My 2nd Hometown

I grew up in Charleston, SC, a beautiful town. But I spent the last 7 years in Portland and got to go back last week.

When I landed in Portland and went to get my rental car, they told me they were out of compacts and would upgrade me for free. I guess most people are excited about this option but I like small cars especially in a town with lots of parallel parking and expensive gas. They gave me a choice of a Ford Taurus or a PT Cruiser. I don't really like PT Cruisers and my dad used to have a Taurus, so, knowing I could drive it and park it fairly well, that's what picked. I later saw this and wondered why I couldn't have gotten this Taurus...
I stayed with Chelsea in this adorable house with green grass, trees, and rhododendrons.
Friday I met up with Kathryn and went to NW 23rd, a super-cute street right in my old neighboorhod. It's lined with shops and restaurants, a good mix of chains like Urban Outfitters and Pottery Barn and independent music stores, bookstores, and designers. Had lunch at a little crepe stand, a buckwheat crepe filled with creme fraiche, feta, tomatoes, spinach, and walnuts, mmmmm. I was a beautiful day in a beautiful city. I love that the downtown is so walkable and that there are always people out on the street.

Friday night, I invited a bunch of friends to Everett Street Bistro so I could be sure to see everyone on my short trip. The food and company was great. It's the same place I went for my post-graduation dinner last June. Elizabeth wrote more about the restaurant on her blog. After stopping at Mio Gelato for a scoop or two, we said goodbye and went home. It was so good to see everyone. Thanks Kelly, Dylan, Sara, Jaime, Laura, Chelsea, Kathryn, and Elizabeth for joining me.

Saturday, I had breakfast while wandering around one of my favorite places in Portland, the Farmer's Market in the South Park Blocks. They have great baked goods, veggies, organic cheeses, and so much more. Plus food tastings by local chefs and local bands playing while you eat lunch. The people watching is also top notch. But the best part is the flowers, so many, so beautiful and so cheap. Just a few more pictures of the market and a school on the park blocks that was just so pretty with the yellow flowers hanging around it.
Then I went over to the Pearl District, met up with Laura, and got lunch at Silk, a delicious Vietnamese place. Love the honey grilled chicken, rice noodles, and veggies. Then some more window shopping and walking around.

Later that night I went to Kathryn's farewell party. She's joining the Peace Corps and leaves in a few days for Armenia. Can't wait to hear more of her adventures and hopefully go for a visit next year.

Sunday I went back to the airport, turned in the Taurus, and flew back to my life in SLC. Must be a month of homecomings since I leave for SC in a few days!

Some other reasons I love Portland.

A monkey-tail tree, I think these only exist in the Pacific NW.
Newsbreak...Elvis sighting!
No idea what this is about but still funny:
It's nice to know that those who want to "Keep Portland Weird" are succeeding.

Funny Things from This Week

The past few nights I had a patient with TB. It's not as scary as it sounds but it does require all sorts of warning signs on the door, a special negative pressure room that sucks in air so his infected air doesn't go out into the hall, and since I haven't yet been fitted for a mask, I get to wear a filter strapped around my waist attached by a tube to a big plastic hood over my entire head, that's hot! As funny as that mental image is, what made me laugh was the poster in his room. He's a young guy and obviously has a good sense of humor about having TB and being in the hospital.
Then today, I went to the library to get a funny book, Naked by David Sedaris, for my flight tonight. While on the elevator I overheard this gem of a conversation:

Guy with questionable taste in music: "So do you know Savage Garden?" My friend said I could borrow some of his CDs. But I'm not sure I want to listen to 90s pop."
Musically clueless girl: "I'm not sure about that but the 80s did have some good music."
GWQTIM: "Oh yeah, like what?"
MCG: "Simon and Garfunkel."

And then they stepped off the elevator before I could educate them. I realize Flock of Seagulls had some crazy hair but did she really think anyone in the 80s would have had Paul's mustache or Art's Jewish 'fro?

Nurse's Week - Fifth and Final

So this post is a day early becuase I am going out of town tonight. More on my trip to Portland later. Nurse's Week was good, my patients were fairly healthy and the management bought us pizza.

I feel I must make one confession/clarification; I don't actually own these books, I was looking for an image for Nurse's Week and found a few of the covers and they led to this website, more for your enjoyment there.

"The tall, leggy blonde grinned at Poppy. 'Frankly - I was so glad to get out of that Alice-in-Wonderland outfit that I bought myself ten new uniforms!' She stood up. The nylon uniform hugged her curves like skin. 'Who'd like to take bets on whether I marry a rich patient or a rich doctor?'"













"You nurses make me sick to my stomach," she snorted. "Letting on that you're so much better than other people. Money doesn't matter to you. You're only interested in being noble and dedicated." Her voice mocked. "Everyone has his price, sweetie. What's yours?"

Nurse's Week - To the Fourth

"Oh, I gave him the brush-off tonight,” the blonde nurse declared. “Big car, big talk—and big promises, none of which, I found out, he had any intention whatever of keeping. It seems to be the story of my life, getting stuck with such crumbs. I wish there was a lab test that would show up the fakers and chiselers—or are there any other kind, where men are concerned?”










"It isn’t as simple as that!” “No,” he said quietly. “It isn’t. Because love has to be a little of both. It has to be idealistic, yes. But it has to be physical too. One is no good without the other. You can’t love a man with your mind.”

Nurse's Week - The Third

"As the aimless days passed, Laurie asked herself why she had ever joined the ranks of beach players. Was the fleeting hope of Ron’s love enough to compensate for the hospital, the patients, the nursing career that had given her life its meaning?”











"I don’t dig that medicine jazz, sweetie. I want my woman warm and soft and smelling of perfume, not antiseptic.”

. . . “I can’t go, Johnny,” she said. “I can’t give it up.”

“That nursing jazz?” he grinned. “What’s to give up, honey? I’m offering you the world, glamor the works. And me thrown in for good or bad measure.”

Nurse's Week - Part Deux

“It would be much more simple if there weren’t any men working here, she told herself, and added hastily as she pictured a hospital run entirely by women, “but it would be awfully grim and not nearly as interesting!”











"Have you decided what you're going to do, Avril? . . . I mean, are you staying on in Mexico for another six months to take that course on tropic diseases? Or are you going back to England to marry Derek . . . ? By the way, will he allow you to continue with your nursing after you're married?"

National Nurse's Week

In case you didn't know, this is National Nurse's Week. Please feel free to send your appreciation and gratitude my way...




For you, a few covers from nurse romance novels. This one might be my favorite but there are lots of other funny (and embarassing) covers, I'll post a few each day this week.








“She became furious one moment with rage, then cold the next with despair. She remembered how Viola Belsare acted whenever Craig was around. She suddenly became all warm and melting, very much a woman. Otherwise, she was as crisp as chilled lettuce.”










“She shook her head, her hair brushing his chin. ‘No, I don't mind at all,’ she said softly. And trembled as his lips brushed her hair, ever so lightly.

And thought . . . who was it said dreams never came true?

. . . Or was it ‘whom’?”

I love this one for it's concern over proper grammar even in the throes of passion.