Extra large means extra large and women don't go mountaineering

We had a WHITE CHRISTMAS after all! So exciting! It was Christmas like it is in all the movies, and like it would have been for my Dad when he was a little kid in Scotland. Jane and Paul had some friends over and cooked a big lamb roast and a nut roast for those non-meat eaters (whoever they might be), and it was all fun and games. It was great seeing Attikus open all his presents. I haven’t had a Christmas with little kids for as long as I can remember, and it is definitely a day for little kids. When it is just a bunch of adults, it always seems like there is something lacking or missing…

On Boxing day, Jono and I went into town to explore the City a little, and… ok, I admit, REI sales. Portland is a very pretty city. Apparently the local council spends a fair percentage (I seem to recall it was either 5 or 10 percent) on local art, which makes such a difference to the feel of the City. You can’t walk down a street without seeing a sculpture or a mural. We ate lunch at one of the many local micro breweries (Rock Bottom Brewery), which had delicious and relatively cheap beer. While eating though, I was having second thoughts about our lunch choices (deep fried calamari and the cheesy Nachos) and thinking they were maybe not the best choices for a stomach still processing Christmas. I was a little disappointed by the range of stuff for females at REI in Portland. Apparently men go Mountaineering and hiking and climbing, but women just prance around resorts in fluffy pink coats and fluffy pink boots… but I won’t go on another whinge speel.

We picked up our hire car and got a pizza for dinner. Note: When Americans say extra large, they mean extra large. I was thinking the pizza was on the pricey side, but that is what you get for wholemeal crusts and gourmet toppings sometimes. We took the 18 inches to mean Diameter and thought that would be a good size for the four of us. While trying to fit the box in to the car, I felt like I had found myself in the world of Giants. 18 inches was the radius!

That night I had wicked stomach cramps.

There’s a lesson there somewhere. Maybe I’ll work it out one day.

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