Posts tagged ‘Portland’
McMenamins Kennedy School in Portland
I’m back in Portland pet sitting my two special little Italian Greyhounds Luna and Reilly.
Before their Mom and Dad left they suggested I go to The Kennedy School to watch a movie. Since I always try to find something new and different to do wherever I go, I decided to check it out. WOW, what a treat!!!
The Kennedy School has quite a history. It was an elementary school from 1915 until 1975 when it closed its doors because of its declining condition and was decided it was too old and crumbling to repair.
Mike and Brian McMenamin presented a proposal to renovate the property and on October 22, 1997, the original principal’s bell was rung on the front steps at 7 a.m. sharp to herald the old school’s new beginning as McMenamins Kennedy School.
Today, the school is a hub of activity. It seems that there is always an event scheduled and while I was there (on a Tuesday night) it was bustling with people in every nook and cranny of the building.
The Kennedy School has 57 guest rooms, some fashioned after former classrooms complete with original chalkboards and cloakrooms, how cool is that?
A restaurant,
a brewery,
several bars,
a soaking pool,
I could go on and on. Just walking along the halls is an experience in itself. Original artwork and historical photographs cover the walls, ceilings, doorways and hallways.
After watching the movie ‘Lincoln’, (price of ticket $3) in the theater, which by the way was a fantastic movie if you haven’t seen it, I wandered through the halls poking my head into the restaurant and a few of the bars. I saw enough to know that I will definitely be back!
I used all photos from the Kennedy School website since it was pretty dark while I was there and my pictures didn’t show how beautiful the place truly is. You can check out more pictures and learn more about Lincoln School and all the activities on the website below.
http://www.mcmenamins.com/427-kennedy-school-home
Outings in Milwaukee
I’ve been pet sitting two adorable Italian Greyhounds in Portland for the last couple of weeks.
Since I’m so close to Milwaukee…Oregon that is, I decided to go to Bob’s Red Mill and check it out. Wow, what a cool place! I can’t believe the selection of dried goods they have. You can buy bulk or packaged, organic or conventional, everything from grains to soup mixes to dog treats.
They also have a sandwich counter so after picking up a few items, I decided to stay and have lunch. I had their special and it was delish!
I was so excited to see that across the street from Bob’s Red Mill was Dave’s Killer Bread outlet store. I fell in love with the bread even before I heard the story of Dave. It’s wonderful, organic bread. It’s the only kind of bread my daughter and her son eat. It’s a little spendy (although well worth the price) so whenever I want to treat myself, that’ the bread I get. The loaves were about half price at the outlet store so I stocked up! Yum yum!!!
Left a little too long alone
Don’t let this happen! Be sure to hire The Road Runner Pet Nanny to keep your pet happy and occupied while you’re away! I’ll give him lots of love and attention…and keep a clean and neat house too!
City of Roses
I’m in the City of Roses for a couple of weeks pet sitting two little Italian Greyhounds. My first couple of days were pretty scary. Luna, my special little girl who wears prosthetics, got very ill. She apparently ate some sharp gravel the night before I arrived so on my first two days she was in such terrible pain and finally just collapsed from pure exhaustion. I’m so glad to say that she’s a real trooper and pulled through just fine and is now just as much of a spitfire as ever!
Reilly is the other Iggy. He just recently had some teeth pulled so is on a soft diet. He usually waits every day for the mailman to come and drop the mail into the slot along with a couple of milkbones. Mom & dad stopped the mail while they’re gone to make it easier on Reilly and left me with some soft treats. He’s a very old guy and was a rescue with teeth issues as most Italian Greyhound rescues are. So now he only has a couple of teeth left so when he sleeps his tongue hangs out. I think it’s so adorable! Just look at his face, is he the cutest little old man you’ve ever seen? I love them both so much!
While I’m here I always go to Lloyd Center. When I was a kid my dad worked on the Great Northern Railroad and we got free passes so my sisters and I frequently rode the train down to Portland from Wenatchee to visit our Aunt and cousins. One of the special things we did was going to Lloyd Center. Of course back then there weren’t many big malls like this one. And it had an ice skating rink! How cool is that! I still like going there. I guess sometimes we never grow out of enjoying some things. I don’t go ice skating any more though, but I do enjoy watching the others skate.
New Years Eve 2011
I spent New Year’s Eve with Luna and Reilly again this year. It’s becoming a tradition. This is my third year that I’ve come down to Portland to ring in the New Year with these sweet little Iggy’s. It’s a tradition that I like a lot. I guess I’m past needing to ring in the New Year out partying and celebrating. I’ve had lots of those years. These days I enjoy reflecting on the years past and looking forward to what’s ahead. There are many New Years Eve’s that I will never forget, here are just a few.
When I was a young adult, several friends and family would gather up the kids and head to a place we called “the flats”. It was a big field close to our house that had the perfect sledding hill. Someone would build a huge bonfire and we would all go sledding, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, drinking hot chocolate and giving rides on the four-wheelers until wee hours of the night. What fun!
I will never forget the last time my dad “rang the bell” as the clock struck 12. Dad had gone back to Minnesota years before and got the bell from his old school house. He put it on the roof of his shop and every year we would all go out so he could literally ring in the New Year. Dad had Alzheimer’s at the end so that last year was really special. My son Ben now has the bell. I know he remembers his Grandpa ringing that bell and hopefully he will give it a ring every now and then.
And how can I forget the year my daughter Heather and I went to New York City to welcome the New Year in Times Square. Wow, was that an experience I’ll never forget! We were corralled in the fenced in areas for hours with thousands of other people from all over the world waiting for the ball to drop. It was an experience of a lifetime!
It’s nice to look back on all the years that I’ve had with friends and family. And I’m looking forward to another wonderful year of adventure. Who knows what is in store for me in 2012. Bring it on!!!