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.

Obama sign

Marie took down our Obama for president sign today. I guess it is ok. I still have a Kucinich poster in the window. The sign served as a snow gauge for us while it was snowing. We could see how deep our yard was getting buried by how much of the sign was left showing.

Life is good. I cleaned my desk up yesterday with all my loose papers from the last six months. As I found different photos, papers, cards, etc. that I wanted to keep I put them in a box filled with memorabilia. It is fun to reflect every once in a while and look at the past.
This week also teased me with a little sunshine. I am anxious for Spring now. I can't wait to get out and run. I am running now when it is sunny and with the Frisbee club at the high school, but I am excited to challenge myself through spring, summer and fall this year. The last two years I have started in August to try and get in shape. I am hopeful to run more this year.

The end of our fist semester is next Friday. I finished writing my final today and will review for a couple of days with my students. My last indoor soccer game is tomorrow.

January

This month started with a trip to Black Butte Ranch to celebrate the new year with Marie's Family. We spent New Years Eve eating, drinking, playing boardgames, and playing the new Wii that Marie's parents got for Christmas. On New Years day we watched football and enjoyed each others company. On the 2nd, which is Marie's sister's birthday we went to hoodoo ski area and did a cross country ski loop. We then drove into Bend and enjoyed Deschutes Brewery and visiting with a friend from grad school. Marie and I drove home on the 3rd to get ready for our first week back at school. We had a successful first week and the Friday there was a Led Zeppelin tribute band concert in Corvallis. I even got on stage to play Bron Yr Stomp during the encore to play the tambourine.

The next week I slowly got sick as Marie and I played soccer late on Monday in an indoor league, Tuesday I went to a comedy show in Portland, Wednesday I wrote my final, Friday I went to Eugene to spend the night with friends. I drove home Saturday and then Sunday celebrated Marie's birthday with friends up in Forest Grove. We played disc golf, pool and took a dip in a soaking tub. The whole week I had no voice which made it fun for my students and friends.

On Tuesday was the innaguration of Obama. Our school the coverage playing in pretty much every classroom and gathering space. It was nice to see students get excited, many of them too young to vote. Tuesday Night we had a few friends over to watch the Daily show. I found out that my brother, his wife and my sister all were at the Washington Monument to watch the ceremony. Amazing. I am now finding myself with a calm weekend leading up to finals week and the end of the first semester for our high school this year. I feel that it has gone well and my failure rate should be less than last year. I hope this 2009 finds all in good health and spirits. Let us be optimistic about where our lives are traveling and hope that in our times of struggles we find renewed hope and strength.

The rest of the holidays

Christmas day was fabulous. All of the siblings awoke and we opened presents before noon. It was all very civil and organized. We ate brunch and everyone went for a walk in the hills. We stopped by a cattle water tank to chop ice that had formed from a week of sub-zero weather. After we cleared a good half, we went back home and the boys made dinner. It was probably the first time we had all worked on a meal together without too much guidance from our mother and probably with the least amount of arguing!

The next day we went to Great Falls and visited cousins who drove to meet us halfway. We shared laughter, pizza and beer. The time spent together was way too short.
While in Montana Marie and I had fun skiing, snowboarding and just spending time with family. The day we left, the wind was howling and part of the drive to the train was in a white out. My brother Scott agreed to drive us while my other siblings left to Great Falls to depart. Marie and I boarded the train successfully, four hours after original departure time. As soon as we left the station we were told a freight train had derailed on the West side of the state and we would not leave the state until 10 am the next morning. When we got to Shelby Montana, the train stopped and our conductor told us because of avalanche danger, we would not leave Shelby for 7 hours. We were free to roam around town until then. Marie and I found a bar with a pool table and good bar food. We then went to a grocery store and a movie. It was a nice unplanned date in the middle of our vacation. We then got back on the train and slept mostly until Spokane. We walked around the platform there and had a chance to stretch our legs.
We finally arrived in Portland late at night and found our car with the chains still on. The snow had long since melted and it was raining. We drove home for a well deserved night sleep.

It's the most wonderful time...

Marie and I made it out of our driveway after two attempts.  I dug the car out of the snow for the second time in about 12 hours.  I shoveled and shoveled while our neighbor was towed out of her driveway and then shoveled around her car.  

Marie got in the car and I told her I would push, direct, and dig.  We went backwards a little bit, but I wasn't watching close enough and Marie got stuck.  I told her to try and rock the car.  In Montana, usually the ground is usually frozen enough, that you will spin on the last layer of ice before hitting rock forever; not in oregon.  The ground was not frozen so my car tire, with the chains, dug down through the top soil and into the ground about 3 inches.  It was enough that the car could not get out.  I shoveled near both tires, and as we were stuck a police car stopped and rolled down it's window.   He instructed us to use state highways because the county roads were more sesceptible to falling trees with the freezing rain.  We thanked him and he laughed as we tried to continue with our struggle.  He left and Marie pulled forward.  I dug a little more of the snow out of the way and filled in the hole.  Marie backed out onto the road successfully and we escaped Carlton unscathed.   

On highway 99, we were following a small car, when all of a sudden both Marie and I saw a tree crack and fall in front of the small car.  He skidded and nearly hit the tree, I luckily had seen it coming and slowed down in time.  Coming toward us in the other lane, a pickup slid through the top of the tree sideways and bounced through the boughs.  We all got out of our cars and a line began to form in either lane.  Marie asked the pickup owner, who was a city worker, if he had a chainsaw.  He did and we all made short work of the tree.  Police cars showed up as we were finishing up clearing the tree and you could tell they were happy to not have to deal with this one.  They were searching for downed trees all morning.  

Marie and I made it to the train station successfully and were delayed about 3 hours before we departed.  We met up with our friend Anne and she took our car to her house.  The train ride was 25 hours long and we arrived in Havre Montana at 8:25 the next night.  We ate a late dinner and made it home after midnight.  

All my siblings made it home by Christmas Eve and it was the first Christmas with all four Eklund kids in 4 years.  

To add to it.

I dug the car out. God put a foot of new snow down. I borrowed a shovel to try and dig the car out. The hardest part of our journey today will be trying to get to the main road from our driveway and side street.


I am anxious this morning. Our train leaves at 4:45 pm (with delays).

dang.

I don't know what god I angered by mocking the panic here last week when snow started falling, but the god has struck with vengeance. I am pretty freaked out. The freezing rain sealed the deal last night. I took pictures as I tried to de-ice my car. It was basically a car-sicle. If I could have peeled the ice off carefully enough I could have rebuilt the shell of my car using 1 inch thick pieces of ice. Here are pictures of my windshield.

Tomorrow we are suppose to leave at 4:45 pm. Hope and pray for us please. Amtrak is delayed and has canceled some. Our train is suppose to still run though.

Well the weather outside is frightful...

Today Marie and I had tickets to "The Nutcracker" in Portland. We left Carlton with about 6 inches of snow on the ground and huge flakes falling. We took my car over to Napa and bought some chains before we left town. The drive to Portland was not bad, we only slipped a little on a hill. As we got downtown Portland, I was shocked at how many people were running red lights. I did get stalled right before a parking garage. I was stopped at a light and spun my tires through two cycles of the light. Two buses came up behind me, one man got out and helped Marie push and I got through the light (it was red). We walked and got lunch with a friend, and then saw the Ballet. The ballet was great.


Truly made me feel like Christmas was coming while leaving into a winter wonderland.

We then walked around town and saw pioneer place and downtown lights. The buses and max trains were packed and people were waiting everywhere for the public transport. We put chains on my car in the garage and then drove home.


It wasn't bad except right near Carlton. The road had not been cleared for a while and we were breaking trail. The snow was transitioning into freezing rain and my wipers were not effective. I drove 15-20 the last 10 miles.

When Marie and I got home, we walked to the post office. I made a snow angel in the parking lot and then rolled around three times on the way home. When we got in the door,...I realized my phone was gone. We retraced our steps and ruined all of my snow angels to try and find the phone. It was no where to be found. As soon as we walked in the door, we turned on the TV and saw that an Amtrak train has been stalled for 4 hours in portland. Hopefully this is Amtraks only "whoopsie" this year.

It is now freezing rain outside and will make it pretty miserable. Hopefully we can leave on the train on time Monday! Peace and drive safely!

Snow Day

On Sunday I woke up and went to the livingroom to watch football but I was saddened to find that all the networks were showing winter storm warnings. There were reports that the wind chill was "very cold, it is about 12 degrees." There was also a woman in the snow, " I don't have a ruler but I would say at least one half inch has fallen." This was breaking news.

At around 7 pm it school was cancelled for the Monday. I walked around in the beautiful sunshine today and took some pictures. I figure my family can laugh at what cancels school in Oregon.

I will say, it is more rare for the snow to fall here and usually it is a wet snow. This is dry, exactly as we find in Montana. There aren't many snowplows or gravel trucks, and people are certainly not as skilled while driving here. I understand why they cancel school, but I feel like it is Montana weather here. I love it.