Making a major exception from past practices of the past five years, today’s group of six chose to visit a Starbucks on this morning’s dry, scintillating ride.  Our rationale was that we wanted to applaud Howard Schultz’s bold stand re. the Trump immigration ban: a commitment to hire 10,000 refugees worldwide, as well as free immigration legal assistance for employees.

The shop we chose was the one in the OHSU building at the west side of our favorite bridge, Tilikum Crossing.  What we found was quite stylish, well appointed, and comfortable design-wise, plus the large glass window looking south gave those looking in that direction views of fellow bicyclists, passing trains, streetcars, buses, and pedestrians.  The one downside was that the acoustics made it hard for us to hear each other at the long table, resulting in our having two conversations rather than one.

Among the topics covered at our two groupings were the three work-age children who obtained or were promoted at work, and the one who lost his job; code changes at the City and its effects; whether sanctuary cities be effective; an article on “cost disease” as it relates to education with outcomes stagnant; tentative plans for H’s 70th birthday; and the dreaded chest colds that have been going around.

2730 SW Moody Ave.            

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