to resist the fudge, however. Hee. His fudge is good.
We ate at the market, since the theory was to go to the Japanese Gardens and Powell's as the rest of the day - so unless we wanted to sidetrack for a restaurant, the best variety was the market. I think everyone managed something they were happy with, even (Emily and Doug shared a curry dish; Scott had a gyros; I had a spring roll, but only because I bought it before I spotted the place selling pasties, alas).
A brief wander over in Waterfront Park - it was pretty pleasant.
The Japanese Gardens were fun - a bit crowded, but going in a group like this, I wasn't trying to be contemplative, so that bothered me less than it did. Emily likes the koi too. We spent a fair bit of time in front of that koi pond, watching the koi. And I spent a bit of it snapping a couple photos of Doug and Emily. I'm going to send them copies; I'm not sure they realized I was (Emily was absorbed in the koi, Doug was absorbed in watching Emily watch the koi), but they were terribly cute.
Then we went down to the rose test gardens, where Emily went into bliss smelling the roses. I joined her a few times; I'm sure that contributed to my sinus problems later, but they did smell lovely. Roses in October...welcome to Oregon, and it is a bit warmer / gentler than normal, this year.
Speaking of which, for their entire visit, it was abnormally clear and pretty, cool, but not cold, and not rainy. It's just starting to sprinkle this morning, so they can see the Oregon weather without having it interfere with their trip, I guess. They said they've really enjoyed the trip a lot, so that's good.
Anyway, then we went to Powell's. Emily picked up one book and Doug didn't pick up any - they didn't want to buy new (when they could at home as well) and they were browsing for amusement rather than purchase, being as they had to fly back, but they seemed to enjoy it. My haul of books provided them with amusement. I know they were going to spend some time in the rare book room.
Scott parked in the parking garage so they could see it. It was highly amusing, in that "eek my nerves" sort of way that it always is. I just wanted to let them see the city-block bookstore; we stayed about two hours (their time-set on it).
After that, we picked up their stuff at the Benson and I rode with them to give directions. Dinner at Chevy's (Scott and I will have lunch today from that; they hadn't done Mexican yet on their trip, so it seemed a good choice). We ate in the bar (because there were 4-5 groups ahead of us for the dining area), which meant that we all got carded before we got served our water. Hehehe. That was especially fun because they had trouble finding the birth-date info on Doug and Emily's out-of-state licenses. :)
Then home. They spent the night in the library; I reactivated the on-call cell phone and told the support guy and the fellow covering for me that I was back on-call. Fortunately, it hasn't rung yet, so I'm happy. We played three games of Apples to Apples before we gave up and admitted the need for sleep; Scott won two, Emily the other.
One card that amused me: Beauty and the Beast. Flavor text: "A tale as old as time.... ...so Disney wouldn't have to pay royalties." The flavor text on many of these cards is just great.
I was the first one to say no to a fourth game, though Emily was going to (it was late by then and she had her eye on the 7:30 wake-up time they'd set, to have enough time to drive up, return the car, get checked in, and make theri flight), I think. By then, tiredness plus sinus had resulted in a minor headache I was hoping sleep would cure.
It didn't. I had trouble sleeping 'cos it hurt that much. My one consolation was, I was capable of moving and bright light didn't make it worse, which meant it was probably not a migraine (which I've never had, and don't want), which meant all I had to do was figure out the cause and fix it. Scott got me an ice pack, which helped a little, and then I had some water to drink. I think that plus the allergies was what was getting me, because after that I did sleep okay.
This morning was mostly get-ready-and-pack, and say-goodbye, but they got to see our backyard in daylight, they had breakfast, and hugs were exchanged all around.
Safe trip, my friends. Hope we see each other again sooner than another four years. Indianapolis, maybe.
They stayed at the Benson, one of the hotels my dad mentioned (although not one he'd stayed at), and they really liked it a lot, so that was good. They were able to leave luggage and rental car there past the checkout time while they wandered around Portland with us, which pleased them, but not (I think) as much as the hotel in general did. Having seen it and heard their reactions now, I'm tempted to stay a night just for the hell of it some day. ;)
We met at Saturday Market, at the fountain, about 10:15 and wandered the Market. They really seemed to enjoy it; we talked a lot, and Emily had a number of items she didn't buy because she'd have to get them home. (How many she'd have bought if that were a consideration, I don't know - but at least I know she liked them.) Neither Emily nor I managed to resist the fudge, however. Hee. His fudge is good.
We ate at the market, since the theory was to go to the Japanese Gardens and Powell's as the rest of the day - so unless we wanted to sidetrack for a restaurant, the best variety was the market. I think everyone managed something they were happy with, even (Emily and Doug shared a curry dish; Scott had a gyros; I had a spring roll, but only because I bought it before I spotted the place selling pasties, alas).
A brief wander over in Waterfront Park - it was pretty pleasant.
The Japanese Gardens were fun - a bit crowded, but going in a group like this, I wasn't trying to be contemplative, so that bothered me less than it did. Emily likes the koi too. We spent a fair bit of time in front of that koi pond, watching the koi. And I spent a bit of it snapping a couple photos of Doug and Emily. I'm going to send them copies; I'm not sure they realized I was (Emily was absorbed in the koi, Doug was absorbed in watching Emily watch the koi), but they were terribly cute.
Then we went down to the rose test gardens, where Emily went into bliss smelling the roses. I joined her a few times; I'm sure that contributed to my sinus problems later, but they did smell lovely. Roses in October...welcome to Oregon, and it is a bit warmer / gentler than normal, this year.
Speaking of which, for their entire visit, it was abnormally clear and pretty, cool, but not cold, and not rainy. It's just starting to sprinkle this morning, so they can see the Oregon weather without having it interfere with their trip, I guess. They said they've really enjoyed the trip a lot, so that's good.
Anyway, then we went to Powell's. Emily picked up one book and Doug didn't pick up any - they didn't want to buy new (when they could at home as well) and they were browsing for amusement rather than purchase, being as they had to fly back, but they seemed to enjoy it. My haul of books provided them with amusement. I know they were going to spend some time in the rare book room.
Scott parked in the parking garage so they could see it. It was highly amusing, in that "eek my nerves" sort of way that it always is. I just wanted to let them see the city-block bookstore; we stayed about two hours (their time-set on it).
After that, we picked up their stuff at the Benson and I rode with them to give directions. Dinner at Chevy's (Scott and I will have lunch today from that; they hadn't done Mexican yet on their trip, so it seemed a good choice). We ate in the bar (because there were 4-5 groups ahead of us for the dining area), which meant that we all got carded before we got served our water. Hehehe. That was especially fun because they had trouble finding the birth-date info on Doug and Emily's out-of-state licenses. :)
Then home. They spent the night in the library; I reactivated the on-call cell phone and told the support guy and the fellow covering for me that I was back on-call. Fortunately, it hasn't rung yet, so I'm happy. We played three games of Apples to Apples before we gave up and admitted the need for sleep; Scott won two, Emily the other.
One card that amused me: Beauty and the Beast. Flavor text: "A tale as old as time.... ...so Disney wouldn't have to pay royalties." The flavor text on many of these cards is just great.
I was the first one to say no to a fourth game, though Emily was going to (it was late by then and she had her eye on the 7:30 wake-up time they'd set, to have enough time to drive up, return the car, get checked in, and make theri flight), I think. By then, tiredness plus sinus had resulted in a minor headache I was hoping sleep would cure.
It didn't. I had trouble sleeping 'cos it hurt that much. My one consolation was, I was capable of moving and bright light didn't make it worse, which meant it was probably not a migraine (which I've never had, and don't want), which meant all I had to do was figure out the cause and fix it. Scott got me an ice pack, which helped a little, and then I had some water to drink. I think that plus the allergies was what was getting me, because after that I did sleep okay.
This morning was mostly get-ready-and-pack, and say-goodbye, but they got to see our backyard in daylight, they had breakfast, and hugs were exchanged all around.
Safe trip, my friends. Hope we see each other again sooner than another four years. Indianapolis, maybe.
