Constant Reader discussion
2009 CR Convention - Portland
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Report from Portland
Lynn - are you still online? I've arrived and checked in. Are we meeting for drinks before dinner?Theresa
I'm glad to hear you made it, Theresa! I just left you a voice mail, but in case you see this first, we're gathering in the lobby of the Hotel Lucia at 5:45 for drinks. I'm looking forward to meeting you!
Thanks so much for keeping us updated! It sounds so fun, I wish I'd been able to attend. You make Portland sound amazing. Send my regards to everyone!
Thanks for the update, Lynn. It's been mighty quiet around here--sounds like a great time!Sara
I'm pretending I'm there with you all. Constant Readers together are so much fun.
Great fun to have everyone here this weekend. Frank and Barbara Hill made the trip from Ashland, and we got the update on the Shakespearean Festival,which has developed into a full dramatic festival with multiple theaters, multiple playwrights, and high quality work.
Jane Niemeyer updated us on the status of jazz radio in San Diego and reviewed her itinerary of childhood moves which included a little time in Estacada, a small town just southeast of Portland. Denise Hardesty matched that with her moves from Detroit to Orlando, where she looked for unexploded bombs, to Idaho.
Sherry Keller and Theresa Simpson discovered that they were at University of California Berkley at more or less the same time and told us that the best view in the Bay area comes from the physics lab parking lot at Cal. The lab itself has no windows.
Ruth read a wonderful poem about her VW bug and revealed that she and Leif met at a class called "Coping with Being Single." Apparently they failed the class.
Lynn Isvik explained how you go from teaching horticulture to teaching business while I refrained from quoting Dorthy Parker on horticulture. And Allen continued to insist that he has never had a cappuccino.
All in all, a wonderful visit. I am glad everyone could come.
Thanks for adding some more details, Jim. I'm home safely now and had a very uneventful trip back. I hope everybody else had the same luck! I think I'll have to wait until I'm a little more rested, though, to add any last thoughts.
I just returned home after a long day of travel. Four hours at the Atlanta Airport is never much fun. I'm peeking into CR and drinking a bourbon to ease back into normal life. Will try to add more later.
Sounds like everyone had a fantastic time. I can't wait to hear the scoop.
Thanks all for telling us about the weekend. I shall look forward to all your photos.
I want to commend Jim for being such a wonderful host. He picked terrific places for our meals, and I enjoyed all of the activities.Steve,
I could tell a million Allen stories like yours, but please hold on to your chair. 1) Allen recently got a cell phone. 2) Allen had some sort of shrimp-filled pasta for dinner on Saturday. 3) He has promised to post now and then.
I got there early on Thursday and had lunch with Sherry. When she went back to the hotel to nap, I took a hike out to the Japanese Garden in Washington Park. It is beautiful and peaceful out there, and I could see becoming a member of the Garden if I lived there. If you are a member, you can get in at 8 am, two hours before the non-members. I could see myself sitting by one of the waterfalls while reading the latest Constant Reader selection. On the way back to the hotel, I cruised through the International Rose Test Garden which is still full of fragrant roses.
I will upload my photos to Photobucket or some other site and post a link.
I just loved seeing everyone.
Jane
I want to thank Jim, too. I just put my pictures up here. I only took pictures on Saturday. It was a full day!http://gallery.me.com/shkell#100494
We,too, want to thank Jim for hosting such a good weekend for everyone! And it was a pleasure meeting the Constant Readers in person for the first time. The weekend flew by too fast!Barb & Frank Hill
Sherry,these are great pictures. I loved the children playing on the water, the pictures at the garden, and also to have a glimpse of you all. But, is there a picture of you for us to see?
Welcome Home to all who attended, I missed your posts.
Thank you so much for sharing those photos! Now I'll know have to go to Portland one day, though I wish it were with CR.
I think Jane took a couple of pictures of me, Capitu. If you INSIST.
My favorite thing at these conventions is meeting CRs for the first time. Even though Barb Hill has been a CR for a while, I had never met her. It was a pleasure to finally get a chance to talk to her in person. And I was so happy to meet Denise, too. My second favorite thing is meeting OLD friends. They are almost as familiar to me as my family. They are my extended family, and I'm so glad to call them my friends.
I wish you'd taken pictures every day, Sherry! The Chinese Gardens ones are gorgeous. I'm sorry now that Leif and I opted for a nap instead of a walk.I agree with you. My old CR friends are like family. My new ones are wonderful to meet. I wish more of our new members would show up. I don't want people to feel like we old-timers are an exclusive little club within a club. Next year---we want you new folks!
Ruth wrote: "I wish you'd taken pictures every day, Sherry! The Chinese Gardens ones are gorgeous. I'm sorry now that Leif and I opted for a nap instead of a walk.I agree with you. My old CR friends are lik..."
How does that work. Does one member host the convention in their city?
Has the location for the next convention been decided yet or is that still up for debate? (NY, NY?)
In Portland (at the Business meeting) we decided we'd have it in Minneapolis next year. Philip has kindly offered to host. NY after that? I hate to make these kinds of decisions. I want to go both places!
Just dashed thorugh your pics, Sherry, and was so glad you made it to the Chinese Pavillions and Garden -- that is such a delightful place. Jane -- the Japanese Garden is near the top of my own Portland favorites for that very peacefulness. I do wish we could have been there but it wasn't to be. Minneapolis sounds good and NYC would be fantastic as a CR Convention destination -- I'd love to get back there again because four days packed with activites is doesn't allow much wiggle room for fun and I saw lots of fun we had no time for in NY!
Mark me as a yes for the 2011 convention - I just checked the Jewish calendar and finally the high holidays won't conflict with the 3rd weekend in September. Even though I live in boston, I did live in NYC for 10 years and would be happy to help Yulia or any other NYC CRs host. But I would also be willing to go anywhere too!I'm sure Minneapolis will be fun too and Philip will be a wonderful host.
I'm glad you all had so much fun and think it is so great you get to put "real people" with their posts here!!
I'm really looking forward to meeting you, Al. It won't be long. Years seem to go by faster and faster.
It sounds like everyone had a wonderful time. I won't be able to do 2010 (too close to a medical conference I attend with my daughter in S.C.), but maybe 2011. I've been to almost every city on Eastern seaboard BUT NYC! Imagine that. Great to have an excuse to get there. Of course, if you choose San Francisco again, I'd have no complaints. ;)
I just posted photos on Photobucket. There are three albums. The Thursday album in called Portland 09; the Friday album is called Portland 09 Friday; and the Saturday album is called Portland 09 Saturday.
Here is a link
http://s243.photobucket.com/albums/ff...
Once you get there, you can view all three albums, by clicking on Portland 09 in the left column.
I really want to see you pictures, Jane, but the hyperlink didn't catch the 09 and I make it work.
Lynn,Try it again. I just edited it with the correct link, I hope. It worked for me.
Jane
Thanks, Jane. That worked! I'm off to revisit all our fun.
Thanks, Jane. Those are great.
I'm so happy to hear about Minneapolis, as it is close enough that I should probably be able to come. Lynn mentioned the train to me and I just might follow through with that adventure!Thanks every one for your Portland reports, and welcome back!
Sara
I was only able to join the group for Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast, but it was great to be able to see everyone even for that short time.Sunday morning after everyone else took off for various planes, trains and automobiles, Allen, Denise and I had a nice long walk by and across the river in lovely weather. It was great to catch up with Allen and especially nice to get to know Denise. She is fortunate enough to have a job that pays her to hike in beautiful back country (well, there's more to it than that!)
My return train reservation was for 6 pm. I had hoped to change to an earlier time but all trains were full. So I ended up going to Powell's and buying a couple of books, something I had vowed that I WOULD NOT DO. This addiction has a grip on me that won't let go.
Theresa
I neglected to mention what a great job Jim did playing host. Pazzo, where we had dinner Friday night, was an excellent choice and I'm sure I'll be back on trips to Portland. Jim's wife was able to pull the name Ursula Le Guin seemingly out of a hat, when I'd given very little to go on (what is her name, you know, that writer who lives in Portland who writes intellectual sci fi and her dad was Kroeber . . .)Theresa
For those who wanted to know why I suggested Sherry take a picture of downtown Milwaukie, other than to show her the real Milwaukie properly spelled, the answer is that this is the home of Dark Horse Comics.As those familiar with graphic novels will know, Dark Horse is the publisher of Frank Miller and such classic work as The Spirit and Hellboy. While we couldn't see the headquarters from the river, you do get the flavor of the setting.
Here is a headquarters photo: http://j.mp/4h7ILj
Yes, a big thank you to Jim. We enjoyed everything you suggested.The three restaurants were great. I forget the name of the first, but it featured some very creative cooking. Leif and I ordered a series of "small plates," and ate way too much. The cold clam salad was stellar.
Good Thai food at Typhoon. How did we ever exist without Thai food? And as Theresa said, Pazzo (which means "crazy" in Italian) was excellent. Both Leif and I had the Spaghettini con Vongole, and it was delicious.
There were some good breakfasts, too. I was tempted by the crab omelet the last morning, but took myself in hand and had granola with berries.
Sometimes we CRs refer to ourselves as the Constant Eaters.
Thanks for all of the reports and I loved your pictures, Sherry and Jane.
Lynn wrote: "I'm glad to hear you made it, Theresa! I just left you a voice mail, but in case you see this first, we're gathering in the lobby of the Hotel Lucia at 5:45 for drinks. I'm looking forward to mee..."OK, here's a landmark post if there ever was one. First, it pushes my TBP (Time Between Posts) factor from one per decade to one per week -- a five-hundred fold improvement! To maintain that pace I'll soon have to be putting up a note every 20 minutes, so expect my performance curve to level off a bit.
Also: after meeting Lynn in person almost every year since 2001 in Milwaukee, this is the first time our paths have crossed online. The real-world way is more fun, but this has its charm, I guess. Might even try it again someday.
<. Even though Barb Hill has been a CR for a while, I had never met her. It was a pleasure to finally get a chance to talk to ..."Yes, I suppose fifteen years, give or take a bit, qualifies as "a while." Reflecting about this event's attendance on the trip home, I realized that almost everyone had been aboard Constant Reader since its first or second year. (The exceptions were Denise, at about one year, and Lynn, a relative newbie with a mere eight or so.) Sustaining that kind of loyalty in a medium where the duration of most relationships could be measured with a stopwatch is truly remarkable, so I wanted to be sure to recognize you people for it here.
Remarkable, indeed, Allen. If your TBP curve levels off a bit, you're forgiven. Just don't let it fall off the graph again, please. You have way too much to offer.
Steve wrote: "Wonderful, concise report, Jim.That ever so brief remark concerning our beloved founder, Allen Crocker, brought back a flood of memories for me. I have such warm feelings for him even though I ca..."
Steve, it HAS been a while -- ever since we said goodbye in Milwaukee in 2001, I think. Now, not to call you out concerning the accuracy of your memory, or lack of it, but I did indeed order that cheeseburger, and I have the archived post from the old Prodigy BB, with you griping about it, if anyone wants proof. If at any point during that weekend I took a recommendation from you about anything to eat that didn't go over so well, it now escapes my recollection. That would make it quite the exception, as that first get-together stands out in my memory in remarkable clarity. I would struggle to tell you about anything else I did in September of 1994, but I can mentally replay sequences from San Francisco as if I had a cerebral video recorder (or maybe today that should be a DVD player....).
Look at that string of posts from Allen! You're practically loquacious tonight :) I think the longevity of members who attend conventions is tied in part to the strengthening of relationships when we meet in person. There aren't many folks who attend one convention who don't want to attend more.
Since you are here, Allen, I am going to tell an "Allen story". In 1997, the Constant Readers came to Denver, and we all had a wonderful time. On the Saturday of the event, we split into two groups: one group, led by Ruth, headed to the Denver Art Museum, and the other group, led by me, took a hike in Mt. Falcon Park. After the hike, we stopped for lunch at the Morrison Inn which is famous for its Mexican food. I tried in vain to convince Allen to try some of the local food, but he insisted on having his cheeseburger. Now, every year, I tease him about the "cheeseburger incident". I am sure that he wishes that he had had a burrito, and then I would shut up and leave him alone.
While I tend to be a bit of a foody, and often will order the strangest thing on a menu just so I can try it, I do have to admit, there is nothing like a really good big drippy juicy cheeseburger.If I am ever exiled in a foreign land it will not be the scrumptious cold clam salad with white gazpacho that I had Friday night that I miss most. Instead it will most assuredly be the Glorious American Cheeseburger.
I'm so glad I miscalculated how long it would take me to get to Portland, otherwise I might've thought it too impractical to go. It was completely worth the drive. I was at first mistaken for the tour guide as I approached the group in Powell's, which might have played out a little like an Abbott and Costello script since I didn't understand right away that they were even waiting for a tour guide. Beyond or amidst the confusion I was warmly welcomed, which I much appreciate.
I'm not much of a city girl, but I love Portland. It was nice to explore some of it with new friends (and one old one, but that's a different story). I'm looking forward to checking out Sherry and Jane's pictures.
Allen, Theresa and I really lucked out with weather for our walk along and accross the river. It was beautiful. And I found out that they have both read Homage to Calonia.
Thanks, Jim, for all your organizing.
And we're glad you miscalculated, too, Denise. It was such fun to meet you. Although I was at first a little irritated that you didn't know where the Astronomy section in Powells was. What kind of a tour guide is that?
Funny. Does anyone remember the name of the art form of painting a picture on the edge of a book? I did a poor job of explaining it to coworkers, because they thought I was referring to flip page animation.
Was it "forepage illustration?" Fascinating, wasn't it?
It's called "fore-edge" painting. Found it on Wikipedia. I had forgotten the official name of it, too.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fore-edg...
Denise joined us at Powell's after lunch. The Powell's tour was very interesting, especially the rare books room. As we were gathering with the tour guide to start the tour, a couple from NY City joined us and tagged along for the entire tour with our group. Later, just before dinner, we saw them come into our hotel lobby and discovered that they're staying at the same hotel as well. We gave them the Goodreads web address, and suggested they join CR and become part of the convention!
Dinner at Typhoon, the Thai restaurant next to the hotel, was delicious. Sherry and I had "Death by Asparagus", which had won some awards and was very good. It was marked with 3 stars for hotness on the menu (which they translated as "yee ha!"), but we each asked for it to be toned down to 2 stars, which was still plenty hot!!
We had a private dining room, so we decided that might be our only opportunity to have the "business meeting" since we don't have any other private meeting spaces available. Only 4 of us did readings, but we kept getting interrupted by servers either bringing food or clearing plates. The servers were nice, though, and we managed in spite of the interruptions.
Barb Hill and her husband Frank have been with us for most of our activities, but they had to do some shopping while we took the lunch boat ride on the river this afternoon. They'll be back again for dinner tonight so we can exchange notes about the day then. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to meet them, as well as Denise and our host Jim Heath.
This afternoon we had a relaxing lunch cruise on the Willamette River aboard the Portland Spirit. Afterward, some of us browsed the Saturday Market then headed to the Chinese Gardens before going back to rest our feet at the hotel.
More later (but maybe not until after I get home)...