Tag Archives: Major League Soccer

Drooling is Permitted

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Pamela

This is the old PGE Park in 2009.

On Friday I had an endoscopy at the day surgery part of the clinic. Just before my turn, I waited by myself behind a privacy curtain and I overheard someone ask about going to the stadium. This person was going that night to get a wristband to get in first to the general admission section. I wanted to call out to find out who was a Timbers fan so we could share our fan-ness but it seemed rude to yell out across the room.

This is the park now from the same view. They just did a huge renovation and added 4000 seats. It is amazing. Too bad our first match there was doodoo.

Continuing my procedure. It’s strange being wheeled in a bed. It’s tempting to want to enjoy it but also it seems ridiculous when I can walk myself.

The prep nurse and also the doctor explained what was going to happen and gave me instructions — don’t try to help with the scope, might feel like you have to drool, go ahead, burping will happen, go for it. They had me lay on my side and next thing I know someone is putting apple juice into my hands. They gave me those bright orange square crackers that I would never pick for myself but I inhaled like it was food of the gods. I never got to drool. (well, consciously.)

My team just got a new player. He just got here a few weeks ago and Bob said on the way home I told him a long and rambling story about him. I did read a lengthy article about him but I don’t feel like I could tell you anything about it off the top of my head.

This is outside. I couldn’t find any older photos from this angle.

Everything went fine. Two and a half hours after I checked in, I was home in bed sleeping like the dead. It was amazing. If I could have taken a picture of that nap, I would share it with you now.

That night we had the windows open for fresh air. I woke around 2am and heard what sounded like high pitched cat sounds. I knew already it was probably raccoons. I went to the front window and it sounded like they were on the side of our house. After a bit, one came running out across the yard. Bob came to join me and after a minute, two more came running across the lawn. They were big fatties scampering down the street.

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The Post You All Have Been Waiting For (Part 1)

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Pamela

TIMBERS FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT

Here I am with Diego Valeri (Insert that emoji with the smiley face and heart eyes — can you do that in WP?) and Steven Taylor.

Here I am with Jack Jewsbury and Ben Zemanski who is only half smiling because I’ve had my photo taken with him before.

Here I am a JACK sandwich with Jack Barmby and Jack McInerney (more swooning).

There are tons more photos to come in the next couple of days so as they say in college when you’re in a sorority: get excited for the next few posts.

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Timbers Away, Kansas City Version

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Pamela

This is part 3 in our series of Timbers away adventures. When we were in KC someone asked if we were going to all the away games. I thought that was a crazy question but they met someone at the match who was doing that very thing. We try to do one away game a year. We’re limited on when we can go so it depends on how the schedule lines up. We’re still hoping to go to Chicago, New York and Toronto.

If any MLS fans or Timbers fans find this and are wondering about away matches, we had a great time in Philadelphia and Montreal and highly recommend.

We were told that the Timbers Army were invited to tailgate with the KC Cauldron but it was raining so that plan was scrapped and instead we were invited to hangout in their special clubhouse at the stadium. The stadium is in Kansas and is way the hell out there. You need a car to get out there. Bob found a bus that ran once an hour. I didn’t want to take a bus that runs once an hour.

The stadium is super nice. The KC fans were 99% super nice. We lost the match but we had a fantastic time.

After the match we walked over to Nebraska Furniture Mart which is gigantic (according to the website 450,000 sq ft) and has a See’s Candy inside. We just wanted to see what it was like. There’s a big outlet mall out there, too, and we walked around there. Then we had barbecue and custard and got a ride back to the hotel. That concludes the Timbers part of our trip.

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It’s That Time Again

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Pamela

Yesterday was our first match of the season. Ticket partner and I planned to go early so we could get our picture taken with The Cup but as soon as we ate our pizza, drank our beer and sat in the sunshine, we completely forgot about it.

It’s worth noting here that we arrive at the match ridiculously early. Why? I have no idea but that’s the way we do it.

My spouse was able to secure a ticket to the match and he wasn’t about to go sit in the seats so early so he wandered around the stadium checking out the other food and drink options and taking photos. He texts me a picture of him with The Cup.

Oh no! I wanted MY picture with The Cup. At this point it was 30 minutes before the match would start. If the stadium was a clock and we were sitting at 6, the Cup was at 2. But you can only go around to that part of the stadium the long way. AND the concourse was completely packed.

Luckily, ticket partner has to hurry through a lot of airports so he cut the trail and I hurried after him. When we made it to the line he said: I’m surprised you kept up.

But I was committed. I also needed the cardio.

So here it is. I look like the Pillsbury Do’h! Boy because I have so many layers on. Ticket partner looks like he’s about to go to the firing squad.

I was disappointed I couldn’t touch it. There were two police officers there so it didn’t seem worth the risk.

In other news, I bought a new phone holder for match days. Remember I wrote about my old phone holder and then I tried to make a new phone holder but failed. I couldn’t find a good one. I guess not many people want to wear their phone around their neck. I don’t love the one that I bought. It’s pretty flimsy.

The way the case is cut, it makes me press the side buttons when I don’t want to so I tried to take photos and instead changed the volume. Or I don’t know what I was doing. I think I have some movies and unplanned panorama shots. I got home with 216 pictures and most of them are awful.

We lucked out, it didn’t rain until the last 5 minutes but that rain wanted to make sure we noticed. It went from spitting to drizzle to droplets to gusting splash. I was glad for all those layers.

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Philadelphia Part 3 TIMBERS!

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Pamela

Here I am bonding with a cow outside the stadium. Looking at that t-shirt, I’m not sure this cow is in the right place.

The inspiration for this trip was to see the Portland Timbers play the Philadelphia Union.

In case any Timbers fans or MLS fans are here and thinking about visiting Philadelphia for a match: DO IT! We very highly recommend. I also recommended Montreal Away after our visit last year.

The only snafu was getting to the match because we didn’t want deal with a car rental and the stadium is out of town a bit.

Bob came up with the brilliant plan: Pub bus.

We were walking over to the pub and I saw a tour bus but when we got up there Bob said, it wasn’t the right address. We kept walking. We saw a school bus. Bob said: I think that’s it.

That was it.

Here’s where the what the heck with the liquor laws Philly goes to the next level. We had not one, but two, kegs on a school bus.

Pour them in the front. Pass them back!

Also, something went wrong so there was no food. I am generally very careful about drinking anything without eating. At my advanced age, this has become critical.

But when are you going to be on the Union Party Bus again?

It was really fun. I want to say I’d do it differently next time, but I probably wouldn’t.

The stadium is beautiful. It’s a great location. It has a wonderful tailgate scene which is something we don’t enjoy in Portland.

Here’s my team, going to the slaughter.

We lost 3-0 but I wasn’t devastated since we left a significant part of our A team at home and we had 2 guys starting in their first ever MLS match.

Also, GREAT fireworks show. I think someone said there was a problem the previous weekend so they saved them for this match.

My parting comments are: it was a great trip. I would love to go to Philadelphia again. It’s a great city to visit.

The project of mid-August as of today:

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