MAX Moments

Today is Saturday. Daddy works and we don't like to go places that are otherwise busy on Saturdays. I have been trying to stay off my foot, so walking to the park is not one of the best options. So, that said, we bought a $4.75 all-day Tri-Met ticket to ride the MAX train/Portland Streetcar. We visited the went to Union Station and had lunch while watching the Amtrak passengers come and go. We ventured to the airport to watch the planes take off and land (and discussed gravity, lift, thrust and drag that all effect a plane and flight).

Along the trip, there are lots of sights and sounds to take in. One of my great loves are people watching and listening. When one ventures out of the burbs, there are so many more interesting things to observe.

MAX moments from an average Portland Saturday via public transportation:

*Talked with a lady and her husband who were on a date to Saturday Market without their teenagers. I learned that the husband, after 30+ years as a real estate appraiser is not able to retire; he starts his new job as a school bus driver this year.

*There are so many different types of shoes!

*There are so many people who sleep on the street and try to "bum a smoke."

*Girl, maybe 19 or 20, loudly proclaimed that she had a huge hangover. Also, she said how America could "suck her d*#k!" When I made eye contact with her hoping that she had some respect for my children, she proclaimed, "Yes, I am a democrat and America can suck my..." (I think I counted her say it 8 times before she walked away). I wonder about our future generation...Sure, everyone has the "right" to complain in America...and also the right to work to try and make it better.

*Two guys, about my age, talking about a girl flirting with one of them. He said he was told that the "girl" was a "girl" but only after an operation. The guy said, "I don't know if I can handle that." The other guy replies, "You know, you just have to figure that out for yourself...I have a pretty open mind."

*Same two guys...talking about the best anti-depressant to use. One of them was trying a good, new one, that seemed to be helping him for the last 6 months he was on it. He was planning to suggest it to some of his other friends. Hmmm.

*Two guys, 50s, talk about going to the library to check their emails. They also talk about sending gifts (one to his girl friend the other to his step-daughter) to people from outside of Portland. One wants to send Voodoo Donuts, the other, a disposable camera full of pictures on cool places in Portland (he only wants to send the camera because he doesn't want to pay to develop the pictures).

*Same two guys...One says, "Man, I see the birds in Portland. Man, even the birds here eat better than most of the people in the world/in other countries." Hmmm. Yes. That statement says a lot.

*Portland does have a lot of cool food choices from around the world. Some of the little street vendors, I am told, are the best (if you find the right ones).

*Girl, 20s, with two of her friends talking about her modeling web site and trying to be discovered as a model and singer.

*Couple, my age, with matching green shirts and matching fancy cell phones ask to take a picture of the kids. They are feverishly trying to figure out clues to the Urban Race through Portland (using phones to look up addresses and call friends for answers). I realize that most of us on the train are no help to them and know very little about Portland. They need to take a picture of themselves with a group of 10 cyclists and are trying to find a Portland B&B that is named after a famous San Fransisco landmark.

*Guy, my mom's age, sitting alone. Quiet. Woman, 40s, walks on the train with her bling, pink cell phone playing Beyonce (I think) very loudly. Guy opens up to the lady right away. She confesses to him that she did 1/2 a cube of crystal (I think that is her verbiage...either way, she says that she is high on meth). The guys laughs, knowing how obvious it is. He confesses to her that he is "slummin' it in Portland" for a while but he is from Vancouver, WA. She smiles with her two teeth, and they leave the train together at the next stop.

*There are a lot of pretty flowers, even among the weeds...if you look really close (and your loving son pick them for you as a gift).

*Couple, 20s, at Union Station taking wedding pictures on a really cool bridge. It is very hard to capture the "moment with all the pedestrian traffic on the bridge. The camera and lens are very nice and I think they got some really cute shots. I wonder if I looked that young to the 30 year old moms when I was having my wedding pictures taken...

*There were so many different languages I heard spoken today; cool!

*Dating couple, about 30, holding each other on the train. They see an add for Hawaiian Airlines and start talking about the fact that they would like to go to Hawaii. Girl says, "When I was on a vacation in New Zealand, I told someone who I wanted to go to Hawaii." She goes on to say that the native from New Zealand criticized her for wanting to go to and island in the middle of the open. She laughs and said, "Actually, Hawaii has 3 islands!" The boyfriends responds, "I don't care with of the 3 I go to, any place on the island is within one mile of the beach."
Guess they really do need to get to Hawaii

*Older man stands up on the train and starts yelling about what his brothers did for us in the war. No one knows who he is talking to, but no one looks up or makes eye contact. Though he is so loud is looks like no one hears anything, including us.

*Portland has a lot of cool old buildings...some restored, some falling apart, some converted into something new with touches of the old still there.

*It feels like people always talk the loudest when they are swearing...even if they are not upset (maybe my ears just hear it more...especially around the children). I was expecting Isaac to ask me to define a lot of different words today. Praise God he was very excited about other things at all the moments expletives were being proclaimed.

*It is much, much faster to get places in the van, but there are not as many interesting moments...

*There are so many cool things always happening at Pioneer Courthouse Square. I love how much there is to do and see.

*I hold my kids, phone, backpack and wallet a little tighter in certain places than others while on the MAX. Hmmm. I don't plan to, it comes natural.

*Isaac was quick to panic when anyone got too close to the "danger area" where the train might hit them. He said, "I was freaking out because I didn't want them to get hit by the train." He would wave his arms, flapping like a chicken and say, "Hurry, hurry, watch out, the train is coming."

*Isaac found "money" on the train. He told me I can put the money in my bank (it was 2 cents, but it was a sweet offer).

*Isaac held a door for me and a family that was behind us. Daddy is building a little gentleman.

*Abigail fell asleep in my arms on the train ride home.


Here are some other things that came to mind in light of today:

Ecclesiastes 1:8,9
All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to tell it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.

Romans1:24-27...you can look that one up if you want to (and use it to discuss prop 8 in Cali)