CAN YOU PLEASE SPEAK UP?!

That was the irritated request we received at the Jack in the Box drive-through when Saul tried to order two chicken meals and a cheeseburger with his alien accent. 

“What? I’m sorry. I don’t understand you. Can you … what? Did you want small fries with that?” she asked.

“Yes,” Saul responded.

“What?” she asked, really not pleased and certain we were playing a joke on her.

“Yes,” Saul reiterated.

“What?” she asked again, now really mad at us.

“Yes!” I screamed from the passenger seat.

“Oh. OK,” she said, as if our little joke had gone just far enough. 

But, Saul’s funny accent and his complete unwillingness to make himself understood by upstanding ‘Mercans is not my point. My point is that we roadtripped to Portland to visit Mia and Tim for a quick high-five and a concert at the amazing Lan Su Chinese Garden. Stolen Sweets sang gypsy jazz and they were SO GOOD. The women’s voices were positively angelic and the men’s playing, wonderful, yes, wonderful.

I left early for doctor’s stuff (oh boy, do I have a load to unleash on the latest updates, but we have to go to Buddhist temple now!), but Rose and Saul went to Powell’s, Voodoo Doughnuts, and lunch with Mia before taking the train back to Seattle.

Thanks Mia for hosting us and for the great show!