ironymaiden | I still love seeing signs for Flanders St

had a nice jaunt to Portland with mimerki and joyful_storm this weekend. (i did not pine away without C and Leela, although i probably did talk about them too much.)

i love the train.
i love the hostel.
it was generally an easy experience.*

i did not attempt to be social with anyone else in Portland. i didn't end up with any yarn, but i did end up with a nice scotch. gifts were acquired for C's giftmas and birthday. Powell's yielded two more classic knitting books, and a treat for knitta D. i am wearing my fancy new vertically striped over-the-knee socks today. (i knit enough socks that i rarely buy them any more. but the likelihood of me knitting over-the-knee socks for myself is vanishingly low. that's way way too much work.) there was also the discovery of the Columbia outlet store.

i knit a good bit on the train, but not while i was there. i didn't really have enough energy after travel or on Saturday to be doing a charted pattern. but man, lace is so much FUN. i feel a real sense of accomplishment as the pattern starts to emerge in my project. i have made my peace with not hitting gift deadlines this year. i've compromised in the past, ditching the thing i wanted to make in favor of the thing i could make on time. screw it.

i don't think i actually ate anywhere that was new to me on this trip, but i finally had my first pumpkin pancakes of the season.

i was in transit home while MLS cup happened. that was good; i would have been sad if i was in Portland, i think. (my team didn't make it that far. their team won. they're rivals to my team; it both makes me sad and not sad. in general i wish them well. shhh.) as it was, i was charmed to see people lining up for a viewing party hours before the venue opened. i saw some people in gear, but in general Portland seems to have less in the way of signs, posters, and banners. maybe it's a legal thing?

when i got home, there were effusive greetings from Leela at the door. she then proceeded to keep me in sight for a few hours, which was fine by me :)

*i did have a touch of indigestion after eating what was probably the richest food i've had since starting antibiotics, but even that fit pretty well into the day - i was near the clean and friendly public library when it first struck, and was able to rest quietly while the others went on a lunch date. more annoying was getting to experience a missing Zipcar for the first time. no, dude in India, i am not in Seattle, and the car i reserved *may* be in Portland, but it sure as hell isn't in its parking space. (the transport problem was solved with Lyft, and it was fine. a whole 15 minutes were wasted.)