Northwest Passages V

The Scene in Eugene
We collected a new set of bugs on the windshield as we crossed into Pacific Time, always good to gain an hour in one's short life span, but that also means lunchtime is now pushed a bit further into the future.  If there is no such thing as a free lunch, then the corollary is that there is no such thing as a free added hour to your life span.  There is a cost. Lunch time caught up to us as we came into the town of Bend, where Jake's advertises the "Biggest Portions in Eastern Oregon".  Sue had her Mexican meal wrapped up in a to-go box; that Jake, he does not kid around about such stuff.

We climbed through the conifers and slid down the lush Pacific side of the Cascade Range into pleasant hay fields and orchards of the Willamette Valley.  No doubt in my mind that west coast sunlight is somehow more radiant and softly warming than in other locals.  Once back within cell phone reception range, the navigator called Inga to give our ETA.  Though we knew the address of Inga's new apartment, she said she would stand on the corner to meet us, since all the street signs within a few block of the University of Oregon campus had been swiped by students, making navigation via instruction such as "go 2 blocks past Onyx Street and take a right on 18th" meaningless, since the out-of-towner has no idea which street is Onyx or 18th.  Without further adieu, we soon spotted her waving us in to a parking spot and commenced to unload air mattresses, sleeping bags and suitcases for our 2-day stay upon her bedroom floor.

We were introduced to her apartmentmates, Jasmine and Alex, and also Daniel who was spending the summer sleeping on the living room couch due to some unfortunate timing circumstances that left him homeless until his RA dorm room opened up the next month.  Jasmine's boyfriend was often seen studying and hanging around the place; but Inga's boyfriend Sean was never seen.  Apparently he is too good of a find to risk being exposed to a hyper-anxiety dose of Dad - or so Inga reasoned.  Mom (who is on Facebook for just such purposes) has since shown me a picture of Sean.  But I have as much firsthand information on Sean as I do on Sasquatch.  I am well practised when it comes to frightening Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween [see Spectacular Specter blog post], but my long awaited boyfriend intimidation techniques remain latent.  Someday Sean, we will meet, and I don't thing I will really be all that bad, especially after you have been thoroughly prepped by my only daughter.  Until then, enjoy your time among the Sasquatch pack in the great Northwest.

Inga's place is just across the street from campus and has been described as a "Hobbit hole", the floor plan is a bit byzantine, as the porch is above the downstair neighbors, and once in the door, one immediately climbs more stairs into the living area, with Jasmine's room up a couple more steps to the left, while one has to walk through the bathroom double sink and mirror area (or is it a hall with sinks and mirrors) to get to Inga's room that is tucked into the roofline of the building, and therefore has a slanty ceiling.  All very fun for these girls.

Front door is half flight
 of stairs up

Home on the Floor
Four to a room

Since we had arrived with SUV wheels and cargo carrying capacity, it soon became apparent that we all needed to go shopping for some bed room furniture.  I already knew the way to Wal*Mart, but was informed that Target was our shopping destination.  Research had been done and and for the quality and price, Super Target on 11th Avenue was the place to be.  I thought better of suggesting a true shopping comparison and just jumped behind the wheel and steered the SUV as I was told.  We (meaning I paid for what Inga wanted) got shelving, a desk and a dresser that all needed assembly, a full  length mirror and a reading lamp and a few incidentals.  All well done.  I am all about value and I know "we" did the right thing.  Life is just easier when you got a place for your stuff, even if is just minimal stuff, it stll needs a place, preferrably not crammed under the bed.  [I am told that Sean did the furniture assembly once we had safely crossed the Columbia River]

We got the personal campus tour again that evening.

"O" is for Oregon
Go Ducks!

While on the campus tour we ran across an antiquity: a pay phone.  The phone part has long since been removed, but one of those clever college kids hung a banana where the phone receiver once rested.

Q:  What do you say when you pick up a ringing banana phone?

A: "Yellow?"

Later we passed by the banana phone only to find that some chimps had wandered by and dismantled the banana phone.

But after that, we passed by again and found that the banana phone had been repaired.  Such good civic-minded students can be found at UofO.  I am sure the monkeys amongst us are pleased as well.

Grant demonstrates proper Banana Phone etiquette;
When picking up a ringing banana, always say "Yellow?"

Interesting sidenote:  While at freshman orientation for Grant at the University of Missouri, Columbia, we were told by Resident Life Coordinator that all the dorm rooms are hard wired for telephones (a relic technology), but last year out of 7,690 dorm residents, only 5 requested installation of a phone on the landline.  Who were these 5? I wonder.

While in town, we were guided to dinner at Off the Waffle offthewaffle.com, a truly unique preparation of the not-so-basic waffle that goes for a complete meal.  We also hiked up a hill in a local park, where the kids left us now old flatlanders in the dust sucking wind.  A fine view from atop the mountain, where I looked for Sean - but I still did not see him.

Grant & Inga wait for their parents to ascent to the top of the mountain.
From here I could see everything but Sean (the secret boyfriend)