Friday Wine Day Agenda

9:30 - Brick House
10:30 - Beaux Freres
11:15 - Red Hills Market
Noon - Dominio IV
1:00 - Patricia Green
3:00 - Soter

Happy Anniversary!!  ❤️❤️❤️

Rupert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG there is a house cat here.  Rupert. 

The guest instruction list says this:

• Hip Cat - Rupert is super friendly and quite intelligent!  He will want to hang out with you, so feel free to love him back.  Please do't let him on the beds or sofa as some lodgers are allergic to cats.  He goes on his way if gently encouraged to.

WHA???  Who would encourage this adorbs little guy to go away?? 

He.  Was.  So.  Cute.   He was just there, looking in the patio door.  So we hung out.  I hope he comes back tomorrow...

Nice, relaxing day...

Today was a great day for doing not much.  It was a beautiful day - mid 60s - and sunny.  

Started the day with breakfast at Tasty & Sons.  Chilaquiles and Shakshuka!  I loved them both.  And of course...a cold press.  The only thing missing were my coffee friends.

We then hit the grocery store, hung out a bit at the house, and then walked to Apex for beers and cards.  It's Fresh Hop weekend.  Yay.  😐  Fresh hopped beers aren't my favorite and Chris loathes them.  He says they taste like cut grass.  I might not go that far.  Clearly, because I had two.

After Apex we walked to Lardo for sandwiches.  Man this place is out of this world.  I had the Pork Bahn Mi and Chris had the Smokestack.  Both were awesome.  We also got chicharrones - basically deep fried pork fat that is salted with enough salt to kill you.  But man-o-Manischewitz, they were good. 

Then?  Nap time.  Now?  Doing nothing, ate some cheese and crackers, watching terrible TV and getting ready for bed.

Gotta prepare for wine day tomorrow!!  ❤️🍷

And we're back!

And just like that, we're back in PDX.

Quick trip for our anniversary, and, well, why not?  Staying in a lovely little AirBNB and everything is either tile or pressed cement.  It's really cool, but my old back isn't going to be happy.

And this morning, I came downstairs, and READ A BOOK.  I haven't really done that in a long time...trying to avoid my phone and use my brain more.

Beer today, wine tomorrow for our anniversary, maybe the Rose Garden and Pittock Mansion too today or Saturday.

Having not much of an agenda is kind of nice right now.  Maybe I'll even finish a book.  😊😊

Sigh...so long PDX.

Such a sad morning - always is when we leave Portland.  But you know, after 10 days, it's good to also get home to routine, better eating and less drinking (god help me), and to get back to sleeping in your own bed.

We had an absolutely wonderful time with Brett and Lynette - they are such great travel partners, and I feel lucky for that.  It's not everyone who can put up with Chris for 10 days - am I right?!?   😃

I'm guessing we'll be back in October, as is our style - I get itchy around our anniversary and wanting to go there.  And drink more wine...and eat more great food...and see new sights.

Love you PDX!!  XOXO

Saturday / Last Day

Saturday was our last day and the awards for the conference.   We started at Loyal Legion for a bump before the awards.  Eh.  It was OK.

Chris and Brett didn't enter anything, but there were 4 of our friends that won medals - including Brett and Lynette's friend that won Mead Maker of the year!!

When your hubs doesn't have anything entered, the awards ceremony is much much more relaxed, and a bit boring.  Lynette and I ducked out and had a snack to escape the awards for a little bit...which did I mention?  Are a little boring.

Until people you know win.  It's super fun and exciting and fabulous and wonderful.  I was glad for all of them!

After the awards we needed to clean out all the groceries we bough so we had about a dozen people over for drinks and snacks.  The best part?  They were all gone by 9pm.  YAY!

Friday / NHC

Friday was a day for prepping to come home.

The guys went to the NHC Mead talk where their good friends were on the panel, and Lynette and I ran to do errands.  I ran back to Queen Bee to get bags (3!!) and then we went to buy some wine shipper boxes to get our beer and whiskey home.

My three bags are amazing.  There is even one with a bird on it.

We then spent the afternoon at 10 Barrel.  Solid beers and a great lunch.  We met some other friends there, and after eating way too much (are you sensing a theme??), Lynette and I walked to get a cold brew coffee.  Man.  Those are amazing.  I mean it might be the 1/2 cup of simple syrup, or the 1/2 cup of cream I add, but whatever.  It's my new favorite.

After 10 Barrel, Lynette and I made a steadfast pact to NOT attend Club Night, but the guys went.  We stayed home and laid on the couch, packed a little, and watched about 4 episodes of CSI.

WINNING.