So today I start my menopause. Probably TMI but one year ago today was my last period, at the Boles Aero. So in sort of a celebration I decided to take a train trip to Portland then to Whitefish (and used up an Amtrak voucher I had). I was in Business Class to Portland which I thought was supposed to be quiet.

There were two couples jabbering the whole time, one couple solving Seattle’s housing problems and one discussing nutritional labels and stocks. Thankfully this poor lady seated opposite one couple was able to nap.

This poor guy could not read his book about Alexander Hamilton.

It just went on and on.

One of my favorite quotes from the jabber: “We are not taught how to make creative flow spaces.”

I was thinking it was turning into a bad way to spend the day but then decided it just shows I am getting old. And I got some knitting done.

And I got to see the Narrows Bridge:

And a favorite stop (from my birthday):

crossing the Columbia:

Here are the amazing photos traveling east on the Columbia Gorge (a national treasure):

It turns out there is not a dining car on the Portland to Spokane Amtrak train today so we had cold packed dinners. Here is mine with my MacGyvered Old Fashioned.

The dinner was actually really tasty. So it was, in the end, a good menopause day. It is an odd date, but I guess I will remember it anyway.