Birthday lunch #1 / Oregon City

March 23, 2025 to March 24, 2025

Sunday

As it turns out, it’s not working that well trying to visit friends, keep appointments, get in some exercise, get ready for departure, and keep up the journal. Something’s gotta give, and it’s here. We’ll stick with the bare essentials for the next bit here, until we fly out in just over a week.

Today we’re back at the new Thai place we came to just a few days ago. We’re here on a Sunday - partly because it’s the last day we were advised that there’d be a reasonably complete menu before the owners head back to Laos for a month, and partly to pick up the feee drink that’s available if you show up exactly on your birthday. We have a birthday girl as it happens, and we have friends to help her celebrate.

Great visit, great company, and a great free drink that’s Rachael hands off to me - Thai chocolate, worth going back for. And we might go back before we leave, because the family changed their minds and aren’t going home after all. We didn’t probe, but I suspect they’re suddenly concerned that if they leave they may not be able to return. Scary times.

Oh, one other thing. It’s her day, so Rachael starts it off by walking to the restaurant while I drive. She doesn’t quite make it in time because of navigation issues so I pick her up on the way. There’s confusion when she says she’s walking toward me on the right side of the street and I drive right past her because I’m looking on my right, not hers.

Time is short, Dave and Tracy remind us again. We still regret that we just missed seeing Dave when we saw Tracy solo in public for the first time after his passing. The CD player is new btw because we lost the $9 one in storage somehow. This one is great, and has additional modes. If we come back next winter it’ll go to Tucson with us.

Heart

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Patrick O'HaraHappy Birthday Rachael!
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2 weeks ago

Rachael AndersonThanks!
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2 weeks ago

Monday

Another decent day, another ride of one of our longtime favorites - south to Oregon City along the waterfront, through Milwaukee, and then south on the trolley trail. It’s especially great today because it’s Sakura season and the cherry trees on the waterfront are in full bloom - they exploded open in just the last few days. Spectacular.

The Canon stays in the rucksack and we just bike on the way down but when we return to Milwaukee I pull off to take a few shots while Rachael. Continues on home. An excellent day.

Oregon City