Today started out … at work. In the flurry of effort to finish off a major project, I ended up staying in the office until about 4:30am. I was able to get ALMOST everything done, and fortunately the rest of the team was able to finish off the last few items and get the project delivered later in the day. I wasn’t the only one working WAY too many hours the last week or two, so I know others were just as relieved as I that everything got finished off.
After a brief nap, Rory and I finished packing and tried to head out on our “date day” with breakfast at a local restaurant. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get away until 11:17 (yes, I was watching the clock) so we decided to start on our list of errands.
A few days earlier I had looked up the phone number for the local military ID office. Last time we tried to walk in, we found that the information on the website was incorrect, so I figured that by talking to a “real person” I could positively verify the correct hours. At that time the female Specialist told me that this was the last week their office would take Friday walk-ins, so I figured we were set. We were told on Friday that the office does NOT do Friday walk-ins, hasn’t done Friday walk-ins for MONTHS, and they didn’t have any female employees working during the past week. Fortunately they relented and Rory got her card done. (I’ll have to get mine re-done now that they decided to promote me, but not until after August 1 when the promotion is effective).
Next we headed through Salem and stopped at the pet store, looking for fish food. I jokingly suggested we stop in the grooming salon and see if they could shear my hair for me, since I had forgotten to get that taken care of the day before. Even better, Rory noticed that immediately adjacent to the pet store was a cosmetology school. While I looked for fish pellets she confirmed that the school did take walk-in “subjects” for their students to work on, and for only $9.99!
The cosmetology school was quite the place. There were mannequin heads galore with all different styles of hair for the students to practice on. Apparently they also practice tattoo art, including each others’ bodies and the floating deadheads. I was assigned a guy who had been at the school for 6 months. As we were talking I asked for the cut to be “quite short on the sides and back” and even had him re-do it after the first pass with the clippers. We talked about getting ready for my upcoming military duty among other things. Apparently the “short” and “military” took hold in his mind and the first pass over the top of my head with the clippers changed my plan. I went from “short but comb-able” to a definite “high and tight.” He then proceeded to spend nearly an hour (less if you ask Rory) working on “the line” around my head, using all sorts of clippers and attachments and even squeezing my head to tighten the skin and make the hair stand up differently. (We found several “Dr. Seuss” hairs sticking straight up on the top of my head later, but there certainly wasn’t any line!) He actually thanked me for coming in to give him some good practice, since mine was a “rare haircut.” Rory joked (I think it was a joke) that it should have been kept that way … RARE.
On our way towards Portland we realized I had forgotten to borrow one of the girls’ cameras. We thought we might just stop in at Fry’s and window shop for prices on a small camera, as well as one with simple video capability. It had been awhile since the last time I visited, and that place is HUGE. We did find the display of digital cameras (do they make any other kind?) and the cheapest one takes 10 mega-pixel photos, includes video, has image stabilization, does panoramic shots, and more. We paid over $400 just a few years ago for a camera with fewer features; Fry’s wanted $59 for this one. Rory hadn’t eaten anything yet during the day, and after paying for the camera we walked right next to a food shop right inside the building. They hand-made her a chicken wrap (even chopped up the veggies right then and there), and she also got a non-dairy fruit smoothie that was actually quite good. I never would have thought to go looking inside an electronics superstore for a decent lunch, but then again, I don’t get out very often.
We arrived at the hotel a bit later than originally planned, but after getting our stuff unloaded we still had time to drive part of the Historic Highway in the lower part of the Gorge, and stopped by the Vista House. This was apparently built as a rest area when the old highway was first built, and is a circular stone structure with a great view from the top of the cliffs. Only had time for a few pictures before continuing on to our real destination, our Sternwheeler Dinner Cruise.
The cruise got booked as a “make up” for missing our actual anniversary the week before due to work. The company uses a small dock on the Columbia River to moor the rather cool-looking boat. Our table was situated next to a window which gave us a GREAT view. (I use the word “table” rather liberally, as it was only barely large enough to hold our two plates and cups.) The server came around to introduce himself and get our initial order. Rory really debated whether to go for the salmon dinner, since she likes that fish only if it’s cooked perfectly. Any dryness or mushiness just ruins it. In the end she “lived on the edge” and ordered the fish while I got the tenderloin medallions. We made short work of the shrimp appetizer, and then the fun started.
Of course Rory had her camera at the table and was shooting through the disgustingly filthy window. In spite of the animal droppings she got some great sun shots off the water. Eventually we walked outside onto the deck where she could continue shooting sans grime. It wasn’t too much longer before we were told that dinner had been served, so we headed back inside. I went in to eat; Rory did not. While I enjoyed some VERY good beef and potatoes, Rory continued taking pictures. She attached the macro lens and got shots of our “Romance Package” cider’s bubbles in some keepsake glasses. She took pictures of food, water, sunsets, sunbursts, clouds, landscapes, and much more. When I was about done eating and she still hadn’t started, I couldn’t help but to take some pictures of her taking pictures.
She reported that the salmon was PERFECT, and by the end of the night was even saying it was the best she had ever had. She also liked the bites of beef I shared. I must have drank ¾ of the cider by myself, and ate WAY too much of the very yummy bread. I’d say it was about a 3-pound kind of meal.
It was very easy to talk with many of the people on the boat, and welcomed people from North Carolina, Michigan, Iowa, Oregon and more. The icebreaker for many of them was the camera they were using, and Rory would strike up a conversation or offer to take pictures. Too bad she didn’t have a stack of business cards to hand out, and she did have one lady almost offer to hire her to take pictures of her online offerings if she lived closer!
We cruised down the gorge for awhile, and I got some great shots of the Bridge of the Gods and some of the viaduct structures of I-84. Rory even humored me and took some photos of those things, too. I thought the sternwheeler was really very interesting; it was truly the only means of propulsion for that vessel, no side thrusters or backup propellers. The weather was perfect, not too hot or cold at all, and there wasn’t even any wind! Well, not while we were headed east anyway. As we made the turn at the top of the route we found that apparently we had been moving almost exactly the same speed as the wind, and now we got to fight it. There were some pretty funny pictures of people’s hair being blown straight back.
As dessert was being served they announced over the ship’s intercom that several people on board were celebrating anniversaries. The table in front of us were at number 27, the table behind us were at 7, and we were on year 17. Lucky 7’s! We then overheard someone at another table talking about how his granddaughter was SO proud that she was celebrating her 6-month “anniversary” of dating her boyfriend. “6-month anniversary??? What is that … LINT?”
Rory ordered the “chocolate overload” cake, which I thoroughly enjoyed finishing for her. (She’s not doing so well with sugar these days.) My New York style cheesecake was also great. They got some awesome reviews from Rory on their comment card, and we definitely recommend that cruise to anyone and everyone!
Almost immediately after getting back to dry land and the truck we saw a flash of light in the sky. At first I thought it must have just been the exterior mercury lamps turning on, but it became VERY apparent that there were some great electrical flashes in the sky. As we drove down I-84 the lightning came faster and more powerful, putting on a great show. We even hit a small cell of rather thick rainfall. Then just like that, it was gone again and our great weather was restored.
Not everything went exactly as planned, but it was great to spend the day with Rory!
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