It's Friday the 12th of August, almost 2pm here.

I'm sitting at the airport in Portland. Earlier in the week I caught a cab from the airport here to Beaverton to spend some time in the Beaverton office. The cab driver was insane. I got out of the car feeling thoroughly car sick, and didn't even begin to recover for about 2 hours. The cabbie followed me into the hotel as I was checking in and asked when I needed to get back to the airport, and promised me faithfully that he'd be back. I'm scared at this time, but too sick to argue.

As promised, he was back at the hotel at midday today (Portland time). This time I'm equipped. I've got some Target brand motion-sickness tablets, which I was pretty sure wouldn't be very effective. I also have a fresh, cold bottle of coke. Health tonic. Cure-all for travel sickness. Lo and behold, no sickness at all on the journey back, and I didn't even need the coke!

The cabbie asked me if I would allow him to deviate from the highway because of bad traffic congestion. I said sure. So he's taken me through these back streets, past shops and houses, and then into the forest. It's a beautiful, winding mountain drive through magnificent trees and other greenery. Really beautiful... After about $35.00 showed up on the metre suddenly we're driving right into Portland itself (which is good - at this stage I'm wondering if he's going to find some dodgey dirt track somewhere and slash my throat). A while later we're on another highway with signs declaring the direction of the airport. We're going the right way!

So we arrive at the airport. The fare is close to $60, so I add a tip and make out my credit card slip for about $67ish. To this he declares that he's giving me a $10 discount for being such a special person. I've done nothing but sit here looking out the window and hope he wasn't planning my murder. Nice guy!

I get to the check in counter, and the lovely girl there seats me right near the front of the plane. 4A - window seat. Very happy. Then I find free wifi here!!! AND I'm on my way to the love of my life (LOML). This is a good day =)