Portland, Mormons and Maroon 5

I have had the strangest past week ever ever ever.

It began with a fabulous weekend in Portland with Davie. When he arrived to pick me up, he said, "Oh as I was driving here I was wishing that all of the girls were coming to visit me." A sweet thought that I am sure faded as the trip wore on as I liked to wake him up every day before he had coffee with noogies and giggles.

There was something that clicked as I spent time in the city that has been David's home for several years now but was never visited by a family member until now. It was like the hidden life of David was suddenly revealed and the city and all of the people I had just heard passing murmurs about became living and breathing characters in my life. And they were characters.

Let's start with Ian, the spritely "wood-elf" as David calls him. I did not quite understand this characterization until I met Ian and really there is no other phrase appropriate to describe this odd little silly man who loves plants and has nothing but non sequitur conversations with those around him. Some of my favorites quotes from Ian:

"We should start a marketing campaign that cannot possibly lead people to anything else but complete confusion - how about this - CATS THEY EXIST!"

"I like to walk, it really is an amazing thing, you just put your foot in front of the other over and over and it doesn't even feel like you are expending energy, and yet you are active."

Then there is Ryan, his friendly roommate who told me that I can "invade their space again anytime" and made yummy fajitas and apologized to me because he made some chicken to go with it.

And of course, who can forget Chad. Goofy, gushy Chad. When I met him, I could tell that he was genuinely eager to meet me because he loves David so much. And I know this because he does body work and gave me a free stretching session and a few minutes into it he said, "I love your brother, he is just such a great man." It is funny to imagine dry, sarcastic David getting along with someone who would say something like this but he does. Chad, like the Noble sisters, brings out what David calls "his soft underbelly."

Anyway, enough about Portland, although I could go on and on about that city. One last thing, the food is GREAT! Vegan options everywhere! It was a vegan utopia.

On to the Omniture conference in Salt Lake City Utah. Actually I am running out of steam and honestly this conference deserves its own post. Seriously, there is so much to say. Here's a sneak preview - Mormon missionaries, boys choir, Smart cars and Maroon 5 concerts.