Ahh, Portland. I take this trip often, a few times a year at least. It's the perfect length, given you choose the right company -- the possibilities for adventure are endless. But let me back up.
There was a time when moving my cheese would've sparked major dramatics. I've learned a lot about myself in the last year. Namely my ability to go with the flow and embrace the not knowing, a trait previously undiscovered and/or presumed dead in the water. I had every intention of writing a poignant and intuitive post about the significance of these changes but even my own powers of forethought failed me. This should tell you where my priorities lie.
CYT's Winter show, for which I was choreographer, wrapped March 7th. Classes, of which I taught three, wrapped last week. I found myself once again faced with free time and NO IDEA what to do with it. Actually that's not true, I knew exactly what to do with it. I was just so shocked to have it at all. It was overwhelming, but I pulled it together.
Thankfully my powers of forethought had come through for me this time, and I'd planned a road trip to beautiful PDX with my friend Topher. (Imagine Luke on a considerable dose of speed. And wearing skinny jeans. 'Cause we all know Luke doesn't wear those.) I'm sure Meyers Briggs has a depth of important-sounding insight, but I'll go with the watered-down and probably more accurate descriptor, which is "glass half-full vs. glass so pathetic it may as well be empty". I am the severe latter, whereas Topher's foremost concern was whether Portland would have any 7/11's. (We found several.)
He is one of those people who loves everybody. Being a cynic, naturally I consider there to be major holes in his methodology, but the beauty is that he's far too laid-back to care. My disagreeing with his relational tendencies simply means I don't have to adopt said tendencies for myself, but do I have the right to tell him he's wrong? It's all relative. So let's take a road trip and hug it out.
Spring term at Whitworth is insanity in its sincerest form. Though I'm wired for this kind of fray, I am also not discerning enough to keep my whinging to myself. (And yes, whinging is a word.) I'm aware I overcommitted and got myself into this, yes I know I could just say no every once in a while, and yes I like to drink - why do you ask?
We'd mapped out several road rules, i.e. no pork rinds in the car, no shopping (exceptions: Powell's and Urban Outfitters), must go geo-caching, no visiting the same coffeeshop twice (unless it's Stumptown), and most importantly, for every veto you get, I get one. And no vetoing my veto.
He vetoed show tunes. I vetoed Tupac. Turns out he cheated.
The blanket rule for the weekend was this: no planning. I was a little bitter at first, but can admit to a few moments throughout the weekend when I thought PLANNING IS SUPERFLUOUS. It was a fleeting thought, if any, as then my Type A reared up and kicked B's ass.
Friday dawned bright and clear. And so it began.
Official travel journal entries include but are not limited to:
#1 = I packed lightest.
#5 = So far we are very intrigued by the small lake in the middle of nowhere, and the prison just outside of Connell. I can't wait until we hit The Dalles.
#12 = Stopped at a viewpoint, Topher ran down the cliff. Then he ran into a barbed wire fence. I didn't think to check on his immunizations.
#17 = He's monopolized the music mix. But I don't care.
#18 = We're listening to Party in the USA. Get me the hell out of this car.
It was discovered early on that I must be eating at all times. I'm a grazer (and somewhere, my dad just rolled his eyes), which I've convinced myself is healthy. The irony is that every time we stopped, it was not on my account. Apparently I was in the company of a pregnant woman. Wasn't Miley Cyrus punishment enough...
Once there, our next few days looked as so...
- Manchester Orchestra @ the Hawthorne Theatre
- Stumptown
- Powell's/Urban Outfitters/Buffalo Exchange (note: the happy-go-lucky types make good book store shoppers, i.e. they don't complain)
- photo shoot of Topher with his fixie. I've never seen him so happy, save our stop for a slurpee.
- Thai Lahnna w/ Luke & E
- Rogue Nation for a nightcap
- Solid Rock, where I decided after not one but two awful sightings that one should never trust a man wearing a bigger scarf than you
- Townshend's Tea Co + Grilled Cheese Grill with my beautiful sister-in-law
- photo shoot in the trash cans!
Only too soon we were homeward bound. I'm one of those the-drive-is-half-the-experience types... even when your car buddy sings out loud the entire way... So I found it hilarious when we stopped in Arlington to fill up on gas, then Topher took the on-ramp westbound back towards Portland. WHERE'S YOUR TRUSTY IPHONE NOW???
And then it was back to reality. The reality of students and classes and departmental madness, the events to plan before graduation, the Easter element to choreograph and rehearse, the dance class to prepare for and teach, the worship team to wrangle... my head was swimming before we even left PDX. There is something severely wrong with me. So when my boss stopped at my desk on Monday morning, as he traditionally does, and asked me the question he always asks (to which I never have an answer for): "So what's new and exciting?," I said "Well, not much. But I do have one question. I was asked to wave my magic wand over this stack of papers and turn it into an electronic file, and I was just wondering, when do I GET my magic wand?"
He said it's on back order.
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