A couple of other things

Having moved from the very near the home of the temperance shrine, the Anti-Saloon League Museum , it was quite a change to see the main center of downtown Portland, Pioneer Square, colonized for the weekend by the Holiday Alefest. The promoters set up giant tents (to keep the rain at bay) and many many serious brewers and beer freaks turned out for the tasting. We purchased a little one oz. tasting mug and tried a smoked porter, a bock, a barley wine, a russian stout a scotch ale and other things. I'm not a beer fiend so much (if it was a wine tasting, well that's another matter). There were long lines for the serious mavens because that night they unveiled several very small special show-off batches that the breweries brought over for the occasion. Some of the beers cost $4 for just a little taste. we didn't have any of those, mostly because we didn't want to get crushed in the onslaught of lumberjack-looking guys who were wild about getting to the special kegs. Overwhelmed by the crowds pretty quickly, we left with our sobriety in tact.

On sunday, I went to a meeting of local Antioch people to talk about the state of things with the college, staying open but by a thread. Went to Hot Lips Pizza for the meeting, which was great. The meeting was a little hard though because we couldn't hear so well. A soccer team of 7 and 8 year old boys was having their wrap up pizza party. They were loud, but very cute. At one point the little boys formed a long conga line and did a singing dance around the restaurant. The Antiochians tried to stay focused on their important committee work, of course.