Month: January 2012

And The Fun Goes On

 

A lot has been going on – from what I’ve now heard from a variety of sources – at the International Portland Auto Show.  Daniel just went and salivated, but our neighbor Bill, actually did something there!  He joined the very popular line so that he could ride through an obstacle course.  It was a lot of fun obviously, but its main aim was to boast what the Jeep Wrangler Unlimiteds and Grand Cherokees could do.  And it seems like it’s quite a lot.  For sure Bill said these were the most popular items.  But I think Daniel is still salivating over the Boxx he saw there, and like I told him, “there’s no harm in dreaming” (just so long as that’s as far as it goes).

They think that the show drew tens of thousands of people, perhaps even up to 100,000 as that is how many came last year and the figure is the same for most years I think.  It’s in its 103rd year so it really is popular.  It’s a good job the Oregon Convention Center at 32,000 sq. ft. is big enough to host all those people!

Cool Auto Debuts in Portland

So apparently, one of the most recent cool gadgets was unveiled at the Portland International Auto Show that Daniel attended.  He did mention it the night he got home, but I think I was falling asleep having had a tough evening with Ethan who was screaming his cute little head off. Anyway, it’s called a Boxx and it’s said to be up there with the kind of cool stuff the late Steve Jobs used to produce.  So Daniel’s super-excited of course because anything associated with Jobs or Apple makes him salivate.

The question I asked him yesterday (when I was a bit more awake) was in what way is it so Apple-oriented?  He said it looks a bit like a huge iMac that’s standing up but is fitted with a seat, wheels and handlebars.

But as we all know, it couldn’t have been Jobs who designed it.  So who is the man (or woman) behind the Boxx?  A guy called Eric Vaughn – from Portland – designed this cool moped.  I was quite proud he was from Portland; I do take such pride in my city.  Daniel thinks it mainly looks like a suitcase…and of course, he wants one.  Actually it’s his birthday in a few months’ but with a $3,995 price tag, I don’t think our budget can stretch that far… still, it’s nice to dream! 

Here’s to a happy Monday!

Portland’s Emergency System Worries Me

So I heard something a tad worrying today.  It seems that my city tested its emergency alert system but things didn’t go well at all.  What was meant to happen – didn’t.  As they say, man plans and God laughs and it seems that in the case of Portland’s emergency system that’s exactly what happened.

So, a message was meant to be received by the city’s 300,000 residents at 11:00am.  Well, neither me nor Daniel nor Amanda or her husband received it. And apparently we weren’t exactly in the minority either.  Indeed, I heard later on that a mere 1 percent of Portlanders received the message!  Not very good…and a bit worrying truthfully.

The mess up is being blamed on the First Call company (from Louisiana) as it was unable to deliver.  But now the city has said that if the company fails to sort this out, their contract will be reevaluated.  If you ask me I hope they’re nixed.

Auto Show Comes to Portland

 

O-oh. So now perhaps I am getting a sense of why these flowers showed up yesterday.  Today marks the beginning of the Portland International Auto Show, at the Oregon Convention Center and Daniel is nowhere in the house to be found. Hmm…so now I’m getting suspicious. What is he thinking?  That he’ll buy something there?  With what kind of money?  Oh I hope he doesn’t do anything stupid.

The truth is, we have a great car now (a 2004 Honda Civic) but at some point we will need to change it. I love the Honda for its reliability.  And apparently at the show there will be some hybrids there too. Being real Portlandiers (is there such a term?) it is something we are serious about investigating…but in the future. Still, it’s not like we have the money for it now but I bet that was why I got the flowers yesterday…he’s so sneaky!  You can tell he used to be a lawyer!

Hopefully he just went there for fun…

Is Daniel Guilty?

So listen to this and tell me what you think.  Daniel like never buys me flowers.  He claims that I told him I hate flowers.  Now, it’s true that one time I said I can’t bear the fact that someone buys me flowers and then I have to deal with the whole thing and it becomes a task:  I need to cut the stems, find a vase and then, once they are dead, take them out of smelly, dirty water and wash the vase.  Plus, there are only a few types of flowers I like – for example I hate carnations.

Anyway, I digress. I probably have – since then, when we first got married nearly 7 years ago – complained that he never gets me flowers.  But that hasn’t affected his non-flower-buying behavior.  Until yesterday that is.  All of a sudden, there’s a knock at the door and this gorgeous bunch of large white calla lilies from Sammy’s Flowers arrives.  Now, Sammy’s Flowers is not just any flower store; it’s probably the best one in the whole of Portland.   

And it gets better.  The flowers arrived a gorgeous, simple, glass vase – just my style – so I didn’t have to do anything with them!  Now the test is whether or not Daniel will clear them away once they have died.

But, back to my original issue; I’m still wondering if Daniel is guilty of something.  I mean, why else do  men buy flowers?  Or, more to the point, why else would my husband, all of a sudden, after nearly 7 years of marriage, buy me some flowers when he knows I have all these issues with them?  All I can think of is that perhaps we are approaching the 7-year itch and now I’m paranoid he is hiding something (although you should know I totally trust him).  Watch this space.