Infectiousness of Sheer Joy

Our Sunday in Portland did not go to plan, which is okay. Connor, as it turns out, loves riding on trains, but not tunnels. We had planned to go to OMSI, which is a wonderful museum along the waterfront. As we got off the freeway we noticed the OVERFLOW parking was OVERFLOWING.

This meant large crowds (bad for Connor) and long waits for hands on exhibits (very frustrating for Connor). So we figured on heading to Washington Park via the Max from Lloyd center. This gave us a chance to get the Greek fast food anyways. A few rides up and down the escalator and some felafel's later we started heading to the train. Connor turns and asks "Train but No tunnel?" We told him "One tunnel" . This caused him to Balk at the train ride all together.

As Tina and I were still plum tuckered out from our previous day excursion we just laid the cards on the table. "Train with tunnel or Hotel?" Connor pondered and stated "Hotel" So, we acquiesced.

At the Hotel he got into his swim trunks and proceeded to have a great time alone in the pool. I napped as Tina read the paper poolside. When the room sundry exchange person came knocking and waking me about an hour later, I exchanged places with Tina. We just jelled around the room. Watched Shrek on HBO (one of Connors favorite films, ask him to recite the muffin man sequence with Diana sometime).

Nearby the hotel is a family fun center, that has tubes, mini-golf, lazer tag, go carts and bumper boats. While Tina got her rest time in Connor and I walked over. It was your chuck-e-cheese type atmosphere with assortment of weekend parents, grandparents, singles, Parent parents and kids, kids, kids and kids. Bells, noises and lights made me guide the boy to the play tubes. Shoes and socks off he vanished into the kid plumbing.

They had some self serving magazines to peruse telling about all the wonderful events you are going to miss over the next couple of months. There is a frog hopper ride that looked kind of lame to me, but Connor wanted to try it out. So I had to hunt down were you get the tickets from. Finally I located a bored teen worker who was not chatting up someone and got directions. That took us outside, and seeing as how I did not want to plunk down wads of cash I opted for a quick tour to see what one ride Connor wanted. He seemed interested in the go carts. Then he saw the bungee trampoline, and that's all she wrote...

So he got into line I bought a ticket. When I came back I confirmed he wanted to go on this. It was a long wait as each kid got a jump session of random length depending on the distraction level of the attendant, who also manned the rock climbing wall.

Most of the kids had the $40.00 wrist bands and could go on whatever ride suited their pleasure as many times as they wanted. This made the duration of any one attraction less important.

Finally Connor's turn came up. As the attendant needed some information about weight etc. I intervened and explained he was autistic. The kid stated "no problem" a little too quickly.

The device in question consists of a modified rock climbing harness with swivels on each side. These are hooked to various bungee cords depending upon the "riders" weight. These are attacked to two wide apart masts that with a cable that pulls the bungees taught. Underneath the rider is an inflatable trampoline device, like a giant inner-tube with a dense weave nylon stretched over the surface. The attendant paid closer attention to Connor, who made a few tentative jumps before launching himself skyward with more enthusiasm.

For some reason, he threw his hands wide and yelled "FREEDOM" at the top of his lungs, at the apex of the next several jumps. This caused the ride operator to smile, then grin, then laugh, then double over.

From that point forward the sheer joy that is Connor made the kids day. You do not see many of the teen workers at this establishment smile much. Other then the pasted on one required by management.