This is the 5th in a series of posts covering my trip to the US Pacific Northwest in 2022, adapting emails originally sent to friends. I use NOW to refer to any updates since I did the trip.
A crackling static sound in my room kept me awake for hours. I tried to find a worker but no luck. You can only reach them at night if you have cell coverage in the US. After downing a second can of beer really fast to help me sleep (still Pub Beer). I got maybe 3.5 or more hours' sleep before my alarm woke me up at 5:35. Luckily I was on familiar ground for most of the day so I was able to go on autopilot to a degree.
[NOW: This was at Northwest Portland Hostel.]
I walked to the nearby McDonald's for breakfast and got a daypass at Providence Park MAX Station. I took a Blue Line MAX light rail (with one exception all transportation today TriMet Transit) to Gresham Central Station in Gresham. There I got on an 84 bus. Due to a quirk with that model's buses, it started to close as I tried to enter before reopening. It's the last run for that bus until the afternoon, which is why I had to set the alarm so early. I took it south to an area between municipalities I think.
I walked further south. One farm apparently not Democrat has a sign saying that a batch of eggs was $10 plus $5 Biden Tax. From up ahead by an overpass I briefly saw a small deer or large bird. I made it to "downtown" Boring. I took photos of myself by a SE Andy St sign. Boring still has most of the usual fun signs including announcing Boring & Dull Day with Dull Scotland. I visited Green Food Mart, McCall's (got an ice tea; was going to try a type I hadn't had before, but the cashier rightfully suggested I go with a colder can), and Shell. So all three were as usual open before 8: 30. I passed Boring Mini-Storage and Boring Square Garden Center around that time (above not in exact order). Before going to the Shell I saw the new Vietnam Memorial at Boring Trailhead Park. And of course I visited Boring Middle School from the outside. Signs referring to Boring MS Students were gone, so perhaps someone realized that MS has another common meaning, and Shell's Food Mart no longer says Boring Shell on the door..I cut through Boring Trailhead Park before heading east. A sharp peddle got onto the sole of my left shoe and started jabbing my food. I got it out but now that shoe has a vulnerable point. Near the Mt Hood Highway, Boring Bark and Landscaping now has an image of a dog saying "Woof" by the word "Bark"
Because no buses stop at or near Boring I did a long trek south to Sandy. There was a new jiu-jitsu club (or at least new location) by a cemetery. I thought martial arts were just for self defense? I got into town later than planned so decided to stay past my scheduled departure time. I grabbed a $1 large Coke from McDonald's. I got a couple schedules from the Visitor info place. Among the amusing names were Sandy Beer (must have an interesting texture) and Sandy Chainsaw (risky). AntFarm Cafe's name is obviously intentional. I passed one stop that was closed for construction. The next one also had construction near it but didn't say it was closed, but a bus whipped past me. I went to a library book store I originally passed on due to lack of time and bought three DVDs. I played it safe and went to the Sandy Transit Center. One hour later than planned (half the time intentionally, half the time unintentionally) I took a Sandy Area Metro bus (that exception) back to Gresham Central. I took a Blue Line Max light rail to Beaverton Central in Beaverton. I visited Things from Another World, had lunch at McDonald's and visited Powell's. I headed south and dashed towards a bus stop as a 57 bus approached. He left me on before the stop. I got off near Rainy Day Games in Aloha, but they had no regular DVDs there. I took another bus to Hillsboro Central in Hillsboro and visited Arcade Book Exchange; didn't linger due to narrow corridors. At the Blue Lines's west terminus station, Hatfield/Government, I saw people were on one of the two trains there and got on that one, but the other took off first. I got off the Blue line near Lloyd Center in Portland. They have an ice rink in the mall. I visited Barnes & Noble.
Heading southeast, I passed where Sunshine Milk with the giant rotating milk cartoon on the roof used to be before the business closed. Well, it no longer rotates and looks pretty dirty, but that giant milk carton is still there. I felt somehow comforted to know it was still around. I visited Future Dreams Comics but it's apparently closed for browsing for now.
I took a 15 bus to Movie Madness, the last video store in Portland; for part of the bus ride I didn't have a window seat and couldn't get photos, but that's bound to happen. I bought a Blu-ray and got permission to take photos of movie memorabilia. Among the items were the suit worn by the "monster" in Young Frankenstein, the knife wielded by the killer (at least in costume; being intentionally vague here) in Scream, and part of the suit worn by Frank Morgan's non-Wizard character in the Wizard of Oz. I took a 15 bus downtown and visited Salmon Street Springs and Mill Ends Park. I tried to get photos of Mill Ends Park and myself, but it's hard to do that with such a small park. I crossed Morrison Bridge over the Willamette River and back. I briefly visited the concrete Director Park (has Teacher's Fountain). I wanted to get dinner at 7-11 but it was closed and Target didn't have any suitable dinner items so I finally gave up, took a Blue or Red train back to Providence Park and grabbed dinner from McDonald's again, too sleepy to continue the hunt.
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