Sunday, February 15, 2009

ZOO!






I asked Nick and Melissa if there was anything they wanted to see before they left. They said the zoo. I rushed them there, and we ran through the zoo in a couple of hours. I had forgotten about the new baby elephant, but it was AWESOME! The mama elephant would use her trunk and the baby would mime her. The mom then used her trunk to spray water on the floor to show the baby how to drink from the trunk. The baby started to pick it up, but just started splashing in it. I could have watched it for hours.


Another highlight was the Larakeet house where you can buy a nectar cup and the birds jump all over you.

Saturday February 7th!

We decided to take our guests to Portland. My friend James thought the Portland underground would be a good place to tour. I had heard of the Shanghai tunnels but I had never been there. We met up about 3 at a pub and shared some drinks. James, Nick, Melissa, Marie, myself and another one of my friends Jon ventured down into the seedy underbelly of the Rose City. Portland was one of the leaders in Shanghai-ing and the inventor city according to our guide. Ship captains would pay people to gather drunks to complete ship crews. They also captured woman and sold them into sex trade. It was quite the gruesome practice. The tour was about an hour and a half and we saw a few different rooms and traveled under a few different buildings. We saw alarm systems, an opium den, stood in cells, saw the closet where they hold women, saw a trap door and a wooden indian that was once sold as a sailor. It was a fun tour.

We went back above ground and Nick, Melissa, Marie and I had to get ready for a symphony. As we approached the door, I stopped at the will call window to pick up our four tickets. They sent me to customer service because they couldn't find them. I went in, asked for four tickets together and they found some for us. There was a sale on and I ordered 4 $20 tickets instead of $50 tickets. The man informed me that the tickets he gave me were slightly more than what we paid. We walked to our seats and found ourselves in the SEVENTH ROW! I have never been able to hear individual instruments so well during an orchestra's show. It was incredible. The tickets when not on sale are $130. We saw the Concerto de Aranjuaz with a great classical guitarist and one of my favorites, Stravinsky's Firebird. It was incredible.

We then went down to the Pearl district and karaoked with our friend from high school Jake. He was the Karaoke Jockey and it was his first night. Nick and I both sang two songs and then made our way home.

Photos from Friday











My pal Nick

My buddy Nick from high school just graduated with his music education degree. I was the best man at his wedding two years ago and I never got him a present. Marie and I decided to gift Nick and his pregnant wife, Melissa, to a trip to Oregon. I picked them up late Thursday night and took Friday off from school to hang out with them. On Friday I took them around McMinnville and Carlton. I had never been to the Evergreen Air Museum. We took in the Spruce Goose and all of the other planes. It was very enjoyable. We also walked around a nice little park and played Scrabble in one of the coffee shops. It was great catching up and laughing constantly. Marie joined us and then we went out to our local joint, the Horse Radish to take in the local fare of cheese and wine. Nick also played SNL Trivial Pursuit with me. I got it as a gift two years ago for Christmas, but nobody ever plays with me. Melissa and Marie began playing with us, but neither made it to the end. I won, barely. It was a great day.