I saw the look when I glanced at the mirror this morning.
I saw the look on nearly everybody’s face on the train as we stumbled our way to work.
Everybody in the office is a bit zombie-like this morning.

There’s just something about having an extra day off over the weekend that makes it that much more difficult to get back in the swing of things when returning to the daily grind. Maybe it’s the aftershocks of long hours in the car coming and going from your vacation destination. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep from your neighbors’ impromptu midnight basketball tournament. Maybe it’s the actual ringing of the head from the binge drinking you did to celebrate the holiday. Maybe it’s the observing of the Memorial Day holiday and the realization that so many of our soldiers were unable to take the weekend off. Maybe you even had to work, in which case I hope you got paid time and a half.

Whatever it is, I’m going to try and chug down some extra coffee and get myself awake. Hope you all had a good holiday.

Well, sort of…

A while back, I made brief mention, sort of as an aside on a blog post about the end of basketball season, that it was soccer season in Portland and that I wasn’t really all that excited about it.

What followed was a post that, around the time of the Virginia Tech shootings, made it to the top of the Metroblogging network’s “most commented” list (which, given the perpetual blabbiness of those Karachians, is no small feat) as I traded shots with various members of the “Timbers Army.”

Generally, I said soccer bored me, I didn’t get it, and I also disrespected Timber Jim, the team’s pseudo-mascot and a key figure in the home team’s personality. Timber Army people said I was ignorant, mean, and generally pitiful. Toward the end, I’d been offered by various people free tickets and beer if I’d come out to a game.

I said I would.

And, Friday night, I sort of did.
(more…)

Is it just my little neck of the woods or is no one going out of town this weekend? Ordinarily on a warm holiday weekend our neighborhood empties out and my family and I romp around the streets and stores like we own the place. Restaurants are half empty, shops have no crowds and the streets are like a ghost town (you can queue the spaghetti western music if you want).

This morning we took a stroll over to our grocery store to get fajita fixings and it seemed like not only our neighbors were there but their moms, dads, sisters, brothers, cousins and that weird uncle too…

I guess my question is, is it the holiday gas hike that’s done it or did everyone decide at once that there’s no place like home?

So I was with a buddy yesterday on Mississippi Ave trying to figure out a place for lunch. Walking the street I stumbled across a piece of culinary heaven – a handful of outdoor tables, a small trailer and a grilling operation to rival some of the most down-home, Louisiana BBQ joints you can find. Executive Chef Tray, as the BBQ master calls himself, originally had his Da Rib-Shack operation on MLK but moved over to Mississippi (and Fremont – thanks Aaron!).

Lunch consisted of three meaty ribs for each of us, along with some potato salad. The ribs were dry on one side and sauced on the other. I can say this much of the meal -OH MY GOD!! Some of the best BBQ I’ve had since moving to PDX (I even wrote a story once [PDF] about BBQ around town for PDX Magazine – too bad I didn’t know of this place).

Want more details on Da-Rib Shack? Check out this recent review PDXGuide did. Tray was handing out fliers saying June 5th was his grand opening. You can drop him a line for more details at daribshack@msn.com. I’ll definitely be back there…

Grab your towel today and pay your respects to Douglas Adams, the venerated author of “The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.” Towel Day started as a tribute to Adams after his death in 2001, and is celebrated worldwide each year. The only event I could find in Portland is tied to the Convergence 13 Goth Festival happening this weekend. Eldergoth is holding a Cocktail Reunion at the Bistro 921 from 5:00pm – 8:00pm before the Skinny Puppy Show at the Crystal Ballroom for all of the older goths who used to dance to Bela Lugosi’s Dead before it was run into the ground. He’s encouraging everyone to bring their red or black towels to help celebrate the day.

So how do you celebrate Towel Day? Carry your towel with you throughout the day to show your participation and mourning. Why a towel? Here’s a quote from the Guide, “A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.” You can go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day for the rest of the quote, and more information on the celebration. There is also a Flickr group you can post your tribute photos to if you are so inclined.

So, wear your towel to the pub tonight, eat some peanuts, and drink a pint in tribute to Douglas Adams. Besides, it’s a really good conversation starter and you may just make a new fellow geek friend.

Earlier this week, a cougar was spotted prancing through the streets of Silverton- northeast of Salem. The big cat walked right up to a house, freaking the resident out.

I seem to recall an incident with a cougar taking a pet dog from a residence at the edge of Forest Park. I believe that occurred in 1997.

Last summer I saw a coyote while driving on Cornell near Forest Park.

The creature was beautiful. Could have been a coydog (coyote-dog cross).

Wait, there’s more.
(more…)

I read on OregonLive today that they have three suspects in the rash of car arson’s here in SE Portland.

Someone vandalized my car about two weeks ago. They took a sharpie and scribbled over the green registration tag on my license plate. It’s a subtle act of vandalism but quite unnerving nonetheless.

Has anyone else had their car vandalized in such a subtle fashion?

I had speculated that there may be some orchestration to the vandalism. But there are no reports of any motives for the attacks so I am thinking that these guys were just acting out of some sort of random rage. As for the vandalism to my car, I really have no clue except perhaps some young kids just out making mischief.

But there is an anti-car movement that seems to get stronger every day. How else is that manifesting in Portland?

I am eating out way too much. Today, I had the Holy Mole burrito at Laughing Planet on SE Belmont. Tonight, I walked over to New Seasons for some roast chicken, green beans and roasted potatoes. And that was after a beer while getting some work done at Night Light.

Geez. Time to get back in the kitchen. But I know that tomorrow night we’ll be going out as I bought tickets for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. And on Saturday, I am thinking of going on a weekend trip with the kiddos. Vashon Island?

I swear, next week, I’ll get back in that kitchen.

I love living by myself but eating out all the time is drainer. But, dang, I sure love the choices here in Stumptown.

I keep seeing this muffin all over my neighborhood. On buildings, electrical boxes etc… Is it just a SE thing or is it everywhere?

Everyone I know is heading out of town this weekend, hell bent on celebrating the first unofficial weekend of summer (do weigh in on your favorite way to celebrate on Divebarwife’s post if you haven’t already.)

But not me. I’ll be here – kid-free, thankfully. Not working, double-thankfully (and let’s show some appreciation and love for the folks toiling away thanklessly on holidays while we’re at it, shall we?)
But due to gas prices and a need to stay frugal, I’m sticking close to home.

Cami’s wine excursion’s already on the list (thanks, Cami!) But ‘m looking to fill up some more of that leisure time with some ‘in town’ activities.

So – if you’re staying in town, what’s on your agenda? What should I check out?

(Warnings to anyone suggesting ‘yardwork’ – sorry, not on my to-do list; that job now belongs to my teenaged son, thanks be!)