violetismycolor

Baseball fever, not so hot...

First off, I LIKE baseball.  I was a baseball scorekeeper in high school.  (Because I was bored stiff being raised in Gervais, Oregon; there was limited entertainment;  going to all the ball games gave me something to do AND I got to sit with a bunch of boys.)

The Portland Beavers, though, really sucked at last Thursday night's game against Memphis.  The weather was warm and the company was good (the annual Acrymed baseball night in two of the suites AND food), and I took my camera to see what decent photos I could come up with. 

BUT the field at sunset was lovely:

 

and this little boy (child of one of John's co-workers) was really fun to watch:

 

hearts walk...

My wonderful friend, Sandy, asked me to go on the HeartWalk with her this morning.  It was a 5K walk that went on the Eastside Esplanade over the Willamette River, along the west side of the river through the park, and then back over to the Eastside.  The weather was incredible and the views of Portland were incomparable. 

While we waited for the walk to begin, we saw a Momma and Daddy Canadian Goose and their 4 goslings, swimming in formation.  And we saw several Dragon Boat Teams (in their gorgeous boats) practicing on the river.

I have been wondering about how to access the Eastside Esplanade since it was built a few years ago.  Now I know.  Sandy and I are planning to do some bike riding there soon.  And I do love riding my bike.  It should be really fun to do.

I gave a donation check to the Heart Association, and they announced that they had raised $465,000 that morning!  Yay. 

Japanese-American Historical Plaza, Portland...

Way back on the gorgeous morning of April 7th, I went downtown hoping to get some good photos of the cherry trees blooming at the Japanese Memorial.  I wasn't disappointed. 

A little history (from the Portland Parks website):  On August 3, 1990, the Japanese American Historical Plaza was dedicated to the memory of those who were deported to inland internment camps during World War II. In the memorial garden, artwork tells the story of the Japanese people in the Northwest - of immigration, elderly immigrants, native-born Japanese Americans, soldiers who fought in US military services during the war, and the business people who worked hard and had hope for the children of the future. A sculpture by Jim Gion, Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience, also graces the plaza.

The trees were magnificent, the sun was shining, the Steel Bridge was in the background, and the two glass towers of the Convention Center glowed green in the sun. 

I also took a photo of one of the poems inscribed in rock, that gives some feeling of the sadness of those put into internment camps from the Portland area. 

"Minidoko" refers to the Minidoko Relocation Camp in Idaho, where many Northwest families were sent.

 

There was also a rock inscribed in Japanese kanji.  Anyone want to try to read it for me?

 

Interesting that these trees were blooming about 3 weeks ahead of the ones in my yard.  Must be an early variety.

umbrella tour...

 

I got invited on one of Portland State University's 'Umbrella Tours'...so named for two reasons:  they give an overview of various parts of the campus and its life AND one often needs an umbrella when touring.  Lucky for us, the day was beautifully sunny.

It was really very interesting.  We started out with coffee and juice, introduced ourselves, and then headed out for presentations done by 4 different professors.  There were about 5 others being 'given' the tour, plus a couple of student guides, a couple of people from the President's office, and the president of the Faculty Senate.  

I almost felt the tour was tailor-made for me.  We started with an Engineering professor talking about their electronics testing department.  I worked for Intel as a cost analyst (a long time ago) and so I actually understood what he was talking about.  I had done cost analysis for a department that made memory chips, so I understood all about wafers and yields and all that. 

Next, we went to a talk by the professor in charge of the Gerontology/Aging Studies dept., which is a part of the department of Urban Studies.  They look into how communities work successfully as folks age.  Ross is interested in Urban Planning and has worked with the elderly for the past 3 summers and I wonder if maybe he wouldn't be interested in pursuing this...

Then we went to an Advertising Class where the students presented an advertising campaign they had come up with having to do with discouraging binge drinking on campus.  They used all sorts of media including commercials, websites, text messaging, using social networking sites and more.  They were very impressive.  I had worked doing Advertising Cost analysis at Atari (again...an age ago), but still...

Lastly was the Physicist who was working on Global Warming issues, with an emphasis on the contribution of Methane to Global Warming.  My dad having been a dairy farmer, I was very familiar with problems that cattle have contributed.

They gave us lunch with the University President at the end and they gave us these GIGANTIC umbrellas.  Cool.

I came away being impressed with the breadth of things that the university was doing well.  The campus is lovely.  When I (eventually) turn 65, I can take classes for free there.  Only 13 years to wait for that little benefit, but I would definitely take advantage of it.  The staff is incredibly excited about what they have there...a little gem in the heart of Portland.  And that's what they have become...a wonderful asset to the city, an urban university that is a good choice for the students here.  Thanks, Portland State, I had an inspiring experience.

How's my driving?

Semi's scare me.  Always have.  They're big and scary-looking.  They could crush my small car, easily.  And their drivers do stupid stuff...why?

I was on my way to my parents' home yesterday; cruising down I-5...doing about 67 (65 mph speed limit for cars, 55 mph limit for big trucks)...in the fast lane.  In the two slower lanes are semi's.  Suddenly, one of the semi's cuts right in front of the car that is 3 cars ahead of me.  The truck is going around 62 mph, so speeding but not going the auto speed limit that the rest of the cars are.  Now the freeway is blocked, three semi's across. 

And what does this brilliant big-truck driver do next?  He stays in the lane, going the same speed as the other two big trucks, in the other two lanes...for the next 5 minutes.  Doesn't try to pass the other vehicles, doesn't try to pull back into the lane.  There's a big line of cars behind him...he's just being a jerk.

When he finally pulls over and I get up near him, I see that his truck has one of those stickers that says, "How's my driving?  Call to report any driving issues."

So, I do. 

Are you really so stupid that in the day of the cellphone you don't think anyone is going to report you for trying to screw with them?

Yeah...

Japanese Garden photos...

Bonnie and I went to the Japanese Garden last week with our friend, Barbara, who is a docent there.  Her son taught in Japan almost 18 years ago, and upon visiting him there, she became enamoured with Japanese gardens and then decided to volunteer at the one here in Portland.

She generously gave up her afternoon to give us a wonderful, personal tour of this spectacular place.  I have been here many times but never had the guided tour, so it was a real treat.  Afterward, we went to dinner at Sinju (our favorite sushi restaurant)...what a great way to prepare Bonnie for her trip to Japan!

zoolights...

Zoolights with my sister, Ann, and her family was awesome.  Adam, Bonnie, and Ross really love getting together with their cousins.  We got there early and so, found parking.  I had gotten the tickets yesterday, so we just walked right in.  AND we were smart enough to get in line for the train just when they opened that up. 

A very fine dinner after=a perfect evening...

which I topped off (like a cherry on whipped cream) with a viewing of White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye...can you say Christmas?