Cool Temptations/Jumping Jellybeans

Cool Temptations & Jumping Jellybeans at the Portland International Airport (PDX) employeed me from mid August 1997 until June 30th, 1999. I had some good times, but I left bitter. Ah, such is life. Most all of the pictures here are from my last day. I didn't really take many pictures at work, does anyone? Anyway, not everyone is represented here, and the stories could fill pages, but I don't have the time for that. I did meet some cool people through Cool T, as we ended up calling the place. Working at the airport did kind of ruin the mystique of the place. I remember as a kid going to the airport to pick up someone, and the wonderful feeling of planes landing, travelers, and metal detectors. It was all quite the experience because you didn't go to the airport very often, and it was a sort of magical place. But after scooping ice cream there in the terminal for two years, the magical feeling has forever worn off. But, on to the pictures.

Here I am on my last day, with only a few hours to go. I got balloons, a nice gesture, I'll grant them that.

Here is a shot of Rachael diggin' into a tub of ice cream! How does she keep that figure eating the way she does?!

Julie is one of the assistant managers at the airport. She was the coolest.

Rachael took this shot of me out on the airfield by the garbage. It was the last time in my life most likely that I'd ever set foot on the ramp.

I'd often pause in the evenings during the summer and marvel at the sunsets. Such a broad expanse of pavement, and it seemed to go on forever. Planes would be taking off, and the horizon would be obscured through their exhaust. I'd smile, and if I'd had a crappy night scooping ice cream, the simle beauty of nature, augmented by the creations of man would held put life into perspective. The sunsets are beautiful because the rays of light are refracted by particles in the air, thus giving a brillant pink to red hue to the sky and clouds. A bit of that magic of being at the airport always came flooding back when standing on the airfield level with the planes watching the setting sun on the far horizon.

On my last night I left my camera up at the food court store for awhile with Rachael & Lani. Lani took this one.

This would be Lani. She posed for this one, and it required a quick rotation to put her rightside up.

This too is the handy work of Lani. She was fun to work with, though she was only with us for a few months.

I like this one. :-)