oregon

after a couple flights from guatemala city to la and la to portland, i finally landed in oregon...i hired a car and drove to toni's house...she's got two roommates, it's an older house in se portland...spent a couple days with her, including cheering her on in volleyball...they were a lot better than she had led me to believe...we also power shopped...in about 20 minutes we found me a dress and shoes to wear to the wedding...great to catch up!
drove to kimmie's house, also in portland, but in the northeast section of the city, a couple days later...great again to catch up, even though i just saw her in june, at lynnae's wedding...she lives in a HUGE house with a couple roommates...i got my own room! went with her to guard practice, we also went to the river at night to play with our cameras...i spent a couple days enjoying downtown portland, and shopping for things i probably didn't need...great weather the whole time i was in portland, where's all the rain people talk about?...one night kimmie and i went out with heather and jeremi, after doing the underground tunnel tour...the tunnel tour supposedly shows the seamier side of portland's past...who knows how much is true, but it was a fun tour..we're all indiana people, crazy!!..not that many people get out of indiana, especially not from smaller towns..
drove to bend friday, found carrie in a store, shopping for a dress with laura and marion...oh how i've missed the girls...carrie hates dresses, hee hee, but the girls were determined that she have a dress for the wedding...happy to see each other again...dinner with marion and carrie, staying at carrie's new place...she just arrived the day before, and still has plenty to unpack...her bedroom is upstairs, and there is a full bath up there, another bedroom, a large communal area that could be used as a living room if they put some furniture there, and a small kitchen..i don't know how long carrie intends to stay in bend, but it works for now..
mike's wedding was awesome...soooo nice to see him so happy...got to talk to him and marisa way more than i got to talk to ree at her wedding...great to see tim and erik and gabe and amy and their new little girl...AWESOME...sooooo glad i went...like lynnae's wedding, this one was focused on the people in the wedding, and all their friends and family..it wasn't about the proper way of doing things, or spending money, or anything along those lines..fantastic..


the next day carrie and i were invited to go white water rafting with gabe...he works for a company, and was able to take us out with his parents...good times...dinner with mike, marisa, patti (sp?) laura, erike, carrie, and more...sad my visit was over, but so good to catch up...
drove back to portland, flew to LA...flew to fiji, flew to akl...LOTS of hours on a plane...