Snow in Portland

Snow always seems to cause a huge stir around here (which never ceases to amuse me). I can understand when the roads are sheets of ice... but, seriously, down in town in the lower elevations, it didn't even collect.


And it seemed to people to be an even bigger deal this time around because it happened during spring break. But it just flurried around in the air for an hour or two. I guess people are ready for warm weather and sunshine.

Here are some random converstations I heard around the office and on the radio:

"It never snows this late in the year!"

"Well, I remember back in '58, we had a lot of snow in the spring...a lot more than this..."

"SNNNOOOWWW!!! Soooo fun!!"

"Isn't this weather just crazy!" said disdainfully. "I want a real spring."

"Oh, I had to get out and drive in it!!"

Christ is Risen indeed!

The Easter season is really a special one. The preparation (starting 6 weeks out with Ash Wednesday and Lent) lasts longer than the Advent before Christmas, but in this part of the world one wouldn't necessarily know that.

Remembering back to my Christian Foundations class at Fox, the Western church emphasizes Christ's birth, and the Eastern church His death. I wonder if the Christians in Greece, Russia, Turkey, and other reaches of the Eastern Orthodox Church go as all-out for Easter as we go for Christmas... (hopefully without all the commercializing)

Although we have special programs and services for Lent, Palm Sunday, and Good Friday, do we really get into the "Easter spirit" until right as it's happening? Christ's death and resurrection are paramount - arguably the most important events in Christian and human history.

It's important to revisit... to be reminded... to consider well what Christ has done.
It hurts... it heals... it humbles... it evokes worship - and unspeakable gratitude.

How then shall I live? How then must I live?

Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia.

There and Back Again

I was in Colorado this past weekend. Leaving Friday afternoon and returning Monday, I spent time with my family and attended a good friend's wedding Saturday.

A good weekend. A packed couple of days. A bit of a whirlwind trip... here are some snapshots -

• Long conversations with each member of my immediate family at all kinds of hours and in a variety of contexts.
• Bringing gifts for my family.
• Playing piano duets with my mom ... one piano + four hands = lots of fun.
• Karaoke in the basement with my sister after midnight.
• At the wedding, seeing lots of familiar faces from another time and another place.
• Handsome groom. Beautiful bride. Love. Joy. Peaceful closure.
• Seeing my cousin who will be having a baby soon. (The next time I see her, there will be another little one in the world.)
• Great talks over coffee.
• Attending the early service at my parent's church (where I grew up and everyone knows me), then rushing to Denver to the late service at my sister's church (so I could experience her new pastor in action).
• Surprising my uncle, aunt, and young cousins at my sister's church in Denver.
• Medium-rare ribeye with my grandparents and sister after church.
• Grading middle schoolers' papers so my sister could enjoy her weekend.
• Classic dinner-and-a-movie night with my parents.
• Seeing and experiencing the many specimen's of my sister's newest crafty passion: soap-making. These to soften. Those to exfoliate. All to clean. ... etc.
• Snow. Pretty, white falling snow.
• Sleep-deprived... and fighting a sore throat and runny nose.
• Delayed plane for de-icing.

I like traveling. I want to see the world... but after several hours in the air, it always occurs to me that I really just like to be where I'm going. It is at times like that I wish teleporters really exist.

A Jaunt into the Corporate World

On an important errand for work, I had to run downtown to get some signatures from some VIPs at the Wells Fargo Executive Tower.

When you look at the Portland skyline, I'm pretty sure that building is the tallest.

In any case, I got there. Parked in the garage under the enormous building that takes an entire city block. Found the elevators. I needed the 18th floor.

The elevator only had three options: Level A (parking garage), Level 1, Level 2. This will be an adventure...

I pressed the button for Level 2. May as well get as close to the 18th as I can in this elevator.

The doors opened to a bank counter with multple tellers, vaulted ceilings, cushy furniture - all expensive looking and rather classy.

I looked around.

Since no one was in line for the bank tellers, I walked up to one and asked how I could get to the 18th floor.

"You'll need to use the elevators around that corner there."

I looked to where she pointed. "Thanks!" And off I went.

I found the corridor with eight elevators marked A through H. But unlike normal elevators, the up and down buttons one would press to beckon the next available elevator were nowhere to be found.

Just a key pad (like what you have on a telephone, not including the asterisk or pound) on the far left of the row of elevators at the entrance to the elevator corridor.

I decided to hazard a guess that the key pad wanted to know which floor I needed. I typed in "18"

Flashing. Flashing... "F" Hmmm...

I walked to the elevator labeled "F" and, silently, the doors opened. Empty. I stepped inside.

There were 3 buttons inside the elevator. Open Door... Close Door... Emergency.

"Close Door"

And then we were off, the elevator and I. Sleek and silent. I'll just assume this thing knows where it's going...

In not much time at all, the doors opened to reveal a wide hall with the number "18" on the wall opposite me in the elevator.

Standing in the hall I looked left... then right. There were no signs really to indicate where I could find the very important persons whose signatures I needed. And it was silent. Like a library, but worse.

A lady walked up from somewhere, saw me, sized me up, and pointed to the left before getting into the elevator she had just summoned with the keypad.

Going where she indicated revealed a marble receptionist's desk and room with posh modern furniture, strange art, orchids and other interesting potted plants of various sizes, and floor-to-ceiling windows with a gorgeous view of the Willamette River, tall buildings, and bridges.

Although I had dressed for the occasion in a pantsuit and collared shirt with my long collared coat and with a nice wool dress scarf, black pumps, and my hair pulled into a professional French twist, the receptionist apparently didn't think I looked like one of their typical wealth management clients to grace the presence of that floor.

When I told her who I was needing to see, she narrowed her eyes and asked if they were expecting me.

"They are." In fact, they emailed me earlier this morning to say that what I had for them to sign was important enough that their meetings could be interrupted when I got there. But I kept that thought to myself.

"Hmm... well please wait over there."

And wait I did. I enjoyed the view for a long time. It was one of those hazy, sunny days. But the brightness shining through the sky and creating shadows with the buildings was interesting. You would be surprised how many many buildings have grassy parks on the top of their buildings. I wonder how they get the lawn mowers up there...

"Who was the other person you were looking for?" The receptionist asked after about 20 minutes when she noticed I had stopped watching the world outside and had picked up a Wall Street Journal.

I told her. And she said she would ring the secretary.

Surprisingly to her (though not to me), the Regional CEO would see me right away. I would need to go to the 20th floor.

Inside the glass doors of the reception area of the Executive Suite, I was sized up again by the receptionist... who rang the secretary... and then by the secretary herself. Sheesh people...

She took the papers. Walked down a long hall to a wood paneled wall with a large door, slipped inside the door. I sat in an uncomfortable - though quite expensive-looking chair - set on a magnificent rug with more of the exotic plants and strange art.

A few minutes later she returned with the papers. Signed.

I returned to the 18th floor. Waited a little more. Then the secretary came out, sized me up, took the papers, disappeared for a few minutes... When she came back, they were signed.

Thankfully, this one smiled a real smile as she handed the papers back to me - not a tight-lipped fake smile like all the others.

I beckoned my elevator with the key pad and retraced my path back down to the bank, around the corner to the other elevators, down to the parking garage, and then to my car.

What a bizarre hour of time spent... But I had my signatures. And my Vice President would be happy that the signed letters would go out in the mail that afternoon.

But, seriously... I'm glad I wasn't sucked into the corporate world like I once thought I had wanted way back when. God really changed my heart through college and pulled me in a different direction. He gave me the opportunity to work somewhere that does more than make money. Things with eternal value. For me, fulfilling work. I'm so thankful I work where I do.

And I hope I'm always friendly to people, no matter what they look like or who they may or may not be.

"Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the slendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him." Psalm 49:16-17

Good Old-Fashioned Fun

At the last minute, Jenny ended up babysitting for a family at work. Seven-year-old Julianna stayed with us all day Saturday and Sunday -- and it was a lot of fun. We played a lot and ate GREAT kid food (you know...the classics... mac'n'cheese, spaghetti, grilled cheese sandwiches). We spent all Saturday afternoon at the Oregon Zoo. Here are some pictures from our adventure...

I had one of those "I'm too young for this!!" moments. Julianna and I were playing at the park... (Jenny was watching and laughing at us... well... she was more laughing at me - and I probably did look ridiculous). I was climbing all over the playground equipment, hanging upside-down, doing little flips on the bars, and seriously having a blast.

Then we played a game of tag which, of course, involved climbing up slides, jumping off of the bridge, scaling the poles, and otherwise keeping away from a very fast 7-yr old. Not even two hours later -- I couldn't believe it -- I was sore. And when I woke up this morning, even more so. I still can't believe it! I'm WAY too young for this!!! So, OBVIOUSLY, there is only one solution: I need to play more often. :)

OH! One more thing... Jenny and Julianna made cupcakes while I was at a baby shower. But I went with them when they delivered the cupcakes to Julianna's next door neighbors and two families from work who also live on our same block. Suddenly, we were secret agents!

The mission:

1. Deliver the cupcakes without being seen.
2. Avoid the "bad guys" (all the people in the neighborhood not getting cupcakes) and other unseen enemies who, if given the chance, would capture our cupcakes - or us! - and thus thwart our mission.

So, we were running and ducking and army-crawling with plates of cupcakes. (Sarah, you would have been proud of my amazing balance -- I didn't drop a single cupcake despite the crazy shenanigans.) Jenny even did the staccotoed theme music for us. (do-do-doooo--shdo-do-dooo...etc) Julianna said we were kinda crazy -- but that didn't stop her from squealing and jumping behind air conditioning units, darting for shrub cover, and army-crawling under open windows. :)

After we made all our deliveries and were running back to the house, a lady across the street came out to walk her dog. Julianna saw her and shrieked, ducking behind a car. I stayed with Julianna, but Jenny had already run up the steps to the front door to unlock it. Julianna kept watching the lady and - giggling - decided we were doomed and probably had been spotted.

After hiding out for several full minutes, in a final dramatic attempt, I told Julianna that we would just have to make a run for it -- to keep our eyes on the front door and not let anything deter us. So, when I gave the signal, we ran, ran, ran -- Julianna squealing the whole way... We flew in the front door, just barely making it. I locked the door behind us.

"Whew," I said. "I don't think she saw us!"

"Actually," said Julianna, "she looked really confused." (So much for Julianna keeping her eyes only on the door...)

Meet Me in St. Louis

I've been traveling to St Louis for work... and that's just what I did Sunday. And I was back in Portland last night. Definitely a quick trip.

• Thick fog on the early Sunday morning drive to the airport.
• Carpooling with two co-workers... both of whom are twice my age and one who is a company Vice President. They elected me driver. Yeah... no pressure.
• Layover in snowy Minneapolis.
• Short, turbulent flight to warm, 78 degrees St Louis.
• Gourmet burgers at hotel restaurant, the only restaurant open downtown Clayton (suburb of St Louis) within walking distance of hotel on Sunday night. Seriously like a ghost town.
• Rooming with one of my co-workers who is usually super quiet, but quite talkative when it was just her and me in the hotel room. She likes ironing and licorice. A lot. (Not together)
• Silent hotel suddenly turns noisy after 10pm - squeaky rolling suitcases in hallway... jacuzzi tub filling above... football game next door...
• Wake up Monday to cold St Louis. Good thing I checked the forecast and packed my coat.
• Tour of old Clayton mansions on short drive to training in University City. Lots of colonial antique red brick and white trim. Quaint. Historic.
• Meeting in basement. Wood-burning fireplace. Quilt-covered couches. Elderly genius imparts wisdom.
• Italian lunch finished with excellent spumoni.
• Hardcore 9-to-5 day of training... tired. Want pillow in Portland. Still have 7 hrs of flying.
• Snowing in St Louis.
• "Inoperable" seat next to me in small plane to Minneapolis. (no seat back - wonder how that happened... probably awkward for whoever was sitting there when it broke)
• Flight #2: Long. Finished book... 2hr conversation with young mom next to me... 1 hr nap.
• Got my passenger co-workers home within 1 hr of plane landing (despite their checked bags and having to take a shuttle to the lot where my car was waiting - yay for no traffic after midnight).

Perhaps not surprisingly, it was really hard to get up this morning. In fact... I slept through my alarm. Thank goodness I have roommates.

Sarah woke me up as she was leaving the house at 8:40, "Jamie, are you going to work today?"

Groggy Jamie sees clock across room.

"Shoot... yes."

Jamie goes into hurry-get-out-of-bed-and-out-the-door mode.

Technically supposed to be working around 8:30... thank goodness for the semi-flexible hours (since I'm salaried) and the 3 minute commute.

Next St Louis trip? April 20.
Hopefully I'll remember to pack my camera...

Parallel Parking

Ever since my trip to Italy and Switzerland May 2006, I've been inspired to become good at parallel parking. Seriously, the Europeans are amazing. And they make it look so easy the way they manuever into crazy-tight spots.

Therefore, I've been quite fortunate to live in a neighborhood where street parking is tight and I've been forced to practice parallel parking.

Just between you and me, I sometimes even grab tighter spots further from my house just to increase the challenge so I can improve.

But all this practice over the past few months was only that - practice.

There is no real traffic in my neighborhood. I have no time constraints. There are very few people out-and-about -- so if happen to mess up and have to adjust several times... I'm almost completely certain no one even saw it.

All this is the background leading up to my momentous victory.

I successfully parallel parked on a real street into a moderately tight spot between two cars in town with traffic this afternoon. I was quick, smooth, close to the curb - all on the first attempt.

It was a pretty sweet moment.

Totally made my day.

Oh, and Jenny was in the car with me. So, there is a witness.