The Pacific Northwest
Wow.
Thought spring was here. Woke up at 6am, looked at the morning sky and I immediately knew. Snow. Was due to take a flight from Minneapolis to Portland and was originally planning to drive up to Minneapolis. But I had second thoughts after seeing the snow. Not because I wasn't confident of driving, but because Veronica looks so clean and shiny now. Was tempted to take the airport shuttle... but I realized how I was thinking, and started laughing. Heh heh heh... not wanting to drive my car for fear of dirtying it. I think I need to get a real girlfriend to replace Veronica.
Anyway, flew into Portland today. 3 hour trip from Minneapolis. This place is beautiful.... warm, so green. Picked up a rental car and drove 2 hours to the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Spent some hours there hiking and taking it all in... it was just beautiful. Was humbled by the power of Mother Nature, how she could have just lifted the top of that hige mountain in that 1980 eruption. Took some pictures, and I'll post them up once I get home. After all that, checked into my hotel and was pretty delighted by what they gave me. Nice big suite with a separate room, jacuzzi and even a TV in the bathroom (total 3 TVs).
For dinner, because I have been too deprived... I pigged out, shamefully. Sushi. Alone, I devoured one whole spider roll, 2 Unagi, 2 Ubi, 2 Tamago and 2 roe rolls. Now, 2 hours later I can still taste the sushi. Bleh.
Presenting tomorrow... wish me luck. Not that I'm taking this too seriously. The winning paper gets to attend the national conference in May in New Orleans, but my other paper has already been accepted for presentation there, so I'm going anyway. So that's one reason why I'm taking things easy.
Thought spring was here. Woke up at 6am, looked at the morning sky and I immediately knew. Snow. Was due to take a flight from Minneapolis to Portland and was originally planning to drive up to Minneapolis. But I had second thoughts after seeing the snow. Not because I wasn't confident of driving, but because Veronica looks so clean and shiny now. Was tempted to take the airport shuttle... but I realized how I was thinking, and started laughing. Heh heh heh... not wanting to drive my car for fear of dirtying it. I think I need to get a real girlfriend to replace Veronica.
Anyway, flew into Portland today. 3 hour trip from Minneapolis. This place is beautiful.... warm, so green. Picked up a rental car and drove 2 hours to the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Spent some hours there hiking and taking it all in... it was just beautiful. Was humbled by the power of Mother Nature, how she could have just lifted the top of that hige mountain in that 1980 eruption. Took some pictures, and I'll post them up once I get home. After all that, checked into my hotel and was pretty delighted by what they gave me. Nice big suite with a separate room, jacuzzi and even a TV in the bathroom (total 3 TVs).
For dinner, because I have been too deprived... I pigged out, shamefully. Sushi. Alone, I devoured one whole spider roll, 2 Unagi, 2 Ubi, 2 Tamago and 2 roe rolls. Now, 2 hours later I can still taste the sushi. Bleh.
Presenting tomorrow... wish me luck. Not that I'm taking this too seriously. The winning paper gets to attend the national conference in May in New Orleans, but my other paper has already been accepted for presentation there, so I'm going anyway. So that's one reason why I'm taking things easy.
posted by vagus at 11:29 PM
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