All Things Portland

Katy came for her second annual visit to Portland and brought two cool cats with her this time. Eric, Katy's "partner" (to use a very Portland word), and another good friend of ours, Andrea joined the weekend posse. It meant the world to us that they come out our way while we are somewhat stranded in terms of traveling on our own accord this year.

We tried to show them the most "Portland" weekend we could conjure up, retrofitted to as many of our shared interests as possible. We shopped. Okay, this wasn't necessarily a "shared interest", but I got Katy in skirt, and everyone found treasures by the end of the weekend. Chip said he, "scored by not scoring". Not the girls- we just scored. We ate sushi. There is a local place where the roles are the size of your forearm...I am not exaggerating. We hiked. Checke out the local rainforest trails as well as did a creek walk in the gorge. It was a hybrid of canyoneering NW-style and bringing back favorite childhood summer pasttime. We explored the city via bikes. Chip worked hard to get all of our bikes running- apparently we have accumulated a few bikes. We also ate and drank requisite local favorites including Voodoo Doughnuts and Stumptown coffee.

I have spent many hours exploring the back country with these folks, so it was fun and entertaining to explore the front country unlike we ever had before. Thanks for comin out! Looking forward to next year's visit already. :)







"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival."
- C. S. Lewis

Eddy '09

Last weekend I joined three of my favorite people for yet another Eddy St Reunion. Almost ten years ago, we graduated from the University of Montana and decided we could not bear the thought of growing apart and just becoming part of the fond memories from our time in Missoula. No. We wanted more adventures, more bottles of wine together, laughs, support, and friendship out of each other.

And so, about every other year we get together for an Eddy St (that is where we all lived together) reunion. I have known and shared so many things with these incredible people over the last decade of my life. We have not lived in the same states, or even countries, since leaving God's country (MT). We share some interests, but at the end of the day are a somewhat diverse group of gals. And still, even more so maybe, I crave their perspective, to know their experience, and to share mine with them.


When our car got broken into on the first day of our long weekend and ALL of our things taken, it sucked, but not enough to make me forget why I had made the trip to Denver to spend time with these girls. We managed to get in quite a few fun events despite not having wallets, IDs, money (except for $100 in cash- thanks for the loan Addy parents!), phones, or keys.

PS- Amy and I are giving the camera the "ring" finger. Amy's big news- she is engaged!! Yahoo!! Congrats!!

We did a burly hike up The Incline (where we were robbed), talked, sang Karaoke to all of Denver out Jayne's window, ate THREE pans of brownies (I think that is a record girls) and lots of delicious fruit to balance out the brownies, talked, saw a lacrosse game and incredible fireworks at the Ivesco Stadium, drank beers with local friends in the park, talked, and made a second trip to Manitou Springs to pick up our police report (so Amy and I could fly home without IDs). We walked around Denver, BBQed with friends, and talked a bit. It was fantasmagorical.

"The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet."
- Adrienne Rich