1. When I lived in Eugene, I used to figure out ways to have something approximating my Kellogg experience. Eugene has a reputation of being a counter cultural, tie-dyed town with a marijuana dispensary on every corner. There's truth in that. At the same time, Eugene has a long history as a logging town and west Eugene and northwest Eugene, in particular, are historically working class. That means that there are restaurants where I can feel like I'm back at Sam's. One of those is West 11th's Ye Olde Pancake House and I stopped in this morning for breakfast.
I really did feel like I'd walked into Sam's. Groups of men, looking very much like Jerry, Ed, Buff, Scott B, and me occupied booths throughout the place as did older people eating alone and a few moms and dads with kids. I recognized my friendly server. She's been working at Ye Olde for years -- uh, needless to say, she did not recognize me -- no reason to -- and, as I always used to, I smiled inside and out as she took great care of me.
I ordered off the senior menu, hoping that I wouldn't leave feeling too stuffed, but, as is the tradition at Ye Olde, even the senior plate of chicken fried steak, hash browns, two eggs, and toast was plentiful, and I left feeling full to the brim.
2. I soared in the Sube west out of Eugene, with one of the best Grateful Dead shows I've ever listened to on the CD player*, and made my way to Sweet Creek in the Siuslaw River basin to take one of my favorite of all hikes. I used to love to bring my spaniel, Snug, out to this trail and once I had a really fun hike at Sweet Creek with Molly, Olivia, and David, and these and many other happy memories sprung to mind as I walked alongside the whitewater currents and little water falls on this mile and a half trail. l took about forty pictures, but I need to wait until I'm back in Kellogg to process them. I'm hoping they capture, in some small way, the majesty of Sweet Creek and the verdant kingdom of this trail.
3. Back in Eugene, I enjoyed some modest beer drinking. I enjoyed two four ounce pours at Sixteen Tons, Fort George's Skies of Wonder Double IPA and Georgetown's MEOWSA Double IPA. Both were surprisingly smooth and easy drinking, but I didn't give in to their mellowness. Their ABV was pretty high and I sipped very slowly on them. I then made my way over to Coldfire Brewing, a new place for me. I loved the six ounce pour of their Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout I ordered, called Bourbon Council. Once again, this was not a beer to drink casually and I savored its deep, boozy chocolate warmth and decadence.
Debbie and I met at the Paddock Saloon and Grill, the renovated version of what I knew for years as the Old Pad, and stayed long enough for me to eat some hot wings and drink a glass of water, but the Blazer/Warrior's game was featured on the Paddock's tv screens and sound system and we decided to go to the much quieter Tradewinds Cafe, which used to be the Jiffy Mart on S. Hillyard, and we split a hummus plate and I slow drank a glass of Pinot Gris.
Debbie and I haven't officially had an "everything's on the table" talk just yet, but tonight's conversation flirted with such a discussion. Slowly, easily, we are trying to figure out what the summer might look like with Debbie's return to Kellogg. Debbie had to get home and rest up for her day of work and I returned to Jeff's house for an invigorating discussion of the Grateful Dead, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and other musicians until he had to return to his study to get ready for the class he teaches on Tuesday.
*The Dead show I listened to happened on February 26, 1977 at The Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino and is recorded on Volume 29 of Dave's Picks, a three-CD set.
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