Maiasauras and Mjadra

Well, Graham has gone back home after a lovely and enjoyable (at least on my part) weekend visit. On Saturday we went to OMSI, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. I had never been before, and it was definitely a worthwhile trip. The main exhibit was T.Rex On Trial, a dinosaur exhibit. It was very exciting. They also had tons of "brain-teaser" stations with all sorts of puzzles with blocks and rings and strings and things, some of which had us very confused for a very long time. After attempting one for about five minutes, I read the note below the instructions that said: "This puzzle has never been solved. Can you do it?" I quit trying. :)

After spending a few hours at OMSI, we went to Nicholas Restaurant for lunch. It's a small, rather crowded Lebanese/Middle Eastern restaurant that serves amazingly good food. We ordered the vegan Mezza (basically an appetizer platter) because it has one of my favorite dishes on it -- Mjadra, a rice and lentil dish with caramelized onions on top. It also came with tabouleh, bread and hummus, falafels, and a garbanzo bean dish that didn't have a name or a description in the menu, but was absolutely amazing. Oh, and we also ordered fresh-squeezed peach juice. The waiter warned us, "oh, the peach juice isn't vegan," so we explained that we weren't actually vegan, we just liked the selection on the vegan Mezza. :) We were completely stuffed when we left, and still had enough food left for a very filling lunch this afternoon.

Saturday night we went to the contra dance in Portland, where Kevin Carr and Barbara Mendelsohnn were playing. They were quite surprised to see Graham there, so that was fun. It was good to see them again, and always a joy to hear them play. The contra was very fun, and reminded me that I should attend more often. There were a lot of familiar faces, but a lot of new ones as well, making me realize that I've sort of dropped out of the contra community for a while. Anyway, it was fun.

Today was a mellow day. I sewed some more of my Renegade Rose waistcoat that's supposed to be done for May Day. I don't know if that's going to happen, but I'm certainly going to try. It's the buttonholes I'm not looking forward to. :) I took Graham to the airport and have been doing homework ever since. Hugo and Ellie are flying home from the Los Angeles Ale tonight, fortunately getting a ride from somebody else, arriving somewhere around 1:00 a.m., I'd imagine. They're both going to be totally wiped out by a long weekend of dancing and revelry, but it will be nice to have them home again.