Comments from Portland

I made a trip to Portland last weekend. Oh, what an amazing city! I could easily see myself living there. It's almost perfect. Small, with funky neighborhoods, but still has that big city feel, yet I managed to get around with minimal difficulty. Two stories that stand out in my mind to share...

I was walking down the side street off a busy shopping area heading to the car when a car full of girls drives by me. One of them rolls down her window and shouts at me. "Cool pants!" Any city in which some random girl likes my pants enough to say so out of her moving car is alright by me.

The other comment just illustrates the city atomsphere. Maybe I'm missing a city too much after living in this more rural area that I'm in right now. You be the judge. It's Sunday morning, and I'm in the streetcar heading downtown. There's, perhaps, 4 people on the car besides my friend and I. We're standing by the doors, which are 2 double doors, and we are not blocking them be any means. A person could, in fact, comfortably hold onto the rails on either side of the door. My friend and I are getting off in 2 stops. An older lady and her gentleman friend move to get off the train at the next stop. My friend and I don't move. They both can easily get on and off the streetcar and hold the rails on either side of the door. The lady body checks me, and then yells at me as she's getting off the car. "You wouldn't move for someone that's old enough to be your grandma." So, first of all, she was not any where near old enough to be my grandmother. Second, there was no need for me to move as she had easy access to the door and the hand rails. Ah, my city visit was complete as I got properly scolded for no good reason.

Portland...I had so much fun that I'm going back this weekend.

P.S. Jeff, if you're reading this, I visited Mount Tabor while there. One of the only cities with an extinct volcano within its boundaries and made into a beautiful city park.