At long last, here are my photos from the week of Christmas, 2009. Yes, I know it is March 2010 now. I apologize for the delay. This post is the biggest deal on my site since my brother and sister graduated from college, each of them twice. My mom flew up to Oregon from California and my sister from New York to stay at my house in Forest Grove. It was very exciting for me. I was proud. I actually had room for guests to have their own rooms and beds. That is a first in my life, as was having a Christmas at my house. Thanks to everyone, including my brother who came from Vancouver, Washington and my dad from Tillamook/Yachats, Oregon. Usually we are split up between California and Oregon. 2009 was the only time in my adult life that I got to see both my parents and both sibling during the holidays.

These thumbnails are just a preview. Click on them to see the post. There are 436 photos.
Life’s moments pass by only once, I grab many on the way by and keep them to share. Enjoy.

My mom and sister were supposed to fly in on the same day but that did not work out. My poor sister got stuck at an airport due to weather. I felt bad for her. She had to wait until a different day to get a flight. I took my mom to see my brother in Vancouver and we went to dinner. Since my sister who is vegan had not arrived my brother decided to go to a place that had more meat than you can imagine. Meat in the beans, 3 or more kinds of meat in a meal, meat appetizer. Russell Street Bar-B-Que I think the place was. Things change quickly sometimes. Now I don’t eat meat at all. It was a nice evening and great to have my mom here.

That night my mom started staying at my house. The next morning it was time to go pick up the rental car I had reserved for my mom and sister. I wanted them to be free the days I had to work. My mom drove my truck on the way back, the first time she had ever driven any vehicle of mine, I think.

It was a long time before we had to pick up my sister so I took my mom on a drive around the town where I live. She likes nature as much as I do. We stopped on the way by Fernhill wetlands to look at Geese and other birds. The ponds are on the other side of the road but the geese were out in a different field right then. What could be more relaxing than looking at wildlife with your mom? Then I drove her all over the place around in the hills and different places around town. I thank her for putting up with it and letting me show her things. I have no photos after the birds.

Eventually, that night, it was time to drive back to Portland to pick up my sister from the airport. She had quite the ordeal trying to get here, hours and hours at the airport hoping to get a flight without luck, then eventually a hotel for the night, but without her luggage. It was great to see her.

Check out these two photos larger. The first one I really like as a visually descriptive photo. The second is the lost or waiting luggage area. My sisters things had been sent ahead a day before without her, She was worried her suitcase would not be easy to find. Luckily it was there on display behind the glass. She was very excited.

The next day after my sister finally got some sleep and a change of clothes, my brother drove out and we went to my business. Yes, I have a ton of photos from there too. These are incredibly rare. I run my business every day with almost no one I know ever being here, much less my mom and sister. I treasure these. I am sorry to Dennis for any blinking photos. I couldn’t throw all of them out. (He blinks in most photos due to contacts apparently)

I am so happy to have these photos. My mom, my sister, and brother at my business.

They are trying to decipher the menu from my neighbors’ Mexican Restaurant which is only partially explained in English. My dad doesn’t know what to order when he comes here either because of that. It would be ok if there was someone there to ask who speaks English, but that is often not the case.

 

My sister was going to make a vegan dinner for us on Christmas so we needed to buy food. We went to Whole Foods, which was the first time ever for me. It is overpriced and I haven’t been back, but it was a very nice store. We ate lunch in there too. My sister started showing me new non-meat/vegan foods and I asked a lot of questions. Thanks for her patience.

Back at my house hanging out, my brother enjoying Family Guy. Those are Vegan doughnuts, some good, some not. I ate plenty of them. I only gained 1 pound all winter, even sick and not running, and already burned it off. I may have a doughnut. They got them at Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland while I was working. Was trying to make money on Christmas Eve, which is usually a big money day with last minute shoppers. It was a failure. Thanks, recession. For last hours I sat at work by myself. I tried.

That night, Christmas Eve, I gave my mom and sister each a silly fun gift. My mom’s lovely new OZ Pez dispensers match the big dolls I gave her years ago. The very first gift I bought last year, months ahead of time, was the Obama action figure for my sister. She seemed to love it. “An action figure you can believe in” I try to buy people what they might like, regardless of what I think about it.

Christmas morning. (secular holiday style) How about solstice week, winter holiday, or whatever else you want to call it. All that matters is that my family was all together and even at my own house. That was pretty great. I am so happy to share these. My sister was already printing recipes and preparing food. My mom was doing what she has always done. She and my dad both have read many thousands of books. My sister is working to catch up. My dad’s dog’s name is Boston. He looked in great shape for not long before being attacked and almost killed by a German Shepard. I am very glad he recovered. He was a puppy when I was very sick with strep throat on my birthday a while back and was totally sweet.

After a while my brother showed up with a friend and my ex next door neighbor from down the street stopped by on her way to see her daughter. It was nice for some people to meet each other.

My mom, sister Carolyn, and Jonna in my kitchen. Also a great photo of my dad. You think the red shirt is Christmasy, you should have seen his Santa bathrobe and hat the previous year.

That monkey that laughs and rolls around on the floor is ridiculous. The dog didn’t like it much but it sure amused my sister. For some reason it made her laugh hysterically. For a little dog, Boston is pretty cool.

Thanks a ton to my brother’s friend (I don’t know how she spells her name) for taking these pictures of us. It saved me a lot of annoying tripod, self-timer, running back and forth annoyance. These are the first pictures of all five of us together since my brother graduated from medical school. I look pale and like crap because I was getting sick. The color has since returned to my face and I look better than that now. I get to make excuses because this is my blog. Also, sometimes I just don’t feel like shaving. These photos are treasures for me. Anyone else feel free to take them.

Watching to make sure that guy doesn’t let his dogs crap in my yard. That really pisses me off.

Ok, back to Christmas.

I don’t care what anyone says, radishes are not food.

Break time.

Delicious stuffed mushrooms my sister made. Good job and thank you.

I had been promising to print photos for my sister for a while but my big Canon I9900 died and I couldn’t afford to replace it, still haven’t, so I bought a printer for her. Not exactly a convenient gift when she lives in New York. I had to ship everything to my mom and sister after they went home. The necklace and pendant I gave my mom I had been saving in my office for a couple/few years for a special occasion. It is a very unique piece.

They are reading the children’s book “That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals“, which my sister had mentioned a very long time before on her blog. I ordered it for her.

A short walk around my neighborhood.

Back at my house and dinner preparation. My sister worked very hard on it. Getting to make Christmas dinner for your whole family for the first time ever is just as wonderful as getting to have your whole family at your house for the first time. I am proud of her for being so brave as to go vegan no matter what anyone else thought of it. I am sure she had no idea I would totally stop eating meat then too. She is inspiring and strong willed.

My dad, his dog, and “Little Known Facts About Ireland”.

My sister is managing editor of those beautiful magazines/industry journals. My brother and sister, doctor and editor. I am so proud of them I want them to know a million times. My family is equally proud that I am not in prison or dead, as am I.

Carolyn, did I include enough food prep photos for you?

I apologize for the bad light and funky color cast in these photos. That is what happens when I don’t have my bog camera with indirect flash. I tried to fix these some. They still suck. Tried to avoid using direct flash. Anyway, sorry.

Dessert with multiple kinds of sugar in huge amounts. Wonderful.

Wonderful photo of my dad except that Boston is in focus, not my dad. Hello, little dog.

I wanted to give the Christmas tree to Boston. He loved it until it was taken away after the first minute due to big mess forming. Very darn cute though.

 

Chillin’ out after dinner. My brother was viewing the CD of historic medical oddities my dad gave him. I still have my small bedroom tv in my living room because I KEEP NOT MAKING ENOUGH MONEY. Ok, I am calm. Pardon me. I am still at work after 8 P.M. on Monday working on this. Awesome to see these photos of my family in my usually empty house. Thank you so much, everyone.

At my brother’s house in Vancouver.

I LOVE this photo. Look at their expressions. My sister is inspecting the contents of my brother’s refrigerator. This makes me laugh every time I see it.

Militant vegan places in Portland with people, propaganda, and hostility that made me not want to be a vegan for the last 15 years. They remind me of the kind of people who put spikes in trees to stop logging or anti-abortion activists that harass women and doctors. Not the way to go. Also my small town Fred Meyer has more meat/dairy substitutes and alternatives than the “vegan grocery store”. I did however eat some “jerky” made from mushrooms. It was good. Sorry to my sister, she missed the bakery there because we arrived too late. To the gutter punk-ish guys who though they could plow right through the store and everyone would get out of the way, you found out different. That crap does not fly outside of downtown Portland and I get shoved aside by NO ONE. Ok, moving on.

Going to Powell’s Books in downtown Portland the day after Christmas. WOW was it busy. I did not bother trying to shop. It was crazy. That woman on the stairs was holding a sign and directing traffic to the end of the line. Yes, ALL of those people were in line. My sister and mom bought some books.

 

Incredibly rare photos of my dad and sister talking, in my kitchen. I used one for their birthday card.

My mom and dad saying hello to the outdoor cat that lives on my porch most of the time. It actually belongs to one of me ex-neighbors down the street but I am very nice to it so it stays. It still eats at home and then comes back to my house. We are both kind of rough around the edges and get along well. It is tough and street-wise. I bought a heated bed this year and it stays in it about 75% of day and night now. Nice kitty. It used to live at my other house and followed me down the street and around the corner when I moved. I love animals because my parents are both very sensitive and raised me well. My mom has cats that came from wherever too and just look at my big dad with that tiny dog. He loves it. Anyway, my parent on my own front porch, the 1st and only time ever. Awesome. I am sure glad photos are my hobby. You are welcome, to all of you who did not spend half a work-week of hours on these and this post, and just get to browse. I hope you are enjoying them.

My sister wanted to go to the art museum, but luckily my mom had never been to OMSI so we went there instead. I love the atmosphere at science museums. So much excitement about learning. It always makes me feel at home to be there, where understanding is the whole point the place. Wonderful.

I love these phobias posters. Knees? Come on now.

One of the best things about OMSI is always the views. In the second photos you can see the Hospitals on the hill in the distance. My brother lived up behind that for a long time. For two years I lived there with him.

I love these photos of the T-rex, which is not the same one I saw a while back. Once again with the camera tip- You cannot take pictures of that skeleton or skull with your camera on auto exposure and have it look good. The background is too dark compared to the highlights. You must bump down the exposure compensation or meter differently.

That gig ball was new and totally great. They can project anything onto it and control it by computer and Wii remote. The images rotate. I love it. Again, these photos would have been ruined by using camera in auto mode. You must use no flash, spot metering, and very steady hands.

That was an animation of worldwide commercial air traffic throughout the day, with each green mark representing one flight. It was mesmerizing. Check out Japan and Western China. I will take that ball over a canvas with a big spot and some paint splatters at the art museum any day.

My brother playing with infrared imaging and then both of us.

A working paleontology lab where kids get to join in. If there were more places like that and less focus on sports in schools, fewer people would end up ignorant gangsterish and harassing me at work. We are so far behind the rest of the civilized world in educating children it is shameful. We have massive resources and yet still massive ignorance. Sorry, tangent.

My mom checking out transparent human.

This is a crop of the previous photo. I want you to look at it larger. Look at the pleased and wise look on my mom’s face at the wonder on that kid is experiencing. What a wonderful person. She is a woman who belongs where she works (elementary school) as much as is humanly possible. I almost tear up every time I look at the photo. I was raised by someone like that and now I talk to people insult me, spit on my face, despise learning, and hate any form of self-improvement. Being raised by such great parents it is little wonder I am incapable of accepting apathy and willful ignorance.

I took these for someone I know. Quit drinking. Please.

“Beginning the Journey” is a permanent exhibit that has a huge collection of human fetuses I have ever seen. You are not allowed to take pictures in there. I have no idea why. It makes no sense. They are already on display for the public.

My dad and brother and a gloomy Portland December.

That cool old clock reminds me of how this day started, listening to Time by Pink Floyd on the radio. The time of life is fleeting and often sadly empty. SO many years between times filled with loved ones. I will treasure that day with my family and miss so many other people I used to know. “Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way…”

 

Having a conference about where to eat dinner, after they waited for me to finish taking forever in the science store. After they finally made a decision it turned out that restaurant was closed anyway and we went somewhere else.

As we were standing there a whole building alarm started going off telling everyone to evacuate. It was great timing as we were just leaving anyway. I do not know what set off the alarm.

Evacuation.

Look how YELLOW Rose’s Restaurant is. I cannot get over it. Every time I eat there all I can think is WOW. Y E L L O W. Anyway, there was almost no one there and it still took about three days to get food. Also, my brother finally complained that all the TVs were showing a very long infomercial about a sweeper/steamer or whatever it was. All that aside, what mattered was that my whole family was sitting at one table. Amazing. I took pictures because it matters. There was some grumpiness about veganism conversation from both sides but it worked out just fine. YELLOW. After that I think my sister drove off to see a friend again. It was a good thing I rented the car.

Just me and my mom at my house while my sister was out. My mom at my desk. Special.

Soon it was already for my mom and sister to fly back home. They both had flights on the same morning. I drove them out to PDX.

Goodbye. Thank you a thousand times for coming. We had a very nice time.

And I drove away, back to my empty house and another year of work. I miss both of you.