A Pandemic Birthday Lunch With Co-workers

My boss loves to celebrate and we’ve had a tradition for many years of her taking me and a few of my team to lunch to celebrate my birthday. We usually go to a restaurant at the top of a tall building in downtown Portland with incredible views. It’s always a fun celebration and moment away from work.

She really wanted to do something for my birthday, so we landed on a zoom call with three of my key team at work — three really amazingly talented, confident, dedicated and fun women who I’m so lucky to work with. So she scheduled a call and she had food delivered to everyone on the call from my favorite Thai restaurant in Portland. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t deliver to my house so she drove and picked up my food and brought it over. Luckily, the sun came out so we sat on the back patio and shared some food and did our zoom call together… with so much space between us and masks when we weren’t eating. I’m glad the rain had stopped so she could stay.

I haven’t seen any of these women in person for eight months! It was really nice to see my boss in person. I can’t wait for the day when all of us can be together in person again. It was a really nice treat for my birthday. And the spicy Thai food was soooo good.

After an afternoon of work I treated myself to leftovers and waited for the rain to stop so I could take a walk with the boys. I finished two more sets of blocks for the improv batik quilt I’m making and then took the boys out at about 8:30 for an hour walk.

When we got home I finished another set of blocks. So I only have two more sets of four blocks to go.

Yesterday as I was working I noticed a hummingbird flitting around outside my office window. So I made some sugar water and hung one of my feeders outside that window last night. And amazingly, that little bird came and went to that feeder throughout the day. I think he drank nearly two inches of liquid out of that thing! It was really fun to have him come and visit throughout the day. The Annas hummingbirds stay here all year long so we can feed them throughout the winter. He will be good company.

I’m off work for the next three days. I had really hoped for a drive to the coast tomorrow to celebrate my birthday on the beach, but it’s supposed to pour all day long. So I’m going to find a hike closer to home. The weather over the next ten days looks pretty fantastic for Portland… not too much rain in this forecast, which is unusual for this time of year.

Then later in the afternoon, a friend who is cooking a full turkey dinner is going to deliver dinner and leftovers for me to enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate it. Be careful and safe!

On Thanksgiving I’m going to meet a new employee for a hike. She recently moved here from Philadelphia. She’s been working with us for several months, but has only been in Portland for a month or so. I’ve known her for years through work, but haven’t actually seen her in person for almost a year — the entire hiring process was done over the internet. She has a dog and has been striking out and exploring on her own. It will be fun to get to see her in person and show here a place she hasn’t been to yet.