What a pleasure to meet . . .

• A first time grandma & grandpa getting flowers for their daughter
• A little boy who now has a baby sister and wanted to buy her a pink bunny
• A husband who's wife is recovering from open heart surgery, trying to find the right card
• A lady who's best friend just had a mastectomy wanting a cheery flower basket & balloon
• A daughter who's mother was in surgery for a hip fracture, finding her favorite candy
• A Daddy of brand new twin baby girls, picking out 2 girlie balloons and 2 pink teddy bears
• An RN that, "just needs some chocolate" to get her through the afternoon.
• A man whose friend was in a car accident, buying her red roses.
• Parents of a preemie baby in the NICU, walking around, just looking exhausted, wanting to talk about their baby . . .

Just another day in the gift shop . . . .

"Will Work for Food"

OK, so I have been pouting . . .

Dang BLAZERS! On Saturday we dressed the part, hopped on the MAX train and like many other Westside riders wearing their Red & Black, we chanted "Go Blazers" all the way into the Rose Garden. As we unloaded off the train we were overwhelmed with scalpers all trying to sell us better tickets than we had. The Rose Quarter was packed with a stage, band "5 guys named Moe" playing, lots of dancing, it was truly a 'pre'game playoff party atmosphere. We headed into the restaurant/bar across the entrance called "The Game" where we stood in a forever line to buy $8/beers . . yikes. Took in all of the music and ran into a couple of people we know, it was GREAT!! We head into the game about 45 minutes early so we don't miss the lineup. There are more familiar faces we bump into on the way to our seats. As you walk into the Rose Garden they are handing out flags and posters to everybody . . Well, of course before we get into our seats we have to get ourselves another one of those fabulous $8/beers . . yikes again. And we stare down anybody that looks like they are going to bump one drop of it out of our glasses as we make our way to our seats. Oh, and let's not forget the $8.50 sausage dogs to go along with those beers . . double yikes! Should have eaten dinner before we left . . duh!. Portland gives Aaron Brooks of Houston (former UofO duck) a warm welcome as well as Rick Adelman . . .The Rose Garden was deafening with clapping, screaming and yelling for the introductions of our Trail Blazers. Then the game started . . . and oh crap . . that Yao Ming guy. . he is the real deal. The guy is a freak of nature . . he doesn't even have to jump to make shots or block balls . . like ever. And our young guys had a complete "Oh my God we are in the playoffs and this is too much pressure" problems that night. They missed soooo many shots it was horrible. Having said that, we did stay until the very end . . as painful as it was. So as we approach game 2 on Tuesday night, we can only hope that the Blazers show up and make it a series worth watching . . . GO BLAZERS!!

Look out it's Blazermania in Ptown! . . .

Well, the Blazers did it! The playoffs are starting this weekend and thanks to my sons Wells Fargo connection we have ourselves a couple of playoff tickets for Saturday nights game vs. the Houston Rockets. I don't own one piece of Trailblazers clothing or accessories anymore, tossed long ago when they were all acting like a bunch of jerks. What a great group of guys they have now, and everybody around here is excited for them to do well in the playoffs. Who's number should I wear? Roy? Outlaw? Rodriquez? Fernandez (Rudy . Rudy. Rudy)? Oden? Aldridge? Pryzbilla (hubbys fav)? So many choices!! I need to find something though and fast, I plan on dressing like a complete crazy Blazer fan on Saturday night to show support for everything positive they have brought back to the franchise and Ptown again! GO BLAZERS!

Leupold 3 . . . Pirates 0

Mom calls me this morning at school. "Hey, I wanted to tell you that I'm listening to KPAM radio right now, it's the Bob Miller show and the Vice President of Leupold is on there speaking as a guest" . . "What?" I said, "Yes, he is saying that the Navy Seals who took out the Pirates holding the American ship captain hostage off the coast of Somalia on Sunday had Leupold scopes on their guns." "Really? wow, that's cool, I wonder if Dale knew that?". . .
So, there you go you damn pirates, don't mess with the Navy!!!. . . Now if it can just bring them more business that would be really good!

I don't like this exercise . .

As the doom and gloom of the economy is spoken every night on the news our school budget (or upcoming lack there of) hangs over us in the district. We were asked last week to help assist in a "budget exercise". Each school district employee was emailed a complete breakdown in detail of the entire school district's budget for one year. All the Certified/Classified staff payrolls, supply budgets, district office salaries/expenses, bussing, custodial, athletics/activities, ratios of class sizes, reductions in days (what a day costs), music & arts programs, etc. etc. etc. We were asked to go down the list and cut $7 million out of the budget. Then we were asked to meet together within our buildings, where we sat in groups and at individual tables of about 8 people each, we were instructed to create a list of our top ten cut items. Each group was given a big sheet of butcher paper to write their top ten on, then they were plastered onto the cafeteria walls side by side. Every staff member was given 20 colored sticky dots. "Now, place your dots next to the suggested areas you feel most strongly about" says our Principal. "Then we will create a spreadsheet in decending order of items with the most votes to areas with the least votes". This is the part I could not participate in, it felt horrible, cheezy and cheap, and it gave me a stomach ache. Like I am going to march right in front our band director or AG teacher and put a big sticky mark next to "cut music programs" or "cut agricultural programs" Who am I to judge their programs importance in the big scheme of a child's education. The sad part is there were some people who were totally into it, smiling, slapping stickers on programs like they really have the power, it was bizarre. Plus, I guess on the selfish side I didn't really want to sit there and see all the sticky dots going up next to "cut Athletics/Activities programs" either. So now all our district admin. folks (who I think already know what is going to be cut and what isn't) can tell us no matter what is decided, "We allowed our staff to be a part of the process." Well, I think this exercise should be "cut" because it stinks. and on that happy note . . . .

Prom tree in full bloom . . .

My favorite tree in our backyard is showing all it's beauty. The magnolia (tulip tree) is so pretty right now with the buds just beginning to open. Don't talk to hubby in about a month or so though as he will be pissed because all of the petals will be dropping off into his pond, and it is a big mess. But until then I enjoy every morning standing by the patio door and just looking at it. We(I) nicknamed it the "Prom" tree years ago because it was where I would make the boys stand with their prom dates for a picture. I suppose I could post some of those but perhaps not . . HA!