So much for that rain. It’s been sunny most of the day. But it did rain some, and we’d already planned not to go for a ride, so we didn’t. We did go to Powell’s, however, and I bought more than I expected, especially given I didn’t bring my book list from home. I got Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s newest in her Retrieval Artist SF series, an omnibus of the Weetzie Bat books by Francesca Lia Block, a book on solitary Wicca, Ellen Kushner’s The Fall of the Kings (but I have to re-read Swordspoint first. Which is not in any way a hardship), two Charles de Lint’s (The Onion Girl and Spirits in the Wires, I think), that book about the Wicked Witch of the West (I’m too lazy to actually get up and look in the bag), and The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Gayle made me buy the last two. She made me, I swear. (They were on my list for someday, though.) I think that’s all of them. I realised that my parents had sent me $50 for Xmas for books (because my mom didn’t know how to order them from the website), and I decided to splurge here rather than get the ones I’d originally asked for (Lillian Stewart Carl books).

Then we ate yummy Thai food at a nearby restaurant, and I have leftover Pad Thai for breakfast, hurrah!

We knew we’d have to ship stuff home, because Ken got some machine parts from the company here. It looks like we’ll have to go to the PO before we leave tomorrow, because he’s fallen over and I doubt he’ll wake up much before we have to leave for dinner with some bike folks. No, wait, he just emerged. It’s a miracle!

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What a lovely, relaxing day. This afternoon we played Aquarius and Fluxx, both great card games. Ken and I then went to another McMenamin’s Pub to meet up with the BMW folks, including a guy who works at the company here that Ken contracted at the other day. I can’t say it was thrilling, but it was pleasant. I had two pints of my favourite Ruby Ale, a meatball sub, and we split a Ruby Ale raspberry cheesecake that was to die for. Because it was one of the weekly specials and about to go off the menu, the waitress gave us a double portion at no extra cost. Urp.

Then we came back to Lev and Gayle’s and we all played Chez Geek. Now Lev’s gone to bed (being the person who has to get up super-early) and the rest of us are doing computer stuff.

I thought about writing a few times, but decided it was a vacation day, and I feel no guilt about that. It was just so damn nice to play games and hang out and laugh and talk and shop for books and eat good food and not _have_ to do anything. I wouldn’t want every day to be like this—honestly, I’d get bored, and I do have that _have_ to write obsession—but it’s so wonderful once in a while.

Tomorrow we ship stuff, then head out. Not sure what route we’re taking yet. We’d like to be in Ventura by Saturday afternoon, because Lev will be there with a Morris Dancing troupe (he plays concertina for them). Beyond that, the sky’s the limit, provided we’re completely home by Saturday night, because we have an SCA event to go to on Sunday.

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I really like Portland. Really, really like it. The atmosphere, the weather (really!), the greenery, the funkiness, Powell’s, the size (it’s a city, but a compact one), the access to other writers… I could live here, easily. But Ken hates the weather, so it’s right out. Which is okay overall. There are lots of good things about the LA area, not the least of which is the access to so many Styx concerts.

Right. I’m babbling. Must sleep soon. Next post will probably be from home…