3 0 4 1

Summer '05 Kickball Finals.

2005-09-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

well, we won. sorry i haven't been around much lately. kickball and working in another state occupied most of my time. now i'm back in Portland with a sweet new job that i start tomorrow and a brand new kickball team that is currently 3-0 and 2nd in the league going into today's week 4 game.

the finals were pretty sweet. we spent the entire day playing kickball. we won our first game in a low-scoring match, 5-1?, against the Lil' Booters and then followed that up with a crushing victory over the I Thought This Was Dodgeball crew, 18-6.

our last two games, played at Fernhill park, near my house in Portland, were the stuff of legend. going into the last inning against the American Gladiators, we were down by four or five runs. we clawed back and i hit a game-tying home run to send the game into extra innings where our defense turned it on to halt the upstart Gladiators in their tracks. truly, as a 13th seed from the NE League, they were the upset darlings of the tournament. we were the NE League champs, but our glory was short-lived. there was one more match to be played.

our final game against the green-clad SE League champions, The Kicktastics!, was no less thrilling. we started really slow, and found ourselves down six runs in the third inning due to some loose fielding. however, we had some great plays down the stretch and some brilliant hitting that allowed us to creep back into the game. the NE teams were cheering for us, and the more established SE League was backing their representatives. in all, i'd say there were more than a hundred people watching our game, and that made it extremely special when we pulled it out in the end. our homerun threat, drew, pulled a masterful third-base-line bunt that scored our runner from third to take the lead. after an insurance run and the final three outs, we were the champs, 9-7.

everyone from the right side of burnside rushed the field and we danced and cheered for a long time. we drank from a trophy... we sipped naught but champagne (some cheap stuff too)... and everyone was going crazy. everyone was dazed at the afterparty, and, to tell the truth, a bit exhausted from the whole day's activities. afterwards, michelle and i walked home carrying the trophy we had won, and we were stopped by some kids who asked if they could hold it. it was neat to watch their eyes light up on a saturday night as they clutched the trophy and danced around with it. maybe those will be the kickballers of years to come.

our new uniforms bear the star of victory on each sleeve: one on the L for the NE League champioinship, and one on the R for the NW Kickball League championship. our team has new members, but many of the returning cast from the summer. we will be a force to be reckoned with in the regular season, but our focus is now only on the playoffs. because in kickball, much like in other sports, the regular season doesn't mean squat at the end of the day.

kickball game 1

2005-06-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

remember playing kickball? fun right? it's more fun when you're an adult. enter NW Kickball (http://www.nwkickball.com). our team is the Pour Sports, and we won our first game 7-3. our team is completely new to the league; some teams have played since the league's inception, and those teams' skills are certainly more honed than ours are. we were nervous before the game began. still, we buckled down and played very well. we had a timely four-run third inning that blew the game wide open. the American Gladiators never recovered after that. our ringer, drew, had two home runs, and has the potential to make a run at the home run title. after the game, we met with the other teams at Billy Reed's to celebrate. imagine a semi-snooty bar's deck filled with 20/30somethings wearing "NW Kickball" t-shirts and swilling pabst with gusto.

here's our home-run hitter, drew, in action

erica, the speedy baserunner

total concentration

the dugout

we have another game next week against "Two Drink Minimum". as for me, my contract job is going to be a bit of a problem when it comes to making those wednesday evening games, but i'm going to try to get to as many of them as possible. we have discussed many different celebratory ideas to get our team noticed. some of these include a wagon with a keg and a large flag to wave whenever we score runs on offense.

POOOOOOUR SPORTS!
record: 1-0

new contract

2005-06-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

on wednesday i was offered a new contract in dupont, WA. it should be pretty interesting. i'm going to be living near dupont (possibly olympia) for the duration and coming back to portland for weekends.

if anyone knows of shared housing options in olympia, holla.

this is an awesome idea. http://papernapkin.net/

fasting - day 4

2005-05-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

quick update... i had to break my fast yesterday because of a job interview i had this morning. i was feeling run-down yesterday morning and afternoon, and i attribute it totally to the lack of calories my body was getting. so, in the interest of not falling asleep during the interview, i decided to break down and eat some squash soup and cabbage yesterday evening.

it's amazing what the body can do with so little food. i immediately felt alert and energized. i never would have expected such a lift from food that was so plain.

it paid off. i was feeling good this morning during my interview, and i will continue eating veggies and light fruits for the rest of the day. my lunch today was heavily-watered-down green drink mixed with frozen blueberries. it was delicious.

fasting - day 3

2005-05-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

liquids. the word conjures up images of unsolid forms that are content to wash around in the container that holds them. some might think of vast expanses, such as the sea or a lake. my thoughts today turn to liquids that one might ingest, because that's all i'm going to have to eat today.

i'm permitted vegetable broths, heavily watered-down juices (1 or 2 servings max), teas, and water for this twenty-four hour period. no millet. no fruits. no veggies. nuffin. and yet, it doesn't seem that terrible at 8:30 in the morning.

my cravings have essentially subsided. i still think about bread more than anything else; i had never realized how important bagels were to me. i feel clear-headed, which i can attribute to an increase in sleep and not jolting my senses awake/asleep with coffee/alcohol. i do not crave caffeine, which surprises me. i haven't really felt any identifiable effects of "detoxing" at this point. i have felt a little off from time to time, but never like i was purging my body of toxins... more like i was just hungry. yesterday i ate a good amount of cabbage, some squash, zucchini, and plenty of water. i love avocados.

fasting

2005-05-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

today marks the first day of a fast i am embarking on with my girlfriend, michelle. having never done anything like this before, i am very curious and anxious about what the next five days hold. basically, the game plan breaks down a-like so...

Mon - millet, veggies, fruit, liquids. no sugary/acidic veggies. lots of water.
Tue - veggies, fruit, liquids. raw veggies only. light on the fruit. liquids get watered down.
Wed - liquids. this is when the detox really kicks in. veggie broths, heavily watered down juices, lemon juice.
Thu - same as Tue, except you want to ease back into solids. lots of pureed veggies, watered juices, some fruit (watermelon in particular).
Fri - same as Mon. millet encouraged. lots of small meals this day.
Extras - acidophilus, aloe vera juice, detox tea (ginger tea is so good), garlic, spirulina for protein

should be interesting. i'll try to do a brief update every day to keep the info fresh.

UPDATE 10PM after day one, i feel ok. i ran this morning for around 6 or 7 miles, and i think the biggest problem i'm facing now is keeping my calorie count up. i don't feel sick, but i do feel a bit listless. my biggest gripe thus far is no bread.

jury duty part two

2005-05-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

the second day of jury duty was moderately more interesting than the first, but i left my laptop at home since the WiFi signal in the Multnomah County Courthouse doesn't stretch beyond the second floor. the quick version of the story is that i didn't get selected.

the case is an attempted murder trial with gang-related subject matter. originally, there were two defendants, but we learn today that the reason we were kept waiting so long yesterday is because one of the accused plead guilty in exchange for testimony. hoo boy. on to the courtroom... all thirty-five of us were required to state our names, occupations, educational background, and hobbies for the attorneys to use as information in deciding whether or not they wanted us on the jury panel. interestingly, i was seated next to two girls in the selection process, and we all three had electrical engineering backgrounds. i would say the odds of two girls and one guy seated together in a jury selection committee with all three having bachelors degrees in electrical engineering are pretty doggone slim. as soon as all three of us had finished announcing our choice of majors in school, the prosecuting attorney promptly announced that engineers were not attractive candidates for jury selection because we were typically "overanalytical and had difficulty establishing the difference between certain proof and reasonable doubt."

i was shocked. i had been kept waiting for nearly two days to determine whether i might be selected for this trial, and i was being denied based on my education background. being a white male, i'm not used to being blatantly discriminated against, and i have to say, it's not a very pleasant feeling. on the other hand, it's probably for the best. i don't really much feel like spending two weeks of my life in a courtroom hearing drawn-out legalese.

jury duty

2005-05-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

the morning begins with a pathetic joke about whether someone would rather be having a root canal or being here serving jury duty. there are nearly two hundred people here, by my estimation. there is a man speaking at a podium who is reviewing the difference between jurors and judges. i have been given a laminated barcode as identification. there are three other guys toting laptops at this ungodly hour... two are pouring over their microsoft outlook messages, the other is a portly fellow... he appears to be of the "rolling twenties" ilk.

in the meantime, i've already begun not paying attention. it took about five seconds. thank goodness for the time-wasting sites such as metafilter, fark, and boingboing. there is a speaker who continues to lecture the group on the importance of servitude as a juror. it is very scripted and the early morning jokes are met with canned laughter.

hmm... the first interesting thing has been mentioned. apparently the judges in oregon may permit the jurors in a particular case to directly ask questions of a witness. wow. the questions must be in writing, and the attorneys see the question before the rest of the courtroom does. dang. i just realized that the speaker looks and sounds like columbo.

jury service checks (cha ching) are sent out four weeks after my last day of service. that means i have to wait for nearly a month for my ten dollar payoff. grrrreat.

why video games are good

our third speaker has taken the stand. more canned laughter. he is explaining why we have security at the courthouse building. the speakers wrap things up, and now we're experiencing our first ten-minute break. the day promises to be a real yawnfest.

9:30AM
the first group of jurors has been released. actually, they're getting a bum deal. they're required to go to gresham tomorrow to serve there. i would be pretty upset if i were in this group. "rolling twenties guy" is among the selected.

-

12:30PM
after a two hour lunch break, we are back in the jury selection room on the 5th floor of the portland courtroom. by my estimation, one of every ten of us will be selected to take part in this trial. i...

what the fuck.

we are now being told that due to scheduling problems, we are being excused for the day. we are to return at 8:45 am; room 544 (name = johnson). the people present don't seem to be too put out by the process. i can't tell if it's because people are excited about the possibility of being involved in a high interest case, or if they simply don't care about having their day hijacked. i, for one, am pissed. this whole process is woefully inefficient.

emails from the road

2005-04-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

The following emails were written during my cross-country road trip with my good friend Stewart, who has moved to Fort Lauderdale.

day 4 begins with a chilly morning at bluewater state park in northwest new mexico. i awoke with stewart snoring mightily, and as i stumbled forth from the tent, i noticed five horses in the adjoining campsite grazing. some of the facilities here are nice; there's a power outlet for me to charge my laptop before we take off. others are not... the bathroom is a lab experiment gone horribly wrong.

our goal for today is to reach some part of deep texas in an effort to arrive in new orleans sometime in the late afternoon or early evening tomorrow.

yesterday (day 3) was absolutely incredible. we spent the lion's share of the day playing in arches national park, taking pictures, and going on brief hikes. we couldn't have asked for better weather. temperatures in the low80s with only the odd cloud to be seen, lazily sailing by. arches is a feast for the eyes. the imagery and visual impact of that place is powerful. we visited most of the sites, but
chose to return to the truck and drive a bit rather than tackle some of the more time-consuming hikes. one of my favourite memories from ANP will doubtlessly be the swallows that play in the high winds channeled by the massive gorges. at the viewing point for delicate arch, there is a sunstreaked cliff face, and as i sat and gazed at the arch, these birds whizzed by, making a FWOOSH sound as they passed.

day 2 was kind of uneventful. we started from farewell bend at the OR/ID border and drove to green river SP in utah. we logged a good number of miles, but really, there wasn't much to report from this day. i burned through the battery on my ipod... not having the foresight of stewart to realize that in more remote areas, we would be dependent on them for anything good to listen to.

the first day was also brief. we left portland around 3 in the afternoon and drove silently through the gorge, admiring it. i was sad to leave oregon, and i'm sure that my feelings are echoed by stewart, only much more so.

as for our current situation, we have been tearing through the goodies that kim has packed for us (THANKS KIM!!). we have yet to get a proper cup of coffee on this trip, although we are hopeful that alberquerque (sp?) will provide. we have learned the complex details behind the prices of diesel fuel. we have found that people working in gas stations in small towns are surly... some especially so. we have
learned that garlic hummus is a bad idea when sleeping in a tent. we have learned that roxie is capable of projectile vomiting upon being startled. frankly, roxie is capable of vomiting at the drop of a hat, it seems. she lays on the rocky new mexico soil by my side as i type this email.

hope you are all well. we should arrive in florida in the next three or four days.

take care,
sb, ss, and rs

>>----<<

greetings from new orleans. thanks to eric, i have finally satiated my yearning for a broadband connection. oddly enough, wifi points are not all that common in rural texas. who knew?

we spent day 4 on a fierce tear through the southwestern US. we drove from bluewater SP, NM to Purtis Creek SP, TX before stopping for the night. for those of you keeping score at home, that's a freakin long way in a big-ass truck... somewhere on the order of 800-850mi. texas. the mere word should cause hairs to stand on the back of my neck from here to the grave. our route through the lone star state took us from hailstorms to praying gas station attendants to tornadoes to sleeping in confined quarters to a swarm of windshield-decorating bugs and that ain't all... think Exodus and plagues... that's what we went through. the phrase, "fu**in' texas", was uttered many times from the ol' penske truck. our prejudices have only been reinforced. it'll take another visit to austin for me to reaffirm my interest in this state. we stayed the night on the outskirts of Purtis Creek SP, as the gates had been locked, much to our disgust. delirious beers at 230A led us to the decision to park the truck outside of the SP and sleep inside it. stew and roxie took the cab; i elected to sleep in the rear of the truck. i remember lying in my sleeping bag, unable to roll to the right or left because of space restrictions, and saying, "Hm... feels like I'm in a sarcophagus." stewart laughed and slammed the door shut.

after a brisk sleep, day 5 began at the right old hour of sixinthefuckinmorning. we wanted to make new orleans in time for dinner, and that meant getting going right away. i had slept for a couple of hours, so i got first crack at the wheel. stewart spent the wee hours with roxie in the cab, and she was spooked by coyote sounds nearby... we rolled out of texas as fast as possible, stopping only to refuel and wash the considerable mass of bug guts from our windshield. upon reaching louisiana, we cheered. our first major city was shreveport. after taking the "scenic route" to northern shreveport, we drove through the city and headed south. at this point, both of our ipods are drained and radio options in northern LA are somewhat... shall we say... limited. we elected to listen to gospel AM radio at 9AM on a tuesday, and i'm sure glad we did. we caught "The Prophet" doing his weekly radio address to the good people of shreveport, telling them of his great connections with the lord. he encouraged these patrons of the church to attend his services later that evening, often requesting them to bring items to be blessed. everyone was asked to bring olive oil. it's very much impossible to convey the fervor and zeal this man brought to the airwaves in a simple email. i will do my best impersonation in portland upon my return. we met up with sarah, eric's girlfriend, outside of baton rouge and followed her to eric's apt in kenner, LA. after a pasta lunch and a shower, our moods were much improved. we went to the french quarter and along the riverfront last night in downtown new orleans. we had a nice dinner and then proceeded to see what the crescent city had to offer on a off-peak tuesday night. it was considerably tamer than at the peak of mardi gras zaniness, and much more enjoyable.

today we will leave LA and head through mississippi and alabama to reach florida. given our aggressive pace over the past two days, i think it's very likely that we'll hit fort lauderdale sometime on thursday, which leaves us a full day to unload the truck.

hope everyone is well. take care,
ss, rs, and sb

>>----<<

well i had strong intentions of writing an update email when we arrived in fort lauderdale last night, and i got about two lines of writing in before a sneaky bottle of maker's started to whisper sweet nothings in my throat. 'fore too long, i was straight passed out on some 12"x12" tile in a little house in florida.

before i tell you guys anything else, i want to make it clear here and now that everyone should come to visit stewart and kim solely to come and see this new liquor store that has opened up a mere two blocks away from their home. it is one of the happiest places i've ever been... a solid selection of cigars, an insane variety of liquors and wines, rogue barleywine sampling (!), killer prices, and friendly shopkeepers. the moniker of "fort liquordale" is well-earned around here.

day 6 started with an early run in the louisiana morning for me. training in the cool wet air of the pacific northwest doesn't do much for one's endurance when pushing through the swampy air of nawlins. we found a great place to grab some authentic southern biscuits and au lait coffee nearby. thanks for the recommendation, eric! we found the roads of I-10 to be wanting for some stability on our way to mississippi. there were more than a few occasions where the cab of the truck was bouncing up and down like a carnival ride as we flew along at 70mph. incidentally, the top speed of the ol' penske is capped at 70, but that's probably for the best. once we passed mississippi, we decided to take a highway route through alabama to look for an authentic seafood meal. we stopped in a very sleepy town near the coast at a place called the "Sea and Steak". i'm not exaggerating when i tell you that every single item on our lunch plate except for the salad bar was fried. hushpuppies, fried catfish, fried shrimp, and onion rings... back in the south again, to be sure. some of our restaurant selections have been less than ideal. for future reference, don't eat at a huddle house.

we spent the rest of the day travelling along the panhandle, basking in the afternoon sun. at this point, some of our manners have taken a bit of a nosedive... we no longer wear shoes in the cab... stinky feet placed in front of the AC are the norm. sunflower seeds are spit out the window instead of trying to contain them in a cup. we're dirty and smelly and tired and ready to be in south florida. the cab is no longer abuzz with conversation; classic rock wails from the yellow truck as we approach tallahassee. instead of remaining on the major interstates, we decide to take 19 down the western coast of florida to put us about an hour outside of tampa at a state park called Rainbow Springs. hwy 19 was dark and reminiscent of the highway we took through rural texas. we saw lots of deer along the side of the road and rolled through little american towns with one post office, one stop light, and one boarded-up restaurant. keeping with the similarities from the rural texas route, this state park was closed upon arrival as well. cursing, we wheeled back to a rest stop near ocala to camp for the night. along the way, we passed the hotel where i stayed when working for intellon, a mere three months ago. i slept in the sarcophogus again.

day 7 started quickly, as we were anxious to get to tampa to see kim's parents and get on our way to fort lauderdale. kim's parents are staying in tampa in a room with a spectacular view of the bay area (16th floor). they brought kim and stew's wedding platter along to show off. it is very nice... good to finally see it! ;) kim's parents love stewart... her mom was full of hugs and her dad choked up as we were rattling out of the parking lot. back on the road, we knew that our next stop would be south florida. we went along I-75 down towards naples and then took the everglades parkway (aka alligator alley) through the 'glades. we didn't see any airboats, but we did see some gators sunning themselves on logs in the water. we got to fort lauderdale around 6:30PM. there's lots of very festive people here. the city is very clean and bright, and it seems like a much more comfortable place than tampa weather-wise. we unpacked some of the plants and essentials from the truck and then watched mindless television programming while getting dr0nk.

today, we've unpacked nearly everything from the truck. after we finish, stew will take the truck back and find a storage spot for the rest of their goodies. we expect to spend the rest of the day seeing the beach. it will be sad to say goodbye to stewart tomorrow, but i think that there will be plenty of visits to south florida from portland folks and hopefully we can expect stew to come visit at least one time before kim joins him.

i'll be seein you guys soon. if anyone is up for a brew sometime on saturday night, just holla.

take care.
ss, rs, and sb

>>----<<

* hungover. *

on the floor of the fort lauderdale airport (wifi-friendly!), musing over how strange last night was. despite my best intentions, the makers bottle was not to be denied. and FFS, at 17 bones for a fifth, why should it ever be?

stew and i spent last night drinking around the house and riding bikes to his new place of work. they had a pool there. one of us went swimming in the pool, and the other grumbled something about "not having even worked a day yet and already makin a mess." splashing and diving in, one of us was making quite a racket. as far as drunken bike rides go, this was one of the best... cowboy hat, shirt off, boots tied around my neck, and enjoying the florida air. stewart was clever enough to bring a coconut back to the house with him and we split it on the parking barriers in front of his house. one of us was too cultured to taste nature's bounty. the other attacked the coconut with reckless abandon... scraping the flesh from the inside with his teeth.

this morning blew. the alarm did not go off (grumble), and i woke with that all-too-familiar feeling of "Fuck. Fuck. FUCK." no shower. a quick tooth brushing. calling the cab company. *BLUR*. cabbie is haitian... chatty... spoke french with him a little and grimaced at how little i could recall in my condition. he was supportive and excited to have someone that understood his language. i was more concerned about his swerving from lane to lane as the remnants of bourbon in my gut were deciding how angry they'd like to get. he listens to a french station in the car that is more static than music.

ironically, my first flight is into dallas. i'm not happy about that in the slightest... belly of the beast.

see you all soon. i'll be thrilled to get back to portland... there's too many tanned people around here. ;) i'd like to thank stew and roxie for a wonderful trip. i'd also like to thank kim and emily for providing food for us along the way. i'd like to thank eric and sarah for their hospitality in nawleens. last but not least, i'd like to thank the good people who are responsible for makers mark and all the goodness it holds.

parents are bitching at children. old ladies are nervously fidgeting. jeans shorts are barely containing florida asses. must be flyin time. see you guys soon.
sb

on the road again...

2005-04-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

my friend is moving to fort lauderdale, FL, and i'm riding shotgun with him. we're planning on a week of cross-country fun and excitement. new orleans, the grand canyon, and who knows what else awaits... surely there will be many pictures to come.

the bus leaves soon and i haven't started packing. so what else is new?

as the blazers' season draws to a welcome, frustrated close, there is one voice that rings true with the general distemper of portland residents: http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/

Mt. Hood Meadows : Redux

2005-03-23T06:54:00.000-08:00

"The news of my death was greatly exaggerated."

Apparently Mother Nature isn't through messing with our psyches. A season-extending batch of snow has collected on Mount Hood Meadows, giving those with spring breaks a last gasp of wintery fun. Yesterday was better than expected; the snow was thick and carvable in the lower regions. High winds and exposed runs were the norm at the higher elevations, and only a trio of lifts were available, but in a season filled with disappointment and frustration, this week's conditions are very welcome.

I went snowboarding with two of my friends, Jon and Coffield.

Mt. Hood Meadows '05 Ski Season R.I.P.

2005-03-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

Season Pass Holder Letter

Issued yesterday, this letter from the powers-that-be up on the big hill is both sad and informative. With no end to the sunshine and dry weather in sight, let's all pray for colder temperatures and more precipitation at the end of this year.

Mt. St. Helens goes crazy

2005-03-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Mt. St. Helens popped out a nice little stream of ash and steam that soared over 35,000 feet into the air. This took place at just around 5:30PM, so the local news media was right on top of it. Not to be left out, I ran down to the nearby elementary school and snapped this picture.

To get a more detailed look at this photo (and the others as well), you can click on the image to see it in all of its 1600x1200 glory.

You can see MSH in the lower left hand corner and the large dissipating mass drifting off to the right. I took this around 15 minutes after the blast happened, so even though the quality isn't ideal, it's still a pretty accurate representation of the event. It's neat to be living in an area that has such dynamic natural activity.

receipts

2005-03-01T10:17:00.000-08:00

Today, I have dragged out a large box of receipts to be shredded. I bought a nice cheap shredder at a department store because identity fraud is a big problem in Oregon and I needed to dispose of my information securely. I have already been a victim of identity fraud when living in an apartment complex in Hillsboro, OR (west of Portland). Someone tried to cash a $4000 check on my credit card. You'd think that someone doing this would try to be a little less conspicuous. Perhaps a check for a few hundred would have cleared? The good people at Washington Mutual saw through their little scam and did not honour the check. Identity theft/fraud is a very troubling problem in an age where personal relationships have faded in favour of e-business and quick fixes. Perhaps I'm a little paranoid about it, but I feel I have just cause.

But back to the box of receipts. The whole point of this is that I've got around five years of financial paper trail to dispose of. The box that I'm digging through is covered in dusty packing tape. It looks like the sort of container that would normally hold old toys or shoes. The top layer contains recent records of financial transactions, while the deeper I dig, the more historic the scraps of paper become.

Presently, I'm back to the year 2001. It's very interesting to see how my tastes have changed. Record store visits and frequent bar tabs are the norm in this layer of information. Each scrap of paper reminds me of a bottle of wine, or a hotel stay, or a gas station record from a vacation, or a time when I lived in another house. It's a scrapbook and a diary contained in small bits of paper... that are being destroyed one by one.

Here are a couple of randomly selected receipts:

+ Restaurant in Yachats, OR. Awesome seafood. I think I had some type of salmon there. The bill was $36.
+ Fry's Electronics. This is from when I used my relocation money (oh, those were the days) to furnish my home entertainment system. $1350.
+ Gas station receipt. June '01. A pack of Camel Lights and 10gal of regular. $23.
+ Asian market in Beaverton, OR. Aug '01. Jasmine rice, wasabi peas, candies, tofu. $16.
+ Restaurant in Portland, OR. Chez What? No doubt burgers and beer. :) $14.
+ Uptown Billiards, Portland. I think this is when a friend came from Seattle to play pool with us. We hadn't seen him in years and he had a newborn. One Guinness. $4.
+ Portland Dump. Aug '02. Disposal of 100lbs of trash. $17.
+ Turn Around Sound. Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. $10.

news. mayor. critical mass.

2005-02-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice article on the recent events surrounding our new mayor here in Portland. I don't know much more about the issue other than what is reported in this article, but I for one am fully behind any mayor taking part in a community effort like Critical Mass. I'm not a 100% believer in the benefits of CM; to be quite honest, I have a lot of misgivings about whether it really teaches anyone much of anything. I've been a rider in a few events in cities on both coasts, and the reactions from drivers and non-bikers has been consistently negative. Still, I think it's a good sign to see the mayor of my city taking part in this initiative, however misguided.

Oh, and if you need some flava for that Monday mornin:
Crank the bass in yer cans and drift on...

Launch!

2005-02-09T22:13:00.000-08:00

3041 : Blowin your everlovin mind off the damn hinges.