Almost literally bumped into Portland Mayor-Elect Tom Potter at a friend’s holiday open house this afternoon.
Damn crutches.
He’s a very vivacious guy. What are you supposed to say to a public figure when you meet them in a relaxed, unofficial setting? “I enjoyed voting for you” sounds pretty lame, and I couldn’t think of anything else because my foot was hurting and I was looking for our hostess so I could say good-bye. He offered to get me some cider, but I politely declined.
[/story of brief brush with local personality]

Psst… If you’re looking for a good place in town to get a tree, check out the L’Arche Nehalem fundraising tree sale at the Value Village parking lot in the Hollywood neighborhood. All proceeds benefits their community, the trees are beautiful, and they’re reasonably priced.
We picked our tree out there this morning, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. They trimmed the base and loaded it into the truck for us — all we had to do was bring it home and decorate it.