nuns!

Had some doughnuts and tea for breakfast. Yum. Good ol' Madeline's house. She, Jackson, and I watched the first episode of the Granada production of Sherlock Holmes. The series. Yeah. Madeline totally dug David Burke as Watson, but who wouldn't? He is fantastic!

At 11:20ish, I bid the Conn housefold adieu. It was a lovely visit with them. I drove down to 14th and Stark and found parking on Alder, and met Heather and Daniel at the very Portland named food place: Meat Cheese Bread. Or was that Meat Bread Cheese? Anyway. I ordered the steak and egg sandwich, with a Coke. I managed to eat most of it. Daniel presented me with TWO lovely drawings of Martin Freeman, and Heather gave me a lovely owl charm that I can't wait to turn into a necklace. Ahh such lovely people. At 1pm I hugged them and then hopped in my car, told the GPS to go to Seabeck, and then off I went.

It was hardly any effort at all to get onto I5. I was right near Morrison, and that practically turned into I5 and then I was zooming my way up north. Filled up just past Vancouver. Twenty bucks got my tank near to full, which was awesome. Love driving a Prius. 40+ miles per galllllooooon! Makes popping down to Portland affordable.

Got home ten after four. Just over three hours from Portland to Seabeck. That is rad. Closer than it seems.

Stretched. Unpacked from the car. Hugged Holly. Talked to mom.

At a bit after five, we hopped in the new Prius and headed to Port Orchard. We met Auntie Brynne and Dan at the Bay Street Bistro (or something to that title). Later on, two of their friends joined us. The appetizers were yummy. I drank plenty of wine. We had our meals boxed because we ran out of time to eat, and had to get to a play. Still, the food we had was yummy. And the wine was very good. Mmmm.

The play was Nunsense at that little Port Orchard theater that I saw Guys and Dolls at. And it was HILARIOUS. So well performed. So well hung. Just utterly delightful.

At home, ma and I watched Portlandia and Parks and Recreation. Then it was beddy by time. We might go to Pulali for next night.

Lovely wonderful minibreak. I had much fun and loved hanging with my pals.

Friday in Portland

BT, Karen, and Phil's couch is quite nice. And they have a super warm blanket. And since they have no pets, I don't suffer from allergies. Not that allergies keep me from pets. Some cats and dogs make me sniffle is all. Hardly what I'd call a serious allergy. Just take a Benadril and all is well.

Anyhoo, I am writing in the morning from the couch of those three. It is 9:41am. Setting my alarm for 9am, no matter when I actually get up, is a good thing. Keeps me in a slightly better sleep schedule range. Don't know why I'm starting today's blog in the morning. Maybe to just get a jump on things so I don't spend longer in the evening working on it?

Madeline will call me in a few and we'll figure out when we are getting together. So either I'll hang with her in the day and then go to Dom & Serenity in the evening...or hang with her all day and night and head out. Who knows? Well you reading this will know when I finish and post this entry. Yup.

*****

Karen made me a breakfast of tortilla and eggs and spicy goodness. We watched the first episode of Sherlock season 2, because she hadn't seen it yet and because Sherlock is awesome. Then we watched the features for The Hobbit, and then half an hour of the second episode of Sherlock. But I stopped myself, because if I didn't, I would just watch it all with her. Hahah.

Called Madeline. Got her address. Put it into my GPS and off I went! It was a brilliant day. Very blue with clear skies. Quite windy though. Madeline and I took her dog Pepper for a walk, and it was very gusty. The dog stayed on the ground though.

We spent most of the time hanging around and chatting. Jackson, her little brother, joined us as well. We gabbed about Cabin Pressure and did some word games and caught up and it was awesome. I joined her on a quick grocery run, and I assisted her in dispensing of some left overs. Yum!

At 8pm, I went to Beulahland, on my own, and met BT, Karen, Phil, Dominic, and Serenity. I had a whiskey sour at the start, and it twas lovely. I ate everyone elses left overs. I'm such a mooch. Did some photobooth photos with Karen, and with Serenity and Dom. We all drew in sketchbooks and in each others sketchbooks. I just drew on a loose leaf of paper, because I neglected to bring supplies. At 10:30ish we departed from the bar. I gave them all plenty of hugs, and BT is a great hugger, then I fled into the night.

Drove back to Madeline's. Now we are chilling. Tomorrow I am having breakfast with Madeline, then Lunch with Heather and Daniel, and then I shall get back on I-5. I'll need to get some gasoline first. Still, this has been a very affordable trip. Lots of food has been provided for me. Huzzah!

Portland Mini Break

Suprise! I decided to go down to Portland for two nights! Have car with good gas mileage, will travel.

Had oatmeal, packed some clothes and jammies, had tea, packed the car, hugged mom, and at 1pm I departed Seabeck for Portland. I need some practice with long distance driving if I plan to drive to California and start my life there and stuff. I stopped just after Olympia, and just before Portland to stretch my legs and, ahem, relieve myself. Still, the drive was good! Not all that stressful, I don't feel too tired from it. I just wish there were better stations to listen to.

I felt a little bit anxious pulling into Portland, as I'm really unfamiliar with city driving. But the streets were familiar, the traffic was light, and all was well. I found a parking spot on Johnson, between 22nd and 23rd, and parallel parked. I haven't parallel parked in yeaaars, and I did it flawlessly. Go me, go me. I put on cooler shoes and this smashing jacket I found in the closet, and trotted down to PNCA. Like a boss.

Danny Frazier was at the front desk. Said howdy to him. Hugged Asha, who became an American citizen yesterday, in the print lab. Also hugged Heather and Heather. The lab has been updated and it looks nice and pretty. New table tops, new shop vac. Real swell.

Daniel Williams had quite the mustache. Surprised Serenity and Dom in the library. They gave me lovely hugs. Chatted with Martin French a bit as well. It is First Thursday in Portland, so lots of people were milling about. More unfamiliar faces than familiar though. Ahh how time changes.

Heather, Daniel, and I went to Bridgeport for dinner. Drank some tasty beer, I finished their remainders. AHh I am such a mooch, but I adore them. I kept it pretty secret that I was coming here. Those two knew I was coming, and I texted a couple others. But made sure to have people not let on to Karen that I was there. That was the big surprise! To see her at her Courier Coffee Art Show.

And surprise her I did. She went "AHHHH!!!!" and hugged me, and went "AHHHH!!!" again and hugged me again. She was so enthused. It was awesome. Feels great to be so adored and to have my company appreciated like that. Coming to Portland was a very good idea. Feels really good to be here, and to be around so many great lovely wonderful supportive people. Saw BT, Jim, Phil, Andy, Morgan, Jon, Sivonna, Lacey...got hugs! So many hugs! I just drank water because I knew I'd be driving later on.

Jon, Sivonna, and I walked to the Hellion Gallery and looked at the stuff there. Some nice collaborations and wire craft. Saw Morgaine and got more hugs. Saw Chase. No hugs from Chase, but that is okay. Went to Grass Hut and met Bwana Spoons and chatted. Went to Compound...or no the gallery at Upper Playground. We were not that impressed. Swung by Pony Club, and the show there was quite superb. And the artist was very cute. Erin McCarthy was there, and we chatted.

Sivonna dropped me off at my car, which was good because my cool boots were starting to hurt my footsies. Drove to BT, Karen, and Phil's house and parked. BT clued me in to their wifi. Karen was asleep already. BT and I had a lovely conversation, and he went to bed.

Now I'm blogging and unsure what tomorrow has in store. Madeline? Dom and Serenity? Who knooooows? But it is rather exciting. Randomly showing up in Portland has worked out very well for lil' Trill.

something is in the works

I'm scheming. Something is in the works. Ohh la la.

Today I deposited my ye olde savings bonds. Whoo! Then I went to Office Max and looked into how much scanning would. Answer: way too much. And how would I know I was getting good scans? It also only goes up to 11x17", after that I'd have to roll my pieces through a large scanner, and that would likely be bad for the art and who knows the quality of that scan?

Anyhoo. Went home. Ate some microwave food. Watched telly on my computer.

Ma came home and we watched Cold Comfort Farm. Really charming movie.

Mmm hmmm.

progressing bit by bit

Tidied up my website a bit. Worked on my photo set up and took some pictures. Some sort of decent pictures. I think tomorrow I'll go to Office Max, or the equivalent, and look into the scanners they have on hand. Would be easier, but need to see how much it costs.

Ma was off at work. Didn't have to keep the fire stoked.

Toasted my sandwich today. It was good. Very good. MMmm.

Had ice cream and cucumber open face sandwiches for dinner.

Glee had some great routines with fun dancing and nice singing. Some plot, but no one really cares about the plot anymore. Hahah. During the break, Ma and I watched music videos. Raising Hope was nice and silly. Just as we like it.

ho hum

Mom had a tea lunch thing with her friend. I mellowed at home and ate some oatmeal and tea.

Proof read some of Ma's legal document stuff. Gave her feedback. We watched Galaxy Quest and ate ice cream.

Hmmm. Odd to write a daily blog when not much happens in my daily life these days. Need to change that. Simply must change that.

Flora Book and Friends

Today was an outing day! Had some toast and tea and then off Ma and I went to Tacoma. I drove today. Gotta get used to all the long distance driving I'll eventually be doing.

It was tempestuous. Rainy. Stormy. Really not good to drive in, but I did it!

It was a free day at the Tacoma Art Museum. Hurray! The Mexican Folk Art exhibit had a lot of various items, but it didn't have a lot of breadth within the different art themes. A couple skeleton sculptures, some milagro, some jugs, some puppets. Really cool stuff, I just wish there were more. Lots more.

There was a little Flora Book, among others, jewelry exhibit. That was lovely. Really dynamic silver pieces.

And then there was the At Home Across America: Scenes from the 1930s to 1950s in Print exhibit. And oh how it was beautiful. Detailed, varied, intense prints. Etching, lithography, engraving, wood carving. Emotional and sweet. Just really great art work. Really various. Ahh. I got so close to them to see the work. Albert Winslow Barker, Thomas Hart Benton, A. Hugh Fisher, Karl Max Schultheiss, Otto Wackernagel, Peggy Bacon, Henry Pitz, Doris Lee, Gene Kloss, Reynold Weidenaar, and Douglas Warner Gorsline among others. So damn good.

Then mother and I walked into the final exhibit. The biennial. The goddamn inevitable contemporary art exhibit. Guuhh. There were some...interesting pieces. But neither of us were really intrigued. We just love illustrative art too much.

After the museum we went to Two Koi for dinner. Sushi for both of us, tempura for mom, tempura udon for me. The sushi and tempura filled me up, so I couldn't finish the udon like a good udon eater would. Without Dad to finish our leavings, we have to adjust how much we order at places.

Annnnd back to Seabeck we went. I drove, and did a good job of it. Go me!

We watched the first two episodes of The Mitchell and Webb Look. As always, there are some great skits and some sort of awkward ones.

Mom is planning various things for us to do. Museum trips. Plays. Stuff like that. S'all good.