Roger, Brain Functions Are at an All Time Low

So yesterday was the day that Miki had to take her boyfriend to the airport for his flight back to Japan.

Yes, Yuuki was here this week. For about 4 days. Sadly I never wrote a blog about last weekend, which is a shame since Miki and I went for a walk and got a few pictures :D

But I have to write this up first, and then write a blog about this week and photos of this week can be posted in that. I'll likely write this, then post it, THEN post photos about yesterday.

So hold your horses and check later for some funny photos :D

I slept terribly the night before last. I remember waking up at 3 in the morning and tossing and turning for AGES either being too hot, too cold, too comfy, too uncomfy, before I finally passed out from all of the exertion.

I woke up at 6:50 on the dot.

Lovely.

Went downstairs, grabbed a snack, fed the cats...Then Miki came downstairs all dressed and ready to go and said 'say goodbye to Yuuki'

We shook hands, I stood there awkwardly in my t-shirt and boxers, and Miki looked absolutely miserable as I tried to tell her to have a fun day.

I sighed.

"Miki, do you want me to go with you?"

Now of course, when I said I had absolutely nothing to do yesterday, I was using that phrase fairly loosely. I had nothing to do after I cleaned the litter box, finished writing a letter to gramma, packed and sent Mum's mother's day gift.....

But with Miki standing there on the verge of tears saying "Yes!" with her lower lip sticking out like that, I think I would've told her I was an alien from planet 9 if that made her happy.

So fifteen minutes later I was dressed, in flipflops (it was 50 degrees *shivers*) and standing on a streetcorner with her and her bf waiting for a ride that had no idea I would be there....She was surprisingly gracious about it (the ride-giver) even though I know she doesn't like me....

I had told myself I would bring my camera, but when it came down to it I ran out the door without it. Which was probably good considering I was running down the street and that would've been bad for mr. cammy, and my satchel got heavy enough as the day wore on: no need to give myself heat-stroke from the exertion or something.

So no cammy.

Anyone wanna buy me a point and shoot? :D

jkjk

We got to the greyhound station with a half hour to spare for the bus, and I bought round-trip tickets to Portland. It was only $22 which wasn't too bad. And I knew I had enough in my checking account for that at least, and if I got desperate later in the day, a stop at an ATM to transfer funds would be a cinch.

The bus was a half an hour late.

Okay, that's fine. I amused myself while Miki and Yuuki chattered in Japanese. I didn't feel left out, truly. And this isn't denial either. I knew why I was there. I was there to keep myself from sitting at home all day, miserable, wondering what Miki was doing. I was there to chip in some good old American common sense in case something happened. I was there to make sure Miki had a companion after Yuuki got on his plane. I was there to meet up with our good friend Ai, even though her bf Kody (we quit talking a bit ago) was going to be there. Apparently he being there was the reason she didn't invite me. But we still get along okay. We talk just fine. It's just I don't want him in my house, and he doesn't like my love-life. So everything is fine and dandy. I was there to make sure Miki go home safe-and-sound.

And maybe to have a little fun too :D

But it was 8 in the morning and I would've been pushing it to hope for some fun that early.

But for someone that got approximately 4 hours of sleep, I was in an absurdly good mood. Chipper almost. I think this rubbed Miki the wrong way too. I was so bouncy that I drove everyone nuts. But I tried to keep in contained.

So as Yuuki and Miki wrote in a private little diary that I was definitely not allowed to look at I spotted a woman that I knew. Not personally, but I knew she'd provide me with all of the entertainment I needed, so my eyes were glued.

She was a tiny little imperious Chinese woman that I've seen before at the Beaverton Asian Superstore called Uwajimaya's. Which is weird because I saw her once, and a year ago at that. She was shopping with her husband in a black fur coat (real), with bright red hooker lipstick, her hair tightly curled in some old 50's fashion, and white gloves. The last was what caught my attention, actually.

She wasn't quit so ostentatious yesterday, and she was also alone. But excitement she DID provide.

First she waltzed into the station like she owned it. Clack clack clack clack, her nose up in the air and sniffing condescendingly at us plebians.

I smiled at her.

Then she peered into every single nook and cranny in the station looking for something. Clack clack clack sniff. Until she found the sign that said the women's restroom was up the stairs. The sign also said that a key was needed to unlock the restrooms, but she's far too important for THAT, doncha know!

So she clacked all the way up the stairs, yanked on the door a few times, and then called waveringly down in a tone that tells you that you don't really wanna mess with her.

"This door is locked."

Even I was surprised how fast the station attendant vaulted over the counter with the keys and rushed them up the stairs to her. With anyone else he would've called the person down. He seemed easily exasperated by people. But considering the idiots he has to deal with on a day-to-day basis, I cannot blame him.

Everywhere she went, she was her own little queen. I always wondered what ethnicity she was, but when some relative or another called on the phone and she was chewing them out, I recognized that she spoke Mandarin.

Jack Pot!

I wrote a poem about her. It sucks. I also drew her. It doesn't suck quite as much.

The bus was a half and hour late, right?

Right when it came the attendant told us that there was a problem. It was late because the bus before it broke down, and it had to pick up those passengers. Which means that the bus that should've been have empty, was full to bursting. They could only take 4 passengers, and those passengers were all people that needed to catch transfers to Seattle or something.

I.e. not us.

The next bus was not until 1 something, and Yuuki's plane was at 2 p.m.

Crap!

I am glad I was there. Because I don't think I realized until yesterday just how confusing colloquialisms can be to a foreigner. For instance, did any of you realize that when you ask someone for directions, they hardly ever give you guidebook answers? When I asked the man at the counter for directions to the Amtrak station, he said "Hang a right."

Miki wanted to hear the directions over and over again, but I got them the 2nd try. Mostly because I just need to hear it twice, repeat it, and then I'm good. And it took me a moment to figure out that she didn't understand the directions at all.

Take Center st. until 12th, hang a right, go 5 or 6 blocks until the sky bridge and it's across the way from the Willamette U. on the left side.

Of course I actually thought we had to cross the sky bridge, not that it would be a walking path over our heads, but that's besides the point.

The directions were perfect. But can anyone out there point out anything about that sentence Miki wouldn't get?

Well, the hang a right for instance, that went over her head. Across the way? Uhuh. And she got a little caught up in what Willamette U. might be, when I wasn't really all that worried about it.

It's amazing the things we take for granted, huh?

Needless to say, I got us there all right. Not to say that it was all me, though. I took care of the colloquial, but Miki is the only one that has been to the Salem Amtrak before. So she was the one that knew that the Sky Bridge was something you walked under, and what side of the freeway we needed to be on to get to the Train Station.

I got to ride a train!

Granted, it cost $18 for a one way ticket, and boy was Miki not happy about that. Actually, it cost me $18, but Miki was a few people behind me in line and she had to pay $21 for EACH of the tickets she bought.

That must have sucked.

But I could not help but be excited though. I am like a little kid sometimes, I guess :D

It was sunny, I was sitting in a nice patch of it at the station and was reading a bit here and there. I kept getting interrupted. But that was okay. Everyone was excited at the station yesterday because it was...National Train Day! And the Portland Station was having a Train Day festival. The thing I love about traveling is either nice locals that will talk to you, fellow travelers, or tourists (yes there is a difference.). They are almost always nice and willing to give you random information that you might be looking for, or might need later.

I learned this from my Mum.

Thanks Mum!

She always likes talking to other people when we travel, and even though I do not travel with her very well, and I always hated it when she chatted with fellow travelers, I did learn that it is useful.

So I chatted up a Grandfather there with what looked like his whole family. And boy was HE a font of information! He even recognized the train my Mum and I might have taken to Denver (From Longview WA) years ago, even though it does not run anymore. We did not have to transfer or get off the train once, and you cannot find a train like that to Denver anymore.

I will have to ask Mum. The man said that it actually went south to Portland, East across Oregon, continued across Idaho, through Wyoming, Then it dropped south into Colorado to Denver.

Nowadays the train cuts across Colorado, but you cannot make the trip on one train.

I digress.

So he told me all about train day (And practically all about his family as well. They were cute) and I learned all sorts of things! For instance, when we made it into Portland, I knew that the bright orange thingamabobber we pulled up next to was an honest to God Steam Engine from the 30s!

How cool is that?

Miki does not like talking to strangers very much so I think she likes to ignore it as much as possible when I do so. Which is fine with me. I do enough talking for the both of us. She does sometimes smile or laugh when I talk to someone especially weird. But I am fairly friendly across the board.

The only time I really get rude or unfriendly is when you are one of those drunks that is really a hazard to everyone around you, or you are being really stupid and drunk. I met one of those last night, needless to say. Otherwise they are harmless and I stay away from them.

But I think that the only people I am well and truly prejudiced against are drunks, but I spose I cannot help that, huh?

So the man at the station filled me in on why everyone was wandering around with buttons, children, and excited smiles on their faces. And then the train was there!

We got on a 9:15. We did not have to wait too long, because it took us about 45 minutes to walk to the station, so we only sat for about a half an hour.

Riding the train is exciting!

First, someone in the station gets on the speaker phone and tells you what to do.

"Attention. The North Bound train with the last stop of Portland arrives in 5 minutes. Please wait outside immediately. The train will only be stopping for 3 minutes, so if you are not outside with your ticket ready you will not be boarding."

3 Minutes!!

But it was true.

Train passengers spawned like rabbits. Somehow it went from the 10 odd people in the station to upwards of 50 outside, and then the train pulled up (as Miki was talking to Ai on the phone and planning where to meet up together in Portland) and I hurriedly took a picture before the conductors ushered us on.

Man, trains are luxurious! I am never traveling another way again, I swear :D We were ushered into 2 different cars (us coach passengers) but the areas looked pretty nice to me. I thought about sitting next to a nice looking girl across the walk from Miki and Yuuki (who claimed two seats next to each other because they did not think they could fit his luggage under the table at the 4 person booth) but I decided to sit at the booth all by myself.

For two reasons.

1. They looked like they needed more time to themselves, and I was just behind them if they needed me.

2. The booth across the aisle from me had another family that smiled and waved at me and proved to be chock full of information.

They were even from Independence OR! (Which is right next to the town I live in, btw)

So I had a fun time.

Did you know, that a train rocks a little like those swaying cradles? It is so interesting. I was bouncing in my seat. I was so sad I did not have a camera. But Miki was so upset about being bumped from the Greyhound I was leaving her be (and man was she mad). So no stealing her point and shoot :D

The family liked me. Told me all about what towns we were going through (I still cannot say Aurora or Mullollah river) and even pointed out the Willamette falls to me!

So of course I had to offer some info too, so when we saw a Barge as we were coming into Portland, I told them a few things about them. I did not get to the part where when it is a super hot day they open the cargo holds to release steam. But oh well :D

And then I saw the locomotive!

It was bright orange. How cool is that?

It was also puffing steam, and surrounded by at least a 1,000 people. Holy cow!

I could see Mikis scowl deepening even though her back was too me.

It was hard to get through the station. Very hard. I mean, it is usually packed at Union Station during the day, but this was bloody ridiculous. There were people EVERYWHERE!

So, that ends part one. We made it to Portland! Pictures to come.

Regards from Purgatory,
Monica