Mia and I have had a pretty good week in Oregon.  Starting to adjust and looking forward to the move into our more permanent abode next weekend.  For the time being we are coping with our current place and living out of boxes and suitcases.  That will all change in just 7 days!
Friday night we went to dinner at Por Que No .  A lot of times I feel like I can duplicate restaurant recipes at home or maybe make them even better, however, there is something in the menu option of “Bryans Bowl” that I just could never be able to duplicate.  It is really fresh food and holy cow is it good!
After dinner we headed over to the Portland Track Festival to see Laurel Manville run in the 5K.  Unfortunately we got there a bit late and came in only as Laurel was just finishing.  She did run a very respectable 18:12.  The winner of her heat was a teenager who ran a 16:40!!!!!! Finally ended the  night at Huckleberry Pub for some drinks and super salty pub fries split between a few of us.  Good night and starting to feel like we kind of know the area (just a wee bit at this point).
Saturday was the Beaverton Farmer’s Market where they have strawberries galore in season.  Albion and Hood.  The hood are super perishable and very tasty.  The albion are more like we were used to in NH.  After loafing around for most of the afternoon after that we headed to Bridgeport Village to see Iron Man 3 and then found this place called.  Yogurt Land…..This place may become my favorite concept desert place for a quick snack.  They have this wall of frozen yogurt dispensing machines, you can choose any flavor(s) you want, then it has a very extensive variety of toppings and “add-ins” to create your very own concoction.  Then you just pay by weight.  It was a fairly respectable deal.  Two frozen yogurts for $7 for Mia and me.
Finally hit the Tin Shed Café Sunday morning after recommendations from Juston and Laurel.  The wait was worth it and the food was excellent, but oh my!  It was a heart attack waiting to happen.  If I ate there often, I would be a load.  So remember east coast friends, when you come out, we are taking you there!
After breakfast Mia and I headed to the Banks-Vernonia trail for a 42 mile out-and-back rail trail ride.  The parking area was PACKED and we had to finagle a place across the street in a closed business parking lot. From Banks the trail is flat for a about 3 miles and then steadily and very gradually climbs for the next 7 miles before quickly descending for about a half a mile and then gradual decent into Vernonia.  Lots of cyclists, a few runners and even some equestrians were using the trail  It showed the potential of what NH’s Northern Rail Trail  could turn into.  The #1 biggest difference was that the B-V trail is paved for the full 21 miles!

So, another fun week in Oregon.  The job is going well so far, learning a lot, but still a long ways to go.

Thanks for reading,

-Pete