Brea and Dani's day at the races

Opening Day 2013 at Portland Meadows

My friend Dani is a big horse buff from Philly, so she was super excited for her first experience at the Portland Meadows race track

Opening Day is a pretty special event at Portland Meadows, so it was a very dapper crowd. There was plenty to do: a hat contest, food, band, and games.

Oh yeah.... and horse races

Dani's is the horse expert, having been raised around them, so I kind of went with her picks. One of her Horses won and the rest placed (that's second place in race talk).

I picked a horse to place and won $3 woohoo!

 

Portland Meadows has live racing on Wednesdays and Sundays starting at 1:45pm to around 5pm July-September and 12pm October-January

 

Brea's Birthday Weekend!

 

Of course the Red Sox were kind enough to come to Seattle and play the Mariners on my Birthday

Our favorite Jacoby Ellsbury, from Madras Oregon, started the game off with a Home Run.

Of course the Red Sox won 8 to 7

Before we headed up to Everett Washington to meet Amber and Lawrence at the awesome Irishmen Restaurant, we stopped at the Hat and Boots in Seattle's Georgetown Neighborhood at Oxbow Park.

Originally built in the 50's on another location, as a gas station. The hat use to house the gas pumps and the bathrooms were in the boots

The hat fit Jody like a glove....or a hat?

But the boots seem to be a couple sizes too big.

When you're In Seattle Washington do not forget to stop in at Archie Mcphee and see what's new in the novelty item world, because they have it all. I bought a astor-turf purse, cowboy rug, and tiny tiki mugs. While you are in the Ballard Neighborhood, check out Dick's Drive-in, cheap and delicious

On Our way back home we stopped in Tacoma to see the World Famous Bob's Java Jive.

It was a coffee shop in the 20's and 30's, but when Bob acquired it in the 50's it became a jumpin' hipster hangout.  Now it's a dive bar " Bob's drama dive," but they are dedicated to keeping it going. They let us in for a tour and it definitely needs fixing up, but it has kitsch appeal for sure.

Back in Portland we ended the weekend at the humungous Palmer Antiques and Collectibles show in the Expo center.
What a great Birthday. Thank you everyone

 

 

 

 

 

 

Castle Rock, Washington

On our way up to Birch Bay, WA, for a little stay with Amber and Lawrence, we stopped in Castle Rock.  They have a great FREE little museum to visit.  They also had a few neat thrift shops, a quilting fabric store, bakery, and like 7 salons and barber shops.  There must have been a barbering/beauty school nearby or something. 

Amazing 1931? restored Fire Engine from Castle Rock Fire Department.

Pick up the phone and hear the actual 911 calls from May 18, 1980.  The day that Mount Saint Helens Erupted.

Samsquanch and me, just hangin' out.

Tree from the volcano blast zone.

Hard hat from the volcano blast zone.

Help Save the 99W Drive-In

If you know me, you know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Drive-In.  Our closest Drive-In theater is The 99w in Newburg, Oregon. This theater opened in 1953 and is still run by the Francis family today. Next year all movies will be digital and no longer produced on film. That means that Drive-Ins across the country have to upgrade to new digital projectors. These are about $80,000. A small independent family run theater just doesn't make that much money.

So here is how you can help...

Honda is running a promotion. Project Drive-In allows people to vote everyday for the next 30 days, for their favorite Drive-In. They are giving away 5 digital projectors to the top 5 Drive-Ins. You can also pledge to support your local Drive-In by, you know, going there. And you can share on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or whatever.

I'm gonna remind you a few times because I feel that it is really important to keep our cultural history alive! So please go and vote AT LEAST once! Please vote for the 99W or your local Drive-In.