On Monday evening, December 17, 2012,  I attended the Scandia Christmas Party with my son, Christopher.  Christopher is the pianist for the Scandia Singers.  After dinner I went upstairs to the church to hear the Scandia Chorus.   Afterwards we had dessert.  I took Christopher back to his apartment near Portland State University.

On Saturday, December 15, 2012, I arrived early for the Lighted Walk Down Peacock Lane in Portland so I could get a parking place close to Walgreens.  I read Dave Barry's "Lunatics" for awhile.  About 6:00pm I walked across the street to Walgreens where they were celebrating their Grand Reopening.  I ate some celebration cake and had a couple small peach drinks.  I was given a large red Walgreens bag filled with various items that will be great for putting in caches.  I met up with the Geocaching Group at 7:00pm.  Since the 1920s, each house in this quaint SE Portland neighborhood has been decorating for Christmas with lights and other decor with ardent holiday glee.  Mostly Tudors, the houses are adorned with not only beautiful sparkling lights and carolers, but also nativity scenes, rotating Christmas trees, life-like replicas of Santa, Frosty, Rudolph....and all things in between.  After wandering down the street looking at the brightly decorated houses and talking with several cachers I returned on my own to look more closely at the decorations.  I took several photos.  Afterwards I drove to east Vancouver where I found a cache that I could not find earlier in the day.

On 12-12-12 I attended an event cache by WSGA Southwest Chapter at Juliano's Pizzeria on SE Mill Plain Blvd in east Vancouver, WA at 6:30pm.  I had an enjoyable time this evening.  The Chefs Salad was one of the best I have ever eaten (it would have been great to have the traditional hard boiled egg though).  I found a night cache with other cachers after the event.  I enjoyed the festive holiday lights as we wandered through the streets.  I took more than memories home with me.  I discovered a small snail curled up on the toe of my shoe when I got home.

On Saturday, December 8, 2012, I attended the 4th Annual GEO Holiday Party at TEBO's Restaurant in Gladstone, Oregon.  I stopped at the Milwaukie City Hall to take several photos of the monument honoring the founders of the city.  I sat at a table near the round fireplace.  The halibut fish and chips was terrible.  The Key Lime Pie was good.  I participated in the gift exchange.  I had a great time.