So L.A. Fitness has taken over the gym and the place feels a little different already. I was in early, so a lot of the people looked unfamiliar as well. I guess the independent personal trainers were given a week to clear out and they’re probably happy to be gone. As a native Oregonian, L.A. is the last thing I want to see moving into the area.

I tried to get out of the gym early, and I wasn’t too late. I had dinner with friends who wanted to try a Japanese restaurant downtown which has had great sushi the times I’ve gone. They wanted to let the sushi guys decide what to make and were afraid they wouldn’t be able to tell them that one of them had food allergies. The waitress ended up speaking great English so there was no problem at all. Well, at least we all got to eat great sushi and Murata in Portland lived up to its reputation.