Sons on a Beach

I'm sorry. There I said it. I'm sorry that I have made this blog into a Travel Guide to the greater Portland area. I'm sorry that I have made some of you feel bad about the places you live where there is no Trader Joe's, no My Favorite Muffin, no Powell's, etc., etc., and so forth. It was never my intention to have you go to bed at night regretting your choices that have caused you to live in Utah, or western Colorado, or Chicago (I think those are the three places my blog readers live!) Really - I am sorry.

So no more guilt. No more "Here are all the reason's to hate where you live." Just me and some pictures and some witty wordplay.

We felt like it was time for a real trip to the beach. We went once for an afternoon to Seaside but I had a work trip coming up in Lincoln City and Amy and the boys thought they should tag along. Then they could hang out at the beach, while I worked. This may sound like I got the raw end of the deal. But I just chatted with my employees, did some coaching, interviewed someone and went to lunch and had soft-shelled crabs, sushi and Soba noodles in a lovely broth. Amy had to schlep 250 items up and down several flights of steps, watch two little boys, schlep them back up when the had to potty, and schelp all of the stuff up at the end of the day. So think again about who had a more relaxing day. Plus, I still got to walk up and down the beach in the evening when I was done with work.
They thought getting in the water was pretty funny because it was COLD. This is Oregon, folks, not Santa Monica. We spent lots of time wandering up and down the beach looking for "she shells" and for glass floats. Evidently in Lincoln City there used to be a lot of hollow glass balls that would wash up on the beach from Japanese fishing boats (the balls were the floats that would hold the nets up.) Now that fishing boats have started using cheaper plastic floats there is a group of artists that makes 2000 floats every year and hides them on the beach for tourists to find. (If you are nerdy like me and enjoy costal trivia, click here!) We didn't find any floats, but we found lots of "she shells." Here is us looking and what happens when you tell my kids to pose for a picture:

Playing in the waves:

The water may be cold, but come on, this is a beautiful beach with some goofy children in the foreground:
Before we called it a night, we had dinner at Pig N' Pancake, which is the northwestern coast's answer to Denny's. They had free balloons, so my kids were happy. After a long day in the sun and sand, they were pretty tuckered.




OK. I can't resist. Don't you want to see this beach!? Don't you want to find a glass float?! You should come here!? (Or move here.) Ok, ok, ok. I am done.

Happy Book Day

We at the Bingham's have a little holiday we invented a few years ago. We call it "Bingham Book Day." (Not our most creative naming endeavor.) I think I originally stole the idea from someone else, because I'll take any excuse to buy a new book (I used to complain about the cost of textbooks when I was in college because that was what you did, but I was always secretly delighted to go into a bookstore and spend $400. JOY!) buy it was my lovely wife who made the idea better (as she does with most things in our family) by making it an event. That last sentence was a little heavy on the parentheticals. Sorry.

Here is how it works. We make a BIG deal of it and talk about it a lot and get the kids all ramped up. Then we take a trip to the bookstore where everyone gets to buy WHATEVER book they want. This is the part where I get annoyed, because while I want the kids to choose charming and clever picture books we can curl up together and read, they inevitably choose some sort of "trucks picture dictionary" (see Jonah's selection below) which just don't make good bedtime stories. I am sure that my annoyance will continue as they get older and pick out trading guides to Pokemon, or comic books, or whatever. Then we all go to lunch to celebrate. Fun, aye?

This year we decided to Portlandize the whole thing:

First, instead of driving to Portland, we took the MAX (our lovely light rail.)
Our kids think this is super cool. And it only costs like $8 for all of us to ride and means no gas and no dealing with paying for or finding parking in Portland. We are so eco-chic now that we are Portlanders! Amy even bought shoes from REI the other day that were quite cute and made of recycled care tires and hemp, or something.

Anywho, we bought our books at Powell's Books which is the greatest book store in the world. If you haven't been, it is HUGE and has every book you could ever think of. The fun thing is that all of the books are just shelved together, new and used, paperback and hardcover. So when you go to find a book, sometimes you get a surprise and find a used copy that is dirt cheap.
The picture doesn't do the store (or my hairline) justice. It is a book lover's dream. (Not my hairline - the store.)

Here is what everyone selected:

JOSH (who is often mistaken for a 14 year old girl)
AMY
Oh...looks intriguing! I may have to borrow that one.

JONAH
Is anyone surprised? It is called "You Can Name 100 Cars, Trains, Boats and Planes" and is a scintillating as it sounds!

NOEL
Of course he did. Because watching Max and Ruby 42 times a day isn't enough. Now we can read about their madcap adventures at bedtime, too!

Lunch was at a nearby Noodle's and Co.
I would like to hope that in the future our adventures in eating will be at some exciting new downtown bistro we heard about or whatever. But for now, a bowl of Mac and Cheese from the Noodles makes my children happy. As we walked into the N&C, to which we had never been before, Noel said "I want some Mac and Cheese!" Ahh, the power of brand identity.

Noodles were enjoyed by all...
Can you see the "I got lost in Powell's City of Books" sticker on his chest? He didn't really get lost. My kids just love a free sticker. (Also, could you hang a Christmas ornament off of those eyelashes? Seriously.)

Can you see the glazed over joy in his eyes as he eats carbs and cheese? The only two food groups my kids like!

Have you got out your list of "Reasons we should go visit the Bingham's" list and added this to it yet? We'll do it again! We don't have to wait until Bingham Book Day rolls around next spring. How many of you can ride charming mass transit to a major independent bookseller? I'm just saying...

I can't wait to read my book! Nerdy alien love story, here I come!

Is it really so hard?

My lovely wife's name is Amylin. It is pronounced like "Amy Lynn." To me, it is a lovely name and not that unusual. But it is IMPOSSIBLE for the world at large to spell, pronounce and understand. You usually have to spell it 3 or 4 times before someone gets it.
"Did you say a-m-y-l-y-n?"
" No, I said a-m-y-l-i-n."
"So it's a-m-i-l-i-n-n?"
Sigh.

Today, after shredding the 600 credit card applications we got in the mail, I decided to call 1-800-5-OPT-OUT which is the number that allegedly removes you from the mailing lists that generate those offers based on your credit score. I put in my information no problem and then went to put in Amy's. It is one of those phone lines where you are talking to a robot (at least that is how I picture it) and you just say your information and then it spells it back to you. It asked from Amy's first name and spelling.

ME: Amylin. a-m-y-l-i-n.

Robot: Did you say 'Amy. a-m-y?'

Me: No. Amylin. a-m-y-l-i-n.

Robot: I'm sorry. I didn't get that. Can you repeat that?

Me: Amylin. a-m-y-l-i-n.

Robot: Did you say 'Nasir, n-a-s-i-r?'

WTH? How is the name Nasir recognized (no offense to my readers named Nasir) and Amylin is not? And how does Amylin even sound like Nasir?

I hate robots.

Updates...and why you should visit.

If you are wondering what we have been up to, then this is the post for you. If you have been trying to decide if you should visit, and you just are not sure yet, then this is the post for you. Because here I present, "Updates...and why you should visit."

We have a killer zoo. I know what you are thinking. The zoo in your hometown is pretty nice. It probably has some hippos, or little wax animals that come out of a vending machine for $.50. But is it set in an evergreen wonderland? Does it have viewing glass to watch the crazy huge sea lions frolic and play? Does it have a Lorakeet Feeding tent?
And a really great train ride?
(Is the little one photogenic, or what?)

Another reason you should come visit is that we are 1 hour away from a 75 year old aquarium in a space that is about 150 square feet. It has stuff in plastic tubs:
Creepy squids in tanks:
Well - OK. So we will skip the aquarium. We'll do 2 days at the zoo. It is big enough for that. The aquarium is however, right on the beach.
So that is fun, right? Now it is not the beach of Cabo San Lucas, but it is a beach and beautiful and blustery and loverly.

If you come and it is your birthday, I will make you a cake of your choosing. This one was of my son's choosing for his 4th birthday and the only request was "Spider-Man," which isn't really a flavor, but more of a theme. It was a white cake with a buttercream icing.
I know I am no Ace of Cakes, but c'mon! That is a pretty great cake! I have made some pretty ugly cakes in my day (anyone remember the baseball cupcakes of '05? ) but I am getting better. Do you like how the web is asymmetrical? I thought you would. I will do asymmetrical decorations on your cake, too, if that is your wish.

We will also host a birthday party with a lot of small children, or people your own age, if that is your thing and if you are visiting on your birthday. (Please note: we still only have about 3 friends here, so we can't promise the guests will be exactly your age, but we will try. Our dear friend Chanel is young, but acts like an old lady, so that should cover many bases.)
Are you convinced yet? Really? Ok - I didn't want to have to mention this, but we have discovered a place called "My Favorite Muffin and Bagel Bakery." (Chanel - have you been here?) Yes the name is stupid, but the muffins/bagels are not. "So what?" you are thinking. I know you have Einstein's. And I know you just normally buy those ginormous muffins from Costco that are like $5 for 50 lbs. of muffins. BUT. NOT. LIKE. THESE.
They sell a cherry cheesecake muffin, which Amy and I fantasize about on a daily basis. They also sell a coconut cream muffin that I have not yet tried, but that I had a dream about last night. They also sell bagel sandwiches on really, really good homemade bagels. And with the purchase of a bagel sandwich you get a pickle spear and a FREE mini muffin! Perhaps a chocolate cream cheese muffin with your turkey bagelwich? Or maybe a lemon crumb muffin with your roast beef bagelwich. JUST LOOK AT ALL THE MUFFINS!!!
Isn't that reason enough?

And our hot tub is working.

And we have an LDS Temple:



As you can see, there are many delightful things to do/eat here. And we are doing great.

Gratuitous tub shot: