Ice, ice and more ice

The first thing I do when I wake up is take Tommy out to pee. I walk down from my second floor apartment and almost fall taking the first step off the uncovered sidewalk. This entire parking lot is a sheet of ice and snow and I don't even see a patch of green for Tommy to pee on.

Luckily he just went about 200 feet out and did his business in between some cars because there is no way either of us want to walk any farther in this disastrous state of ice. I really don't hope it stays this bad all day.

We don't venture outside again until almost 11am. The world is starting to melt and it seems so much easier to walk through the parking lot that was so treturous earlier. I suggest we walk to get brunch so I can scope out my new neighborhood. We opt for a bagel shop and get really good egg sandwiches.

The bagel is really well made too! Better than any I've had in Boston even. 

We decide to check out Mt. Tabor. It is a dormant volcano over in Southeast Portland that is supposed to have amazing views of the city and surrounding mountains. I turn onto a hill on 62nd Street and only make it maybe 200 feet before my tires begin skidding out. Now I am angled to back into this black truck behind me and I pull the E brake. I can't straighten out my car let alone go forward with my forward wheel drive.

Out of nowhere two men appear with a steel shovel and a steel rake. I get out and grab my shovel from my trunk and we start chipping away at the ice around my tires. 

Now with Roni on my right and a new bearded friend on my left, I put my car in neutral and the three of us slowly back down the hill and back to the flat road behind me. I offer to buy these two saviours a beer and we head to a bar called Biddy's we saw on the way in. It of course stood out as we are very familiar with Biddy Early's pub in Boston :)

Turns out these two guys are farmers here and have helped a few others out of the same situation earlier. They are funny and friendly and I just find myself so lucky at this moment to have already met two kind people with some Oregon flair.

Another surreal sign in this bar is hanging on the bathroom wall:

I had a different picture from the same artist that hung in my apartment in Lindenhurst for years because Gavin had given it to me as gift as a house warming gift. And here I stand in the first dive bar I have ventured into in Oregon looking at this symbol of new beginnings. Life is telling me I am in the right place. :)