Ten Things I Learned in Portland, Oregon

1. Those dams Woody Guthrie sang about are out this way.
2. You can get just about anywhere armed with a bus pass and a basic understanding of three bus routes.
3. I like artichokes more than I think I do but I’m still not crazy about kalamata olives.
4. The hot chicks do all wear glasses like the song says. Even the road-construction-crew chicks.
5. The musicians out here aren’t exactly hung up on the whole punctuality thing either.
6. The subway trains run right up on the streets in the daylight, showing no fear of the sun or of being seen in public.
7. They don’t call it “Downtown.” They call it “City Center.”
8. It’s cool to be able to wake to sunshine, drive up a mountain in a blinding snowstorm where they recommend tire chains, drive back to sunshine, then head off to the ocean (with sandy beach and everything) all inside of 24 hours.
9. My pronunciation of “printer,” when talking about computer peripherals (“prinner”), is a Pacific Northwest thing. Probably an artifact of so much tech coming from there.
10. I still like traveling with my wife.
11. Bonus Seattle Thing: I thought the Space Needle would be a lot taller.

For those of you who’ve forgotten, here’s the Ten Things, Santa Fe Edition:

1. I like planes that seat more than 18 people.
2. I like more oxygen than they have there.
3. Albuquerque is 19 exits North-South and 17 exits East-West.
4. The Spanish owned the Philippines in the 1500’s.
5. It’s not the corkscrew, it’s the foil cutter blade that upsets Homeland Security.
6. AngelFire Water really works.
7. I like hot mineral bath soaks, wraps, and massages better than you’d think.
8. When you change your flight plans, it’s probably best to let the airline know about it.
9. Red or Green? Both, please.
10. I like traveling with my wife.