Coming home

[urbpan]

Well, this last day of travel in and around Portland has turned out to be the most tense. Not the least of the reasons for this is that our rental car was hit while parked. However, in keeping with the stereotype I'm developing of Portlanders--almost Canadian in their niceness--the guilty motorist left their information in a note on the windshield. Now we just have to mobilize insurance companies to make sure that the rental car company doesn't take an extra pound of flesh.

I don't know what to say about Portland. I liked it a lot, as I was sure that I would. I feel bad for Alexis, because everybody we met, and everybody on her friends list, has been pressuring her to move there, and she already knows that I'd love to live there. The only hitch is the weather, which as far as my wonderful wife is concerned, is the second worst in the country, after the weather in the northeast and north central states.

One unexpected positive aspect of the city is the complete lack of major league sports there. The traffic, frenzy, and hordes of jackasses that go along with living in a city with five pro sports teams, three of which are world champions, is a major strike against Boston, as far as I'm concerned. I even like the lack of sports-related clothes in Portland. I didn't realize it annoyed me that every other person I see in Boston is wearing a Red Sox or Patriots cap, until this weekend. I even saw a guy wearing a Michael Vick jersey a few weeks ago in Boston.

We're taking the redeye home, with a stop in Chicago. Fortunately we have Tuesday off, so we can sleep and get our stuff back together before jumping back into work. I feel like I'll never catch up with livejournal stuff--pictures, friends lists, etc., but I've had a great time this weekend.

Comments

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

Depressing weather is depressing.

[agelena.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, tell me about it. If I have one more day of sun and broiling heat, I'll go mad!

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

oh the humanity!

[agelena.livejournal.com]

I think never-ending weather of any ilk might get annoying. My husband moved down here from Chicago 8 years ago. At first, he was practically gleeful in the summer, chortling "You might sweat, but you don't have to shovel sunshine!" About 3 or 4 years ago, the enthusiasm waned a bit.

This summer, finally, he said that he understands my hatred.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

i heartily disagree!!

[brush-rat.livejournal.com]

I heartily disagree with your disagree. I've had all the sunshine and blazing desert heat I need for the next decade.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

i don't think you hate the rain.

[bunrab.livejournal.com]

We'll see how you feel if you wind up moving to some hot city and put up with it for a few years... the heat really does change your brain.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

i do have some experience with hot places!

my family traditionally took vacations in florida in the summer. clearly we are not normal. also, my parents were born/grew up in guyana which, as i understand it, gets pretty hot and humid.

[urimancy.livejournal.com]

When we were looking for a place to relocate to (from San Francisco), we ruled out Portland mainly for the same reason. It's a wonderful town, in many ways, but MAN I can't stand gray and drizzle that lasts for more than a day or two. And my winters need to be as short as possible. I need sunshine.

[cyborgsuzy.livejournal.com]

I like to joke to my out-of-state friends that the weather is the only thing that keeps out the riff-raff... but it keeps out good people, too, apparently. :P

[obie119.livejournal.com]

We loved Seattle when we visited in the summer, but ruled against ever living there for the same reason - I (may be weird in that I) love snow and cold sunny days, but NOT grey rainy winters. Plus it's further north there so there'd be even more dark.

[bloolark.livejournal.com]

Even more light too, though. :) I'm near Vancouver (BC, not WA), and in the summer, it's still light until at least 10 pm. That kind of makes up for the darkness.