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NAME RECOGNITION IN AMERICA EXPLAINED, TO BE OR NOT

July 8, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Two nights ago I watched Hamnet from the blue velvet couch. It’s about Shakespeare, which isn’t a spoiler. At least it shouldn’t be. With one of the more helpful movie openings, it explained that Hamnet and Hamet are the same name. The same. So I was set. Hamnet it is?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: belgium, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, college, denmark, education, family, feeling, Florsheim shoes, france, german, hippies, learning, Love, millennials, music, Oregon, paella, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, problems, Shakespeare, social change, Social media, Spain, spanish rice, story, travel, twitter, Vietnam War, wife, writer, writers, writing

ALL EYES ON THE AMERICAN WORLD CUP, JULY FOURTH

July 5, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Did anyone leave a 4th of July gathering to watch some World Cup action? France v Paraguay? Canada v Morocco? Me neither. I had to take my dog home before a bunch of kids filled up the backyard. The games were already on.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: 4th of July, American, american world cup, Baby Boomer blogger, basketball finals, beautiful game, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, canada, facebook, family, france, history, July Fourth, morocco, Oregon duck football, paraguay, party house, Portland, red zone, soccer fan, Social media, sports, sports fan, twitter, watch party, wife, world cup, writer, writers, writing, youtube

BARONIAL BEAVERTON TODAY

October 1, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Last night marked a farewell to Baronial Beaverton, a home of dreams and vision. The first time I walked in I knew something was different. I didn’t make a fuss over the awe-inspiring place right off the bat, but now? I doubt I’ll see anything like it again.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: andina, baron, baronial, beaverton, Blenheim, blogger, boomerpdx, builder, castle, classic, coffered ceiling, flashback, france, friendship, history, land, monument, palace, planter, Portland Oregon, space, spacing, timeless classic, versailles, winners, writer

LIFE CHOICE MAKES YOU GREAT

July 26, 2025 by David Gillaspie

One life choice can make all the difference. Things were tough on the Oregon Trail and people needed a break. The Donner Party started with a little known shortcut through the mountains. If you don’t know the story, click here. It turned out to be the wrong choice.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blogger, blogger life, boomerpdx, earth, education, explore, failure to communicate, family, following orders, france, German leadership, history, human awareness, life, life choice, living life, millennials, paris, shameful reminder, space, tank man, writer, writing, writing life, WWII, your life

ON VETERANS DAY 2024

November 11, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Veterans Day is for the old folks who remember their youth and those who were young with them. They remember the young people who didn’t have the chance to get old. My Dad got a chance to get old. He out-lived his Dad, just like I’m out-living him.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, college, conflict, education, enlistment, france, germany, italy, Korean War, Marine Corps, Navy, Oregon, Portland, Portland Oregon, service, Ukraine, Veterans Day, Vietnam War, WWII

BOOMER ENTERTAINMENT: A NICE RESTAURANT

January 13, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Boomer entertainment starts with a dinner plan. Eat in, get take out, or sit at a tiny table in a ritzy restaurant. Which one is more entertaining for the long marrieds who’ve heard each other’s stories over and over and over as one of them likes reminding the other. “I’ve heard every story you’ve got […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, belgium, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomer entertainment, boomerpdx, boomers, David Gillaspie, dessert, dinner plan, fancy, fancy restaurant, food, france, gastronomique, gastronomique blogger, main course, MARRIAGE, profane vocabulary, restaurant, ritzy restaurant, starters, verbal abuse, waitress, writer, writers, writing

THOUGHTFUL TRAVEL, OR HOW TO GET WHERE YOU PLANNED ON GOING

April 14, 2021 by David Gillaspie

Thoughtful travel feels like something that takes the fun out of adventure. Besides, how thoughtful do you need/want to be in getting someplace? Plan the place, load up, and head out works. Until it all goes south. If you have all of your thoughtful travel plans on your phone, then lose your phone on the […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: adventure, Brugge, churches, covid, England, france, london, man purse, paris, thoughtful travel, travel, travel vibe

OREGON MAN: WHAT MAKES THEM EXTRA SPECIAL

August 18, 2020 by David Gillaspie

Oregon man needs to leave the state and return to understand how special they are. Answer the question, “Where are you from?” with Oregon and the show begins. “Oregon? I’ve always wanted to go there,” they say, like it’s a mission to Mars.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: beach, blegium, England, france, Oregon, Oregon man, Portland, Seattle, sneaker wave, special

AMERICAN CITY ON THE LEFT COAST: PORTLAND

July 26, 2020 by David Gillaspie

Normandy, not Portland Portland, Oregon is an American city on the west coast. Not too big, not too small, but just right for a big rural state on the edge of the North American continent. (Think top left corner of America. That’s Seattle. Everybody knows Seattle. Portland is down from there.) For an extra reminder, […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: american army, dad wall, destruction, Ellen urbani, federal troops, france, germany, mom wall, normandy invasion, Oregon, paris, Portland, Portland Oregon, save paris, save portland, Seattle, surrender, veterans wall, WWII

HOTEL DUQUESNE EIFFEL FROM OREGON

May 14, 2020 by David Gillaspie

I stayed in two rooms of the same hotel, I liked it that much. Call it Paris fever. “Hotel Duquesne Eiffel is a small 7th Arrondissement hotel within walking distance of such Left Bank sites as the Eiffel Tower and Musee d’Orsay,” from an oyster.com review.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: france, hotel Duquesne, paris, paris france, travel france, travel paris, travel partner