More fun in Portland today.

I found it pretty amusing today, watching the locals react to some minor snow flurries. I was having lunch when the predicted snow picked up--everybody in sight of the window was staring, wide-eyed, at the snow. Plus, it seemed like every time I said I was from Denver, the locals would say that I brought the snow with me (I imagine Portlanders hear the same thing about rain when they go to Denver). I don't normally consider it real snow unless it actually sticks to the ground (it didn't today), but I suppose the locals deserve credit for the rarity of this weather event.

With the weather being so awful, I figured this wasn't the right time to go see the Columbia Gorge or Mt. St. Helens, so I visited the city's best music store, shopped a few other places, and got to make my first visit to an Ikea store. I would have felt more like a good consumer if I had found some good Christmas gifts, but no such luck.

I had dinner at a friend's, where I also finally got to meet another one of those great people I've never met in person! We played a little more with the kids on the Wii, he has a couple of great kids--but the other friend's family was ill and couldn't join us (he wasn't doing so well himself). I even got to bond a bit with my host's wife, having a heart-to-heart; she's as great as her kids!

CDs listened to today:

• H. Owen Reed: La Fiesta Mexicana (Howard Dunn conducting)
• Horace Silver: The Best Of Horace Silver
• Lightning Bolt: Hypermagic Mountain
• Joseph Schwantner: Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra
• Thicke: A Beautiful World