Holiday Hijinks

This is going to be a very haphazard post. I have been trying to find time to write about our Labor Day weekend since it was over, but there just hasn't been any time. I wanted to do something more than just recite our activities in a boring monotone kind of way, but it isn't going to happen. Sergio is still going to school and working when he isn't in school and doing homework when he isn't in school or working. I began my internship with 7th graders this week, along with school. When I am not doing those things I am driving Sergio around to all of his places. We call it quality time together.

So, the weekend. Finally on Sunday we were both healthy enough to leave the house for more than a couple of minutes at a time, but not having expected to ever be healthy ever again, we had no labor day plans. So around noon we decided to go to the Portland Zoo. When we got there we realized you NEVER go to the zoo on a holiday weekend. We had to park in emergency holiday zoo parking and were supposed to catch a shuttle. However, the line for the shuttle was alarming and we walked to the zoo, making it long before we would have gotten transportation. Then we waited in another line to get tickets. It was kind of like that all day. However, it was lovely. The zoo is small and nice and has some neat things. It was warm by Portland standards, but still cool enough that all of the animals were out. One of the better groups of animals were the bats, which I had never seen so closely. Kind of creepy, yet very cute. We were told there were six babies somewhere in the group but we never saw them. We did see a bit of bat baby-making, though. The other highlight of the trip was when I wanted Sergio to lean in and see the naked mole rats a little closer. To accomplish this I smacked what I thought was Sergio on what I thought was the leg without turning around. It turned out to be a strange guy and his strange rear. He and his girlfriend did not see the humor in this event.

And on Monday we went hiking along the Clackamas River. We usually come home from a hike with mishap stories. I have to say, though, this was the perfect hike in every way. 7.2 miles is the perfect distance. It ended at a secluded waterfall. It never went up or down for too long. We just had the best time. We played by the river a few times, watched kayakers, and ate lunch next to the secluded waterfall. At the end Sergio decided he should jump off of some rocks into the very cold river. So he did. Then he decided I would think it was fun. I stood on the small rock ledge and I stepped off...and back on. I was cheered on by a sweet couple near us who probably would have liked me to just get on with it so that could get back to their romantic moment. I moved to a shorter rocky ledge. 15 minutes later after several false starts, I gave up. A few minutes later, I moved to the shortest rocky ledge, just a couple of feet high. Sergio counted to three and I did nothing. He counted to three again and I did nothing. The third time, at the encouragement from the nearby (probably frustrated) girls, I jumped. I am glad I did, though hiking another two miles in wet clothes, shoes, and socks? Not out brightest idea.

Please click on the flickr picture box to the right of the screen to see the Clackamas river pics. I can't load them right now. They are under Everything Else.