Home Sweet Oregon

[jianantonic]

Z and I leave for Oregon on 9/16.  That's a week and a half from now.  I'm more excited about this trip than I have been about any trip in a long time.  We're there for 28 days, with a week at the Seaside Regional (for which I need to find a partner still.  Damn.) and a few days scheduled for a trip with the in-laws to Bend, and the rest of the time is largely open.  Ben Chambers will be in Portland at the end of September, so we're going to definitely be there while he is, and hopefully take a day trip to Mt. Hood for a hike.  I've never actually been up close and personal with Mt. Hood, and I'm seriously wetting myself over the possibility.

There's a chance that oobermeister might make the trip, which would make it doubly awesome.  Seriously, dude, you should come.  Please?  You can stay for free where we're staying, and you'd even have your own room, or you can maybe stay with Ben in some swanky hotel:)  Or maybe Ben is staying with us, too.  Not quite sure of the details.  But it's a Virginial Party in Oregon!  I'm really excited to be there with some of my friends.  Having my parents there and showing them around was so much fun -- it'll be even more fun to have people with me that I'm not embarrassed to get drunk with.

So even though only about 1/3 of our trip is scheduled, there's a lot I want to try to do on this trip.  We're taking the time in Bend specifically to get me closer to the mountains I so love to stare at.  I'm hoping there'll be some snow on the taller peaks, because I think they're prettier when they're all white.  I'm a mountain racist.  But they're lovely no matter what time of year it is, so I'm sure I'll be happy to be there.  McKenzie's words were "When I take you to Bend, you will just SHIT."  I bet he's right.

Our Bend trip is toward the end of our stay there.  Seaside is right in the middle, and Ben in Portland is right before Seaside, so we've got a few stray days here and there to make side trips.  We're going to go up to Seattle for some of that time, and possibly (but not actually all that likely) Canada.  I've never been to Seattle, either, so I'm psyched about that.  We've got a handful of friends up there, so it should be a good time.  goob712 , we'll let you know when we're coming.  Actually, we might have some choices about when we come, so I'll let you know as soon as I know what they are.

My main agenda for this trip is to go to places I've never been, get up close with the mountains I've been loving from afar, and do lots of hiking and picture taking.  Also I get to meet my new kitten-in-law.  Z's parents got a new kitten last month, but it shat all over the place, so they had to return it.  (This amuses me.  It was a no-kill shelter, don't worry!)  Today, they got a new one and apparently it is very good.  I'm hoping they'll get a second one, because cats do best in pairs, and it would be awesome if I could go with them to help pick it out.  I love kitties so much!  I wish I wasn't so damn allergic.  

I love Oregon so much.  I've missed it and I am thinking more and more about relocating there somewhat more permanently.  We'll see what the coming months bring.  I'm so heavily involved in the bridge scene here in VA, I don't want to give that up, but maybe we could think more about spending between-tournament times in Oregon, making that a more default home base, like Charlottesville is now.  But that depends on McKenzie's work with FedEx and the ACBL as a director.  Right now, he's getting more work in Charlottesville than anywhere in Oregon, so that may dictate that we stay here until the situation gets better in the Northwest. 

Anyway, things are good, and I'm very excited about this trip.  (Also, it will be very nice to be in a blue state during this part of the election season.)

Peace.

Comments

[oobermeister.livejournal.com]

i don't think the chances that i'll be able to do that are very good being that the end of september is only a few weeks away...but i'm not going to rule it out completely yet

[jianantonic.livejournal.com]

Seriously, there are so many different websites that offer airline discounts, if you're flexible about when you fly, you're almost certain to find *something* cheap. We got round trip tickets from DC-Portland for $160. But I understand if you can't make it work. Still -- it'd be fun.

[pinkhorizons.livejournal.com]

you'll totally shit!! Bend was great! Laura and I had wanted to get up close and personal with The Sisters, but in late July, there was still 9-12 feet of snow on the road/trail... so we just admired them from afar. Hopefully there'll be a more passable amount for you! And I definitely recommend the Deschutes brewhouse, we had a great time there!

Have fun!