Train station and TrainING. Repetition is key.

The economy sucks. Not sure if you've heard it. The politicians who've been in charge for the last 150 years keep saying 'things are great!!' But they're not. And people are being priced out of their substandard shit rentals here in the Portland area. I don't have a complete understanding of all the things happening, but it's bad. Bad bad.

And then there's the whole 'go to Portland if you're homeless' thing because Portland has provided some good services for them. Still very lacking, but services nonetheless.

There are homeless people everywhere downtown. Everywhere. Sleeping in the bushes and under the overpasses and in the alleys and in people's back yards. It's getting worse and worse. It's not just people who have substance abuse issues. Whole families are being tossed out of their homes because they simply can't afford to live there anymore and the waiting list for a place they *can* afford is over 400 people long. It's appalling. I read this week that there are THREE empty houses for every one homeless person in the US. It makes me sick. I can't understand why we don't do better.

So we saw a LOT of that this evening. I'm afraid that most of the ones we saw were less-than-sober based on the way they were either staggering around, shouting and/or peeing in the street. As we pulled into the parking lot at the train station, there were guys hiding in the bushes. Security was trying to get them to leave.

There was a guy in the train station who was very dirty and dragging around a backpack and other things. Yelling at the top of his lungs and making a scene. Security was escorting him out the door, he yelled all the way.

My parents arrived THREE HOURS late. Ugh.

I tried to take a nap this afternoon because it's hot and I knew my parents would be running late. But it didn't work. Which means a couple things. First, because it's hot and the air pressure is so high, I will end up with a migraine. And I'll be tired and crabby.

I have plans tomorrow (which is now today, and yep, I am up early...) that mean I have to get up early. I don't want to wake up and feel crappy. Er, didn't want to. Too late, though. Had another epic race between the migraine medicine and the barf machine. Medicine won. Double decker headache, meaning I needed two Excedrin to go with the migraine pill. Yum.

So my dad was in fine form last night. More than once, while I was talking, he interrupted me. I have learned to look at his face and say calmly, "I am still talking," ignore what he's saying and continue until I am finished.

He wants to rant about the US going to shit. He's right about it, although I don't know that we agree on the various things that have caused it. At any rate, he's not able to do a rational discussion. So I change the subject. Often. Sometimes, I have to get up and go to the bathroom. Or find some other thing I need to do. Since he's not able to stop talking, he keeps ranting to my mom while I am gone. Then, when I get back from whatever I'm doing, he is often on another subject.

It's like training a dog. It will take repetition. And since we see each other so rarely, I guess I won't ever get my dad trained. But he seemed to be catching on by about 10 when he and my mom left to go to their motel. It's not that I would not let them stay here, but I don't have a bed to accommodate them. Both of them have infirmities due to old age and other factors, and they need a large bed. They usually get a bedroom at the motel with two beds, they both sleep very well that way.

Okay, it's 7:30. I have to get going. I hate making early plans, but it's gonna get hot hot hot and I don't want to be out in it during the hottest part of the day.