I received many emails from people in the Portland metro area offering me places to stay as I passed through, so I decided to line up four nights with different hosts on a leisurely stroll across town.
I spent last night with this lovely family. Emma took charge right away, helping me unpack, showing me around, and keeping me company while I got situated in the guest room. After dinner she brought out a special dessert for the occasion: mini-cupcakes (brightly colored!). Michele, Dan, and I stayed up talking for a while after Emma retired for the evening. It was a really nice, relaxing way to end the day.
From left to right: Michele, Emma, Leya, Dan
Day 146
Night 1 of the Portland Metro Tour
August 19th, 2010
Wow…first! Thanks for taking care of our hobo.
Beautiful family…Emma what’s your doggy’s name? Thanks for giving Matt a nice place to stay and comfortable company.
Leya
Matt love your decision re: the Portland Stroll…looks like more pics of the city are comin.
Matt, Great that you are taking a little extra time to ‘get to know’ Portland. As you’ve already found, it’s a friendly place, and pedestrian friendly, too. I’m in the area right now, but a few miles from you, most likely. Hope I see you along your way!
move it girl….go find him….huggs from us all…..all right fist bumps from us guys….
he has been blessed once again!
yeah… go find him… hugs all around…. so glad he’s spending a few days in Portland…
Aww, Emma’s a cute little boss! Thank you to Michelle, Emma and Dan for taking care of Matt! Leya’s a cutie too with her pink tag.
Way to go Matt, a place to stay for the next 4 nights! Not to mention a leisurely stroll across town. Thanks in advance to these wonderful people.
Hey, I’ve missed everyone!!! I have some serious catching up to do since I was out of town for work this week. Oh my goodness Matt, you’re so close to the finish line! And look at you….stretching it out by strolling around Portland. Seems you don’t want your wak to end either. I’m off to review the last several days….
Missed you. And I don’t want Matt’s journey to end either. After all, my date pic was Labor Day which is Sept. 6th! If he gets there sooner I don’t get to yell “Hooray I won!” ha ha. But we’ll all yell “Hooray” anyways.
Don’t feel bad, Katz, I am miserably behind, too. Feel like such a bad Hobo Planeteer. *L*
Oh that is a nice welcome….thank you Michele, Emma and Dan. I think Leya is the dog? You have been given a true Portland Welcome!
I think you will enjoy crossing Portland. It might take you awhile…slow you down a bit. But you deserve it. People are just going to want to meet you! (Four Lucky Families) Sounds like Chinese Food!
Four lucky families…Chinese food, that cracks me up Karin!
It’s just cool, Matt, that the west coast is waiting for you with open arms after your long journey. Enjoy the hug.
You go, Emma. Glad to know there are members of the younger generation who step up and take charge. We know who wears the pink pants in that family…and who chose the collar and heart tag for Leya.
Dang, Don in Tennessee…Matt is spending four nights in Portland. I thought you had the MattWalkingPool locked up. You could still win, however.
John F. in CA
I e-mailed Matt several days ago and he mentioned he was going to slow it down in Portland but did not give any details or time frame. I spent a lot of time coming up with my 2 days of August 23 or 24, but I will have a void once Matt is finished. It has been fun and I am glad that I have met so many HOBO PLANET memebers. I have a college roommate friend in Pasadena. Are you close?
Don I think it was a few month’s ago when You asked me if I was close to Pasadena…At the time the blog was too full of comments to respond but wanted to say i am in the inland empire (riverside/san bernardino area). If you ever get out this way its desert like so wear your shorts and flip/flops!
Can I bring my Jimmy Buffet music and eat cheeseburgers in Paradise when I come? I have been to Pasadena to see my college roommate and his wife and I was in San Francisco in 98 for 4 days. Went to the wine country and took a trip to the BIG SUR! It was a wonderful trip and I want to come back soon!
As much as I love the beautiful scenery of this walk, the people pictures are a special pleasure. Reminds me that this country is full of kind, generous people.
Home in the valley
Home in the city
Home on the highway
Home with Michele, Emma, Leya, and Dan
Walk in the day
Turn down for night
I can’t see no reason to put up a fight
I’m living for giving this walkin’ its due
And I’m walking, I’m walking, I’m walking for you
I’m walking, I’m walking, I’m walking for you
Blue Oyster Cult!
That is awesome that you have places to stay on your journey through Portland. I am sure you will be up late talking with your hosts each night. Be sure to enjoy each day as you get close to the end of this journey!
Matt – does this mean the red progress line will be doing the Loop-de-loop while you are exploring Portland? I hops so!
P.S. – Dang my eye problems – hops = hopE
Candice
Don’t blame your drinking problems on Matt. Take it easy young lady and be patient! Just kidding!
I hope so Don – becaust it really is EYE (EYELID) problems – not due to drinking – due to this (I’ve been battling since 04/2009 to try and get the mainetance stage – instead of being in the acute stage):
http://www.agingeye.net/otheragingeye/blepharitis.php#
If you suffer from Dry Eye Syndrome – make sure the cause is NOT that your Meibomian glands are not blocked! IT takes longer than Matt walking across the USA to get them unblocked!
http://store.nexternal.com/tdec/home-c38.aspx
P.S. Unfortunately, I work in IT using a monitor 8+ hours a day, PLUS I surf the net – which is not conducive to blinking, which is NOT CONDUCIVE to pushing that eyelid oil out of the glands.
Hope I didn’t gross anyone out – but – I wouldn’t wish this condition on my worst enemy.
Again, if you have dry eyes, make sure to be checked out by an opthamologist – Meibomian Gland Syndrome can sneak up on you!
Dang – there’s another one = Make sure your Meibomian glands are NOT blocked, also mainetance = maintenance.
Candice
Sorry to hear about your eye issue. I hope you are able to get the problem resolved and soon!
I think maybe another 6 to 8 months of treatment and maybe I’ll be in the MAINTENANCE stage! It get’s very aggravating at times – especially when my vision gets blurry – no matter what I do (glasses/no glasses).
I’m having a bad “eye” day, today! :)
Candice-there are many causes of dry eyes and one needs to be examined by a doctor. I have been diagnosed with Sjogrens syndrome and the 2 main factors are dry eyes and dry mouth. I am always drinking water because my mouth is dry and I keep drops close by for the eyes. I manage along with all the other things going on. Sorry to hear you’re having such a hard time with yours. Hope you find relief soon and I can understand how irritating eye problems can get.
Matt sounds like some of your new hosts will be close enough to meet you again in Rockaway Beach…The more the merrier.
Portland-
No wonder MATT HOBO GREEN is staying in Portland for 4 nights. It is known as the most enviromentally friendly or “GREEN” city in the United States and second most in the world!
– See attached.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon
So MATT GREEN-you are in the greenest city in the United States-walk proudly as all of you GREENS do!
This family photo is priceless. Thank you Michele, Emma, Leya and Dan for hosting Matt Green in your Green city of Portland. I am loving the pink shorts on Emma and the pink collar on Leya. What a sweet looking dog. – we sure are missing our 19+ year old Bichon that died last week! It is so hard to not have him after all this time. I believe this dog is loved very much!
Thank you so much nice family. Good to hear you are slowing it down Matt. Life is to short and this adventure is …long but short too…take it from us armchair cubicle walkers…a few extra days is no problem. And Don in Tenn…..just like golf…..closes to the pin could win…since this is a pool…..why not…..
Michele, Dan and Emma, thank you for your kindness to Matthew. And Emma, I love your art work!
Matt! The Oregon International Airshow is this weekend at Hillsboro Airport. If you can make it that far by then, its a good show!
What a nice family/families to email you and offer you places to stay while passing through there. This is such a nice looking young family. Such a cute girl to guide you around the house and get you settled in. I bet she was so excited to have you there. And the dog Leya, she’s not looking at you Matt-what happened? ha ha. Second dog I think to look away just as the shot gets taken. None the less she’s still cute too!
Dorinda, remember the cow video…they all run opposite direction when matt is taping them…you think this dog knows what those cows knew….hmmmm.
So I ponder this, fellow hobo planetites..how do we collectivly celebrate “the end” do we raise a Mountain dew? How about Beer and a pizza….perhaps mini colorful cupcakes…..there is that other beverage that has haunted us (and matt even tried)..how do we celbrate…Blackberries??
Hmm… I don’t know Jeff, I never thought of it. I guess we cry? Tears of joy for Matt and tears of sadness for us? I certainly don’t want to toast with anything that was found in Montana(sorry no offense) but you know what drink I’m referring to. Don’t say it we know what it is. We can raise a glass of our favorite drink, yell “Yahoo! Hooray!” for Matt and get all kinds of looks from people who think we’re nuts. It all depends to on who is online when and all. I’m sure we’ll all give virtual high fives on the comments. Any other suggestions people?
I was in Beaverton…well, after flying into Portland…visiting a school there…years ago…the 70’s…in February…it was rainy…but green…Minnesota was cold and snowy…so it was a great break for us…loved our time there…Matt glad to see the break…and visiting and staying w/families, that’s what we did back there…that is a great thing too…what I think is so good is that they contacted you and let you know they were looking forward to seeing you…what I would like to know is how MANY emailed you???…
And happy for this family to take you in…if you haven’t forgotten and I know you haven’t…this is America…it is a wonderful and special place…no matter what we hear all the time…
Ha! I was teaching (in the 70’s) at Aloha Elementary School. Did you come to that school? I know you said Beaverton, but Aloha sometimes was considered Beaverton at that time.
Yahhhhh Beaverton!
Enjoy your leisurely stroll through Portland, Matt. You deserve some R&R!
I’m glad Matt’s slowing down. One is for his sake, and the other is pure selfishness…staving off the inevitable. Thanks to all the host families; Matt’s given a lot to all of us, and it’s nice to see him getting something in return.
I’m sad its almost done but i do want to see pics of the Portland area before he moves on. We are all selfish when we know the end is so close what will we do when we have nothing to look forward when we have been watching Matt travel across America for the last 5 months.
Many thanks to Dan, Michele and Emma for taking such good care of Matt. Matt, I’m glad you’re slowing down and enjoying the scenery (and company!).
Thanks Dan, Michele and Emma for hosting Matt…. we love families like yours…. and Emma the artwork is fabulous!!
Thank you, Emma, for being such a lovely host to Our Matt! And thanks to Michele and Dan for going along with it. *L*