If you are one of the few people on the planet who does not yet know, I will be leaving the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in December, just in time to be home for Christmas and New Years.  My contract is ending, and there is no follow-on work to keep a number of us busy.

It’s sure going to be nice to be home, though I am not sure how we’ll fill the financial coffers.  We’ll manage somehow.  We always do.  But, so far, the timing seems right to end this chapter in our lives.  I’ll have more musings on this subject in the future.

The blog will not end.  I have a lot more to say on many subjects.  I’ll bet you’re shocked by that, huh?

I will be making some more posts in the next few weeks about KSA, including photo links to some cool pictures.

I ran into my buddy Max at the coffee shop today. I was in a hurry (on my way out of town to see the folks) so we were only able to speak very briefly. But, in that short time he told me about a new project he’s working on called Trees By Bike. I went to the website and checked it out. Looks like they are still getting things organized, but when finished it should be a really great service and a whole lot of fun for everyone involved!

“All of our trees are locally grown and 10% of your order total is donated to specific charities, foundations, and groups depending on who delivers your tree.”

So, If you live in the Portland Metro area and want to get a tree this holiday season, park the car (if you’ve got one) and get it delivered by bike!

For more info see http://treesbybike.com

-Eli

P.S. Here is a picture of Max carrying his tree home last year using his Lemolo backpack!

Tessa and I are spending a few days in western Pennyslvania to celebrate Thanksgiving with her family. 10 days in the same zipcode! On Dec. 1st we begin our return trip to Oregon. Along the way we’ll visit OH, NC, GA, AL, LA, TX (5 shows!), NM, AZ, CA (6 shows including San Francisco!) Visit the SHOW’s page for the finalized tour dates. We can’t wait to see our our South West and West Coast friends – it’s been too long.

Tour has been amazing, we’ve played over 120 shows in around 40 states. We’ve made all sorts of new friends and played loads and loads of rock n’ roll. Our music has become more theatrical, audience involving, physical and we’re scaring a few people in the process. Yes, we’re having that much fun!

When we get back to Portland, Tessa will once again start tax season & I’ll again take classes @ PCC! If you know anyone that could help me out with a part time job, I’m interested in anything! We’re looking forward to being in the same place for a while and seeing all our friends. We’ll be living in North Portland this time close to Missisppi street.

If you haven’t heard our new record yet, Perfect Recipe For A Smile head over to DESTORYNATEALLEN.bandcamp.com to stream or download the record for FREE or DONATION!

Hope all is well.

Nate Allen

Most seem to agree that the best opponent for Ohio State to face on January 1 is the University of Nike…er Oregon.

Conventional wisdom says that we want to play the Pac-10’s most highly ranked team, and in order to get the national media off our backs, to play the team everyone loves to talk about (i.e. the one who has the best offense).

That criteria means that we want the Ducks to beat the Beavers in the “Civil War” as they call it on December 3rd – winner meets us in Pasadena.

While I’m fine with conventional wisdom on this one – I did think some of the other potential Pac-10 winners (most of whom are now out of it) would present interesting storylines.

In descending order of probability…

USC – for the rematch; BuckeyeNation believes in it’s heart of hearts that we were they better team that fateful night in September – but Tressel’s decisions cost us.

Stanford – Harbaugh is an awesome coach, but I would love to punk him for guaranteeing that victory over us in ‘86 and delivering on it.

Arizona – a fun match-up for the simple reason that they have never been there before

Oregon State – like Ohio State, each year under coach Riley they get better as the season goes along…and for the battle of the real “OSU”.

Oregon – can the Buckeye’s match the scoring output of the Pac-10’s most prolific offense?

Mike Remmers was never a Duck fan but many current Beavers used to be.

Remmers is a diehard Beavers fan. When the Ducks sent him recruiting letters, he didn’t even open them. He was either getting a scholarship with the Beavers or walking on.

Anyway, (OSU OG Burke) Ellis and Remmers are good friends. Ellis’ brother is Remmers’ current roommate. Now that the buildup to the Civil War has begun, there’s a different vibe around the apartment.

“I don’t talk to him right now,” Remmers said of Ellis’ brother. “It’s an agreement. You don’t say anything to me, and I won’t say anything to you.”

Remmers plans to go duck hunting on his family farm on Thanksgiving to put food on the dinner table that night. And of course he’s taking Ellis with him.

“We do have to kill those ducks,” Ellis said with a smile.

Oregon Sucks.

Thanksgiving Weekend Open House

We will be open Thanksgiving weekend from 11-5pm Friday – Sunday. Come taste the release of our 2007s, as well as some old favorites and a barrel tasting of our 2008s. Enjoy food pairings with the best views in the valley.

We will also be tasting at Café Uncorked next to the Lawrence Gallery on HY 18.  Tasting fee $5/person.  Join the Youngberg Hill Wine Club and enjoy a complimentary tasting and added discounts.

A year ago, I had no idea what I was in for. Jill was still pregnant and we were still about a month away from our big day. Last Thanksgiving, we were giddy with excitement about the boy’s arrival and it felt dizzying at times getting ready for everything. The checklist was being knocked off one chore at a time: get nursery painted, put together furniture, get clothes, celebrate baby showers. I think we probably still have a few left to tackle but I can’t, for the life of me, think of what they are at this point.

But that’s part of the buzz and bliss of it all.

Going into this, we knew that it would be equal parts fun, exciting, terrifying, mystifying, strange, cool and everywhere in between. But, in coming up to this holiday of thanks (and since I seem to be prone to creating lists of late), I’d like to share some things I am thankful for being a father:

• I love raising a child in this state — in this region. There are plenty of amazing places to raise a kid, but Oregon suits us best. I am an unabashed Pacific Northwest fan and I love the fact that our child can grow up here — and that we can be parents in this community of good people.
• I am extremely thankful for the grandparents. My in-laws are close to us and take great care of our son on the days he’s not in daycare. They constantly help out and no request is too big or too small. My family lives out east and when they visit, they give the boy (and us) so much love. It’s also great to have Skype and a Flip camera to share the moments growing up.
• I have a great group of friends and colleagues. They are a part of our family. I am grateful that I can share all of this with them — and I am even more grateful for their friendship and support.
• I’m grateful for all of you who choose to take the time to read what I write. This blog is in its infancy (no pun — seriously) but I am looking forward to seeing where it all goes. I am grateful for your contributions and generous support.

Have a great Thanksgiving with your family and friends. It is a time to celebrate and be thankful — and I hope that you enjoy it to the fullest.

With Thanksgiving less than 24 hours away, it got me thinking about the holiday lineup of games that will be made viewable to myself.  It got me thinking about which of the next three holidays has the best slate of games, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Day.  It’s a valid question indeed.

Lets start with Thanksgiving.  As we all know, Thanksgiving is always known for their NFL games and turkey legs.  This year’s lineup is very questionable though.  Detroit always plays a home game, which in itself makes it less than exciting, the Lions host the Green Bay Packers.  Then Oakland travels to Dallas for the Cowboys annual turkey day game.  I know Cowboy fans are excited about this (Jesse) but not so much for me.  The final NFL game of Thanksgiving day features the New York Giants traveling to the struggling Broncos.  To me this is the game with the most intrigue.  Thanksgiving also has two NBA games scheduled, and both are good games.  Orlando Magic at the Atlanta Hawks then the Chicago Bulls at the Utah Jazz.

Next lets focus in on Christmas day.  Christmas day is all about the NBA, and the NBA on ABC.  Five games are scheduled and all are on either ABC or ESPN.  The Quartet of games is headlined by Lebron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers traveling to play Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.  The other headline game is a big Eastern Conference game between the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics.  Other games include the Heat vs the Knicks, the Clippers battling the Suns, and the Nuggets playing the Blazers.  One NFL game is scheduled for Christmas day, the Chargers travel to the Titans, and the game can be found on the NFL Network.

Finally lets look at the games on New Year’s Day.  College football is well known for hogging up the television time when the new year hits.  The biggest two bowl games on New Year’s Day include the BCS Rose Bowl and BCS Sugar Bowl.  Teams are still being determined. Other bowl games include the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, the Capitol One Bowl, and the Outback Bowl.  One NBA game is being televised nationally, and that game features the New York Knicks playing at the Atlanta Hawks on NBA TV.

So looking at those three days, to me it’s really not even a toss up to which day of games I am looking forward to the most.  I am extremely partial to the NBA and basketball, so I am very excited about Christmas day and that Lebron Kobe game, but that’s not the best day of this bunch. Nothing beats the college football bowl season, and with two BCS games on the dial, it gets even better.  The Rose Bowl looks like it might be a Ohio St. Oregon matchup that would be a really great game.  The Sugar Bowl with include either Florida or Alabama (loser of SEC title game) and most likely Cincinnati.  I won’t be tuning into that NBA game but New Year’s Day gets my award for having the best day for sports viewing.

It’s basically Friday, which means it’s a slow day on the blog; most people have already checked out of their responsibilities and are on their way to some exotic locales to spend time with family.

However, there are a couple of fantastic items that came my way last night that I wanted to share with you all.  So, rather than a substantial blog post, please enjoy these two “side dishes.”

Side Dish #1: The Song

Last week, I wrote a post declaring my love for the “I Love My Ducks” video that a group of University of Oregon students created.  It was pulled from YouTube because they featured Puddles the Duck, our mascot; Puddles is licensed by Disney and some people over at the athletic department worried they’d get in trouble.  That situation aside, you can now download an mp3 of the song featured in the video.  If you have a long drive ahead of you this Thanksgiving, don’t listen to the radio.  Listen to these guys profess their love for the Ducks by rhyming “Legos” with “eggos” and saying that Jeremiah Masoli is “sicker than E-coli.”  Check it out here.

Side Dish #2: The Break-Up Letter

A friend from my journalism class sent me this from USC’s student paper, The Daily Trojan.  It’s the Pac-10’s break-up letter to USC.  “We’ve been inseparable for what seems like forever. Whenever somebody mentioned “Pac-10,” they couldn’t help but bring up ‘USC,’” the letter says.  “…After what happened with Oregon, well, I just don’t know where we stand.”  Great piece of writing, even if it did come from USC.

That’s it.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I can’t stand malls. I try at all costs to avoid them like the plague – or should I say H1N1! However, this Fall I have been volunteering my fundraising expertise to a local Portland non-profit called “Step It Up, Inc.” that is headquartered at the mall.

I have committed myself to volunteering twice per week at the Step It Up, Inc office. So, this has been forcing me to be at the mall. Every day that I am there, I find myself feeling sick to my stomach at the site of all those people gorging themselves with Hot Dog on a Stick, McDonald’s Express and Cinnabon. Bleck. And, then I begin to feel sorry for those lifeless shoppers rushing out of the department stores with two clothing bags hanging from each arm. As if that was the biggest highlight of the year for them.

I think perhaps the only positive activity that is happening at mall is the year-round indoor ice skating rink. Yesterday, it seemed like every Portland public school kid was wearing a pair  and hugging onto the railings as they attempted to coordinate their inline skating skills. Each time I walk into the mall I immediately walk over to the rink to take a few shots of the skaters on ice. I’ve got wishful thinking that that rock star blog-surfer fairy will send me a brand new SLR Nikon D40 (or better) and then I’ll be able to capture a better freeze-frame shot of the kids. This one kind of looks like the yedi on ice.

On my way out, I found SantaLand. I saw a mother with her little girl walking slowly through the lane ropes anticipating a cozy visit on Santa’s lap. Yes, this creeps me out and ALWAYS has. I think my sick mind is tainted after I watched “Bad Santa” years back. I thought I’d try a few shots of him sitting there. As I looked into the view finder to see what I had quickly produced, I heard the SantaLand attendant strictly call over to me, “Umm, Miss… you can’t take personal photos of Santa. It’s a copyright infringement.”

I was corteous and turned off my camera and turned around to walk away. But, what I really wanted to say to him was, “How the hell is taking a picture of Santa a copyright infringement? I mean, Santa isn’t copywritten! Whatever, SantaLand attendant man! Whatever!”

Exhale. It’s such a relief to me each time I step outside into the great wide open after having spent hours inside the mall.

It’s our favorite time of year, a time for family, succulent turkey, delicious pies, stuffing… well, we could get carried away about the food… more importantly, though, it’s a time to give thanks.

To our subscribers, we want to thank you for:

- Cooperation. The network of more than 12,000 real estate professionals that subscribe to RMLS™ have assisted 31,122 people in Oregon and Washington with a real estate transaction in 2009.

- Your feedback. You’ve provided lots of feedback about our services this year. We received more than 2,100 responses alone in our first ever customer satisfaction survey. While we evaluate the survey results, we encourage you to continue to provide feedback and suggestions on RMLSweb – just scroll over Toolkit and click on Questions/Comments. We serve a diverse group of customers, each with unique business needs. While it might not always be possible to meet each need, we’re doing our best to listen to all of your ideas and work toward making them a reality.

- Your patience. We’re proud to say that, aside from planned outages, RMLSweb has officially been available 99.9% of the time this year. But sometimes we have to close up shop to make changes or additions and, on rare occasions, something goes wrong. Thanks for understanding when we aren’t available for you.

- Our subscribers who serve. RMLS™ Realtor®-subscribers comprise our Board of Directors, Service Advisory Committee, Technology Committee, Forms Committee and Rules & Regulations Committee and also serve on other task forces as needed. Thank you to all who generously contribute their time and efforts to helping guide our decisions.

- Reading this blog. We’ve had over 10,000 visits since we launched this blog in June and we’re starting to have some great conversation about RMLS™, market trends and other industry news. Thanks also to the hundreds of followers and fans of our Twitter & Facebook accounts. We hope you’ll continue to make these a part of your online activities and that you’ll join in the conversation.

- Attending our classes and events. Approximately 4,000 of you have chosen to take an RMLS™ class or have attended an RMLS™ Trade Fair this year. We hope that you’ll continue to take advantage of these free educational opportunities.

We’re thankful for being able to work with such a great community of Realtors® and real estate professionals and we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season!

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Dickert, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

This year’s bloggers are out of the gate with profiles and blog posts ready to clue you in on the latest and greatest behind-the-scenes info on life at Delphian School.

See who’s blogging and read the blogs here.

Read all about this year’s bloggers in their individual profiles and then see what they’re up to by clicking on their picture.  Sign up to be notified of new posts for your favorite bloggers (look for the icons on their blog post page).  You can choose to be notified via alerts or select an RSS feed to pull the information to your favorite reader, like iGoogle. 

(Delphian School Portal users can pull the latest blog posts to their portal page – go to your portal and watch the user video on Adding a New Element.)

By Linda Tancs

Is there a bad time to bike the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon?  It all depends on your seasonal preferences.  Weather in summer east of the Cascades can top 100 degrees fahrenheit.  And be prepared for spring rains, icy winters or slippery fallen leaves in autumn.  So, pick your poison, as they say.  Whichever season you choose, be sure to take in the scenic delights offered by the Historic Columbia River Highway (a national scenic byway), the first scenic highway in the nation.  Three Highway State Trails are now open, and more are under construction.  Beginning at the city of Troutdale and traveling east, you’ll find Oregon’s most visited waterfall, Multnomah Falls.  Views of the Gorge include Portland Women’s Forum Scenic Viewpoint, Vista House at Crown Point and Rowena Crest.  Enjoy the view; just remember to share the road.

Sai Hoi Ho Painting Owned by Mary Mimouna, in Marrakesh, Morocco (not for sale)

I purchased the painting above in Stanley Park, in Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada, in the summer of 1980.  The artist was selling some of his oil paintings in the park.  He was probably in his 50’s at that point, and seemed like a nice gentleman.  I think I paid about $50 in the park at that time.

“Mr. Ho was born in Canton, China in 1926. He moved to Hong Kong in 1949. He became interested in painting in his early twenties when a few friends would journey to the countrysides in Hong Kong for painting excursions. He remained a self-taught amateur artist for twenty years while working as an editor for an art magazine. During these years he also travelled to southern Africa, South East Asia, Australia, and the Polynesian Islands.”

“In the late 1960’s, Mr. Ho decided to become a professional artist. He opened his own art gallery in Hong Kong that carried his paintings exclusively. He had also held exhibitions in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
In 1974, Mr. Ho immigrated to Canada with his wife and two sons and has lived in Vancouver ever since. He chose to stay in British Columbia because of its natural beauty. He makes frequent trips to various B.C. locations for personal enjoyment as well as to create new works of art.”

“In addition to painting, Mr.Ho is a classical music lover and a devoted tennis player.”

Mr. Ho’s latest known address (also found on the back of Carol’s painting) was:  Sai Hoi Ho, 1564 Coquitlam Ave, Port Coquitlam, B.C. Canada V3B 5N1. However, a friend in Vancouver was unable to locate him for me in the current phone book (2009).  If anyone out there has more current information, please do post it in the comments section below.

The above information about the artist was found by Carol Myers on the back of a painting her sister purchased in Stanley Park, in May of 1999.  Carol (currently in Chicago, Illinois) sent me a photo of the painting (currently in Arkansas):

Sai Hoi Ho Painting Owned by Carol Meyers: cagmyers@ameritech.net

Carol  explains, “My sister bought a Sai Hoi Ho painting of a Lily Pond in Stanley Park, in May of 1999. Since she is recently deceased, there is a very slight possibility the family will sell the painting (currently in Arkansas).  We are attempting to determine what she paid and its value at this time.”  Carol can be contacted at:  cagmyers@ameritech.net.

Mr. John Tymich, of Mission, British Colombia,  also has three paintings of Mr. Ho’s(shown below)  he is thinking of selling.  John can be contacted at:  shotgun.rider@hotmail.com.

Sai Hoi Ho Painting 1 Owned by John Tymich: shotgun.rider@hotmail.com

John says, “I bought these paintings in the early 80’s.  I can’t find any info about this mystery man.  These paintings are amazing.  All I know is that he did some work in the Gastown area of Vancouver, British Colombia, in the late 70’s and early 80’s.  I’d love to find out the value, and where he is on the web.”

Sai Hoi Ho Painting 3 Owned by John Tymich: shotgun.rider@hotmail.com

Sai Hoi Ho Painting 2 Owned by John Tymich: shotgun.rider@hotmail.com

A man named Geordie Gregg is interested in finding out more about the artist, and possibly in purchasing some of his work.

“Hello, years ago my parents purchased a Sai Hoi Ho painting also from Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C. I’m trying to find out more information about this artist. Do you know if there is a place or website where one can view more of his work?  I look forward to your thoughts. Thank you very much.  Cheers – Geordie Gregg 416-994-3434″

A woman named Marie T. in Québec, Canada is also interested in finding out more about this artist, and possibly in purchasing more of his paintings.  She has linked herself to:  Auberge du Sault-à-la-Puce, 8365 Ave. Royale, Chateau Richer, Qc GOA INO (418) 824-5659 (or toll-free number 1-866-424-5659).  Marie T. can be contacted at:  alapuce@total.net.

“I bought four paintings in Stanley Park probably in 1988.  I would be interested in buying some others.  I would like to see pictures, and your prices. –Marie-T.”

Someone named Sar is interested selling one of Mr. Ho’s paintings, and in purchasing others of his.  Sar can be contacted at: sarosea@gmail.com.

“I have a painting by Sai Hoi Ho. It’s in browns- a sampan on water with a touch of orange/red. It’s beautiful but I would like to sell it if anyone’s interested. it’s beautifully framed. I am having to downsize or I would never let it go. Also bought it in Stanley Park. would like to find a display of more of his paintings.  –Sar.”

A man named John C. is an art dealer with Oregon City Auction, in Oregon City (outside of Portland).  It is located at 1702 Washington Street, Oregon City, OR 97045.  The telephone number is (503) 657-4470.  This email contact is listed on the site:  jcody@oregoncityauction.com.  John says:

“Hello, I was also searching for Sai Ho artwork and it brought me to this site. They are really great pieces of work. I live outside of Portland, Oregon. I am interested in finding out more about his art also. Thank you–John.”

–If anyone else out there cares to send me more photos of Sai Hoi Ho’s paintings, and their contact details, I will be more than happy to add them into this post for others to find.  If anyone has any more current information on the artist, I would appreciate that information to be able to add it in here, as well.  I can be reached at:  wpm1955 at gmail dot com.  –Mary Mimouna

Paisley Cave human coprolite dating older than 14,000 cal BP. Source: PBS.

There is a tantalizing news item in a recent edition of Nature indicating that the team led by Dennis Jenkins has found a bone tool in the old layers at Paisley Cave in southern Oregon.  This cave already returned a number of pre-Clovis dates on human coprolites.  Although there was some vociferous opposition to this finding, a vigorous defence of these feces was mounted and to my mind was effective.  (Note that one of those claiming the human poop is actually camel poop posts a slightly hysterical online comment on this Nature news item.  This charge of excess fibre is dealt with in Gilbert et al’s 2009 rebuttal in Science, which is not mentioned in the Nature comment.  Clearly there is a new generation of data-selective Clovis Police being groomed out east.)

Anyway, this bone tool, which I assume will be published soon, is said in the Nature article to date to 14,230 cal. BP, from which I infer a 14C estimation of about 12,250 – exactly contempraneous with the poop.  According to the article,

The dating of the bone tool, and the finding that the sediments encasing it range from 11,930 to 14,480 years old, might put these questions to rest. “You couldn’t ask for better dated stratigraphy,” Jenkins told the Oregon meeting.

Seeing the tool itself will of course be very interesting and hopefully definitive, as there is a long history of bone pseudo-tools in North American archaeology.  So far this date has only been announced at an unspecified “meeting” and peer reviewed publication will be essential to form a final judgment.

You can watch a PBS news clip on the poop discovery from a link here which gives a good idea of the setting of the cave, and also includes nice footage of Luther Cressman!

Camel astragalus from Paisley Cave. Source: U of Oregon.

Reference:

Dalton, Rex. 2009. Oldest American artefact unearthed: Oregon caves yield evidence of continent’s first inhabitants.  Nature: doi:10.1038/news.2009.1058.

The final stats for the Fall 2009 season are in. Before we get to the stats the TAFC would like to thank Ninkasi Brewing for their sponsorship, and to Bruce Eaton for putting our kits together for us.

Thanks TAFC for your hard work on the pitch. Though the results never favored us it was a competitive season, and a ton of fun….well 90% of the time anyways…the Onetouchables game was brutal.

TAFC Fall 2009

Goals:

• 8 - David Perez
• 3- Tom Harrison
• 3- David Levine
• 2 – Josh Thompson
• 1 – Cian Dalton
• 1 – Jason Elstad
• 1 – Sean Moran
• 1- Nando
• 1 – Chris Tschirley

Assists:

• 3 – Gary Foubister
• 2 - David Perez
• 1 – Jason Elstad
• 1 – Tom Harrison
• 1 - Jerry Makare
• 1 – Anthony Perez
• 1 – Chris Sabroe
• 1 – Josh Thompson

Cards

• 3 – David Perez (Yellow)
• 1- Sean Moran (Red)
• 1- Donald Bramlet (Yellow)
• 1 – Chris Tschirley (Yellow)

Goals For: 21

Goals Against: 51

GPSD Final Table

1. South VN                         – 8 – 1 – 1 – 25 pts
2. Deacon Blue                   – 6 – 2 – 2 – 20 pts
3. North End United        - 5 – 4 – 1 – 16 pts
4. The Onetouchables     - 4 – 4 – 2 14 pts
5. Mayday                            – 2 – 4 – 3 – 9 pts
6. TAFC                                 – 0 – 10 – 0 – 0 pts

Imagine going to Mt. Rushmore and standing before the monument, only to have them speak to you.

Such was my day today. I got to spend the day with the family, and go to the Sew Mama Sew! Secret Lair, and have coffee with Terry Grant and Gerrie Congdon.

24 NOV: IBOL World Tour stop in Beaverton, OR. Home of Sew Mama Sew! and a Starbucks (actually, probably about 53 Starbucks, but only one of note).

All six of us made the drive from Eugene to Beaverton, via Salem (and lunch), and made our way to the Sew Mama Sew! Secret Lair.

Now, about SMS. A long, long time ago, when IBOL was gathering steam, I asked if there wasn’t someone following along who ran a fabric store, who could put together bundles en masse — and make them available online at or close to cost. I think I thought I was using my inside voice, but apparently, I actually wrote and posted this idea to this here site, and Kristin in Beaverton read it, thought about it, and sent me a very nice email. She could do just that.

And she sure did. 150 bundles, and then another 11 because, well, she had leftovers and someone — actually, the MIL’s cousin, of all people — had come calling, asking to sponsor ten or twelve bundles. Sew Mama Sew! supported fielding 161 bundles, because I was foolish enough to think out loud and not edit my writing before hitting the “Publish” button, and because, well, Sew Mama Sew! is just that kind of (sorta) small business.

Sew Mama Sew! is, after all, an internet-based fabric store. And yes, they rely on the USPS as much as IBOL did. They have fabric, they have boxes, they have a stamp machine — and they have a secret lair! Internet-based, they have no actual store, just a hallowed out volcano protected by angry ferrets, tigers, and sharks with lasers.

So, that’s Mrs. IBOL Guy, me, and Kristin of Sew Mama Sew! fame. We had a wonderful visit, I got to say thanks about 471 times to her and her entire crew, and deliver some nice Hawai’ian treats.

Unfortunately, as we were getting ready to go, I eyeballed my wife getting all envious of the fabric in the Sew Mama Sew! Secret Lair, and had to remind her to not even try to steal anything, lest we be attacked by the angry ferrets and / or cast into the volcano.

So, Kristin and the Sew Mama Sew! crew — thank you. Enjoy the treats. Keep on doing the cool things that you’re doing. I look forward to reading what you have in store for December. Thank you for helping with IBOL, and thank you for making time to chit chat today.

After our visit, we hurried on over to Starbucks, to see Jefferson and Roosevelt. When I talked with the wife about having some coffee with some IBOL supporters, I did not think it would be Terry Grant and Gerrie Congdon!

Both are about the nicest people you’d ever meet, and both had had such nice things to say what IBOL was getting all kinds of crazy. And both had brought with them some of their smaller quilted pieces, turning the afternoon into an impromptu quilt show in the Beaverton Starbucks.

Fantastic day. So nice to see everyone. There are a few more photos up on Flickr, and a couple of the same up over on Facebook, too.