Sunday night, my flight back from Portland left pretty late and I had plenty of time to kill after checking out of my hotel room. My friend the Flirt lives in town, so after I was done hanging out with the Buddhist, he came to pick me up.
The Flirt is a happily married father, but he is nothing if not a shameless flirt. Thankfully his wife is either okay with it or simply used to it by now. Either way, when he says he's going to hang out with a hot young chick from out of town, she doesn't have a problem. I'm not a man-stealer, though, so while this was a “date,” it wasn't a *date.* Got the distinction?
For lunch we went to a movie tavern. I'd heard of the concept before, but the execution was really neat! It's an old-fashioned theater with a bar and grill instead of a regular concession stand. You buy your food, sit in a seat, and eat while watching the movie. Not terribly fancy, but a great idea. The Hurt Locker was playing, and I figured I owed it to my girl Bigelow to see it. It was good, though I'm not going to get into the politics of whether or not it deserved a Best Director oscar.
For lunch I had a cookie- who can resist the allure of a giant chocolate chip cookie? I mean hell, being able to eat dessert as a meal is the entire point of being grown up, right? The Flirt made a comment that he hoped I wasn't trying to impress him by eating so little, until I pointed out that it was a freaking cookie, for christssake.
After the movie we hung out at Washington Park for a while, then went to go get sushi. You know it's a good sushi place when there is a line of 20 people outside within a half hour of opening for the day. And man was it worth the wait! The first bite I took of the nagiri, it was like heaven had exploded in my mouth (that's what she said). I just wanted to stuff it all in (that's what she said) and eat until I couldn't anymore (that's what she said). I'd never realized until now how sexual sushi sounds when it's being described. Yes, I sometimes have the mentality of a 12 year old boy.
Between sushi and dessert I mention to the Flirt how much I love bridges. Not in an architectural way- all I can tell you is “this one is pretty, that one's not.” It's more about seeing the world from a different view, with a city in front or behind you (sometimes both) and water underneath. He offered to take me on a “bridge tour,” driving every bridge in downtown Portland. And we did! I know it may not have been planned, and it may have only been a “date,” but it was one of the most unique date activities I've ever experienced. Just driving around the city in a zig-zag going over all the bridges and talking...this makes me sound like an even bigger dork than I am, I swear.
After driving all the bridges, we went out for dessert. Going out for dessert gets such a short shift! It's at least as pleasurable as going out for coffee (more so, if you ask me), but people tend to lump it in with the dinner part.
I'm taking back dessert dates!
Dessert was yet another religious experience for me. If it wasn't for school temporarily tying me to where I am, I'd move to Portland just for the food. I'm only half kidding.
Finally the Flirt had to take me to the airport, but not before we stopped at Voodoo Doughnuts for me to grab a few to take home to my roommates. If they ever started shipping, I'd never leave the house. They'd have to make a TLC documentary about me- The Woman Who Gained 500 Pounds on Donuts. But it sure would be a delicious way to die.
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