Good Report

Today marks another milestone in Jamie's recovery. After taking six aggressive rounds of chemotherapy, she had a CT scan today to see how her body was responding. According to Dr. Goff the results were reassuring with significant reduction in size for all lympths previously marked as abnormal and no sign of new masses or other unusual growth.

This gives us the all clear to move ahead with the IP chemo which starts this Sunday at the UWMC. This is an inpatient procedure, starting late AM Sunday through the afternoon the next day, so I imagine I will have time to both research and write again on the behind the scenes drama of 7 SE. After watching several episodes of Grey's anatomy during Jamie's recuperation, I now have a better idea of what to look out for.

Summer has flown by, consumed by work, trips to Seattle and as Jamie's strength returns more and more fun. Ironically traveling to Seattle for appointments is one of the least stressful things in our lives. We have mastered (or at least overcome) mass transit from Tacoma to Seattle, eaten many Vietnamese sandwiches, racked up scores of points at the Silver Cloud Hotel, tried and rejected the Marriott, done a little bicycle shopping, visited friends and received great care from all the staff at the SCCA.

Last weekend was our aniversery (#11) and many of you heard of our ambitious plans to hike to Lake of the Angels. Well despite our success at Dosewallips, Jamie did have a few side effects the following week, and thus we opted for a luxury weekend in our favorite urban getaway, Portland.

Jamie booked the Hilton in lieu of our standard favorite the Westin because it had a pool. When we arrived at the main complex in our 4x4 truck we were diverted into the Executive Tower where the garage did not have as severe height restriction. This worked out well because despite the claim that the Hotel was booked to the max, it was for the most part quiet and pleasant as it appeared that all the Prius drivers and noisy families were in the main hotel down the block.

For dinner we opted for something new as well, and I booked the Ringside, touted as Portland's best steak house. I was further encouraged by the fact that I had limited options when I called for a reservation, and thus we were set for a 5 pm dinner (after 11 years no sense in dragging it out, we could dine, drink and still be back for a reasonable bedtime).

As we drove up in the cab, all seemed well, good neighborhood, nice brick exterior. As we entered, the ambiance was perfect for a nice dinner and the captain seemed both genuine and professional. We were seated and soon introduced to our wait staff.

Our waitress was a stout sort of brusque woman with a butch haircut. She strongly recommended their onion rings for an appetizer, which she claimed they were famous for. I restrained myself from responding with "only if you also have mini corndogs and cheese whiz" and politely asked what brands of good bourbon did they have at the bar. She said “what do you call good bourbon" demonstrating either her ignorance or lack of interest. Knowing that I needed to take control or possibly face a glass Old Granddad, I asked for Nob Creek on the rocks.

We ordered an appetizer, not worth describing, and despite our waitress’s pushy approach ordered salad as well before committing to our main course. Recollecting our gluttony at El Goucho last year and the subsequent indigestion we did our ever more frequent 50/50 approach where I ordered a lobster and the asparagus while Jamie selected the fillet and potato, intent on sharing each equally. The lobster was adequate, but the steak was truck stop grade. We ate leisurely which must have really set our waitress off. Once we made the slightest gesture that we might be finished she quickly cleared the table and returned with a “complimentary” desert rivaled only by a sundae I once ate at the Harbor Landing as a child. No desert menu, no after dinner drink, coffee, nothing. Just finish you f%&#ing free ice cream and here is the check. She was however kind enough to ask the captain to call for a cab, which came so fast that I am convinced that they just keep one on standby to help keep their tables turning.

Portland however redeemed itself, for after a long day of bicycle accessory shopping (there is no sales tax you know) we stumbled onto the Windmere Brothers Brewery and dropped in. Despite being pretty busy I used our sob anniversary dinner story to gain the waiter’s sympathy (he said the service at the Ringside was terrible) and we had a good pub dinner with appetizers (and no we were not offered onion rings), a few pints for me (one was on the house) and a better desert for 1/3 the price of the prior night even with a huge tip. I ate the pork schnitzel (pretty fancy word for a breaded pork chop I found out) and a pasta side which I can only compare to that of my mother’s home made mac and cheese. Jamie had an excellent pulled pork sandwich and salad, not the big sloppy fair kind, but the soft Kaiser roll bun piled high tender pork with perfect BBQ sauce on top.

So I guess we are off the fancy food and back on the pub circuit.