Mike dedicated the weekend to working- save for a brief break to go see Zombieland, which he loved, he spent the entire weekend revamping his portfolio site.  He’s a good worker.  In an effort to be a supportive wife, I spent the weekend in Portland- you know, to better stay out of his hair and let him work.

I had actually planned this several weeks ago- Barrie, Dominic and our friend Miles had all signed up for a 5 mile race in Vancouver, WA, which is right outside of Portland, OR.  Barrie, ever the planner, not only found the race, but also discovered what was described online as a “quaint, affordable bed and breakfast” where we could spend the weekend.  We were all excited about what promised to be a relaxing weekend with good friends a healthy dose of sightseeing and exercise.

Well, we were all a little confused when we actually arrived at our destination.

The aesthetic was a bit more “my parents’ house in the suburbs” than “weekend getaway.”  We were confused.  None of us had ever seen a suburban bed and breakfast.

the not-so-countryside

We figured that the inside would be strikingly different.  And then we went inside.

our room

Have YOU ever payed money to stay at your grandma’s house?  Now Barrie, Dominic, Miles and I can say that we have.

Millie, the inkeeper, obviously has a real eye for interior decorating.

Do you LOVE the wall hanging?  Every time I looked at it, I had to try really hard not to make this face:

Of course, our stay included a homemade breakfast each morning!  Millie put on quite a spread.

On Saturday morning she made us apple pancakes, blueberry soup (shown) and ham.  On Sunday, to fuel us for the race, we dined on a homemade quiche and a fruit pizza.  Even the food was grandma-tastic!

Sadly, I only got one picture of our hostess, and it’s crazy blurry.  But I feel like this post would be tragically lacking if I didn’t show it anyway- plus, it’s not like anybody who reads this expects decent photography from me:

This post isn’t very wordy, partially because I’m exhausted from the weekend and want to go to sleep, and partially because there simply are no words to describe the magic that was Millie.  If you are ever visiting Portland and want to REALLY feel like you are at home- or at least your grandma’s home- definitely check out The Hostess House.  It set the mood for our entire weekend.

Coming up: fish sauce chicken wings, The 24-hour Church of Elvis, Miles’ gluttony, cow tongues and what it feels like to be the only person who didn’t win a ribbon.