Safe in Portland...

... barely... The van gave me so much grief on this trip. I left on Thursday the 15th and arrived on Wednesday the 21st. 6 days with the furkids in the van... argh!

Anyone here familiar with Dante's Levels of H***? I feel like I've just been through at least half of them. But, JJ and Jack are fine... roaming around a bigger apartment than before. The movers will arrive someday with my stuff. In the meantime, I'm sitting on the floor eating pizza. I'm talking on one of the computers in the Apartment Complex's computer room, as my internet isn't up yet. I'm up on the NE side... nice new place.

I'll post pics of the new place and videos of the cats being goofy once my own internet is up. They've taken to burrowing under my blankets and sleeping there... they NEVER did that on my bed at home... unless I was already under the covers. Bizarre little kitties I have.

Just wanted to post here saying I got to Portland okay. it was a heckuva drive... but everyone's fine.

Amanda

Glad you all got there safely, hope you all settle in well and that your stuff turns up soon.
Anne

Glad you made it there safetly!

Yey! Glad you like your place and everything is cool!

I knew Illinois was feeling a little empty! I'm sorry your trip was so rough, but glad to hear you and the babies are safe and sound!

Amanda, I probably missed the reason you moved across country.....was it for a job? Good for you for making it though.......that's a LONG way with kitties!

My heart is still in Portland even though I'm back in California. I lived there for just over 7 years and I miss it dearly. First place I lived was at the top of Sylvan on the 26, then moved down towards Washington Square in Beaverton, then on to Division/SE 162nd and finally to Gresham.

Where in the NE are you? My cousin has a house on NE 42nd/Prescott.

If you like Fish and Chips, there is a brewery on Fremont and about NE 39th that has the best beer batter fish I have ever had!

If Mexican Food is your thing, La Sirenita is the BOMB! Just don't go around lunchtime, the lines are out the door! They are on NE Alberta and about 29th.

If beer is your thing, the Oregon Brewers Festival is the last full weekend in July at Waterfront Park. Around the same time, look for a copy of Willamette Week's "Best Of Portland". It should be out by the 2nd or 3rd week in July.

Geez, listen to me! Can you tell I love Portland? If you have any questions about Portland, let me know. If you are looking to meet people, check out www.meetin.org, then click on MeetinPortland. It's not a singles thing, just people hanging out doing a bunch of different activities.

Keith

Hurray that you made it safely & the furkids are adjusting well! I hope that your adventures will make for humorous memories someday. I'm looking forward to the pics!

I'm glad to hear you and the kitties made it safely. Good luck settling in.

I'm glad you and the kitties made it safely.

I'm also jealous - I desperately want to move to Portland. I visited with my husband in May and absolutely fell in love with it. I feel like I left my heart there.

I'll get there someday, although it seems we'll be making a detour to the DC/VA/MD area first due to hubby's job.

For those around here or who've lived here... I'm right next to The Grotto... which i just found out is a Catholic Church... granted, I'm not Catholic, but that's one cathedral I wouldn't mind praying at! For those who don't know what it is, it's an outdoor church... there's a carved niche in the face of a cliffside... a statue is inside... Michelangelo's something-er-other.... I didn't get a close look... Mass was just finishing up when i got there. I'll go back during the week when there aren't so many people milling about... and I'll go up to the upper area and walk around there... I did take some pictures... absiolutely gorgeous. I have a 'thing' for beautiful churches and this one takes the cake!

I'm back in the computer room next to the management office. The Grotto is the only hint I'll give as to where in NE Portland i am. I'm literally RIGHT next to it. And if you look closely enough you may spot JJ and Jack peering out my windows... I'm close to the street. My apartment is set up for wheelchair accessibility... so all the doors are 3 feet wide... the halls are wider than normal... the door to the patio swings out rather than in...

Yesterday I took the van to the car wash... got vacuumed and everything... and it thanks me by breaking down on the way to the grocery store this morning. Got towed back to Firestone and they think it's the fuel pump... an item which was just replaced 6 weeks ago... if it is in fact that item, I have a few choice words for the local shop back in Chicago that did that work. I'm just glad it didn't break down coming BACK from the store... I was planning on getting frozen goods... whew.

needless to say, my first near-week in Portland [not to mention getting here] has been hairy. Since I'm w/o a car for a couple days again, I will probably take the bus and Trimet downtown in the morning... upgrade my AAA membership [have a basic membership... premium would have allowed them to tow me from The Dalles into Portland last week], and roam around downtown... I think I smell a Jamba Juice visit in my very near future [the only one in Portland is downtown].

Since my access to my van is sporadic, and my own internet is not here... I feel very detached right now. There's a small part of me that wishes I was either back in Chicago, or in a part of town here where I didn't NEED a vehicle to do most basic things. I have to keep telling myself I've only been here a few days... but having no TV/internet and very little to do at home and difficulty getting to the really active areas of town, it feels like I've been here longer...

Anyway, they close the office at 3, so I have a few more minutes to check a few things and get out... I'll check back tomorrow... I think. Thank God for this little computer room.

Amanda

Portland has one of the best public transportation systems in the nation. You are not that far from MAX. I never visited the Grotto, although I have seen pics of it.

Yeah... I took the bus to the MAX line and then went downtown this morning. Walked around downtown and hit Powells [any person calling themself a booklover and not visiting Powells is either lying or insane]... I still didn't find my one SF/F book I've been looking for... I know I can get it online used.. but fellow bibliophiles will understand... when you're looking for something, the adventure of the real-life hunt and the feeling of the moment you find it on the shelf in front of you is worth the wait. There's plenty more used bookshops around here...

The MAX rail is very nice and clean... runs pretty quick too. The fact they have schedules and all the operators/drivers for the buses and trains actually are close to adhering to them is amazing. Chicago was decent, in terms of availability... but ask about scheduling? HAH! Not a chance... The East bay down in CA has to be one of the worst... those buses are pitiful... many lines stop at sunset... or thereabouts... I know... I have a friend who nearly completely relies upon those buses...

It's beastly hot here today... and i had to pick today to go downtown and walk around. The van still isn't ready... won't probably hear from them until tomorrow... he mentioned Tuesday... I just wish I'd picked up some fans on Saturday, when said vehicle was still working... my place doesn't have A/C... which since the windows are North and East facing isn't bad... it's not as hot in there as it is outside, even with the windows cracked open... but it's still not cool... thinking of the furkids...

Anyway... back to checking everything else...

Amanda

Hey Amanda,

I am glad you made it there girl, but sorry about all of the hassles you've run into. Don't think of now as your beginning in Portland...Give yourself a month or two once everything is up and running more smoothly, and think of that as the beginning of your new home adventure...let this process just be another part of the limbo. You are a strong woman for spending that much time in a small van with two restless kitties...I bow at your feet! LOL. **smiles** Hang in there hon, I'm sending {{{{stuff please hurry up and arrive}}}} vibes your way!!!

Jack really revved up once he figured out we're in the apartment to stay [at least for a year or two]. It's a 2 bedroom... so he was zooming around the place... checking each and every closet out... he's been up on the kitchen counter... I've found various things on the floor in the morning when they were on the counter the night before. So far, nothing breakable... yet!

I got my van back today... ignition thingy... small black thing that can cause a WHOLE load of problems... like making it not run... at least this was a relatively cheap fix at $380. Five service visits/tows/AAA calls in two months... that van is posessed I tell ya.

Movers will be showing up either Thursday or Friday. Whew. Then iget to spend all weekend [plus the next month or so] unpacking/rearranging/building things to get myself situated. See, I'm a chick with tools... I like to build things... I have plans for a book case and a thing to encase the litterbox while keeping it in the living room... I might even make it look nice... we'll see.

My contact at the movers said if they'd told her they put my stuff on the truck Sunday, she would have called me... but they didn't tell her. Men... sheesh. I'll be sleeping in my own bed this weekend... woohoo!!!!!

Well, off to Home Depot for bookcase materials... muaahaahaaahaa!!!!!!!

Amanda